"miscreant" is Gildo, who was appointed Comes Africae by the Emperor
124 ST. AUGUSTINE certain persons who had the baptism of John were ordered by Paul to be baptized; for they did not have the baptism of
Christ.^'
(2) "Why then do you exaggerate the merit of John, and, as it were, belittle the unhappy condition of the heretics?" I, too, grant you that the heretics are impious; but the heretics gave the baptism of Christ, a baptism which John did not give.
17. I return to John and say, "He it is who baptizes." For John is better than a heretic just as John is better than a drunkard, and as John is better than a murderer. If we ought to baptize after one who is worse because the apostles baptized after one who is better, [then they, too, ought to baptize] whoever among them have been baptized by a drunkard^^ — I do not say by a murderer, I do not say by a satellite of some miscreant, *^ I do not say by a thief of other people's property, I do not say by an oppressor of orphans, nor by a wrecker of marriages, I do not speak of any of these. I speak of what is a common practice,^^ I speak of what is an even day occurrence; I speak of a general invitation, even in this city, when they hear it said, "Let's feast."^^ "Let's have a good time," and "you
41. Cf. Acts 19.1-7. 42. Augustine frequently mentions the prevalence of drunkenness among the Donatists; Berrouard, Homelies I— XVI, 874, provides a long list of references. Augustine was particularly distressed when this drunkenness accompanied celebrations in honor of martyrs in the churches. See Tractate 10.4 and TV In lo Ep 4.4.
43. The "satellite" is the Donatist bishop, Optatus of Thamugadi, and the "miscreant" is Gildo, who was appointed Comes Africae by the Emperor Theodosius in 386 A.D. and led an unsuccessful revolt against the Emperor
Honorius in 397—398 A.D. Optatus, if not actually an aide of Gildo, received the Court's support in acts of violence against both the Catholics and the Donatist sect called the Maximianists. Cf. Willis, 22-23, and Frend, Donatist Church, 208-226. He is accused by Augustine elsewhere, especially in the Contra Litteras Petiliani, 2.23.53, 44104. 103-237 (PL 43.276-277, 295, 340341; and CSEL 52.51—52, 81, 150-152), of all the crimes listed here except drunkenness; see Berrouard, Homelies I— XVI, 873-874.
44. This might be translated "a ritual observance" or "a holiday rite" as in Berrouard, Homelies I— XVI, 330; but "a common practice" seems to me more appropriate to this context.
45. The Latin reads alogiemus. This might also be translated, "let us be irrational," incorporating a familiar ancient notion that at festival time it was permissible and desirable to ignore, even invert, normal moral and social