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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 XLVI.321 Oxford ed.: Ep. li. a.d. 251.
Cyprian’s Answer to Cornelius, Congratulating Him on the Return of the Confessors from Schism.
Argument.—He Congratulates Him on the Return of the Confessors to the Church, and Reminds Him How Much that Return Benefits the Catholic Church.
1. Cyprian to Cornelius his brother, greeting. I profess that I both have rendered and do render the greatest thanks without ceasing, dearest brother, to God the Father Almighty, and to His Christ the Lord and our God and Saviour, that the Church is thus divinely protected, and its unity and holiness is not constantly nor altogether corrupted by the obstinacy of perfidy and heretical wickedness. For we have read your letter, and have exultingly received the greatest joy from the fulfilment of our common desire; to wit, that Maximus the presbyter, and Urbanus, the confessors, with Sidonius and Macarius, have re-entered into the Catholic Church, that is, that they have laid aside their error, and given up their schismatical, nay, their heretical madness, and have sought again in the soundness of faith the home of unity and truth; that whence they had gone forth to glory, thither they might gloriously return; and that they who had confessed Christ should not afterwards desert the camp of Christ, and that they might not tempt the faith of their charity and unity,322 Some read, “might not be tried by the faith of their charity and unity.” who had not been overcome in strength and courage. Behold the safe and unspotted integrity of their praise; behold the uncorrupted and substantial dignity of these confessors, that they have departed from the deserters and fugitives, that they have left the betrayers of the faith, and the impugners of the Catholic Church. With reason did both the people and the brotherhood receive them when they returned, as you write, with the greatest joy; since in the glory of confessors who had maintained their glory, and returned to unity, there is none who does not reckon himself a partner and a sharer.
2. We can estimate the joy of that day323 Some old editions read, “of that thing.” from our own feelings. For if, in this place, the whole number of the brethren rejoiced at your letter which you sent concerning their confession, and received this tidings of common rejoicing with the greatest alacrity, what must have been the joy there when the matter itself, and the general gladness, was carried on under the eyes of all? For since the Lord in His Gospel says that there is the highest “joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth,”324 Luke xv. 7. how much greater is the joy in earth, no less than in heaven, over confessors who return with their glory and with praise to the Church of God, and make a way of returning for others by the faith and approval of their example? For this error had led away certain of our brethren, so that they thought they were following the communion of confessors. When this error was removed, light was infused into the breasts of all, and the Catholic Church has been shown to be one, and to be able neither to be cut nor divided. Nor can any one now be easily deceived by the talkative words of a raging schismatic, since it has been proved that good and glorious soldiers of Christ could not long be detained without the Church by the deceitfulness and perfidy of others. I bid you, dearest brother, ever heartily farewell.
EPISTOLA XLVII. EPISTOLA VIII. (Erasm. II, 12; Pamel. Rigalt. Baluz. XLVII, Oxon. Lips. LI. Paris. XLVI. Coustant. I, 143. Galland. III, 340.)
0731B
S. CYPRIANI CARTHAGINENSIS EPISCOPI AD CORNELIUM PAPAM.
De Confessorum ad Ecclesiam reditu gratulatur. Quantum is reditus Ecclesiae catholicae conferat.
CYPRIANUS CORNELIO FRATRI SALUTEM.
I. Et egisse nos et agere, frater charissime, maximas gratias sine cessatione profitemur Deo Patri omnipotenti et Christo ejus Domino et Deo nostro salvatori , 0732A quod sic Ecclesia divinitus protegatur, ut unitas ejus et sanctitas non jugiter, nec in totum perfidiae et haereticae pravitatis obstinatione vitietur . Legimus enim litteras vestras, et voti communis amplissimum gaudium exsultanter excepimus, Maximum presbyterum et Urbanum confessores cum Sidonio et Macario ad Ecclesiam Catholicam regressos esse, id est errore deposito, et schismatico, immo haeretico furore deserto, unitatis ac veritatis domicilium fideli sanitate repetisse; ut unde ad gloriam processerant, illuc gloriosi redirent; ne qui Christum confessi essent, Christi postmodum castra desererent, nec tentarent charitatis atque unitatis fidem, qui victi robore et virtute non fuerant. Ecce incolumis et immaculata laudis integritas, ecce incorrupta et solida 0732B confitentium dignitas, a desertoribus et profugis recessisse, proditores fidei et Ecclesiae Catholicae impugnatores reliquisse. Merito illos revertentes summo, ut scribitis, gaudio et clerus et plebs et fraternitas omnis excepit: quoniam in confessoribus gloriam suam conservantibus, et ad unitatem revertentibus, nemo non socium se et participem eorum gloriae computat.
II. Hujus diei laetitiam de nostris possumus sensibus aestimare. Nam cum istic ad litteras vestras, quas de eorum confessione misistis, laetatus sit omnis fratrum numerus, et summa alacritate hunc nuntium communis gratulationis exceperit; quid illic, ubi res ipsa 0733A et praesens laetitia sub oculis omnium gerebatur? Cum enim Dominus in Evangelio suo dicat, esse summum gaudium in coelo super uno peccatore poenitentiam agente (Luc., XV, 7); quanto majus est gaudium et in terris pariter et in coelo super Confessoribus ad Ecclesiam Dei cum gloria sua et cum laude redeuntibus, et redeundi viam caeteris exempli sui fide et probatione facientibus? Hic enim quosdam fratres nostros error induxerat, quod sibi communicationem 0734A Confessorum sequi viderentur. Quo errore sublato, lux omnium pectoribus infusa est, et Ecclesia catholica una esse, nec scindi nec dividi posse monstrata est. Ne quisquam jam facile poterit schismatici furentis verbis loquacibus decipi; quando probatum sit bonos et gloriosos Christi milites non potuisse diu aliena fallacia et perfidia extra Ecclesiam detineri. Opto te, frater charissime, semper bene valere.