Saint Cyprien de Carthage
Évêque et martyr (+ 258)
Saint Cyprien s'était fait chrétien à quarante-six
ans. Jusque là, il avait été rhéteur et avocat et ses mœurs étaient celles d'un
païen célibataire. Après sa conversion, il trouva son bonheur en donnant ses
biens aux pauvres. Tant et si bien que les chrétiens de Carthage le choisirent
deux ans après comme évêque. Progressivement, il devint, par son influence,
chef de l'Église d'Afrique. A la demande de ses fidèles, il se cacha durant la
persécution de Dèce et fut épargné. Lorsqu'éclata ensuite la persécution de
Valérien, il fut envoyé en exil par un proconsul qui lui était favorable. Mais
le successeur l'étant moins, le fit chercher, le ramena à Carthage où il fut
décapité. Vis-à-vis des chrétiens qui avaient apostasié pour éviter la mort,
saint Cyprien était plein de miséricorde, professant que la miséricorde divine
est plus grande que le plus grand des péchés.
Le pape Saint
Corneille s'appuya sur lui lors de la querelle des "lapsi",
des chrétiens apostats. Après saint
Augustin, il est l'un des plus grands témoins de la doctrine de
l'Église latine des premiers siècles.
Découvrez les Œuvres
de Saint Cyprien (site de l'abbaye Saint-Benoît)
Extrait de l’audience
générale de Benoît XVI le 6 juin 2007 sur Saint Cyprien:
Immédiatement après sa conversion, Cyprien - non sans
être envié et en dépit des résistances - fut élu à la charge sacerdotale et à
la dignité d'Evêque. Au cours de la brève période de son épiscopat, il affronta
les deux premières persécutions ratifiées par un édit impérial, celle de Dèce
(250) et celle de Valérien (257-258). Après la persécution particulièrement
cruelle de Dèce, l'Evêque dut s'engager vaillamment pour rétablir la discipline
dans la communauté chrétienne. En effet, de nombreux fidèles avaient abjuré, ou
bien n'avaient pas adopté une attitude correcte face à l'épreuve. Il s'agissait
des lapsi - c'est-à-dire de ceux qui étaient 'tombés' -, qui désiraient ardemment
revenir au sein de la communauté. Le débat sur leur réadmission finit par
diviser les chrétiens de Carthage en laxistes et en rigoristes...
Au martyrologe romain:
En Afrique du Nord, le 16 septembre, Solennité de
saint Cyprien, évêque et martyr, dont la passion est rappelée le 14.
À Carthage, en 258, la passion de saint Cyprien,
évêque, très renommé pour sa sainteté et sa doctrine: dans une période
calamiteuse, il dirigea excellemment son Église, ranima l’espérance des
confesseurs de la foi dans leur épreuve et, après un dur exil, sous les
empereurs Valérien et Gallien, fut condamné par le proconsul à avoir la tête
tranchée et consomma son martyre devant un peuple très nombreux. Sa mémoire
sera célébrée après-demain.
Martyrologe romain
La tunique du Christ, tissée d’une seule pièce et sans
couture, ne peut être divisée par ceux qui la possèdent. Indivise, d’un seul
morceau, d’un seul tissu, elle figure la concorde et la cohésion de notre
peuple, à nous qui avons revêtu le Christ. Par le mystère de ce vêtement et par
son symbole, le Christ a rendu manifeste l’unité de l’Eglise.
Saint Cyprien - Sur l'unité de l'Église
Head Reliquary of Saint Cyprian in the St. Kornelius chapel of the
abbey church of Kornelimünster Abbey in Kornelimünster during the
Kornelimünster pilgrimage 2014
Schädelreliquiar des Heiligen Cyprianus in der
Korneliuskapelle der Propsteikirche St. Kornelius in Kornelimünster während der Heiligtumsfahrt Kornelimünster 2014.
Saint Cyprien
Évêque et martyr
(† 258)
Saint Cyprien né à
Carthage, dans le paganisme, était fils d'un sénateur. Son éducation, digne de
son rang, fit briller l'heureux génie don il était doué. Il était tout entier
aux idées de gloire et de plaisir, quand un prêtre chrétien, homme de haute
distinction, nommé Cécilius, rechercha sa compagnie, dans le but d'attacher à
la foi chrétienne un jeune homme de si grand mérite. Cyprien eut vite l'esprit
convaincu par les sages raisonnements de Cécilius; mais son coeur frémissait à
la pensée du détachement exigé par l'Évangile. Comment lui, Cyprien, élevé dans
les honneurs, objet de l'admiration universelle, lui libre d'aspirer à toutes
les jouissances et à tous les triomphes, pourrait-il rompre ses chaînes et subjuguer
ses passions?... Le combat était rude en son âme; sa conscience lui criait sans
cesse: "Courage, Cyprien! Quoi qu'il en coûte, allons à Dieu!" Il
obéit enfin à cette voix, et reçut le baptême.
