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| To the Clergy, Concerning Those Who are in Haste to Receive Peace. A.D. 250.
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Epistle XIII.2235
| 2235
Oxford ed.: Ep. xix. [See letter xxvii.
infra.] |
To the Clergy, Concerning Those Who are
in Haste to Receive Peace. a.d.
250.
Argument.—Peace Must Be Attained Through Penitence, and Penitence is
Realized by Keeping the Commandments. They Who are Oppressed with
Sickness, If They are Relieved by the Suffrages of the Martyrs, May Be
Admitted to Peace; But Others are to Be Kept Back Until the Peace of
the Church is Secured.
1. Cyprian to the presbyters and deacons,
his brethren, greeting. I have read your letter, beloved
brethren, wherein you wrote that your wholesome counsel was not wanting
to our brethren, that, laying aside all rash haste, they should
manifest a religious patience to God, so that when by His mercy we come
together, we may debate upon all kinds of things, according to the
discipline of the Church, especially since it is written,
“Remember from whence thou hast fallen, and
repent.”2236
Now
he repents, who, remembering the divine precept, with meekness and
patience, and obeying the priests of God, deserves well of the Lord by
his obedience and his righteous works.
2. Since, however, you intimate that some
are petulant, and eagerly urge their being received to communion, and
have desired in this matter that some rule should be given by me to
you, I think I have sufficiently written on this subject in the last
letter that was sent to you, that they who have received a certificate
from the martyrs, and can be assisted by their help with the Lord in
respect of their sins, if they begin to be oppressed with any sickness
or risk; when they have made confession, and have received the
imposition of hands on them by you in acknowledgment of their
penitence, should be remitted to the Lord with the peace promised to
them by the martyrs. But others who, without having received any
certificate from the martyrs, are envious2237
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Faciunt invidiam: “are producing ill-will to
us.” Those who were eager to be received into the Church
without certificates would produce ill-will to those who refused to
receive them, as if they were too strict. Thus Rigaltius explains
the passage. “These,” Cyprian says, “should
wait until the Church in its usual way gives them peace
publicly.” | (since this is the cause not of a few,
nor of one church, nor of one province, but of the whole world), must
wait, in dependence on the protection of the Lord, for the public
peace of the Church
itself. For this is suitable to the modesty and the discipline,
and even the life of all of us, that the chief officers meeting
together with the clergy in the presence also of the people who stand
fast, to whom themselves, moreover, honour is to be shown for their
faith and fear, we may be able to order all things with the
religiousness of a common consultation.2238
But how irreligious is it, and
mischievous, even to those themselves who are eager, that while such as
are exiles, and driven from their country, and spoiled of all their
property, have not yet returned to the Church, some of the lapsed
should be hasty to anticipate even confessors themselves, and to enter
into the Church before them! If they are so over-anxious, they
have what they require in their own power, the times themselves
offering them freely more than they ask. The struggle is still
going forward, and the strife is daily celebrated. If they truly
and with constancy repent of what they have done, and the fervour of
their faith prevails, he who cannot be delayed may be crowned.2239
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[i.e., they can become martyrs, if they will.] | I bid
you, beloved brethren, ever heartily farewell; and have me in
remembrance. Greet all the brotherhood in my name, and tell them
to be mindful of me. Fare ye well.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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