Epistle XXVI.198    Oxford ed.: Ep. xxxiii. a.d. 250.

Cyprian to the Lapsed.

Argument.—The Argument of This Letter is Found Below in Letter XXVII. “They Wrote to Me,” Says He, “Not Asking that Peace Should Be Granted Them, But Claiming It for Themselves as Already Granted, Because They Say that Paulus Has Given Peace to All; As You Will Read in Their Letter of Which I Have Sent You a Copy, Together with What I Briefly Replied to Them.” But the Letter of the Lapsed to Which He Replies is Wanting.

1. Our Lord, whose precepts and admonitions we ought to observe, describing the honour of a bishop199    [This is the Cyprianic idea. The idea that this was peculiar to any one bishop had never entered his mind. See vol. iv. p. 99.] and the order of His Church, speaks in the Gospel, and says to Peter: “I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”200    Matt. xvi. 18, 19. Thence, through the changes of times and successions, the ordering of bishops and the plan of the Church flow onwards; so that the Church is founded upon the bishops, and every act of the Church is controlled by these same rulers.201    [Elucidated and worked out in the Treatise on Unity, infra.] Since this, then, is founded on the divine law, I marvel that some, with daring temerity, have chosen to write to me as if they wrote in the name of the Church; when the Church is established in the bishop and the clergy, and all who stand fast in the faith. For far be it from the mercy of God and His uncontrolled might to suffer the number of the lapsed to be called the Church; since it is written, “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”202    Matt. xxii. 32. For we indeed desire that all may be made alive; and we pray that, by our supplications and groans, they may be restored to their original state. But if certain lapsed ones claim to be the Church, and if the Church be among them and in them, what is left but for us to ask of these very persons that they would deign to admit us into the Church? Therefore it behoves them to be submissive and quiet and modest, as those who ought to appease God, in remembrance of their sin, and not to write letters in the name of the Church, when they should rather be aware that they are writing to the Church.

2. But some who are of the lapsed have lately written to me, and are humble and meek and trembling and fearing God, and who have always laboured in the Church gloriously and liberally, and who have never made a boast of their labour to the Lord, knowing that He has said, “When ye shall have done all these things, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”203    Luke xvii. 10. Thinking of which things, and although they had received certificates from the martyrs, nevertheless, that their satisfaction might be admitted by the Lord, these persons beseeching have written to me that they acknowledge their sin, and are truly repentant, and do not hurry rashly or importunately to secure peace; but that they are waiting for my presence, saying that even peace itself, if they should receive it when I was present, would be sweeter to them. How greatly I congratulate these, the Lord is my witness, who hath condescended to tell what such, and such sort of servants deserve of His kindness. Which letters, as I lately received, and now read that you have written very differently, I beg that you will discriminate between your wishes; and whoever you are who have sent this letter, add your names to the certificate, and transmit the certificate to me with your several names. For I must first know to whom I have to reply; then I will respond to each of the matters that you have written, having regard to the mediocrity of my place and conduct. I bid you, beloved brethren, ever heartily farewell, and live quietly and tranquilly according to the Lord’s discipline. Fare ye well.

EPISTOLA XXVII. (Pamel., Rigalt., Baluz., XXVII. Paris., XXVI, Oxon., Lips., XXXIII.)CYPRIANUS LAPSIS.

ARGUMENTUM.---Argumentum hujus epistolae infra habes Epistola XXIX. «Litteras, inquit, ad me fecerunt, pacem non dandam sibi postulantes, sed quasi jam datam sibi vindicantes, quod dicant Paulum omnibus pacem dedisse, sicut in litteris eorum quarum exemplum ad vos transmisi, legetis, simul quid et ego eis breviter rescripserim.» Desideratur autem lapsorum epistola ad quos rescribit.

0297D I. Dominus noster, cujus praecepta et monita observare debemus, episcopi honorem et Ecclesiae suae rationem disponens, in Evangelio loquitur et dicit Petro: Ego tibi dico quia tu es Petrus, et super istam petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam, et portae inferorum non vincent eam: et tibi dabo claves regni coelorum; et quae ligaveris super terram erunt ligata et in coelis, et quaecumque solveris super terram erunt soluta et in coelis (Matth. XVI, 18, 19). Inde per temporum et successionum vices episcoporum ordinatio et Ecclesiae ratio decurrit, ut Ecclesia super episcopos constituatur et omnis actus Ecclesiae per eosdem praepositos gubernetur. Cum hoc itaque divina lege fundatum 0298C sit, miror quosdam audaci temeritate sic 0299A mihi scribere voluisse, ut Ecclesiae nomine litteras facerent, «quando ecclesia in episcopo et clero et in omnibus stantibus sit constituta.» Absit enim nec Domini misericordia et potestas ejus invicta patiatur ut Ecclesia esse dicatur lapsorum numerus, cums criptum sit: Deus non est mortuorum, sed vivorum (Matth. XXII, 32). Omnes quidem vivificari optamus, et ut in statum pristinum restituantur precibus nostris et gemitibus oramus. Si autem quidam lapsi Ecclesiam se volunt esse, et si apud illos atque in illis est Ecclesia, quid superest quam ut ipsi rogentur a nobis ut nos ad Ecclesiam dignentur admittere? Summissos ergo et quietos et verecundos esse oportet eos qui delicti sui memores satisfacere Deo debent, nec Ecclesiae nomine litteras facere, cum se magis sciant 0299B Ecclesiae scribere.

II. Scripserunt autem mihi nuper quidam de lapsis humiles et mites et trementes et metuentes Deum, et qui in Ecclesia semper gloriose et granditer operati sunt, et opus suum numquam Domino imputaverunt, scientes illum dixisse: Et cum haec omnia feceritis, dicite: Servi supervacui sumus, quod debuimus facere fecimus (Luc. XIII, 10). Quae illi cogitantes, et quamvis libello a martyribus accepto, ut tamen a Domino satisfactio sua admitti possit, orantes scripserunt mihi se delictum suum cognoscere et poenitentiam veram agere, nec ad pacem temere aut importune properare, sed expectare praesentiam nostram, dicentes pacem quoque ipsam, si eam nobis praesentibus acceperint, dulciorem sibi futuram. Quibus 0299C quantum gratulatus sim Dominus testis est, qui dignatus est ostendere quid ejusmodi et tales servi de ejus benignitate mereantur. Quas litteras cum nuper acceperim, et nunc aliud scripsisse vos legerim, peto discernatis desideria vestra, et quicumque estis qui has litteras nunc misistis, nomina vestra libello subjiciatis et libellum cum singulorum nominibus ad me transmittatis. Ante est enim scire quibus rescribere habeam. Tunc ad singula quae scripsistis pro loci et actus nostri mediocritate rescribam. Opto vos, fratres charissimi, semper bene valere et secundum 0300A Domini disciplinam quiete et tranquille agere. Valete.