▁Sch ism ▁ ▁The ▁sch ism ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁Christian ▁wings ▁centered ▁on ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁trad itore ▁cler gy . ▁The ▁Don at ists ▁cont ended ▁that ▁trad itor es ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁re inst ated ▁without ▁being ▁re - b apt ized ▁and ▁re - ord ained ▁to ▁take ▁office . ▁They ▁also ▁cont ended ▁that ▁church ▁rit uals ▁performed ▁by ▁trad itor es ▁were ▁invalid . ▁Therefore , ▁ ▁persons ▁who ▁were ▁bapt ized , ▁ord ained ▁or ▁consec r ated ▁should ▁not ▁be ▁recognized ▁by ▁the ▁Church . ▁ ▁Don at ist ▁thinking ▁was ▁relatively ▁consistent ▁with ▁that ▁of ▁Saint ▁C yp rian , ▁who ▁died ▁a ▁mart yr ▁during ▁an ▁earlier ▁wave ▁of ▁per sec utions , ▁over ▁half ▁a ▁century ▁earlier . ▁ ▁Effect ively , ▁the ▁Roman ▁Church ▁believed ▁that ▁la ps ed ▁cler gy ▁could ▁perform ▁rit uals ▁such ▁as ▁bapt ism ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁they ▁followed ▁church ▁rit ual . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁ten ure ▁of ▁some ▁ 4 0 ▁years ▁Don atus ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁Don at ist ▁Christian ▁sect ▁but ▁strugg led ▁un success fully ▁against ▁the ▁Roman ▁Christian ▁wing ▁to ▁obtain ▁Church ▁recognition ▁as ▁the ▁legit imate ▁Pr imate ▁of ▁North ▁Africa . ▁ ▁This ▁effort ▁failed ▁because ▁the ▁Don at ists ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁prove ▁to ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁the ▁coun c ils ▁that ▁considered ▁the ▁case ▁that ▁Ca ec ilian ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁trad itor ▁or ▁that ▁his ▁consec r ation ▁was ▁invalid ▁because ▁he