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Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 1

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

1. Cyprian to the congregation who stand fast in the Gospel

‹ Treatises Attributed to Cyprian on Questionable Authority.Section 2 ›

,

sends

greeting

.

As

it

greatly

saddens

me

,

and

deeply

afflicts

my

soul

,

when

no

opportunity

of

writing

to

you

is

presented

to

me

,

for

it

is

my

loss

not

to

hold

converse

with

you

;

so

nothing

restores

to

me

such

joyfulness

and

hilarity

,

as

when

that

opportunity

is

once

more

afforded

me

.

I

think

that

I

am

with

you

when

I

am

speaking

to

you

by

letter

.

Although

,

therefore

,

I

know

that

you

are

satisfied

that

what

I

tell

you

is

even

as

I

say

,

and

that

you

have

no

doubt

of

the

truth

of

my

words

,

nevertheless

an

actual

proof

will

also

attest

the

reality

of

the

matter

.

For

my

affection

(

for

you

)

is

proved

,

when

absolutely

no

opportunity

(

of

writing

)

is

passed

over

.

However

certain

I

may

be

,

then

,

that

you

are

no

less

respectable

in

the

conduct

of

your

life

than

faithful

in

respect

of

your

sacramental

vow

;

still

,

since

there

are

not

wanting

smooth

-

tongued

advocates

of

vice

,

and

indulgent

patrons

who

afford

authority

to

vices

,

and

,

what

is

worse

,

convert

the

rebuke

of

the

heavenly

Scriptures

into

an

advocacy

of

crimes

;

as

if

the

pleasure

derived

from

the

public

exhibitions

might

be

sought

after

as

being

innocent

,

by

way

of

a

mental

relaxation

;

—

for

thereby

the

vigour

of

ecclesiastical

discipline

is

so

relaxed

,

and

is

so

deteriorated

by

all

the

languor

of

vice

that

it

is

no

longer

apology

,

but

authority

,

that

is

given

for

wickedness

,

—

it

seemed

good

in

a

few

words

not

now

to

instruct

you

,

but

to

admonish

you

who

are

instructed

,

lest

,

because

the

wounds

are

badly

bound

up

,

they

should

break

through

the

cicatrix

of

their

closed

soundness

.

For

no

mischief

is

put

an

end

to

with

so

much

difficulty

but

that

its

recurrence

is

easy

,

so

long

as

it

is

both

maintained

by

the

consent

,

and

caressed

by

the

excuses

of

the

multitude

.

Notes

4
“In sacramento.”
5
Elucidation I.