Epistle XLI.297    Oxford ed.: Ep. xlv. a.d. 251.

To Cornelius, About Cyprian’s Approval of His Ordination, and Concerning Felicissimus.

Argument.—Cyprian Excuses Himself for Not Having Without Hesitation Believed in the Ordination of Cornelius, Until He Received the Letters of His Colleagues Caldonius And Fortunatus, Which Fully Testified to Its Legitimacy; And Incidentally Repeats, in Respect of the Contrary Faction of the Novatian Party, that He Did Not in the Very First Instance Give His Adhesion to That, But Rather to Cornelius, Even to the Extent of Refusing to Receive Accusations Against Him.

1. Cyprian to Cornelius his brother, greeting. As was fitting for God’s servants, and especially for upright and peaceable priests, dearest brother, we recently sent our colleagues Caldonius and Fortunatus, that they might, not only by the persuasion of our letters, but by their presence and the advice of all of you, strive and labour with all their power to bring the members of the divided body into the unity of the Catholic Church, and associate them into the bond of Christian charity. But since the obstinate and inflexible pertinacity of the adverse party has not only rejected the bosom and the embrace of its root and Mother, but even, with a discord spreading and reviving itself worse and worse, has appointed a bishop for itself, and, contrary to the sacrament once delivered of the divine appointment and of Catholic Unity, has made an adulterous and opposed head outside the Church; having received your letters as well as those of our colleagues, at the coming also of our colleagues Pompeius and Stephanus, good men and very dear to us, by whom all these things were undoubtedly alleged and proved to us with general gladness,298    The Oxford edition follows some authorities in reading this “sadness” rather than “gladness.” in conformity with the requirements alike of the sanctity and the truth of the divine tradition and ecclesiastical institution, we have directed our letters to you. Moreover, bringing these same things under the notice of our several colleagues throughout the province, we have bidden also that our brethren, with letters from them, be directed to you.

2. This has been done, although our mind and intention had been already plainly declared to the brethren, and to the whole of the people in this place, when, having received letters lately from both parties, we read your letters, and intimated your ordination to the episcopate, in the ears of every one.  Moreover, remembering the common honour, and having respect for the sacerdotal gravity and sanctity, we repudiated those things which from the other party had been heaped together with bitter virulence into a document transmitted to us; alike considering and weighing, that in so great and so religious an assembly of brethren, in which God’s priests were sitting together, and His altar was set, they ought neither to be read nor to be heard. For those things should not easily be put forward, nor carelessly and rudely published, which may move a scandal by means of a quarrelsome pen in the minds of the hearers, and confuse brethren, who are placed far apart and dwelling across the sea, with uncertain opinions. Let those beware, who, obeying either their own rage or lust, and unmindful of the divine law and holiness, rejoice to throw abroad in the meantime things which they cannot prove; and although they may not be successful in destroying and ruining innocence, are satisfied with scattering stains upon it with lying reports and false rumours. Assuredly, we should exert ourselves, as it is fitting for prelates and priests to do, that such things, when they are written by any, should be repudiated as far as we are concerned. For otherwise, what will become of that which we learn and which we declare to be laid down in Scripture:  “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile?”299    Ps. xxxiv. 13. And elsewhere: “Thy mouth abounded in malice, and thy tongue embraced deceit. Thou satest and spakest against thy brother, and slanderedst thine own mother’s son.”300    Ps. l. 19, 20. Also what the apostle says:  “Let no corrupt communication proceed from thy mouth, but that which is good to the edifying of faith, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”301    Eph. iv. 29. Further, we show what the right course of conduct to pursue is,302    Lit.: “that these things ought to be done.” if, when such things are written by the calumnious temerity of some, we do not allow them to be read among us: and therefore, dearest brother, when such letters came to me against you, even though they were the letters of your co-presbyter sitting with you,303    The co-presbyter here spoken of is Novatian. The Oxford text reads, “When such writings came to me concerning you and your co-presbyters sitting with you, as had the true ring of religious simplicity in them.” There is a variety of readings.  [But think of a modern “Pope” thus addressed about a “co-presbyter.”] as they breathed a tone of religious simplicity, and did not echo with any barkings of curses and revilings, I ordered them to be read to the clergy and the people.

