Epistle LXV.624    Oxford ed.: Ep. i. a.d. 249.

To the Clergy and People Abiding at Furni, About Victor, Who Had Made the Presbyter Faustinus a Guardian.

Argument.—Since, Against the Decision of a Council of Bishops, Geminius Victor Had Named in His Will Geminius Faustinus the Presbyter as His Guardian or Curator, He Forbids that Offering Should Be Made for Him, or that the Sacrifice Should Be Celebrated for His Repose, Inferring by the Way, from the Example of the Levitical Tribe, that Clerics Ought Not to Mix Themselves Up in Secular Cares.

1. Cyprian to the presbyters, and deacons, and people abiding at Furni, greeting. I and my colleagues who were present with me were greatly disturbed, dearest brethren, as were also our fellow-presbyters who sate with us, when we were made aware that Geminius Victor, our brother, when departing this life, had named Geminius Faustinus the presbyter executor to his will, although long since it was decreed, in a council of the bishops, that no one should appoint any of the clergy and the ministers of God executor or guardian625    The Oxford translator notes here that the Roman law did not permit this office be declined. by his will, since every one honoured by the divine priesthood, and ordained in the clerical service, ought to serve only the altar and sacrifices, and to have leisure for prayers and supplications. For it is written: “No man that warreth for God entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him to whom he has pledged himself.”626    2 Tim. ii. 4. [Are not these primitive ideas a needed admonition to our times?] As this is said of all men, how much rather ought those not to be bound by worldly anxieties and involvements, who, being busied with divine and spiritual things, are not able to withdraw from the Church, and to have leisure for earthly and secular doings! The form of which ordination and engagement the Levites formerly observed under the law, so that when the eleven tribes divided the land and shared the possessions, the Levitical tribe, which was left free for the temple and the altar, and for the divine ministries, received nothing from that portion of the division; but while others cultivated the soil, that portion only cultivated the favour of God, and received the tithes from the eleven tribes, for their food and maintenance, from the fruits which grew. All which was done by divine authority and arrangement, so that they who waited on divine services might in no respect be called away, nor be compelled to consider or to transact secular business. Which plan and rule is now maintained in respect of the clergy, that they who are promoted by clerical ordination in the Church of the Lord may be called off in no respect from the divine administration, nor be tied down by worldly anxieties and matters; but in the honour of the brethren who contribute, receiving as it were tenths of the fruits, they may not withdraw from the altars and sacrifices, but may serve day and night in heavenly and spiritual things.

2. The bishops our predecessors religiously considering this, and wholesomely providing for it, decided that no brother departing should name a cleric for executor or guardian; and if any one should do this, no offering should be made for him, nor any sacrifice be celebrated for his repose.627    “Pro dormitione ejus.” Goldhorn observes here, rather needlessly, that it was unlucky among the ancient Christians to speak of death. [They counted death as a falling asleep, and the grave as a cœmeterium; and this prayer for the repose of the righteous was strictly such, that they might “rest from their labours,” till, in the resurrection and not before, they should receive their consummation and reward.] For he does not deserve to be named at the altar of God in the prayer of the priests, who has wished to call away the priests and ministers from the altar. And therefore, since Victor, contrary to the rule lately made in council by the priests, has dared to appoint Geminius Faustinus, a presbyter, his executor, it is not allowed that any offering be made by you for his repose, nor any prayer be made in the church in his name, that so the decree of the priests, religiously and needfully made, may be kept by us; and, at the same time, an example be given to the rest of the brethren, that no one should call away to secular anxieties the priests and ministers of God who are occupied with the service of His altar and Church. For care will probably be taken in time to come that this happen not with respect to the person of clerics any more, if what has now been done has been punished. I bid you, dearest brethren, ever heartily farewell.

EPISTOLA LXVI. (Erasm., I, 9. Pamel., Rigalt., Baluz., LXVI. Paris., LXV. Oxon., Lips., I.)AD CLERUM ET PLEBEM FURNIS CONSISTENTEM, DE VICTORE QUI FAUSTINUM PRESBYTERUM TUTOREM NOMINAVIT.

ARGUMENTUM.---Cum, contra concilii episcoporum statutum, Geminius Victor testamento tutorem sive curatorem suum nominasset Geminium Faustinum presbyterum, prohibet pro illo offerri aut sacrificium pro dormitione illius celebrari; obiter, exemplo Leviticae tribus, deducens clericos molestiis saecularibus immiscere se non debere.

0397C I. Cyprianus presbyteris et diaconibus et plebi Furnis consistentibus salutem. Graviter commoti sumus 0398A ego et collegae mei qui praesentes aderant, et compresbyteri nostri qui nobis assidebant , fratres charissimi, cum cognovissemus quod Geminius Victor frater noster de saeculo excedens Geminium Faustinum presbyterum tutorem testamento suo nominaverit, cum jam pridem in concilio episcoporum statutum sit ne quis de clericis et Dei ministris tutorem vel curatorem testamento suo constituat, quando singuli divino sacerdotio honorati et in clerico ministerio constituti non nisi altari et sacrifieiis deservire et precibus atque orationibus vacare debeant. Scriptum est enim: Nemo militans Deo obligat se molestiis saecularibus, ut possit placere ei cui se probavit (II Tim. II, 4). Quod cum de omnibus dictum sit, quanto magis molestiis et laqueis saecularibus obligari non 0398B debent qui divinis rebus et spiritalibus occupati, ab ecclesia recedere et ad terrenos et saeculares actus vacare non possunt? Cujus ordinationis et religionis formam levitae prius in lege tenuerunt, ut, cum terram dividerent et possessiones partirentur undecim tribus, Levitica tribus, quae templo et altari et ministeriis divinis vacabat, nihil de illa divisionis portione perciperet, sed, aliis terram colentibus, illa tantum Deum coleret, et ad victum atque alimentum suum ab undecim tribubus de fructibus qui nascebantur decimas perciperet . Quod totum fiebat de auctoritate et dispositione divina, ut qui operationibus divinis insistebant, in nulla re avocarentur, nec cogitare aut agere saecularia cogerentur. Quae nunc ratio et forma in clero tenetur, ut qui in Ecclesia Domini 0398C ordinatione clerica promoventur, in nullo ab administratione divina avocentur, nec molestiis et negotiis 0399A saecularibus alligentur, sed in honore sportulantium fratrum, tamquam decimas ex fructibus accipientes, ab altari et sacrificiis non recedant, sed die ac nocte coelestibus rebus et spiritualibus serviant.

II. Quod episcopi antecessores nostri religiose considerantes et salubriter providentes, censuerunt ne quis frater excedens ad tutelam vel curam clericum nominaret, ac si quis hoc fecisset, non offerretur pro co , nec sacrificium pro dormitione ejus celebraretur. Neque enim apud altare Dei meretur nominari in sacerdotum prece qui ab altari sacerdotes et ministros voluit avocare. Et ideo Victor, cum, contra formam nuper in concilio a sacerdotibus datam, Geminium Faustinum presbyterum ausus sit tutorem constituere, non est quod pro dormitione ejus apud 0399B vos fiat oblatio, aut deprecatio aliqua nomine ejus in Ecclesia frequentetur, ut sacerdotum decretum religiose et necessarie factum servetur a nobis, simul et caeteris fratribus detur exemplum ne quis sacerdotes et ministros Dei altari ejus et Ecclesiae vacantes ad saeculares molestias devocet. Observari enim de caetero poterit ne ultra hoc fiat circa personam clericorum, si quod nunc factum est fuerit vindicatum. Opto vos, fratres charissimi, semper bene valere.