Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| To the Clergy, Concerning Certain Presbyters Who Had Rashly Granted Peace to the Lapsed Before the Persecution Had Been Appeased, and Without the Privity of the Bishops.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Epistle
IX.2208
| 2208
Oxford ed.: Ep. xvi. a.d.
250. |
To the Clergy, Concerning Certain
Presbyters Who Had Rashly Granted Peace to the Lapsed Before the
Persecution Had Been Appeased, and Without the Privity of the
Bishops.
Argument.—The Argument of This Epistle is Contained in the Following
Words of the XIVth Epistle:—“To the Presbyters
and Deacons,” He Says, “Was Not Wanting the Vigour of the
Priesthood, So that Some, Too Little Mindful of Discipline, and Hasty
with a Rash Precipitation, Who Had Already Begun to Communicate with
the Lapsed, Were Checked.”
1. Cyprian to the presbyters and deacons,
his brethren, greeting. I have long been patient, beloved
brethren, hoping that my forbearing silence would avail to
quietness. But since the unreasonable and reckless presumption of
some is seeking by its boldness to disturb both the honour of the
martyrs, and the modesty of the confessors, and the tranquility of the
whole people, it behoves me no longer to keep silence, lest too much
reticence should issue in danger both to the people and to
ourselves. For what danger ought we not to fear from the
Lord’s displeasure, when some of the presbyters, remembering
neither the Gospel nor their own place, and, moreover, considering
neither the Lord’s future judgment nor the bishop now placed over
them, claim to themselves entire authority,2209
| 2209
In letter ii. we have noted a limited exercise of
jurisdiction: the canons seem not to have allowed them the
full powers these presbyters had used.] | —a thing which was never in any wise
done under our predecessors,—with discredit and contempt of the
bishop?
2. And I wish, if it could be so without the
sacrifice of our brethren’s safety, that they could make good
their claim to all things; I could dissemble and bear the discredit of my
episcopal authority, as I always have dissembled and borne it.
But it is not now the occasion for dissimulating when our brotherhood
is deceived by some of you, who, while without the means of restoring
salvation they desire to please, become a still greater stumbling-block
to the lapsed. For that it is a very great crime which
persecution has compelled to be committed, they themselves know who
have committed it; since our Lord and Judge has said, “Whosoever
shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father
which is in heaven; but whosoever shall deny me, him will I also
deny.”2210
And again He
has said, “All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and
blasphemies; but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost shall
not have forgiveness, but is guilty of eternal sin.”2211
Also the
blessed apostle has said, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord
and the cup of devils; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table
and of the table of devils.”2212
He who withholds these words from
our brethren deceives them, wretched that they are; so that they who
truly repenting might satisfy God, both as the Father and as merciful,
with their prayers and works, are seduced more deeply to perish; and
they who might raise themselves up fall the more deeply. For
although in smaller sins sinners may do penance for a set time, and
according to the rules of discipline come to public
confession,2213
and by
imposition of the hand of the bishop and clergy receive the right of
communion: now with their time still unfulfilled, while
persecution is still raging, while the peace of the Church itself is
not yet restored, they are admitted to communion, and their name is
presented; and while the penitence is not yet performed, confession is
not yet made, the hands of the bishop and clergy are not yet laid upon
them, the eucharist is given to them; although it is written,
“Whosoever shall eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord
unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the
Lord.”2214
3. But now they are not guilty who so little
observe the law of Scripture; but they will be guilty who are in office
and do not suggest these things to brethren, so that, being instructed
by those placed above them, they may do all things with the fear of
God, and with the observance given and prescribed by Him. Then,
moreover, they lay the blessed martyrs open to ill-will, and involve
the glorious servants of God with the priest of God; so that although
they, mindful of my place, have directed letters to me, and have asked
that their wishes should then be examined, and peace granted
them,—when our Mother, the Church herself, should first have
received peace for the Lord’s mercy, and the divine protection,
have brought me back to His Church,—yet these, disregarding the
honour which the blessed martyrs with the confessors maintain for me,
despising the Lord’s law and that observance, which the same
martyrs and confessors bid to be maintained, before the fear of
persecution is quenched, before my return, almost even before the
departure of the martyrs, communicate with the lapsed, and offer and
give them the eucharist: when even if the martyrs, in the heat of
their glory, were to consider less carefully the Scriptures, and to
desire anything more, they should be admonished by the
presbyters’ and deacons’ suggestions, as was always done in
time past.2215
| 2215
[Compare Tertullian, Ad Martyras, vol. iii. p.
693.] |
4. For this reason the divine rebuke does
not cease to chastise us night nor day. For besides the visions
of the night, by day also, the innocent age of boys is among us filled
with the Holy Spirit, seeing in an ecstasy with their eyes, and hearing
and speaking those things whereby the Lord condescends to warn and
instruct us.2216
And you
shall hear all things when the Lord, who bade me withdraw, shall bring
me back again to you. In the meanwhile, let those certain ones
among you who are rash and incautious and boastful, and who do not
regard man, at least fear God, knowing that, if they shall persevere
still in the same course, I shall use that power of admonition which
the Lord bids me use; so that they may meanwhile be withheld from
offering,2217
| 2217
[Celebrating the Lord’s Supper; Rom. xv. 16 (Greek)
compared with Mal. i. 11,
texts which seem greatly to have influenced the language of the early
Church.] | and have to
plead their cause both before me and before the confessors themselves
and before the whole people, when, with God’s permission, we
begin to be gathered together once more into the bosom of the Church,
our Mother. Concerning this matter, I have written to the martyrs
and confessors, and to the people, letters; both of which I have bidden
to be read to you. I wish you, dearly beloved brethren and
earnestly longed-for, ever heartily farewell in the Lord; and have me
in remembrance. Fare ye well.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
