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Cyprian correspondence, Epistle XLII

Cyprian of Carthage

Letter 42

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

Epistle XLII.

To the Same, on His Having Sent Letters to the Confessors Whom Novatian Had Seduced.

Argument.—The Argument of This Letter Sufficiently Appears from the Title. It is Manifest that This Letter and the Following Were Sent by One Messenger.

Cyprian to Cornelius his brother, greeting

.

I

have

thought

it

both

obligatory

on

me

,

and

necessary

for

you

,

dearest

brother

,

to

write

a

short

letter

to

the

confessors

who

are

there

with

you

,

and

,

seduced

by

the

obstinacy

and

depravity

of

Novatian

and

Novatus

,

have

departed

from

the

Church

;

in

which

letter

I

might

induce

them

,

for

the

sake

of

our

mutual

affection

,

to

return

to

their

Mother

,

that

is

,

to

the

Catholic

Church

.

This

letter

I

have

first

of

all

entrusted

to

you

by

Mettius

the

sub

-

deacon

for

your

perusal

,

lest

any

one

should

pretend

that

I

had

written

otherwise

than

according

to

the

contents

of

my

letter

.

I

have

,

moreover

,

charged

the

same

Mettius

sent

by

me

to

you

,

that

he

should

be

guided

by

your

decision

;

and

if

you

should

think

that

this

letter

should

be

given

to

the

confessors

,

then

that

he

should

deliver

it

.

I

bid

you

,

dearest

brother

,

ever

heartily

farewell

.

Notes

1
Oxford ed.: Ep. xlvii. a.d. 251.
2
[On the frequent confusion of these names see Wordsworth, Hippol., p. 109.]