3. But in desiring letters from our colleagues,304    [Cyprian, however, respectfully demands the canonical evidences from his brother Cornelius.] who were present at your ordination at that place, we did not forget the ancient usage, nor did we seek for any novelty. For it was sufficient for you to announce yourself by letters305    [Every bishop thus announced his ordination.] to have been made bishop, unless there had been a dissenting faction on the other side, who by their slanderous and calumnious fabrications disturbed the minds and perplexed the hearts of our colleagues, as well as of several of the brethren. To set this matter at rest, we judged it necessary to obtain thence the strong and decided authority of our colleagues who wrote to us; and they, declaring the testimony of their letters to be fully deserved by your character, and life, and teaching, have deprived even your rivals, and those who delight either in novelty or evil, of every scruple of doubt or of difference; and, according to our advice weighed in wholesome reason, the minds of the brethren tossing about in this sea have sincerely and decidedly approved your priesthood. For this, my brother, we especially both labour after, and ought to labour after, to be careful to maintain as much as we can the unity delivered by the Lord, and through His apostles to us their successors, and, as far as in us lies, to gather into the Church the dispersed and wandering sheep which the wilful faction and heretical temptation of some is separating from their Mother; those only being left outside, who by their obstinacy and madness have persisted, and have been unwilling to return to us; who themselves will have to give an account to the Lord of the dissension and separation made by them, and of the Church that they have forsaken.

4. But, so far as pertains to the cause of certain presbyters here, and of Felicissimus, that you may know what has been done here, our colleagues have sent you letters subscribed by their own hand, that you may learn, when you have heard the parties, from their letters what they have thought and what they have pronounced. But you will do better,306    [Had such instructions proceeded from the Roman See to Cyprian, what inferences would have been manufactured out of them by the mediæval writers.] brother, if you will also bid copies of the letters which I had sent lately by our colleagues Caldonius and Fortunatus to you, to be read for the common satisfaction, which I had written concerning the same Felicissimus and his presbytery to the clergy there, and also to the people, to be read to the brethren there; declaring your ordination, and the course of the whole transaction, that so as well there as here the brotherhood may be informed of all things by us. Moreover, I have here transmitted also copies of the same by Mettius the sub-deacon, sent by me, and by Nicephorus the acolyte. I bid you, dearest brother, ever heartily farewell.

EPISTOLA XLII. ANNO CHRISTI CCLI. EPISTOLA II. S. CYPRIANI CARTHAGINENSIS EPISCOPI AD S. CORNELIUM PAPAM. (Erasm., II, 10; Pamel., Rigalt., Baluz., Paris., XLI; Lips., Coustant, 127; Galland., III, 333.)

0702B

ARGUMENTUM.---Quid ex divinae traditionis et ecclesiasticae institutionis usu fecerit Cyprianus, ubi de legitima Cornelii ordinatione certior factus est. Litteras 0703ACornelii, non Novatiani, publice lectas esse. Cur praeter Cornelii litteras, quibus ille se episcopum nuntiabat, eorum qui ipsius ordinationi interfuerant, testimonium desiderarit. Rogat Cornelium, ut litteras de Felicissimi et presbyterorum et addictorum causa, quas ipsi mittit, legat.

CYPRIANUS CORNELIO FRATRI SALUTEM.

I. Quod servis Dei, et maxime sacerdotibus justis et pacificis congruebat, frater charissime, miseramus nuper collegas nostros Caldonium et Fortunatum; ut non tantum persuasione litterarum nostrarum, sed praesentia sua et consilio omnium vestrum eniterentur, quantum possent, et elaborarent, ut ad catholicae Ecclesiae unitatem scissi corporis membra componerent, 0703B et Christianae charitatis vinculum copularent. Sed quoniam diversae partis obstinata et inflexibilis 0704A pertinacia non tantum radicis et matris sinum atque complexum recusavit; sed etiam gliscente et in pejus recrudescente discordia episcopum sibi constituit, et contra sacramentum semel traditum divinae dispositionis et catholicae unitatis, adulterum et contrarium caput extra Ecclesiam fecit; acceptis litteris tam tuis, quam collegarum nostrorum, item adventantibus bonis viris et nobis charissimis collegis nostris Pompeio et Stephano, a quibus haec omnia nobis cum laetitia communi asseverata sunt firmiter et probata , secundum quod divinae traditionis et ecclesiasticae institutionis sanctitas pariter ac veritas exigebat, litteras nostras ad te direximus. Sed et per provinciam nostram haec eadem collegis singulis in notitiam perferentes, ab his quoque fratres nostros cum litteris 0704B dirigendos esse mandavimus.

