Epistle X.107    Oxford ed.: Ep. xv. a.d. 250.

To the Martyrs and Confessors Who Sought that Peace Should Be Granted to the Lapsed.

Argument.—The Occasion of This Letter is Given Below in Epistle XIV. As Follows:—“When I Found that Those Who Had Polluted Their Hands and Mouths with Sacrilegious Contact, or Had No Less Infected Their Conscience with Wicked Certificates,” Etc.108    That these were everywhere soliciting the martyrs, and were also corrupting the confessors with importunate and excessive entreaty, so that, without any distinction or examination of the individuals, thousands of certificates were given, against the Gospel law, I wrote letters in which I recalled by my advice as much as possible the martyrs and confessors to the Lord’s commands.

1. Cyprian to the martyrs and confessors, his beloved brethren, greeting. The anxiety of my situation and the fear of the Lord constrain me, my brave and beloved brethren, to admonish you in my letters, that those who so devotedly and bravely maintain the faith of the Lord should also maintain the law and discipline of the Lord. For while it behoves all Christ’s soldiers to keep the precepts of their commander; to you it is more especially fitting that you should obey His precepts, inasmuch as you have been made an example to others, both of valour and of the fear of God. And I had indeed believed that the presbyters and deacons who are there present with you would admonish and instruct you more fully concerning the law of the Gospel, as was the case always in time past under my predecessors; so that the deacons passing in and out of the prison controlled the wishes of the martyrs by their counsels, and by the Scripture precepts. But now, with great sorrow of mind, I gather that not only the divine precepts are not suggested to you by them, but that they are even rather restrained, so that those things which are done by you yourselves, both in respect of God with caution, and in respect of God’s priest109    [Another instance of this word as applied to the bishop, κατ᾽ ἐξοχην. So in St. Chrysostom, De Sacerdotio = episcopatu.] with honour, are relaxed by certain presbyters, who consider neither the fear of God nor the honour of the bishop. Although you sent letters to me in which you ask that your wishes should be examined, and that peace should be granted to certain of the lapsed as soon as with the end of the persecution we should have begun to meet with our clergy, and to be gathered together once more; those presbyters, contrary to the Gospel law, contrary also to your respectful petition, before penitence was fulfilled, before confession even of the gravest and most heinous sin was made, before hands were placed upon the repentant by the bishops and clergy, dare to offer on their behalf, and to give them the eucharist, that is, to profane the sacred body of the Lord, although it is written, “Whosoever shall eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”110    1 Cor. xi. 27.

2. And to the lapsed indeed pardon may be granted in respect of this thing. For what dead person would not hasten to be made alive? Who would not be eager to attain to his own salvation? But it is the duty of those placed over them to keep the ordinance, and to instruct those that are either hurrying or ignorant, that those who ought to be shepherds of the sheep may not become their butchers. For to concede those things which tend to destruction is to deceive. Nor is the lapsed raised in this manner, but, by offending God, he is more urged on to ruin. Let them learn, therefore, even from you, what they ought to have taught; let them reserve your petitions and wishes for the bishops,111    [He refers to his comprovincials, not arrogating all authority to himself. See Hippolytus, p. 125, note 2, supra.] and let them wait for ripe and peaceable times to give peace at your requests.  The first thing is, that the Mother should first receive peace from the Lord, and then, in accordance with your wishes, that the peace of her children should be considered.

3. And since I hear, most brave and beloved brethren, that you are pressed by the shamelessness of some, and that your modesty suffers violence; I beg you with what entreaties I may, that, as mindful of the Gospel, and considering what and what sort of things in past time your predecessors the martyrs conceded, how careful they were in all respects, you also should anxiously and cautiously weigh the wishes of those who petition you, since, as friends of the Lord, and hereafter to exercise judgment with Him, you must inspect both the conduct and the doings and the deserts of each one. You must consider also the kinds and qualities of their sins, lest, in the event of anything being abruptly and unworthily either promised by you or done by me, our Church112    [The African Church.] should begin to blush, even before the very Gentiles. For we are visited and chastened frequently, and we are admonished, that the commandments of the Lord may be kept without corruption or violation, which I find does not cease to be the case there among you so as to prevent the divine judgment from instructing very many of you also in the discipline of the Church. Now this can all be done, if you will regulate those things that are asked of you with a careful consideration of religion, perceiving and restraining those who, by accepting persons, either make favours in distributing your benefits, or seek to make a profit of an unlawful trade.

4. Concerning this I have written both to the clergy and to the people, both of which letters I have directed to be read to you. But you ought also to bring back and amend that matter according to your diligence, in such a way as to designate those by name to whom you desire that peace should be granted. For I hear that certificates are so given to some as that it is said, “Let such a one be received to communion along with his friends,” which was never in any case done by the martyrs so that a vague and blind petition should by and by heap reproach upon us. For it opens a wide door to say, “Such a one with his friends;” and twenty or thirty or more, may be presented to us, who may be asserted to be neighbours and connections, and freedmen and servants, of the man who receives the certificate. And for this reason I beg you that you will designate by name in the certificate those whom you yourselves see, whom you have known, whose penitence you see to be very near to full satisfaction, and so direct to us letters in conformity with faith and discipline. I bid you, very brave and beloved brethren, ever heartily in the Lord farewell; and have me in remembrance. Fare ye well.

EPISTOLA X. (Erasm., III, 15; Pamel., XI; Rig., Baluz., Paris., X; Oxon., Lips., XV.)AD MARTYRES ET CONFESSORES QUI LAPSIS PETIERUNT PACEM DARI.

