Epistle LXIV.611    Oxford ed.: Ep. iii.

To Rogatianus, Concerning the Deacon Who Contended Against the Bishop.

Argument.—Cyprian Warns the Bishop Rogatianus to Restrain the Pride of the Deacon Who Had Provoked Him with His Insults, and to Compel Him to Repent of His Boldness; Taking Occasion to Repeat Once More Whatever He Has Said in the Previous Letter, About the Sacerdotal or Episcopal Power.612    At what time this letter was written is uncertain, unless we may gather from the similar commencement in both letters, that it was written at the same synod with the following one. Perhaps a.d. 249.

1. Cyprian to his brother Rogatianus, greeting. I and my colleagues who were present with me were deeply and grievously distressed, dearest brother, on reading your letter in which you complained of your deacon, that, forgetful of your priestly station, and unmindful of his own office and ministry, he had provoked you by his insults and injuries. And you indeed have acted worthily, and with your accustomed humility towards us, in rather complaining of him to us; although you have power, according to the vigour of the episcopate and the authority of your See, whereby you might be justified on him at once, assured that all we your colleagues would regard it as a matter of satisfaction, whatever you should do by your priestly power in respect of an insolent deacon, as you have in respect of men of this kind divine commands. Inasmuch as the Lord God says in Deuteronomy, “And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest or the judge, whoever he shall be in those days, that man shall die; and all the people, when they hear, shall fear, and shall no more do impiously.”613    Deut. xvii. 12, 13. And that we may know that this voice of God came forth with His true and highest majesty to honour and avenge His priests; when three of the ministers614    [i.e., Levites—deacons. But Korah and the Levites (Num. xvi. 9, 10) must be regarded apart from the Reubenites (laics) who sinned with them. Jude 11.]—Korah, Dathan, and Abiram—dared to deal proudly, and to exalt their neck against Aaron the priest, and to equal themselves with the priest set over them; they were swallowed up and devoured by the opening of the earth, and so immediately suffered the penalty of their sacrilegious audacity. Nor they alone, but also two hundred and fifty others, who were their companions in boldness, were consumed by a fire breaking forth from the Lord, that it might be proved that God’s priests are avenged by Him who makes priests. In the book of Kings also, when Samuel the priest was despised by the Jewish people on account of his age, as you are now, the Lord in wrath exclaimed, and said, “They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me.”615    1 Sam. viii. 7. And that He might avenge this, He set over them Saul as a king, who afflicted them with grievous injuries, and trod on the people, and pressed down their pride with all insults and penalties, that the despised priest might be avenged by divine vengeance on a proud people.

2. Moreover also Solomon, established in the Holy Spirit, testifies and teaches what is the priestly authority and power, saying, “Fear the Lord with all thy soul, and reverence His priests;”616    Ecclus. vii. 29. and again, “Honour God with all thy soul, and honour His priests.”617    Ecclus. vii. 31. Mindful of which precepts, the blessed Apostle Paul, according to what we read in the Acts of the Apostles, when it was said to him, “Revilest thou thus God’s high priest?” answered and said, “I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.”618    Acts xxiii. 4, 5. Moreover, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, our King, and Judge, and God, even to the very day of His passion observed the honour to priests and high priests, although they observed neither the fear of God nor the acknowledgment of Christ. For when He had cleansed the leper, He said to him, “Go, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift.”619    Matt. viii. 4. With that humility which taught us also to be humble, He still called him a priest whom He knew to be sacrilegious; also under the very sting of His passion, when He had received a blow, and it was said to Him, “Answerest thou the high priest so?” He said nothing reproachfully against the person of the high priest, but rather maintained His own innocence saying, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?”620    John xviii. 23. All which things were therefore done by Him humbly and patiently, that we might have an example of humility and patience; for He taught that true priests were lawfully and fully to be honoured, in showing Himself such as He was in respect of false priests.

