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Cyprian correspondence, Epistle XLIII

Cyprian of Carthage

Letter 43

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

Epistle XLIII.

To the Roman Confessors, that They Should Return to Unity.

Argument.—He Exhorts the Roman Confessors Who Had Been Seduced by the Faction of Novatian and Novatus, to Return to Unity.

Cyprian to Maximus and Nicostratus, and

the

other

confessors

,

greeting

.

As

you

have

frequently

gathered

from

my

letters

,

beloved

,

what

honour

I

have

ever

observed

in

my

mode

of

speaking

for

your

confession

,

and

what

love

for

the

associated

brotherhood

;

believe

,

I

entreat

you

,

and

acquiesce

in

these

my

letters

,

wherein

I

both

write

and

with

simplicity

and

fidelity

consult

for

you

,

and

for

your

doings

,

and

for

your

praise

.

For

it

weighs

me

down

and

saddens

me

,

and

the

intolerable

grief

of

a

smitten

,

almost

prostrate

,

spirit

seizes

me

,

when

I

find

that

you

there

,

contrary

to

ecclesiastical

order

,

contrary

to

evangelical

law

,

contrary

to

the

unity

of

the

Catholic

institution

,

had

consented

that

another

bishop

should

be

made

.

That

is

what

is

neither

right

nor

allowable

to

be

done

;

that

another

church

should

be

set

up

;

that

Christ’s

members

should

be

torn

asunder

;

that

the

one

mind

and

body

of

the

Lord’s

flock

should

be

lacerated

by

a

divided

emulation

.

I

entreat

that

in

you

,

at

all

events

,

that

unlawful

rending

of

our

brotherhood

may

not

continue

;

but

remembering

both

your

confession

and

the

divine

tradition

,

you

may

return

to

the

Mother

whence

you

have

gone

forth

;

whence

you

came

to

the

glory

of

confession

with

the

rejoicing

of

the

same

Mother

.

And

think

not

that

you

are

thus

maintaining

the

Gospel

of

Christ

when

you

separate

yourselves

from

the

flock

of

Christ

,

and

from

His

peace

and

concord

;

since

it

is

more

fitting

for

glorious

and

good

soldiers

to

sit

down

within

their

own

camp

,

and

so

placed

within

to

manage

and

provide

for

those

things

which

are

to

be

dealt

with

in

common

.

For

as

our

unanimity

and

concord

ought

by

no

means

to

be

divided

,

and

because

we

cannot

forsake

the

Church

and

go

outside

her

to

come

to

you

,

we

beg

and

entreat

you

with

what

exhortations

we

can

,

rather

to

return

to

the

Church

your

Mother

,

and

to

our

brotherhood

.

I

bid

you

,

dearest

brethren

,

ever

heartily

farewell

.

Notes

1
Oxford ed.: Ep. xlvi. a.d. 251.
2
[“Another bishop should be made.” What would have been the outcry of the whole Church, and what the language of Cyprian, had any idea entered their minds that the case was that of the Divine Oracle of Christendom, the Vicar of Christ, the Centre of Unity, the Infallible, etc.]