Dès lors Cyprien devint
un autre homme; la grâce lui rendit tout facile, et l'accomplissement de
l'Évangile lui parut clairement être la vraie sagesse. Il vendit ses vastes et
belles propriétés et en donna le prix aux pauvres; son mérite l'éleva en peu de
temps au sacerdoce et à l'épiscopat. La population chrétienne de Carthage
tressaillit de joie en apprenant l'élévation de Cyprien au siège épiscopal de
cette ville; elle comprit qu'au moment où la persécution allait s'élever,
menaçante et terrible, le nouvel évêque serait un modèle et un guide. Le saint
pontife employa tout son zèle à fortifier son troupeau pour les saints combats,
il glorifia les martyrs et montra une juste sévérité vis-à-vis des apostats.
Les païens, voyant de
quelle importance serait pour eux la prise de celui qui était l'âme de la résistance
chrétienne, recherchèrent le pasteur pour désorganiser plus facilement le
troupeau; mais Cyprien, voyant combien sa vie était utile aux âmes confiées à
ses soins, trouva une retraite sûre, d'où il remplit admirablement son devoir
apostolique par ses lettres, ses exhortations, l'administration des sacrements.
Enfin, après plusieurs années, il eut révélation de son prochain martyre et s'y
prépara par un redoublement de zèle et de charité. Cyprien fut condamné à avoir
la tête tranchée: "Je Vous rends grâces, Seigneur," s'écria-t-il.
Comme le bourreau tremblait, le martyr l'encouragea avec bonté et lui fit
remettre vingt-cinq pièces d'or; puis il se banda lui-même les yeux et présenta
sa tête, qui roula bientôt sur le sol baigné de sang. Ses écrits l'égalent aux
Pères et aux Docteurs de l'Église.
Abbé L. Jaud, Vie
des Saints pour tous les jours de l'année, Tours, Mame, 1950
SOURCE : http://magnificat.ca/cal/fr/saints/saint_cyprien.html
Illustration
of a Catalanoaragonese manuscript of Saint Cyprian's Epistolae
Illustracion
d'un manuscrich catalanoaragonés de las Epistolae de Sant Subran, XV sec.
Bibliothèque nationale de France
BENOÎT XVI
AUDIENCE GÉNÉRALE
Mercredi 6 juin 2007
Saint Cyprien
Chers frères et sœurs,
Dans la série de nos
catéchèses sur les grandes personnalités de l'Eglise antique, nous arrivons aujourd'hui
à un éminent Evêque du III siècle, saint Cyprien, qui "fut le premier
Evêque en Afrique à recevoir la couronne du martyre". Sa réputation est
également liée - comme l'atteste le diacre Pontius, qui fut le premier à écrire
sa vie - à la production littéraire et à l'activité pastorale des treize années
qui s'écoulèrent entre sa conversion et le martyre (cf. Vie 19, 1; 1, 1). Né à
Carthage dans une riche famille païenne, après une jeunesse dissipée, Cyprien
se convertit au christianisme à l'âge de 35 ans. Il raconte lui-même son
itinéraire spirituel: "Alors que je gisais encore comme dans une nuit
obscure", écrit-il quelques mois après son baptême, "il
m'apparaissait extrêmement difficile et pénible d'accomplir ce que la
miséricorde de Dieu me proposait... J'étais lié aux très nombreuses erreurs de
ma vie passée et je ne croyais pas pouvoir m'en libérer, tant je secondais mes
vices et j'encourageais mes mauvais penchants... Mais ensuite, avec l'aide de
l'eau régénératrice, la misère de ma vie précédente fut lavée; une lumière
souveraine se diffusa dans mon cœur; une seconde naissance me transforma en un
être entièrement nouveau. De manière merveilleuse, chaque doute commença alors
à se dissiper... Je comprenais clairement que ce qui vivait auparavant en moi,
dans l'esclavage des vices de la chair, était terrestre, et que ce que l'Esprit
Saint avait désormais engendré en moi était, en revanche, divin et
céleste" (A Donat, 3-4).
