Epistle XIV.129    Oxford ed.: Ep. xx. a.d. 250.

To the Presbyters and Deacons Assembled at Rome.

Argument.—He Gives an Account of His Withdrawal and of the Things Which He Did Therein, Having Sent to Rome for His Justification, Copies of the Letters Which He Had Written to His People; Nay, He Makes Use of the Same Words Which He Had Employed in Them.130    Comp. Ep, xiii. to the Roman clergy.

1. Cyprian to his brethren the presbyters and deacons assembled at Rome, greeting. Having ascertained, beloved brethren, that what I have done and am doing has been told to you in a somewhat garbled and untruthful manner, I have thought it necessary to write this letter to you, wherein I might give an account to you of my doings, my discipline, and my diligence; for, as the Lord’s commands teach, immediately the first burst of the disturbance arose, and the people with violent clamour repeatedly demanded me, I, taking into consideration not so much my own safety as the public peace of the brethren, withdrew for a while, lest, by my over-bold presence, the tumult which had begun might be still further provoked.  Nevertheless, although absent in body, I was not wanting either in spirit, or in act, or in my advice, so as to fail in any benefit that I could afford my brethren by my counsel, according to the Lord’s precepts, in anything that my poor abilities enabled me.

2. And what I did, these thirteen letters sent forth at various times declare to you, which I have transmitted to you; in which neither counsel to the clergy, nor exhortation to the confessors, nor rebuke, when it was necessary, to the exiles, nor my appeals and persuasions to the whole brotherhood, that they should entreat the mercy of God, were wanting to the full extent that, according to the law of faith and the fear of God, with the Lord’s help, my poor abilities could endeavour. But afterwards, when tortures came, my words reached both to our tortured brethren and to those who as yet were only imprisoned with a view to torture, to strengthen and console them. Moreover, when I found that those who had polluted their hands and mouths with sacrilegious contact, or had no less infected their consciences with wicked certificates, were everywhere soliciting the martyrs, and were also corrupting the confessors with importunate and excessive entreaties, so that, without any discrimination or examination of the individuals themselves, thousands of certificates were daily given, contrary to the law of the Gospel, I wrote letters in which I recalled by my advice, as much as possible, the martyrs and confessors to the Lord’s commands. To the presbyters and deacons also was not wanting the vigour of the priesthood;131    [Another instance of this usage (κατ᾽ ἐξοχὴν), of which see p. 291, supra.] so that some, too little mindful of discipline, and hasty, with a rash precipitation, who had already begun to communicate with the lapsed, were restrained by my interposition. Among the people, moreover, I have done what I could to quiet their minds, and have instructed them to maintain ecclesiastical discipline.

3. But afterwards, when some of the lapsed, whether of their own accord, or by the suggestion of any other, broke forth with a daring demand, as though they would endeavour by a violent effort to extort the peace that had been promised to them by the martyrs and confessors; concerning this also I wrote twice to the clergy, and commanded it to be read to them; that for the mitigation of their violence in any manner for the meantime, if any who had received a certificate from the martyrs were departing from this life, having made confession, and received the imposition of hands on them for repentance, they should be remitted to the Lord with the peace promised them by the martyrs. Nor in this did I give them a law, or rashly constitute myself the author of the direction; but as it seemed fit both that honour should be paid to the martyrs, and that the vehemence of those who were anxious to disturb everything should be restrained; and when, besides, I had read your letter which you lately wrote hither to my clergy by Crementius the sub-deacon, to the effect that assistance should be given to those who might, after their lapse, be seized with sickness, and might penitently desire communion; I judged it well to stand by your judgment, lest our proceedings, which ought to be united and to agree in all things, should in any respect be different.132    [Note the moderation of our author. 1 Pet. v. 5.] The cases of the rest, even although they might have received certificates from the martyrs, I ordered altogether to be put off, and to be reserved till I should be present, that so, when the Lord has given to us peace, and several bishops shall have begun to assemble into one place, we may be able to arrange and reform everything, having the advantage also of your counsel. I bid you, beloved brethren, ever heartily farewell.

