A. 250. 18 Duties amid persecution to the fallen and to all. EPIST. going headlong to idol-worship, be entirely uprooted. Nor VIII. do we exhort you to this in word only, but you may learn from several that came from us to you, how that, by God's help, we both have done and still do all these things with all solicitude and worldly hazard, having before our eyes the fear of God and eternal punishment, more than the fear of man and brief suffering: not deserting the brotherhood, but exhorting them to stand in the faith, and that they should be prepared to go with the Lord. Moreover those that were ascending" whereunto they were constrained, we have recalled to the Church boldly in faith; although some, overcome by the terror itself, (either because they were remarkable persons, or being seized by the fear of man,) fell: these however, separated from us, we do not abandon, but have and do yet exhort them to undergo penance, if by any means they may obtain pardon from Him Who is able to grant it; lest, if they be deserted by us, they should become worse. Ye see therefore, brethren, that ye also ought to do the same, that even those who have fallen, by your exhortation amending their minds, should they be seized, 1 Christ may on a repeated trial confess', that so they may correct their former error. Luke 19, 17. 3. Other things too which are incumbent on you also we here subjoin: that if any, who have fallen into this temptation, begin to be seized with sickness, and repent of what they have done, and desire communion, they ought assuredly to be holpen. Whether any be widows, or sick, who are unable to maintain themselves, or whether they be in prison, or shut out of their own houses, they too should have some to minister to them. Moreover catechumens seized with sickness, must not be deceived, but assistance should be given them. And especially if the bodies of martyrs and others are not buried, great peril hangs over those whose duty this is. By whomsoever of you then, and on whatsoever occasion this duty shall be performed, we are sure that he will be accounted a good servant, and so he who has been faithful in a very little, will have authority over ten cities. May God, louse, Baron. adds those at Capua, Beneventum, Treves, Constantinople. * in their hope of Baptism. "To the Capitol to sacrifice, de Blessedness of high examples in Bishops. 19 Who giveth all things to them that hope in Him, grant that we may all be found engaged in these works. The brethren, who are in bonds, salute you, as do the Presbyters, and the whole Church, which also with the utmost solicitude watches for all who call upon the Name of the Lord. We beg of you also in turn, be mindful of us. Know that Bassianus has arrived; and we beg of you, who have a zeal for God, to transmit copies of this Epistle to whomsoever you can, on fitting occasions, or make occasion for yourselves, or despatch a messenger, that they stand strong and stedfast in the faith. We bid you, dearest brethren, ever heartily farewell. EPISTLE IX. Cyprian to his brethren, the Presbyters and Deacons abiding at Rome, greeting. 2 extant. 1. When there was an uncertain rumour amongst us, dearest brethren, of the departure of that good man my colleague', 'Fabian and I was in suspense what to think, I received an Epistle 2 not now from you, sent me by Crementius the subdeacon, wherein I was fully informed of his glorious departure: and I rejoiced that he had gone on to his consummation with honour, suited to the integrity of his administration. Wherein I heartily congratulate you also that ye honour his memory with a testimony so public and illustrious; so as to make known to me what is both so glorious to yourselves as regards the memory of your Bishop, and may give me too an example of faith and virtue. For, in how much the fall of a Bishop is pernicious in leading to the lapse of his followers, in so much, contrariwise, is it useful and salutary, when a Bishop by the constancy of his faith makes himself an example to be imitated by his brethren. I have also read an Epistle3, wherein 3 Ep. 8. it is not plainly expressed, either who wrote it, or to whom it was written. And whereas in the same Epistle as well the writing, as its purport, and the very paper itself, led me to suspect that something had either been taken from it, or altered in it; I have sent back to you the very Epistle itself, that you may ascertain whether it be the same which you gave to Crementius the subdeacon to carry: for it is a very serious matter, if the truth of a clerical Epistle has been cor 20 Increased ardour of Martyrs amid increasing tortures. EPIST. rupted by any falsehood or fraud. That we may know this X. therefore, examine whether the writing and subscription is yours; and write me word what the truth is. A. 250. I bid you, dearest brethren, ever heartily farewell. EPISTLE X. Cyprian to the Martyrs and Confessors in Jesus Christ our 1. I rejoice and am exceeding glad, most brave and most blessed brethren, to have heard of your faith and virtue wherein our Mother the Church glories. She gloried indeed lately, when with a resolute confession that punishment was received, which made exiles of the Confessors of Christ. But the present confession, by how much it hath more fortitude in suffering, by so much is it nobler and higher in honour. The combat has increased; increased also is the glory of the combatants. Neither have ye hung back from the conflict through fear of tortures, but the tortures themselves have more and more incited you to the conflict; courageous and stedfast, ye have returned with eager devotedness to meet the