Immédiatement après sa
conversion, Cyprien - non sans être envié et en dépit des résistances - fut élu
à la charge sacerdotale et à la dignité d'Evêque. Au cours de la brève période
de son épiscopat, il affronta les deux premières persécutions ratifiées par un
édit impérial, celle de Dèce (250) et celle de Valérien (257-258). Après la
persécution particulièrement cruelle de Dèce, l'Evêque dut s'engager
vaillamment pour rétablir la discipline dans la communauté chrétienne. En
effet, de nombreux fidèles avaient abjuré, ou bien n'avaient pas adopté une
attitude correcte face à l'épreuve. Il s'agissait des lapsi - c'est-à-dire de
ceux qui étaient "tombés" -, qui désiraient ardemment revenir au sein
de la communauté. Le débat sur leur réadmission finit par diviser les chrétiens
de Carthage en laxistes et en rigoristes. Il faut ajouter à ces difficultés une
grave épidémie de peste, qui ravagea l'Afrique et qui fit naître des
interrogations théologiques angoissantes, tant au sein de la communauté, que
dans la confrontation avec les païens. Il faut rappeler, enfin, la controverse
entre Cyprien et l'Evêque de Rome, Etienne, à propos de la validité du baptême
administré aux païens par des chrétiens hérétiques.
Dans ces circonstances
réellement difficiles, Cyprien révéla de grands talents pour gouverner: il fut
sévère, mais non inflexible avec les lapsi, leur accordant la possibilité du
pardon après une pénitence exemplaire; il fut ferme envers Rome pour défendre
les saines traditions de l'Eglise africaine; il se démontra très humain et
empli de l'esprit évangélique le plus authentique en exhortant les chrétiens à
apporter une aide fraternelle aux païens durant la peste; il sut garder une
juste mesure en rappelant aux fidèles - qui craignaient trop de perdre la vie
et leurs biens terrestres - que pour eux la véritable vie et les véritables
biens ne sont pas ceux de ce monde; il fut inébranlable dans sa lutte contre
les mœurs corrompus et les péchés qui dévastaient la vie morale, en particulier
l'avarice. "Il passait ainsi ses journées", raconte alors le diacre
Pontius, "lorsque voilà que - sur ordre du proconsul - le chef de la
police arriva à l'improviste dans sa villa" (Vie 15, 1). Le jour même, le
saint Evêque fut arrêté et, après un bref interrogatoire, il affronta avec
courage le martyre entouré de son peuple.
Cyprien rédigea de
nombreux traités et lettres, toujours en rapport avec son ministère pastoral.
Peu enclin à la spéculation théologique, il écrivait surtout pour l'édification
de la communauté et pour le bon comportement des fidèles. De fait, l'Eglise est
le thème qui lui est, de loin, le plus cher. Il fait la distinction entre
l'Eglise visible, hiérarchique, et l'Eglise invisible, mystique, mais il
affirme avec force que l'Eglise est une seule, fondée sur Pierre. Il ne se
lasse pas de répéter que "celui qui abandonne la chaire de Pierre, sur
laquelle l'Eglise est fondée, se donne l'illusion de rester dans l'Eglise"
(L'unité de l'Eglise catholique, 4). Cyprien sait bien, et il l'a exprimé à
travers des paroles puissantes, que, "en dehors de l'Eglise il n'y a pas
de salut" (Epistola 4, 4 et 73, 21), et que "celui qui n'a pas
l'Eglise comme mère ne peut pas avoir Dieu comme Père" (L'unité de
l'Eglise catholique, 4). Une caractéristique incontournable de l'Eglise est
l'unité, symbolisée par la tunique sans coutures du Christ (ibid., 7): une unité
dont il dit qu'elle trouve son fondement en Pierre (ibid., 4) et sa parfaite
réalisation dans l'Eucharistie (Epistola 63, 13). "Il n'y a qu'un seul
Dieu, un seul Christ", admoneste Cyprien, "une seule est son Eglise,
une seule foi, un seul peuple chrétien, liés en une solide unité par le ciment
de la concorde: et on ne peut pas diviser ce qui est un par nature"
(L'unité de l'Eglise catholique, 23).
Nous avons parlé de sa
pensée concernant l'Eglise, mais il ne faut pas oublier, enfin, l'enseignement de
Cyprien sur la prière. J'aime particulièrement son livre sur le "Notre
Père" qui m'a beaucoup aidé à mieux comprendre et à mieux réciter la
"prière du Seigneur": Cyprien enseigne comment, précisément dans le
"Notre Père", la juste façon de prier est donnée aux chrétiens; et il
souligne que cette prière est au pluriel, "afin que celui qui prie, ne
prie pas uniquement pour lui. Notre prière - écrit-il - est publique et
communautaire et, quand nous prions, nous ne prions pas pour un seul, mais pour
tout le peuple, car nous ne formons qu'un avec tout le peuple" (L'oraison
du Seigneur, 8). Ainsi, la prière personnelle et la prière liturgique
apparaissent solidement liées entre elles. Leur unité provient du fait qu'elles
répondent à la même Parole de Dieu. Le chrétien ne dit pas "Mon
Père", mais "Notre Père", même dans l'intimité d'une pièce
close, car il sait bien qu'en chaque lieu, en chaque circonstance, il est le
membre d'un même Corps.