EPISTOLA XIV. (Erasm., III, 5. Pamel., XV; Rigalt., Baluz., Pariss., XIV; Oxon., Lips., XX.)AD PRESBYTEROS ET DIACONOS ROMAE CONSISTENTES.

0261C

0262A ARGUMENTUM.---Secessus sui et eorum quae in illo gessit, rationem reddit, missis Romam in sui purgationem, quas ad suos scripserat, epistolarum exemplis, imo iisdem quibus illic verbis utitur. Cf. Ep. XXII, ad Cler. Rom.

I. Cyprianus presbyteris et diaconibus Romae consistentibus fratribus salutem. Quoniam comperi, fratres charissimi, minus simpliciter et minus fideliter vobis renuntiari quae hic a nobis et gesta sunt et geruntur, necessarium duxi has ad vos litteras facere, quibus vobis actus nostri et disciplinae et diligentiae ratio redderetur. Nam, sicut Domini mandata instruunt, orto statim turbationis impetu primo, cum me clamore violento frequenter populus flagitasset, non tam meam salutem quam quietem fratrum publicam 0262B cogitans, interim secessi, ne per inverecundam praesentiam nostram, seditio quae coeperat, plus provocaretur. Absens tamen corpore, nec spiritu nec actu nec monitis meis defui quominus secundum Domini praecepta, fratribus nostris in quibus possem mea mediocritate consulerem.

II. Et quid egerim loquuntur vobis epistolae pro temporibus emissae numero tredecim, ²⁴ quas ad vos transmisi; in quibus nec clero consilium, nec confessoribus exhortatio, nec extorribus, quando oportuit, objurgatio, nec universae fraternitati ad deprecandam Dei misericordiam allocutio et persuasio nostra defuit, quantum, secundum legem fidei et timorem Dei, Domino suggerente, nostra mediocritas potuit eniti. 0262C Posteaquam vero et tormenta venerunt, sive jam tortis 0263A fratribus nostris, sive adhuc ut torquerentur inclusis, ad corroborandos et confortandos eos noster sermo penetravit. Item, 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 ullo discrimine atque examine singulorum darentur quotidie libellorum millia contra Evangelii legem, litteras feci quibus martyres et confessores consilio meo quantum possem ad Dominica praecepta revocarem. Item presbyteris et diaconibus non defuit sacerdotii vigor, ut quidam, minus disciplinae memores et temeraria festinatione praecipites, qui cum lapsis communicare jam coeperant, comprimerentur, 0263B intercedentibus nobis. Plebi quoque ipsi quantum potuimus animum composuimus, et ut ecclesiastica disciplina servaretur instruximus.

III. Postmodum vero, cum quidam de lapsis, sive sua sponte, sive aliquo incitatore, audaci flagitatione proruerent ut pacem sibi a martyribus et confessoribus promissam extorquere violento impetu niterentur, de hoc etiam bis ad clerum litteras feci et legi eis mandavi, ut ad illorum violentiam interim quoquo genere mitigandam, si qui libello a martyribus accepto de saeculo excederent, exomologesi facta et manu eis in poenitentiam imposita, cum pace sibi a martyribus promissa ad Dominum remitterentur. Nec in hoc legem dedi, aut me auctorem temere constitui. Sed, cum videretur et honor martyribus habendus 0263C et eorum qui omnia turbare cupiebant impetus comprimendus, et praeterea vestra scripta legissem quae huc ad clerum nostrum per Crementium hypodiaconum nuper feceratis, ut iis qui post lapsum infirmitate apprehensi essent, et poenitentes communicationem desiderarent, subveniretur, standum putavi 0264A et cum vestra sententia, ne actus noster, qui adunatus esse et consentire circa omnia debet, in aliquo discreparet. Plane caeterorum causas, quamvis libello a martyribus accepto, differri mandavi et in nostram praesentiam reservari, ut, cum, pace a Domino nobis data, plures praepositi convenire in unum coeperimus, communicato etiam vobiscum consilio, disponere singula et reformare possimus. Opto vos, fratres charissimi, semper bene valere.