extremest struggle. And of your number, some I learn are already crowned, some are closer and closer upon the crown of victory; but all, whom the prison has enclosed in one glorious band, are animated with an equal and common glow of courage to wage the strife, as becometh soldiers of Christ in His holy camp: that so no blandishments may cheat the uncorrupted firmness of faith, no threats alarm, no anguish John or tortures overcome, for greater is He that is in us, than he 4,4 that is in the world; nor can earthly punishment avail more to cast down, than Divine protection to lift up. This has been proved in the glorious struggle of the brethren, who, leaders of the rest to victory over tortures, gave an example of courage and faith, having maintained the strife, until the strife itself sunk, overcome. With what praises shall I extol you, most valiant brethren? With what herald voice adorn the stoutness of your hearts, and the perseverance of your faith? Ye have endured the severest torturing even to the consummation of glory, and yielded not to suffering, but suffering rather yielded to you. An end of pain, which tortures gave not, the crown hath given. To this end did the aggravated tortures Glorious strife between the tortures and the tortured. 21 so long endure, not to overthrow your stedfast faith, but to send the servants of God more quickly to their Lord. The crowd of by-standers witnessed wondering the heavenly conflict, the conflict of God, the spiritual conflict, the battle of Christ; that His servants stood with voice unfettered, with minds unbroken, with courage given of God, of secular weapons indeed naked, but armed and trustful in the armour of faith. The tortured stood more resolute than the torturers; and the racked and mangled limbs vanquished the grapplinghooks that racked and mangled them. Long though it raged, the oft-renewed blow could not vanquish a faith invincible, although the closure of their bowels was torn open, and now in God's servants not limbs, but wounds, were tortured. There flowed blood, that might extinguish the blazes of persecution, quench the flames and fires of hell by its glorious gore. Oh! what a spectacle was that to the Lord, how sublime, how great, how acceptable to the eyes of God, the fealty and devotion of His soldiery! as it is written in the Psalms, the Holy Ghost speaking to us at the same time and admonishing us, Precious in the sight Ps. 116 of the Lord is the death of His saints. Precious is this" death, which purchases immortality at the price of its own blood; which receives a crown from the consummation of valour. How did Christ rejoice there, how gladly in such His servants did He both fight and conquer, the Guardian of their faith, and giving to believers so much as he who taketh of His hand believeth that he receiveth'. He was present at His own conflict; the champions and maintainers of His own Name He uplifted, strengthened, animated. And He who once overcame death for us, ever overcomes it in us. 15. 19. 20. When they deliver you up, He says, take no thought Mat. 10, what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father Which speaketh in you. The present conflict has afforded a proof of this. A voice full of the Holy Spirit burst forth from the martyr's mouth, when the most blessed Mappalicus amid his torments said to the "His body-all wound and tumour, and contracted, having lost outwardly the human form." Ep. Eccl. Lugd. ap. Eus. v. 1. ad Donat. §. 4. p. 4. Oxf. Tr. X. A. 250. 22 God fulfilled in His servants His own words in them. EPIST. Proconsul," To-morrow thou shalt see a fight." And what he said with the testimony of courage and faith, the Lord fulfilled. A heavenly fight was exhibited, and the servant of God in the conflict of the promised fight was crowned. Such is the struggle which the Prophet Esaias foretold, saying, It will be no small contest for you with men, since God Himself appoints the struggle. And to shew what sort of struggle this would be, he added, saying, Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and ye shall call His name Emmanuel. This is the fight of our faith, whereby we engage, whereby we conquer, whereby we are crowned. This is that fight which the blessed Apostle Paul has shewn us, in which we must run, and attain unto a crown of glory. 1 Cor. 9, Know ye not, he says, that they which run in a race run 24. 25. all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every one that striveth is temperate in all things; now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. Shewing also his own conflict, and declaring that he should himself soon be a sacrifice to the 2 Tim.4, Lord, he says, I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that Day; and not to me only, but unto all them that love His appearing. 6-8. 2. This fight therefore before predicted by the Prophets, appointed by the Lord', accomplished by the Apostles, Mappalicus in his own and his colleagues' name promised anew to the Proconsul. Nor has his faithful voice failed in its promise: the fight he pledged himself to, he exhibited; and the palm, that he deserved, he has received. My hearty desire and at the same time my exhortation to you is, that the rest of you follow that now most blessed Martyr, and the others his partners in the same conflict; in faith, stedfast; in suffering, patient; in tortures, victorious; that so, those whom the bond of confession and the hostelry of the prison have united together, the consummation of their valour, and the heavenly crown, may also unite; that ye, by a Tert. ad Mart. c. 3. p. 154. Oxf. Tr. Is. 7, 13. so quoted Iren. iii. 26. |