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Cyprian correspondence, Epistle XVII

Cyprian of Carthage

Letter 17

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

Epistle XVII.

To the Presbyters and Deacons About the Foregoing and the Following Letters.

Argument.—No Account is to Be Made of Certificates from the Martyrs Before the Peace of the Church is Restored.

Cyprian to the presbyters and deacons,

his

brethren

,

greeting

.

The

Lord

speaketh

and

saith

,

“

Upon

whom

shall

I

look

,

but

upon

him

that

is

humble

and

quiet

,

and

that

trembleth

at

my

words

?

”

Although

we

ought

all

to

be

this

,

yet

especially

those

ought

to

be

so

who

must

labour

,

that

,

after

their

grave

lapse

,

they

may

,

by

true

penitence

and

absolute

humility

,

deserve

well

of

the

Lord

.

Now

I

have

read

the

letter

of

the

whole

body

of

confessors

,

which

they

wish

to

be

made

known

by

me

to

all

my

colleagues

,

and

in

which

they

requested

that

the

peace

given

by

themselves

should

be

assured

to

those

concerning

whom

the

account

of

what

they

have

done

since

their

crime

has

been

,

in

our

estimation

,

satisfactory

;

which

matter

,

as

it

waits

for

the

counsel

and

judgment

of

all

of

us

,

I

do

not

dare

to

prejudge

,

and

so

to

assume

a

common

cause

for

my

own

decision

.

And

therefore

,

in

the

meantime

,

let

us

abide

by

the

letters

which

I

lately

wrote

to

you

,

of

which

I

have

now

sent

a

copy

to

many

of

my

colleagues

,

who

wrote

in

reply

,

that

they

were

pleased

with

what

I

had

decided

,

and

that

there

must

be

no

departure

therefrom

,

until

,

peace

being

granted

to

us

by

the

Lord

,

we

shall

be

able

to

assemble

together

into

one

place

,

and

to

examine

into

the

cases

of

individuals

.

But

that

you

may

know

both

what

my

colleague

Caldonius

wrote

to

me

,

and

what

I

replied

to

him

,

I

have

enclosed

with

my

letter

a

copy

of

each

letter

,

the

whole

of

which

I

beg

you

to

read

to

our

brethren

,

that

they

may

be

more

and

more

settled

down

to

patience

,

and

not

add

another

fault

to

what

had

hitherto

been

their

former

fault

,

not

being

willing

to

obey

either

me

or

the

Gospel

,

nor

allowing

their

cases

to

be

examined

in

accordance

with

the

letters

of

all

the

confessors

.

I

bid

you

,

beloved

brethren

,

ever

heartily

farewell

;

and

have

me

in

remembrance

.

Salute

all

the

brotherhood

.

Fare

ye

well

!

Notes

1
Oxford ed.: Ep. xxvi. a.d. 250.
2
Isa. lxvi. 2.
3
[Elucidation V.]
4
[The affectionate and general usage of primitive bishops to seek the consensus fratrum, is noteworthy.]