Epistle LXXX.919    Oxford ed.: Ep. vi. a.d. 257; possibly a.d. 250.

Cyprian to Sergius, Rogatianus, and the Other Confessors in Prison.

Argument.—He Consoles Rogatianus and His Colleagues, the Confessors in Prison, and Gives Them Courage by the Example of the Martyrs Rogatianus the Elder and Felicissimus. The Letter Itself Indicates that It Was Written in Exile.

1. Cyprian to Sergius and Rogatianus, and the rest of the confessors in the Lord, everlasting health. I salute you, dearest and most blessed brethren, myself also desiring to enjoy the sight of you, if the state in which I am placed would permit me to come to you. For what could happen to me more desirable and more joyful than to be now close to you, that you might embrace me with those hands, which, pure and innocent, and maintaining the faith of the Lord, have rejected the profane obedience? What more pleasant and sublime than now to kiss your lips, which with a glorious voice have confessed the Lord, to be looked upon even in presence by your eyes, which, despising the world, have become worthy920    [Luke xx. 35; xxi. 36; 1 Thess. ii. 12. Such expressions in our author teach no worthiness apart from the merits of Christ.] of looking upon God? But since opportunity is not afforded me to share in this joy, I send this letter in my stead to your ears and to your eyes, by which I congratulate and exhort you that you persevere strongly and steadily in the confession of the heavenly glory; and having entered on the way of the Lord’s condescension, that you go on in the strength of the Spirit, to receive the crown, having the Lord as your protector and guide, who said, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”921    Matt. xxviii. 20. O blessed prison, which your presence has enlightened! O blessed prison, which sends the men of God to heaven! O darkness, more bright than the sun itself, and clearer than the light of this world, where now are placed temples of God, and your members are to be sanctified by divine confessions!

2. Nor let anything now be revolved in your hearts and minds besides the divine precepts and heavenly commands, with which the Holy Spirit has ever animated you to the endurance of suffering. Let no one think of death, but of immortality; nor of temporary punishment, but of eternal glory; since it is written, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints;”922    Ps. cxvi. 15. and again, “A broken spirit is a sacrifice to God: a contrite and humble heart God doth not despise.”923    Ps. li. 19. And again, where the sacred Scripture speaks of the tortures which consecrate God’s martyrs, and sanctify them in the very trial of suffering: “And if they have suffered torments in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality; and having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy of Himself. As gold in the furnace hath He tried them, and received them as a sacrifice of a burnt-offering, and in due time regard shall be had unto them. The righteous shall shine, and shall run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people; and their Lord shall reign for ever.”924    Wisd. iii. 4–8. When, therefore, you reflect that you shall judge and reign with Christ the Lord, you must needs exult and tread under foot present sufferings, in the joy of what is to come; knowing that from the beginning of the world it has been so appointed that righteousness should suffer there in the conflict of the world, since in the beginning, even at the first, the righteous Abel was slain, and thereafter all righteous men, and prophets, and apostles who were sent. To all of whom the Lord also in Himself has appointed an example, teaching that none shall attain to His kingdom but those who have followed Him in His own way, saying, “He that loveth his life in this world shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”925    John xii. 25. And again: “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”926    Matt. x. 28. Paul also exhorts us that we who desire to attain to the Lord’s promises ought to imitate the Lord in all things. “We are,” says he, “the sons of God: but if sons, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”927    Rom. viii. 16, 17.  Moreover, he added the comparison of the present time and of the future glory, saying, “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory which shall be revealed in us.”928    Rom. viii. 18. Of which brightness, when we consider the glory, it behoves us to bear all afflictions and persecutions; because, although many are the afflictions of the righteous, yet those are delivered from them all who trust in God.

3. Blessed women also, who are established with you in the same glory of confession, who, maintaining the Lord’s faith, and braver than their sex, not only themselves are near to the crown of glory, but have afforded an example to other women by their constancy! And lest anything should be wanting to the glory of your number, that each sex and every age also might be with you in honour, the divine condescension has also associated with you boys929    [See p. 404, note 6, supra.] in a glorious confession; representing to us something of the same kind as once did Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, the illustrious youths to whom, when shut up in the furnace, the fires gave way, and the flames gave refreshment, the Lord being present with them, and proving that against His confessors and martyrs the heat of hell could have no power, but that they who trusted in God should always continue unhurt and safe in all dangers. And I beg you to consider more carefully, in accordance with your religion, what must have been the faith in these youths which could deserve such full acknowledgment from the Lord. For, prepared for every fate, as we ought all to be, they say to the king, “O king Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter; for our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king! But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”930    Dan. iii. 16–18. Although they believed, and, in accordance with their faith, knew that they might even be delivered from their present punishment, they still would not boast of this, nor claim it for themselves, saying, “But if not.” Lest the virtue of their confession should be less without the testimony of their suffering, they added that God could do all things; but yet they would not trust in this, so as to wish to be delivered at the moment; but they thought on that glory of eternal liberty and security.

