Persecutions bear witness to God's real servants. 177 his people to take up the arms of confession and undergo martyrdom, and, now that Antichrist is at hand', may prepare his soldiers for battle not only by the incitement of words and of his voice, but by an example of faith and courage. 2. We understand, dearest brother, and see clearly with the whole light of our heart, the salutary and holy purposes of the Divine Majesty, whence that unlooked-for persecution' lately arose amongst you, whence the secular power suddenly burst forth against the Church of Christ, the Bishop and blessed martyr Cornelius, and you all that, for the confounding and beating down of heretics, the Lord might shew, which is the Church, who its one Bishop, chosen by Divine appointment; which Presbyters are joined with the Bishop in the priestly dignity; which is the united and true people of Christ knit together by the love of the Lord's flock; who they were, whom the Enemy would attack, who, on the other hand, they whom the Devil would spare as being his own. For the adversary of Christ persecutes and assaults only the camp and soldiers of Christ. Heretics, once cast down and made his own, he despises and passes by. He seeks to overthrow those whom he sees to stand. 3. And would, dearest brother, we were now allowed to be with you on your return, that we too, who love you with mutual affection, might, with the rest, be present and share the glad fruit of your coming. What exultation of all the brethren there! what greeting and embracing as you severally met together! As they cling to your side, scarce can they be satisfied with kissing'; scarce can the very gaze and eyes of the people be satiated with beholding. From the joy of your coming the brotherhood around you has begun to learn, what and how great gladness will follow, when Christ shall i See above Ep. 58. p. 142. and n. k. j Under Gallus and Volusianus, who persecuted the Christians to appease the anger of the gods and avert the pestilence which was ravaging the empire, [F.] or as refusing to take part in the sacrifices ordered to that end. [Bp. P.] k See above Ep. 49. p. 108. n. i. and Ep. 59. p. 155. n. c. Osculis for oculis, corrected by Bp. F. from Bod. 1. with which the N cod. Met. S. Arnulphi (ap. Bal.) agrees. Bal. adopted it; in the Ben. text oculis is retained. In the following, "De adventus vestri gaudio," has been joined with what follows, as by Pam. and F.; the joy at the restoration of the Bishop, the representative and herald of Christ, through whom He visited His people, became a type of the joy at His own last Coming. Bal. and some old edd. join it with the preceding, whereby all the force of the words is lost. A. 252. 178 The return of a holy Bishop a herald of Christ's coming. EPIST. come, for since His Advent will soon draw nigh, a kind of LXII. picture has now gone before in you, that, as John His forerunner, who prepared the way before Him, preached that Christ was come; so now in the return of a Bishop a Confessor of the Lord and His Priest, it appeareth that the Lord also is now returning. But I and my Colleagues and all the brotherhood send this letter to you in our stead, dearest brother, and by this Epistle exhibiting to you our joy, we express the faithful devotedness of our love, here also in our sacrifices and in our prayers ceasing not to give thanks to God the Father, and to Christ His Son, our Lord, and to pray and entreat, that He Who is Himself Perfect and the Perfecter, may guard and perfect in you the glorious crown of your confession; Who also perhaps brought you back for this very purpose", that your glory may not be hidden, should the martyr's testimony of your Confession be consummated abroad. For a victim which affords to the brotherhood a pattern of courage and faith, ought to be immolated in the presence of the brethren. We bid you, dearest brother, ever heartily farewell. A. 253. EPISTLE LXII. Cyprian to Januarius, Maximus, Proculus, Victor, Modianus, Nemesianus, Nampulus, and Honoratus, his brethren, greeting. 1. With the utmost grief of mind and not without tears I have read the letter, dearest brethren, which from the anxiety of your affection you wrote to me concerning the captivity" of our brethren and sisters. For who would not grieve at m This was fulfilled in the martyrdom of S. Lucius, shortly after. His day is probably March 4 or 5. Then his Episcopate lasted not 6, Eusebius says "under 8," months. (H. E. vii. 2.) S. Cyprian calls him a martyr (Ep. 68. §. ult.) Tillemont (Note 33. sur S. Cyprien) supposes that he died in prison, his death being mentioned, not in the martyrology of Bucherius, but in the depositio Episcoporum,' where none are mentioned who are known to have died by tortures or the sentence of the judge." The death in prison, as being a final and often exceeding (see e. g. Ep. 22..p. 52.) suffering for Christ was martyrdom and was so held. (see ab. Ep. 12. p. 20.) The Martyrol. Rom. says that he was beheaded. n Numidian Bishops, for to such St. C. says Ep. 70. was written (Ep. 72. §. 1.) and in it the names of all these Bishops occur. The same is stated in the Ed. Man. and cod. Rem. Bal. 3, 16. Christians, redeemed by Christ, to redeem Christ in His members. 