"Prions donc, mes
frères très aimés", écrit l'Evêque de Carthage, "comme Dieu, le
Maître, nous l'a l'enseigné". C'est une prière confidentielle et intime
que celle de prier Dieu avec ce qui est à lui, d'élever vers ses oreilles la
prière du Christ. Que le Père reconnaisse les paroles de son Fils, lorsque nous
récitons une prière: que celui qui habite intérieurement dans l'âme soit
présent également dans la voix... En outre, lorsque l'on prie, il faut avoir
une façon de s'exprimer et de prier qui, avec discipline, maintienne le calme
et la discrétion. Pensons que nous nous trouvons devant le regard de Dieu. Il
faut être agréables aux yeux de Dieu, aussi bien à travers l'attitude du corps
que le ton de la voix... Et lorsque nous nous réunissons avec nos frères, et
que nous célébrons les sacrifices divins avec le prêtre de Dieu, nous devons
nous rappeler de la crainte référentielle et de la discipline, ne pas disperser
aux quatre vents nos prières avec des voix altérées, ni lancer avec un verbiage
impétueux une requête qui doit être demandée à Dieu avec modération, car Dieu
est l'auditeur non de la voix, mais du cœur (non vocis sed cordis auditor
est)" (3-4). Il s'agit de paroles qui restent valables aujourd'hui aussi
et qui nous aident à bien célébrer la Sainte Liturgie.
En définitive, Cyprien se
situe aux origines de cette tradition théologique et spirituelle féconde, qui
voit dans le "cœur" le lieu privilégié de la prière. En effet, selon
la Bible et les Pères, le cœur est au plus profond de l'homme, le lieu où Dieu
habite. C'est en lui que s'accomplit la rencontre au cours de laquelle Dieu
parle à l'homme, et l'homme écoute Dieu; l'homme parle à Dieu, et Dieu écoute
l'homme: le tout à travers l'unique Parole divine. C'est précisément dans ce
sens - faisant écho à Cyprien - que Smaragdus, abbé de Saint-Michel sur la
Meuse au cours des premières années du IX siècle, atteste que la prière
"est l'œuvre du cœur, non des lèvres, car Dieu ne regarde pas les paroles,
mais le cœur de l'orant" (Le diadème des moines, 1).
Très chers amis, faisons
nôtre ce "cœur à l'écoute", dont nous parlent la Bible (cf. 1 R 3, 9)
et les Pères: nous en avons tant besoin! Ce n'est qu'ainsi que nous pourrons
pleinement faire l'expérience que Dieu est notre Père, et que l'Eglise, la
sainte Epouse du Christ, est véritablement notre Mère.
* * *
J’accueille avec plaisir
les pèlerins de langue française, en particulier tous les jeunes présents ce
matin. À l’exemple de saint Cyprien, soyez des hommes et des femmes de prière,
attentifs à la présence de Dieu, à l’écoute de sa Parole et au service de vos
frères. Bon pèlerinage à tous !
Appel du Pape au sommet
du G8 d'Heiligendamm
Aujourd'hui a commencé à
Heiligendamm, en Allemagne, sous la Présidence de la République fédérale
d'Allemagne, le Sommet annuel des chefs d'Etat et de gouvernement du G8,
c'est-à-dire les sept pays les plus industrialisés du monde plus la Fédération
russe. Le 16 décembre dernier, j'ai eu l'occasion d'écrire au Chancelier, Angela
Merkel, pour la remercier, au nom de l'Eglise catholique, pour la décision de
maintenir à l'ordre du jour du G8 le thème de la pauvreté dans le monde, avec
une attention particulière à l'Afrique. Mme Merkel m'a aimablement répondu le 2
février dernier, en m'assurant de l'engagement du G8 en vue d'atteindre les
objectifs de développement du millénaire. Je voudrais à présent adresser un
nouvel appel aux responsables réunis à Heiligendamm, afin qu'ils maintiennent
leurs promesses d'augmenter substantiellement l'aide au développement, en
faveur des populations le plus dans le besoin en particulier celles du
Continent africain.
