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Cyprian correspondence, Epistle X

Cyprian of Carthage

Letter 10

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

Epistle X.

To the Martyrs and Confessors Who Sought that Peace Should Be Granted to the Lapsed.

Argument.—The Occasion of This Letter is Given Below in Epistle XIV. As Follows:—“When I Found that Those Who Had Polluted Their Hands and Mouths with Sacrilegious Contact, or Had No Less Infected Their Conscience with Wicked Certificates,” Etc.

Section 1

1. Cyprian to the martyrs

and

confessors

,

his

beloved

brethren

,

greeting

.

The

anxiety

of

my

situation

and

the

fear

of

the

Lord

constrain

me

,

my

brave

and

beloved

brethren

,

to

admonish

you

in

my

letters

,

that

those

who

so

devotedly

and

bravely

maintain

the

faith

of

the

Lord

should

also

maintain

the

law

and

discipline

of

the

Lord

.

For

while

it

behoves

all

Christ’s

soldiers

to

keep

the

precepts

of

their

commander

;

to

you

it

is

more

especially

fitting

that

you

should

obey

His

precepts

,

inasmuch

as

you

have

been

made

an

example

to

others

,

both

of

valour

and

of

the

fear

of

God

.

And

I

had

indeed

believed

that

the

presbyters

and

deacons

who

are

there

present

with

you

would

admonish

and

instruct

you

more

fully

concerning

the

law

of

the

Gospel

,

as

was

the

case

always

in

time

past

under

my

predecessors

;

so

that

the

deacons

passing

in

and

out

of

the

prison

controlled

the

wishes

of

the

martyrs

by

their

counsels

,

and

by

the

Scripture

precepts

.

But

now

,

with

great

sorrow

of

mind

,

I

gather

that

not

only

the

divine

precepts

are

not

suggested

to

you

by

them

,

but

that

they

are

even

rather

restrained

,

so

that

those

things

which

are

done

by

you

yourselves

,

both

in

respect

of

God

with

caution

,

and

in

respect

of

God’s

priest

with

honour

,

are

relaxed

by

certain

presbyters

,

who

consider

neither

the

fear

of

God

nor

the

honour

of

the

bishop

.

Although

you

sent

letters

to

me

in

which

you

ask

that

your

wishes

should

be

examined

,

and

that

peace

should

be

granted

to

certain

of

the

lapsed

as

soon

as

with

the

end

of

the

persecution

we

should

have

begun

to

meet

with

our

clergy

,

and

to

be

gathered

together

once

more

;

those

presbyters

,

contrary

to

the

Gospel

law

,

contrary

also

to

your

respectful

petition

,

before

penitence

was

fulfilled

,

before

confession

even

of

the

gravest

and

most

heinous

sin

was

made

,

before

hands

were

placed

upon

the

repentant

by

the

bishops

and

clergy

,

dare

to

offer

on

their

behalf

,

and

to

give

them

the

eucharist

,

that

is

,

to

profane

the

sacred

body

of

the

Lord

,

although

it

is

written

,

“

Whosoever

shall

eat

the

bread

and

drink

the

cup

of

the

Lord

unworthily

,

shall

be

guilty

of

the

body

and

blood

of

the

Lord

.

”

Section 2

2. And to the lapsed indeed pardon may be granted in respect of this thing. For what dead person would not hasten to be made alive? Who would not be eager to attain to his own salvation? But it is the duty of those placed over them to keep the ordinance, and to instruct those that are either hurrying or ignorant, that those who ought to be shepherds of the sheep may not become their butchers. For to concede those things which tend to destruction is to deceive. Nor is the lapsed raised in this manner, but, by offending God, he is more urged on to ruin. Let them learn, therefore, even from you, what they ought to have taught; let them reserve your petitions and wishes for the bishops, and let them wait for ripe and peaceable times to give peace at your requests. The first thing is, that the Mother should first receive peace from the Lord, and then, in accordance with your wishes, that the peace of her children should be considered.

Section 3

3. And since I hear, most brave and beloved brethren, that you are pressed by the shamelessness of some, and that your modesty suffers violence; I beg you with what entreaties I may, that, as mindful of the Gospel, and considering what and what sort of things in past time your predecessors the martyrs conceded, how careful they were in all respects, you also should anxiously and cautiously weigh the wishes of those who petition you, since, as friends of the Lord, and hereafter to exercise judgment with Him, you must inspect both the conduct and the doings and the deserts of each one. You must consider also the kinds and qualities of their sins, lest, in the event of anything being abruptly and unworthily either promised by you or done by me, our Church should begin to blush, even before the very Gentiles. For we are visited and chastened frequently, and we are admonished, that the commandments of the Lord may be kept without corruption or violation, which I find does not cease to be the case there among you so as to prevent the divine judgment from instructing very many of you also in the discipline of the Church. Now this can all be done, if you will regulate those things that are asked of you with a careful consideration of religion, perceiving and restraining those who, by accepting persons, either make favours in distributing your benefits, or seek to make a profit of an unlawful trade.

Section 4

4. Concerning this I have written both to the clergy and to the people, both of which letters I have directed to be read to you. But you ought also to bring back and amend that matter according to your diligence, in such a way as to designate those by name to whom you desire that peace should be granted. For I hear that certificates are so given to some as that it is said, “Let such a one be received to communion along with his friends,” which was never in any case done by the martyrs so that a vague and blind petition should by and by heap reproach upon us. For it opens a wide door to say, “Such a one with his friends;” and twenty or thirty or more, may be presented to us, who may be asserted to be neighbours and connections, and freedmen and servants, of the man who receives the certificate. And for this reason I beg you that you will designate by name in the certificate those whom you yourselves see, whom you have known, whose penitence you see to be very near to full satisfaction, and so direct to us letters in conformity with faith and discipline. I bid you, very brave and beloved brethren, ever heartily in the Lord farewell; and have me in remembrance. Fare ye well.

Notes

1
Oxford ed.: Ep. xv. a.d. 250.
3
[Another instance of this word as applied to the bishop, κατ᾽ ἐξοχην. So in St. Chrysostom, De Sacerdotio = episcopatu.]
4
1 Cor. xi. 27.
5
[He refers to his comprovincials, not arrogating all authority to himself. See Hippolytus, p. 125, note 2, supra.]
6
[The African Church.]