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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 XXXVII.267 Oxford ed.: Ep. xli. a.d. 250.
To Caldonius, Herculanus, and Others, About the Excommunication of Felicissimus.
Argument.—Felicissimus, Together with His Companions in Sedition, is to Be Restrained from the Communion of All.
1. Cyprian to Caldonius and Herculanus, his colleagues, also to Rogatianus and Numidicus, his fellow-presbyters, greeting. I have been greatly grieved, dearest brethren, at the receipt of your letter, that although I have always proposed to myself and wished to keep all our brotherhood safe, and to preserve the flock unharmed, as charity requires, you tell me now that Felicissimus has been attempting many things with wickedness and craft; so that, besides his old frauds and plundering, of which I had formerly known a good deal, he has now, moreover, tried to divide with the bishop a portion of the people; that is, to separate the sheep from the shepherd, and sons from their parents, and to scatter the members of Christ. And although I sent you as my substitutes to discharge the necessities of our brethren, with funds, and if any, moreover, wished to exercise their crafts, to assist their wishes with such an addition as might be sufficient, and at the same time also to take note of their ages and conditions and deserts,—that I also, upon whom falls the charge of knowing all of them thoroughly, might promote any that were worthy and humble and meek to the offices of the ecclesiastical administration;—he has interfered, and directed that no one should be relieved, and that those things which I had desired should not be ascertained by careful examination; he has also threatened our brethren, who had first approached to be relieved, with a wicked exercise of power, and with a violent dread that those who desired to obey me should not communicate with him in death.268 [So the Oxford ed., p. 91.] Or, “in the mount,” “in monte;” vide Neander, K. G., i. 252; probably in some church or congregation assembled by Felicissimus, on an eminence near or in Carthage.
2. And since, after all these things, neither moved by the honour of my station, nor shaken by your authority and presence, but of his own impulse, disturbing the peace of the brethren he hath rushed forth with many more, and asserted himself as a leader of a faction and chief of a sedition with a hasty madness—in which respect, indeed, I congratulate several of the brethren that they have withdrawn from this boldness, and have rather chosen to consent with you, so that they may remain with the Church, their mother, and receive their stipends from the bishop who dispenses them, which, indeed, I know for certain, that others also will peaceably do, and will quickly withdraw from their rash error,—in the meantime, since Felicissimus has threatened that they should not communicate with him in death269 Or, “on the mount.” who had obeyed us, that is, who communicated with us, let him receive the sentence which he first of all declared, that he may know that he is excommunicated by us; inasmuch as he adds to his frauds and rapines, which we have known by the clearest truth, the crime also of adultery, which our brethren, grave men, have declared that they have discovered, and have asseverated that they will prove; all which things we shall then judicially examine, when, with the Lord’s permission, we shall assemble in one place with many of our colleagues. But Augendus also, who, considering neither his bishop nor his Church, has equally associated himself with him in this conspiracy and faction, if he should further persevere with him, let him bear the sentence which that factious and impetuous man has provoked on himself. Moreover, whoever shall ally himself with his conspiracy and faction, let him know that he shall not communicate in the Church with us, since of his own accord he has preferred to be separated from the Church. Read this letter of mine to our brethren, and also transmit it to Carthage to the clergy, the names being added of those who have joined themselves with Felicissimus. I bid you, beloved brethren, ever heartily farewell; and remember me. Fare ye well.
ARGUMENTUM.---Felicissimus, una cum seditionis suae sociis, a communione omnium arcendus.
I. Cyprianus Caldonio et Herculano collegis, item Rogatiano et Numidico compresbyteris salutem. Vehementer contristatus sum, fratres charissimi, acceptis 0329C litteris vestris, ut, cum mihi propositum semper et votum sit universam fraternitatem nostram incolumem continere, et illibatum gregem, secundum quod charitas exigit, reservare, nunc nuntietis Felicissimum multa improbe et insidiose esse molitum; ut praeter fraudes veteres et rapinas, de quibus jampridem multa cognoveram, nunc quoque cum episcopo portionem 0330A plebis dividere, id est, a pastore oves et filios a parente separare , et Christi membra dissipare tentaverit. Cumque ego vos pro me vicarios miserim, ut expungeretis necessitates fratrum nostrorum sumptibus, si qui etiam vellent suas artes exercere, additamento quantum satis esset desideria eorum juvaretis, simul etiam et aetates eorum et conditiones et merita discerneretis, ut etiam nunc ego, cui cura incumbit omnes optime nosse, et dignos quosque et humiles et mites ad ecclesiasticae administrationis officia promoverem, ille intercesserit ne quis posset expungi, neve ea quae desideraveram possent diligenti examinatione discerni, comminatus sit etiam fratribus nostris qui primi expungi accesserant potentatu improbo et terrore violento quod secum 0330B in morte non communicarent qui nobis obtemperare voluissent.
II. Cumque post haec omnia, nec loci mei honore motus, nec vestra auctoritate et praesentia fractus, instinctu suo quietem fratrum turbans proripuerit se cum plurimis, ducem se factionis et seditionis principem temerario furore contestans; in quo quidem gratulor plurimos fratres ab hac audacia recessisse et vobis acquiescere maluisse, ut cum Ecclesia matre remanerent et stipendia ejus episcopo dispensante perciperent; quod quidem et caeteros pro certo scio cum pace facturos et cito ab errore temerario recessuros. Interim, cum Felicissimus comminatus sit non communicaturos in morte secum qui nobis obtemperassent, id est qui nobis communicarent, accipiat 0330C sententiam quam prior dixit, ut abstentum se a nobis sciat, quando ad fraudes ejus et rapinas, quas dilucida veritate cognovimus, adulterii etiam crimen accedit, quod fratres nostri graves viri deprehendisse se nuntiaverunt, et probaturos se asseverarunt. Quae omnia tunc cognoscemus quando in unum cum collegis pluribus permittente Domino convenerimus. Sed 0331A et Augendus, qui, nec Episcopum nec Ecclesiam cogitans, pariter se cum illo conspiratione et factione sociavit, si ultra cum eo perseveraverit, sententiam ferat quam ille in se factiosus et temerarius provocavit. Sed et quisquis se conspirationi et factioni ejus adjunxerit, sciat se in ecclesia nobiscum non esse communicaturum, qui sponte maluit ab ecclesia separari. Hac litteras meas fratribus nostris legite, et Carthaginem ad clerum quoque transmittite, additis nominibus eorum qui cum Felicissimo se junxerunt. Opto vos, fratres charissimi, semper bene valere et nostri meminisse. Valete.