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Cyprian correspondence, Epistle XXVIII

Cyprian of Carthage

Letter 28

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

Epistle XXVIII.

To the Presbyters and Deacons Abiding at Rome.

Argument.—The Roman Clergy are Informed of the Temerity of the Lapsed Who Were Demanding Peace.

Cyprian to the presbyters and deacons abiding

at

Rome

,

his

brethren

,

greeting

.

Both

our

common

love

and

the

reason

of

the

thing

demand

,

beloved

brethren

,

that

I

should

keep

back

from

your

knowledge

nothing

of

those

matters

which

are

transacted

among

us

,

that

so

we

may

have

a

common

plan

for

the

advantage

of

the

administration

of

the

Church

.

For

after

I

wrote

to

you

the

letter

which

I

sent

by

Saturus

the

reader

,

and

Optatus

the

sub

-

deacon

,

the

combined

temerity

of

certain

of

the

lapsed

,

who

refuse

to

repent

and

to

make

satisfaction

to

God

,

wrote

to

me

,

not

asking

that

peace

might

be

given

to

them

,

but

claiming

it

as

already

given

;

because

they

say

that

Paulus

has

given

peace

to

all

,

as

you

will

read

in

their

letter

of

which

I

have

sent

you

a

copy

,

as

well

as

what

I

briefly

replied

to

them

in

the

meantime

.

But

that

you

may

also

know

what

sort

of

a

letter

I

afterwards

wrote

to

the

clergy

,

I

have

,

moreover

,

sent

you

a

copy

of

this

.

But

if

,

after

all

,

their

temerity

should

not

be

repressed

either

by

my

letters

or

by

yours

,

and

should

not

yield

to

wholesome

counsels

,

I

shall

take

such

proceedings

as

the

Lord

,

according

to

His

Gospel

,

has

enjoined

to

be

taken

.

I

bid

you

,

beloved

brethren

,

ever

heartily

farewell

.

Notes

1
Oxford ed.: Ep. xxxv. a.d. 250.