4. And you also, retaining this faith, and meditating day and night, with your whole heart prepared for God, think of the future only, with contempt for the present, that you may be able to come to the fruit of the eternal kingdom, and to the embrace and kiss, and the sight of the Lord, that you may follow in all things Rogatianus the presbyter, the glorious old man who, to the glory of our time, makes a way for you by his religious courage and divine condescension, who, with Felicissimus our brother, ever quiet and temperate, receiving the attack of a ferocious people, first prepared for you a dwelling in the prison, and, marking out the way931    “Metator.” for you in some measure, now also goes before you. That this may be consummated in you, we beseech the Lord in constant prayers, that from beginnings going on to the highest results, He may cause those whom He has made to confess, also to be crowned. I bid you, dearest and most beloved brethren, ever heartily farewell in the Lord; and may you attain to the crown of heavenly glory. Victor the deacon, and those who are with me, greet you.

EPISTOLA LXXXI. (Erasm., IV, 1. Pamel., Rigalt., Baluz., LXXXI. Paris., LXXX. Oxon., Lips., VI.)CYPRIANI AD SERGIUM ET ROGATIANUM ET CAETEROS CONFESSORES IN CARCERE CONSTITUTOS.

ARGUMENTUM.---Rogatianum et collegas confessores, in carcere constitutos consolatur, et exemplo Rogatiani senioris et Felicissimi martyrum animos illis addit. 0424C In exilio scriptam epistola ipsa indicat.

I. Cyprianus Sergio et Rogatiano et caeteris confessoribus in Domino perpetuam salutem. Saluto vos, fratres charissimi ac beatissimi, optans ipse quoque conspectu vestro frui, si me ad vos pervenire loci conditio permitteret. Quid enim mihi optatius et laetius posset accidere quam nunc vobis inhaerere, ut 0425A complecteremini me manibus illis quae purae et innocentes et Dominicam fidem servantes sacrilega obsequia respuerunt? Quid jucundius et sublimius quam osculari nunc ora vestra, quae gloriosa voce Dominum confessa sunt, conspici etiam praesentem ab oculis vestris, qui, despecto saeculo, conspiciendo Deo digni extiterunt? Sed, quoniam huic laetitiae interesse facultas non datur, has pro me ad aures et ad oculos vestros vicarias litteras mitto, quibus gratulor pariter et exhortor ut in confessione coelestis gloriae fortes et stabiles persevcretis, et ingressi viam Dominicae dignationis, ad accipiendam coronam spiritali virtute pergatis , habentes Dominum protectorem et ducem qui dixit: Ecce vobiscum sum omnibus diebus usque ad consummationem mundi (Matth., 0425B XXVIII, 20). O beatum carcerem, quem illustravit vestra praesentia! o beatum carcerem, qui homines mittit ad coelum! o tenebras lucidiores sole ipso et luce hac mundi clariores, ubi modo constituta sunt! Dei templa et sanctificanda divinis confessionibus membra vestra.