179 such misfortunes, or who would not reckon his brother's sorrow as his own, since the Apostle Paul speaks, and says, Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; 1 Cor. 12, 26. or one member rejoice, all the members rejoice with it. And in another place, he says, Who is weak, and I am not 2 Cor weak? Wherefore now too the captivity of the brethren is 11, 29. to be reckoned by us as our own captivity: and the grief of those in peril is to be accounted as our grief: since in truth we are joined into one body, and not affection only, but religion also ought to incite and encourage us to redeem the members of the brethren. For whereas the Apostle Paul again says, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and Cor. that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? even if charity did not induce us to give assistance to the brethren, yet here we should consider that they are the temples of God which have been made captive; and that we ought not, by long delay regardless of their sorrow, to allow the temples of God to remain long captive; but should strive with our utmost strength, and with all speed endeavour by our ready services to earn the favour of Christ our Judge, and Lord, and God. For since the Apostle Paul says, As many of you as have Gal. 3, been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, in our captive brethren Christ is to be contemplated, and to be redeemed from the peril of captivity, Who redeemed us from the peril of death; so that He Who rescued us from the jaws of the devil, and Who remaineth and dwelleth in us, may now Himself be rescued from the hands of barbarians; and He redeemed by a sum of money, Who redeemed us by the Cross and His Blood; Who for this reason suffers these things for the present to be done, that our faith may be tried, whether each of us would do for another what he would have • S. Augustine (Ep. 199 ad Hesych. §. 46.) mentions "innumerable barbarous nations in Africa," of whom 66 very few only, and close on the Roman borders and at peace, had within a few years begun to be Christians." These were constantly infesting the Roman borders, whence Numidia had a legion always encamped in it, (Ptolem. Dio Hist. 1. 55.)" for protecting the borders of the empire." (Tac. Hist. iv. 48. add Ann. iii. 9.) and 27. A. 253. 180 Thanks due to those, who call us to relieve Xt in His members. EPIST. done for himself, were he held in captivity by barbarians. LXII. For who that is mindful of humanity and reminded of mutual affection, if he be a father, will not now reckon that his own sons are there? if he be a husband, will not with equal grief and shame for the conjugal bond consider his own wife to be there held in captivity? But how great must be the common grief and anxiety of us all, for the peril of the virgins who are there detained, for whom not the loss of liberty only, but of modesty is to be lamented; nor are the bonds of barbarians to be deplored, so much as the defileleno- ment of impure places and men1; lest members dedicated to num ac Christ', and for ever devoted by virtuous chastity to the lupanarium. praise of continence, should be polluted by the lust and contamination of the insolent. 2. All these things according to your letter our brotherhood, taking into consideration and with sorrow enquiring into, have all promptly and cheerfully and bountifully contributed supplies of money to the brethren; being indeed ever, in accordance with the stedfastness of their faith, forward to the work of God, yet now still more kindled to healthful works by the contemplation of so great grief. For Matt. since the Lord in His Gospel says, I was sick, and ye 25, 36. visited Me; with how much higher reward to our work will He now say, "I was captive, and ye redeemed Me?" And whereas He further says, I was in prison, and ye came unto Me; how much more will it be when He shall begin to say, "I was in the prison of captivity, and lay among barbarians shut up and in bonds, and ye delivered Me from that imprisonment of servitude," being to receive a reward from the Lord when the Day of Judgment shall come ? In fine, we give you the most sincere thanks, for that ye have been pleased to make us partners of your solicitude, and of so good and needful a work; that ye have offered us fertile fields, in which we might sow the seeds of our hope, having to look for a harvest of most abundant fruit, which will grow P De hab. virg. c. 4. Ep. 4. 9" The redemption of captives was always accounted in the Church among the first offices of charity, and Lactantius calls it " a great and excellent office of justice.' [Institt. vi. 12.] S. Ambrose, for this purpose, broke the consecrated vessels of the Church, (Off. 2. 48.) as did S. Augustine (for them and for the poor, Possid. Vit. §. 24.) and Deogratias." (Victor Vit. de pers. Vand. 1. i.) F. Benefactors named to obtain mention in prayer and at the Altar.181 10. from this heavenly and saving culture. We have therefore sent you an hundred thousand sesterces', which have been1 807. 5. collected by the contributions of the clergy and laity who are set here with us in the Church over which by the good pleasure of the Lord we preside: this you will dispense according to your discretion. 3. We wish indeed that nothing of this sort may again happen, and that our brethren, being protected by the Majesty of the Lord, may be kept safe from perils of this kind. If, however, for the searching out of the charity of our dispositions, and the trial of the faith of our hearts, any such thing should happen, on no account delay to write us word of it; being well assured that our Church and all the brotherhood here entreat by their prayers that this may not again happen; yet that if it does happen, they will cheerfully and bountifully contribute their aid. 4. But that ye may remember in your prayers our brethren and sisters, who have promptly and cheerfully laboured in this so needful work, that they may ever so labour, and that in requital of their good work, ye may present them before God in your Sacrifices and supplications, I have subjoined the names of each. I have moreover added the names of my Colleagues and fellow-Prelates, who being present here, contributed somewhat, according to their means, in the names of themselves and of their people; and, beside our own amount, I have set down and sent their several sums: of all these, as faith and charity require, ye ought to make mention in your supplications and prayers. I bid you, dearest brethren, ever heartily farewell. Remember us. EPISTLE LXIII. Cyprian to his brother Cæcilius", greeting. 1. Although I am aware, dearest brother, that most of the Bishops, who by the Divine favour are set over the Churches Probably Cæcilius of Bilta, Conc. Carth. §. 1. [B.] "The Ep. is written not against heretics, such as the Aquarii or Hydroparastatæ,or Encratites, whose error consisted in thinking wine a pro fane thing, [see Bingham 15. 217.] but, |