II. Quamquam mens nostra, et propositum jam 0705A tunc fratribus et plebi istic universae manifestatum fuisset, quando litteris nuper ab utraque parte susceptis, tuas litteras legimus, et episcopatus tui ordinationem singulorum auribus intimavimus: honoris etiam communis memores, et gravitatis sacerdotalis ac sanctitatis respectum tenentes, ea quae ex diverso in librum ad nos transmissum congesta fuerant acerbationibus criminosis, respuimus; considerantes pariter et ponderantes quod in tanto fratrum religiosoque conventu considentibus Dei sacerdotibus et altari posito nec legi debeant, nec audiri. Neque enim facile promenda sunt, et incaute ac temere publicanda, quae discordioso stylo audientibus scandalum moveant, et fratres longe positos ac trans mare constitutos incerta opinione confundant. Viderint qui vel furori suo, vel libidini servientes, et divinae legis ac sanctitatis 0705B immemores, vel jactitare interim gestiunt quae probare non possunt, et cum innocentiam destruere atque expugnare non valeant, satis habent fama mendaci et falso rumore maculas inspergere Certe quod praepositis et sacerdotibus congruit, danda opera est, ut talia, cum a quibusdam scribuntur, per nos respuantur. Ubi enim erit quod discimus ac docemus scriptum esse, Contine linguam tuam a malo, et labia tua ne loquantur insidiose (Psal. XXXIX 13); item alibi: Os 0706Atuum abundavit malitia, et lingua tua complectebatur insidias, sedens adversus fratrem tuum detrahebas, et adversus filium matris tuae ponebas sandalum (Ps. XLIX, 20); item quod Apostolus dicit, Omnis sermo malus de ore vestro non procedat , sed bonusad aedificationem fidei, ut det gratiam audientibus (Eph. IV, 29). Porro haec fieri debere ostendimus, si quando talia quorumdam calumniosa temeritate conscripta sunt, legi apud nos non patimur. Et idcirco, frater charissime, cum ad me talia adversum te et compresbyteri tecum considentis scripta venissent; clero et plebi legi praecepi quae religiosam simplicitatem sonabant, nec ullis maledictorum et conviciorum latratibus perstrepebant.

III. Quod autem scripta collegarum nostrorum, qui 0706B illic ordinationi tuae adfuerant, desideravimus, non veteres mores obliti, novum aliquid quaerebamus. Nam satis erat, ut tu te episcopum factis litteris nuntiares; nisi esset ex diverso discrepans factio, quae criminosis et calumniosis commentis suis collegarum pariter ac fratrum plurimorum turbaret mentes, et corda confunderet . Cui rei sopiendae necessarium duximus, ut scribentium nobis inde collegarum nostrorum firma et solida auctoritas pararetur: qui moribus ac vitae et disciplinae tuae 0707A condigna litterarum suarum testimonia praedicantes, aemulis quoque, et rerum vel novitate vel pravitate gaudentibus, omnem ambigendi et discrepandi scrupulum sustulerunt; et, secundum consilium nostrum salubri ratione libratum, in hoc fluctu aestuantium fratrum mentes sincere ac firmiter tuum sacerdotium probaverunt. Hoc enim vel maxime, frater, et laboramus et laborare debemus, ut unitatem a Domino et per Apostolos nobis successoribus traditam, quantum possumus, obtinere curemus; et, quod in nobis est palabundas et errantes oves, quas quorumdam pervicax factio et haeretica tentatio a matre secernit, in Ecclesiam colligamus: illis solis foris remanentibus, qui obstinatione sua vel furore supersedere et ad nos redire noluerunt; discretionis 0707B et separationis a se factae, et Ecclesiae derelictae ipsi rationem Domino reddituri.

IV. Quantum vero hic ad presbyterium quorumdam Felicissimi causam pertinet, quid hic actum sit ut scire posses, litteras ad te collegae nostri manu sua subscriptas miserunt: qui auditis eis quid senserint, quid pronuntiaverint, ex eorum litteris disces. Melius 0708A autem, frater, facies, si etiam exempla litterarum, quae ad te legenda pro dilectione communi per Caldonium et Fortunatum collegas nostros proxime miseram, quae de eodem Felicissimo, et de presbyterio ejusdem ad clerum istic necnon et ad plebem scripseram, legi illic fratribus jubeas, quae et ordinationem et rationem rei gestae eloquantur, ut tam istic quam illic, circa omnia per nos fraternitas instruatur. Exemplaria autem eadem nunc quoque per Mettium hypodiaconum a me missum et Nicephorum acolythum transmisi. Opto te, frater charissime, semper bene valere.