II. Nec quicquam versetur in cordibus et mentibus vestris quam divina praecepta et mandata coelestia, quibus vos ad tolerantiam passionis Spiritus sanctus semper animavit. Nemo mortem cogitet, sed immortalitatem, nec temporariam poenam, sed gloriam sempiternam, cum scriptum sit: Pretiosa est in conspectu Domini mors justorum ejus (Psal. CXV, 15). Et iterum: Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus, cor 0425C contritum et humiliatum Deus non despicit (Psalm. L, 19). Et iterum, ubi loquitur Scriptura divina de tormentis quae martyres Dei consecrant et in ipsa passionis 0426A probatione sanctificant: Et si coram hominibus tormenta passi sunt, spes eorum immortalitate plena est. Et in paucis vexati, in multis bene disponentur, quoniam Deus tentavit illos, et invenit illos dignos se. Tamquam aurum in fornace probavit illos et quasi holocausti hostiam accepit illos, et in tempore erit respectus illorum. Fulgebunt justi, et tamquam scintillae in arundineto discurrent. Judicabunt nationes et dominabuntur populis, et regnabit eorum dominus in perpetuum (Sap. III, 4-8). Quando ergo judicaturos vos et regnaturos cum Christo Domino cogitatis, exultetis necesse est et futurorum gaudio praesentia supplicia calcetis, scientes ab initio mundi sic institutum ut laboret istic in saeculari conflictatione justitia, quando in origine statim prima Abel justus occiditur, et 0426B exinde justi quique et Prophetae et Apostoli missi. Quibus omnibus Dominus quoque in se ipso constituit exemplum, docens ad suum regnum non, nisi eos qui se per viam suam secuti sint, pervenire dicens: Qui amat animam suam in isto saeculo, perdet illam. Et qui odit animam suam in isto saeculo, in vitam aeternam conservabit illam (Joa. XII, 25). Et iterum: Nolite timere eos qui occidunt corpus, animam vero non possunt occidere: magis autem metuite eum qui potest et animam et corpus occidere in gehennam (Matth. X, 28). Paulus etiam nos adhortatur ut qui ad Domini promissa venire cupimus, imitari Dominum in omnibus debeamus: Sumus, inquit, filii Dei. Si autem filii, et haeredes, haeredes quidem Dei, cohaeredes autem Christi, siquidem compatiamur, ut et commagnificemur . 0426C (Rom. VIII, 16). Addidit etiam comparationem praesentis temporis et futurae claritatis dicens: Non sunt condignae passiones hujus temporis ad superventuram 0427A claritatem quae revelabitur in nobis (Ibid. 18). Cujus claritatis gloriam cogitantes, pressuras omnes et persecutiones tolerare nos convenit, quia, etsi sunt multae pressurae justorum, ex omnibus tamen liberantur qui in Deum fidunt.

III. Beatas etiam feminas quae vobiscum sunt in eadem confessionis gloria constitutae, quae, Dominicam fidem tenentes et sexu suo fortiores, non solum ipsae ad gloriae coronam proximae sunt, sed et caeteris quoque feminis exemplum de sua constantia praebuerunt. Ac, ne quid deesset ad gloriam numeri vestri , ut omnis vobiscum et sexus et aetas esset in honore, pueros etiam vobis gloriosa confessione sociavit divina dignatio, repraesentans nobis tale aliquid quale Ananias, Azarias et Misahel illustres pueri aliquando fecerunt; 0427B quibus inclusis in caminum cesserunt ignes et refrigerium flammae dederunt, praesente cum illis Domino et probante quod in confessores et martyres ejus nihil posset gehennae ardor operari, sed quod qui in Deum crederent , incolumes semper et tuti in omnibus perseverarent. Et consideretis diligentius peto, pro vestra religione, quae apud pueros fides fuerit, quae promereri Dominum plenius potuit. Ad omnia enim parati, sicut omnes esse debemus, aiunt regi: Nabuchodonosor rex, non opus est 0428A nobis de hoc verbo respondere tibi. Est enim Deus, cui nos servimus, potens eripere nos de camino ignis ardentis, et de manibus tuis, rex, liberabit nos. Et si non, notum tibi sit quoniam diis tuis non servimus et imaginem auream quam statuisti non adoramus (Dan. III, 16-18). Cum se crederent et pro fide sua scirent posse etiam de praesenti supplicio liberari, jactare hoc tamen et vindicare sibi noluerunt dicentes, Et si non, ne minor esset confessionis virtus sine testimonio passionis. Addiderunt posse omnia Deum facere, sed tamen non in hoc fidere ut liberari in praesentia vellent, sed illam libertatis et securitatis aeternae gloriam cogitarent.

IV. Quam fidem vos quoque retinentes et die ac nocte meditantes, toto corde ad Deum prompti, contemptu 0428B praesentium futura tantummodo cogitatis, ut ad fructum regni aeterni et ad complexum et osculum Domini et conspectum venire possitis, ut sequamini in omnibus Rogatianum presbyterum, gloriosum senem, viam vobis ad gloriam temporis nostri religiosa virtute et divina dignatione facientem, qui cum Felicissimo fratre nostro quieto semper et sobrio excipiens ferocientis populi impetum, primum hospitium vobis in carcere praeparavit, et metator quodam modo vester, nunc quoque vos antecedit. Quod ut 0429A consummetur in vobis, assiduis orationibus Dominum deprecamur, ut, initiis ad summa pergentibus, quos confiteri fecit, faciat et coronari. Opto vos, fratres charissimi ac beatissimi, in Domino semper bene valere et ad coronam coelestis gloriae pervenire. Victor diaconus et qui mecum sunt vos salutant.