0253C ARGUMENTUM---hujus Epistolae habes infra in haec verba, Epistola XVI: «Cum comperissem eos qui sacrilegis contactibus manus suas atque ora maculassent, vel nefandis libellis nihilominus conscientiam polluissent, exambire ad martyres passim, confessores quoque importuna et gratiosa deprecatione corrumpere, ut sine discrimine et examine singulorum darentur libellorum millia, contra Evangelii legem, litteras feci quibus martyres et confessores consilio meo quantum possem ad Dominica praecepta revocarem.»

I. Cyprianus martyribus et confessoribus charissimis fratribus salutem. Sollicitudo loci nostri et timor Domini 0254A compellit, fortissimi ac beatissimi fratres, admonere vos litteris nostris ut a quibus tam devote et fortiter servatur fides Domini , ab iisdem lex quoque et disciplina Domini reservetur. Nam, cum omnes milites Christi custodire oporteat praecepta imperatoris ²⁰ sui, tum vos magis praeceptis ejus obtemperare plus convenit, qui exemplum caeteris facti estis et virtutis et timoris Dei. Et credideram quidem presbyteros et diaconos qui illic praesentes sunt monere vos et instruere plenissime circa Evangelii legem, sicut in praeteritum semper sub antecessoribus nostris factum est, ut diaconi, ad carcerem commeantes, martyrum desideria consiliis suis et Scripturarum praeceptis gubernarent. Sed nunc cum maximo animi dolore cognosco non tantum illic vobis non suggeri divina praecepta, 0254B sed adhuc potius impediri , ut ea quae a vobis ipsis et circa Deum caute et circa sacerdotem Dei honorifice fiunt, a quibusdam presbyteris resolvantur, qui nec timorem Dei nec episcopi honorem cogitantes (cum vos ad me litteras direxeritis, quibus examinari desideria vestra et quibusdam lapsis pacem dari postulatis cum, persecutione finita, convenire in unum cum clero et recolligi coeperimus), illi, contra Evangelii legem, contra vestram quoque honorificam petitionem, ante actam poenitentiam, ante exomologesim, gravissimi atque extremi delicti factam, ante manum ab episcopo et clero in poenitentiam impositam, offerre pro illis et Eucharistiam dari, id est, sanctum Domini corpus profanare audeant, cum scriptum sit: Qui ederit panem aut biberit calicem Domini indigne, reus erit corporis 0254Cet sanguinis Domini (I Cor. XI, 27).

II. Et lapsis quidem potest in hoc venia concedi. Quis enim non mortuus vivificari properet ? quis non ad salutem suam venire festinet? Sed praepositorum est praeceptum tenere, et vel properantes vel ignorantes instruere, ne qui ovium pastores esse debent lanii fiant. Ea enim concedere quae in perniciem vertant, decipere est; nec erigitur sic lapsus, sed per Dei offensam magis impellitur ad ruinam. Vel ex vobis itaque discant quod docere debuerant. Petitiones et desideria vestra episcopo servent, et ad pacem vobis petentibus dandam maturum et pacatum tempus exspectent 0255A . Ante est ut a Domino pacem mater prior sumat, tunc secundum vestra desideria de filiorum pace tractetur .

III. Et quoniam audio, fortissimi et charissimi fratres, impudentia vos quorumdam premi et verecundiam vestram vim pati, oro vos quibus possum precibus ut, Evangelii memores et considerantes quae et qualia in praeteritum antecessores vestri martyres concesserint , quam solliciti in omnibus fuerint, vos quoque sollicite et caute petentium desideria ponderetis, utpote amici Domini et cum illo postmodum judicaturi, inspiciatis et actum et opera et merita singulorum, ipsorum quoque delictorum genera et qualitates cogitetis, ne, si quid abrupte et indigne vel a nobis promissum vel a nobis factum fuerit, apud gentiles 0255B quoque ipsos ecclesia nostra erubescere incipiat. Visitamur enim et castigamur frequenter, et ut Domini mandata incorrupta et inviolata permaneant admonemur. Quod quidem nec illic apud vos cessare cognosco quominus plurimos quoque ex vobis instruat ad Ecclesiae diciplinam divina censura. Hoc autem totum potest fieri, si ea quae a vobis petuntur religiosa contemplatione moderemini, intelligentes et comprimentes eos qui, personas accipientes, in beneficiis vestris aut gratificantur , aut illicitae negotiationis nundinas aucupantur.

IV. De hoc et ad clerum et ad plebem litteras feci, quas utrasque vobis legi mandavi. Sed et illud ad diligentiam vestram redigere et emendare debetis, ut nominatim designetis eos quibus pacem dari desideratis. 0255C Audio enim quibusdam sic libellos fieri ut ²¹ dicatur: «Communicet ille . . . cum suis,» quod numquam omnino a martyribus factum est, ut incerta et caeca 0256A petitio invidiam nobis postmodum cumulet. Late enim patet quando dicitur, «ille cum suis,» et possunt nobis viceni et triceni et amplius offerri qui propinqui et affines et liberti ac domestici esse asseverentur ejus qui accipit libellum. Et ideo peto ut eos quos ipsi videtis, quos nostis, quorum poenitentiam satisfactioni proximam conspicitis, designetis nominatim libello, et sic ad nos fidei ac disciplinae congruentes litteras dirigatis. Opto vos, fortissimi ac dilectissimi fratres, in Domino semper bene valere et nostri meminisse. Valete.