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Cyprian of Carthage, The Epistles of Cyprian
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From the Roman Clergy to the Carthaginian Clergy, About the Retirement of the Blessed Cyprian.
To the Presbyters and Deacons.
To the Clergy, Concerning Prayer to God.
To the Martyrs and Confessors.
To the Martyrs and Confessors Who Sought that Peace Should Be Granted to the Lapsed.
To the Clergy, Concerning Those Who are in Haste to Receive Peace. a.d. 250.
To Moyses and Maximus, and the Rest of the Confessors.
To the Presbyters and Deacons About the Foregoing and the Following Letters.
To Moyses and Maximus and the Rest of the Confessors.
Moyses, Maximus, Nicostratus, and the Other Confessors Answer the Foregoing Letter. a.d. 250.
To the Presbyters and Deacons.
To the Presbyters and Deacons Abiding at Rome.
The Presbyters and Deacons Abiding at Rome, to Cyprian.
To the Carthaginian Clergy, About the Letters Sent to Rome, and Received Thence.
To the Clergy and People, About the Ordination of Aurelius as a Reader.
To the Clergy and People, About the Ordination of Celerinus as Reader.
To the Same, About the Ordination of Numidicus as Presbyter.
To the Clergy, Concerning the Care of the Poor and Strangers.
To the Clergy, Bidding Them Show Every Kindness to the Confessors in Prison.
To Caldonius, Herculanus, and Others, About the Excommunication of Felicissimus.
To the People, Concerning Five Schismatic Presbyters of the Faction of Felicissimus.
To Cornelius, About Cyprian’s Approval of His Ordination, and Concerning Felicissimus.
To the Same, on His Having Sent Letters to the Confessors Whom Novatian Had Seduced.
To the Roman Confessors, that They Should Return to Unity.
To Cornelius, Concerning Polycarp the Adrumetine.
Cornelius to Cyprian, on the Return of the Confessors to Unity.
Cyprian’s Answer to Cornelius, Congratulating Him on the Return of the Confessors from Schism.
Cornelius to Cyprian, Concerning the Faction of Novatian with His Party.
Cyprian’s Answer to Cornelius, Concerning the Crimes of Novatus.
Maximus and the Other Confessors to Cyprian, About Their Return from Schism.
From Cyprian to the Confessors, Congratulating Them on Their Return from Schism.
To Antonianus About Cornelius and Novatian.
To Fortunatus and His Other Colleagues, Concerning Those Who Had Been Overcome by Tortures.
To Cornelius, Concerning Granting Peace to the Lapsed.
To Cornelius, Concerning Fortunatus and Felicissimus, or Against the Heretics.
To the People of Thibaris, Exhorting to Martyrdom.
To Cornelius in Exile, Concerning His Confession.
To Fidus, on the Baptism of Infants.
To the Numidian Bishops, on the Redemption of Their Brethren from Captivity Among the Barbarians.
To Euchratius, About an Actor.
To Pomponius, Concerning Some Virgins.
Cæcilius, on the Sacrament of the Cup of the Lord.
To Epictetus and to the Congregation of Assuræ, Concerning Fortunatianus, Formerly Their Bishop.
To Rogatianus, Concerning the Deacon Who Contended Against the Bishop.
To Father Stephanus, Concerning Marcianus of Arles, Who Had Joined Himself to Novatian.
To the Clergy and People Abiding in Spain, Concerning Basilides and Martial.
To Florentius Pupianus, on Calumniators.
To Januarius and Other Numidian Bishops, on Baptizing Heretics.
To Quintus, Concerning the Baptism of Heretics.
To Stephen, Concerning a Council.
To Jubaianus, Concerning the Baptism of Heretics.
To Pompey, Against the Epistle of Stephen About the Baptism of Heretics.
Firmilian, Bishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia, to Cyprian, Against the Letter of Stephen. a.d. 256.
To Magnus, on Baptizing the Novatians, and Those Who Obtain Grace on a Sick-Bed.
The Reply of Nemesianus, Dativus, Felix, and Victor, to Cyprian.
The Reply to the Same of Lucius and the Rest of the Martyrs.
The Answer of Felix, Jader, Polianus, and the Rest of the Martyrs, to Cyprian.
Cyprian to Sergius, Rogatianus, and the Other Confessors in Prison.
To Successus on the Tidings Brought from Rome, Telling of the Persecution.
To the Clergy and People Concerning His Retirement, a Little Before His Martyrdom.
Epistle XLIII.309 Oxford ed.: Ep. xlvi. a.d. 251.
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.310 [“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.] 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.
ARGUMENTUM.---Confessores Romanos factione Novatiani et Novati seductos hortatur, ut ad unitatem redeant.
Cyprianus Maximo et Nicostrato et caeteris confessoribus salutem. Cum frequenter, charissimi, cognoveritis ex litteris meis quem et confessioni vestrae 0340B honorem et fraternitati connexae dilectionem meo sermone servaverim, credatis quaeso et acquiescatis his litteris meis, quibus vobis et actui ac laudibus vestris et scribo et simpliciter ac fideliter consulo. Gravat enim me atque contristat et intolerabilis perculsi pene prostrati pectoris moestitia perstringit cum vos illic comperissem contra ecclesiasticam dispositionem, contra evangelicam legem, contra institutionis catholicae unitatem , alium episcopum fieri consensisse, id est, quod nec fas est nec licet fieri, ecclesiam aliam constitui, Christi membra discerpi, Dominici gregis animum et corpus unum discissa aemulatione lacerari. Quod quaeso ut in vobis saltem illicitum istud fraternitatis nostrae discidium non perseveret, sed, et confessionis vestrae et divinae traditionis 0340C memores, ad matrem revertamini unde prodiistis, unde ad confessionis gloriam cum ejusdem matris exultatione venistis. Nec putetis sic vos Evangelium Christi asserere, dum vosmetipsos a Christi grege et ab ejus pace et concordia separatis, cum magis militibus gloriosis et bonis congruat intra domestica castra consistere, et intus positos, ea quae in commune tractanda sunt agere ac providere. Nam, 0341A cum unanimitas et concordia nostra scindi omnino non debeat, quia nos, Ecclesia derelicta, foras exire et ad vos venire non possumus, ut vos magis ad Ecclesiam matrem et ad nostram fraternitatem revertamini, quibus possumus hortamentis petimus et rogamus. Opto vos, fratres charissimi, semper bene valere.