3. But deacons ought to remember that the Lord chose apostles, that is, bishops and overseers; while apostles appointed for themselves deacons621    [This is the Cyprianic theory.] after the ascent of the Lord into heaven, as ministers of their episcopacy and of the Church. But if we may dare anything against God who makes bishops, deacons may also dare against us by whom they are made; and therefore it behoves the deacon of whom you write to repent of his audacity, and to acknowledge the honour of the priest, and to satisfy the bishop set over him with full humility. For these things are the beginnings of heretics, and the origins and endeavours of evil-minded schismatics;—to please themselves, and with swelling haughtiness to despise him who is set over them. Thus they depart from the Church—thus a profane altar is set up outside—thus they rebel against the peace of Christ, and the appointment and the unity of God. But if, further, he shall harass and provoke you with his insults, you must exercise against him the power of your dignity, by either deposing him or excommunicating him. For if the Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, said, “Let no man despise thy youth,”622    1 Tim. iv. 12. how much rather must it be said by your colleagues to you, “Let no man despise thy age? And since you have written, that one has associated himself with that same deacon of yours, and is a partaker of his pride and boldness, you may either restrain or excommunicate him also, and any others that may appear of a like disposition, and act against God’s priest. Unless, as we exhort and advise, they should rather perceive that they have sinned and make satisfaction, and suffer us to keep our own purpose; for we rather ask and desire to overcome the reproaches and injuries of individuals by clemency and patience, than to punish them by our priestly power.623    [See letter liv. sec. 16, p. 345, supra.] I bid you, dearest brother, ever heartily farewell.

EPISTOLA LXV. (Erasm., III, 9. Pamel., Rigalt., Baluz., LXV. Pariss., LXIV. Oxon., Lips., III.)AD ROGATIANUM, DE DIACONO QUI CONTRA EPISCOPUM CONTENDIT.

ARGUMENTUM.---Rogatianum episcopum monet Cyprianus, 0394A ut diaconi superbiam qui illum contumeliis exacerbaverat coerceat, et audaciae suae poenitentiam agere cogat, ea occasione denuo repetens quaecumque de sacerdotali sive episcopali potestate supra dicta sunt Epistola LV. Quo autem tempore scripta sit, non satis constat, nisi quod in eadem synodo scriptam cum sequenti, initium utriusque epistolae simile persuadeat.

I. Cyprianus Rogatiano fratri salutem. Graviter et dolenter commoti sumus ego et collegae mei qui praesentes aderant, frater charissime, lectis litteris tuis, quibus de diacono tuo conquestus es quod, immemor sacerdotalis loci tui et officii, ac ministerii sui oblitus, contumeliis et injuriis suis te exacerbaverit. Et tu quidem honorifice circa nos et pro solita tua humilitate 0394B fecisti, ut malles de eo nobis conqueri, cum, pro episcopatus vigore et cathedrae auctoritate, haberes potestatem qua posses de illo statim vindicari, certus quod collegae tui omnes gratum haberemus quodcumque circa diaconum tuum contumeliosum sacerdotali potestate fecisses, habens circa hujusmodi homines praecepta divina, cum Dominus Deus in Deuteronomio dicat: Et homo quicumque fecerit in superbia ut non exaudiat sacerdotem aut judicem, quicumque fuerit in diebus illis, morietur homo ille, et omnis populus 0395A audierit timebit, et non agent impie etiam nunc (Deut. XVII, 12). Et ut sciamus hanc Dei vocem cum vera et summa majestate ejus processisse ad honorandos ac vindicandos sacerdotes suos, cum adversus Aaron sacerdotem tres de ministris, Chore et Dathan et Abiron, ausi sunt superbisse et cervicem suam extollere et sacerdoti praeposito se adaequare, hiatu terrae absorpti ac devorati, poenas statim sacrilegae audaciae persolverunt. Nec soli illi, sed et caeteri ducenti quinquaginta qui eis comites ad audaciam fuerunt, prorumpente a Domino igne consumpti sunt, ut probaretur sacerdotes Dei ab eo qui sacerdotes facit vindicari. In libro quoque Regnorum, cum Samuel sacerdos a Judaeorum populo ob senectutem, sicut tu modo, contemneretur, exclamavit iratus Dominus et dixit: 0395B Non te spreverunt, sed me spreverunt (I Reg. VIII, 7). Et ut hoc ulcisceretur, excitavit eis Saul regem, qui eos injuriis gravibus affligeret, et per omnes contumelias et poenas superbum populum calcaret et premeret, ut contemptus sacerdos de superbo populo ultione divina vindicaretur.

II. Sed et Salomon in Spiritu sancto constitutus testatur et docet quae sit sacerdotalis auctoritas et potestas, dicens: Ex tota anima tua time Deum, et sacerdotes ejus sanctifica. Et iterum : Honora Deum ex tota anima tua, et honorifica sacerdotes ejus (Eccli. VII, 29, 31). Quorum praeceptorum memor beatus apostolus Paulus, secundum quod in Actibus Apostolorum legimus, cum ei diceretur: Sic insilis in sacerdotem Dei maledicendo, respondit et dixit : Nesciebam, 0395C fratres, quia pontifex est. Scriptum est enim: Principem populi tui non maledices (Act. XXIII, 4). Dominus etiam noster ipse Jesus Christus, rex et judex et Deus 0396A noster, usque ad passionis diem servavit honorem pontificibus et sacerdotibus, quamvis illi nec timorem Dei nec agnitionem Christi servassent. Nam, cum leprosum emundasset, dixit illi: Vade, et monstra te sacerdoti, et offer donum (Matth. VIII, 4). Humilitate ea qua nos quoque esse humiles docuit, sacerdotem adhuc appellabat quem sciebat esse sacrilegum. Item sub ictu passionis cum alapam accepisset, et ei diceretur, Sic respondes pontifici, nihil ille contumeliose locutus est in personam pontificis, sed magis innocentiam suam tuitus est dicens: Si male locutus sum, exprobra de malo. Si autem bene, quid me caedis (Joan. XVIII, 23)? Quae omnia ab eo ideo facta sunt humiliter atque patienter ut nos humilitatis ac patientiae haberemus exemplum. Docuit enim sacerdotes 0396B veros legitime et plene honorari, dum circa falsos sacerdotes ipse talis exstitit.

III. Meminisse autem diaconi debent quoniam Apostolos, id est episcopos et praepositos, Dominus elegit, diaconos autem, post ascensum Domini in coelos, Apostoli sibi constituerunt episcopatus sui et Ecclesiae ministros. Quod si nos aliquid audere contra Deum possumus, qui episcopos facit, possunt et contra nos audere diaconi, a quibus fiunt. Et ideo oportet diaconum de quo scribis agere audaciae suae poenitentiam, et honorem sacerdotis agnoscere et episcopo praeposito suo plena humilitate satisfacere. Haec sunt enim initia haereticorum et ortus atque conatus schismaticorum male cogitantium, ut sibi placeant, ut praepositum superbo tumore contemnant. Sic de 0396C Ecclesia receditur, sic altare profanum foris collocatur, sic contra pacem Christi et ordinationem atque unitatem Dei rebellatur. Quod si ultra te contumeliis 0397A suis exacerbaverit et provocaverit, fungeris circa eum potestate honoris tui, ut eum vel deponas vel abstineas. Nam, si apostolus Paulus ad Timotheum scribens dixit: Juventutem tuam nemo despiciat (I Tim. IV, 12), quanto magis tibi a collegis tuis dicendum est: «Senectutem tuam nemo despiciat.» Et quoniam scripsisti quemdam cum eodem diacono tuo se miscuisse et superbiae ejus atque audaciae participem esse, hunc quoque, et si qui alii tales exstiterint et contra sacerdotem Dei fecerint, vel coercere poteris vel abstinere: nisi quod hortamur et monemus ut peccasse se potius intelligant et satisfaciant, et nos propositum nostrum tenere patiantur. Magis enim optamus et cupimus contumelias et injurias singulorum clementi patientia vincere, quam sacerdotali licentia 0397B vindicare. Opto te, frater charissime, semper bene valere.