Dans ce sens, le deuxième
grand objectif du millénaire mérite une attention particulière: "Assurer
l'éducation primaire pour tous; d'ici 2015, donner à tous les enfants, garçons
et filles, partout dans le monde, les moyens d'achever un cycle complet
d'études primaires". Cet objectif est une partie intégrale de la
réalisation de tous les autres objectifs du millénaire; c'est une garantie de
consolidation des objectifs atteints; c'est un point de départ des processus
autonomes et durables de développement.
Il ne faut pas oublier
que l'Eglise catholique a toujours été en première ligne dans le domaine de
l'éducation, en atteignant, en particulier dans les pays les plus pauvres, les
lieux que les structures de l'Etat n'arrivent souvent pas à atteindre. D'autres
Eglises chrétiennes, groupes religieux, et organisations de la société civile
partagent cet engagement éducatif. Il s'agit d'une réalité que, dans le cadre
de l'application du principe de subsidiarité, les gouvernements et les
Organisations internationales sont appelées à reconnaître, à valoriser et à
soutenir, également à travers l'affectation de contributions financières
adéquates. Espérons que l'on travaille sérieusement afin d'atteindre ces
objectifs.
© Copyright 2007 -
Libreria Editrice Vaticana
.JPG)
Vitrail représentant saint Cyprien, martyr, église
Saint-Barthélemy, Église-Neuve-de-Vergt, Dordogne, France
Saint Cyprien
Évêque et martyr (+ 258)
Saint Cyprien né à Carthage, dans le paganisme, était fils d’un sénateur. Son éducation, digne de son rang, fit briller l’heureux génie don il était doué. Il était tout entier aux idées de gloire et de plaisir, quand un prêtre chrétien, homme de haute distinction, nommé Cécilius, rechercha sa compagnie, dans le but d’attacher à la foi chrétienne un jeune homme de si grand mérite. Cyprien eut vite l’esprit convaincu par les sages raisonnements de Cécilius ; mais son coeur frémissait à la pensée du détachement exigé par l’Évangile. Comment lui, Cyprien, élevé dans les honneurs, objet de l’admiration universelle, lui libre d’aspirer à toutes les jouissances et à tous les triomphes, pourrait-il rompre ses chaînes et subjuguer ses passions ?... Le combat était rude en son âme ; sa conscience lui criait sans cesse : "Courage, Cyprien ! Quoi qu’il en coûte, allons à Dieu !" Il obéit enfin à cette voix, et reçut le baptême.
Dès lors Cyprien devint un autre homme ; la grâce lui rendit tout facile, et l’accomplissement de l’Évangile lui parut clairement être la vraie sagesse. Il vendit ses vastes et belles propriétés et en donna le prix aux pauvres ; son mérite l’éleva en peu de temps au sacerdoce et à l’épiscopat. La population chrétienne de Carthage tressaillit de joie en apprenant l’élévation de Cyprien au siège épiscopal de cette ville ; elle comprit qu’au moment où la persécution allait s’élever, menaçante et terrible, le nouvel évêque serait un modèle et un guide. Le saint pontife employa tout son zèle à fortifier son troupeau pour les saints combats, il glorifia les martyrs et montra une juste sévérité vis-à-vis des apostats.
Les païens, voyant de quelle importance serait pour eux la prise de celui qui était l’âme de la résistance chrétienne, recherchèrent le pasteur pour désorganiser plus facilement le troupeau ; mais Cyprien, voyant combien sa vie était utile aux âmes confiées à ses soins, trouva une retraite sûre, d’où il remplit admirablement son devoir apostolique par ses lettres, ses exhortations, l’administration des sacrements. Enfin, après plusieurs années, il eut révélation de son prochain martyre et s’y prépara par un redoublement de zèle et de charité. Cyprien fut condamné à avoir la tête tranchée : "Je Vous rends grâces, Seigneur," s’écria-t-il. Comme le bourreau tremblait, le martyr l’encouragea avec bonté et lui fit remettre vingt-cinq pièces d’or ; puis il se banda lui-même les yeux et présenta sa tête, qui roula bientôt sur le sol baigné de sang. Ses écrits l’égalent aux Pères et aux Docteurs de l’Église.
SOURCE : http://viechretienne.catholique.org/saints/4305-saint-cyprien
Photo of Pope Cornelius and Martyr Cyprian in Calist catacombs, Papstgeschichte book from 1933
Saints Corneille et Cyprien
Après la mort du pape Fabien (20 janvier 250) qui fut
une des premières victimes de la persécution de Dèce, la vacance du siège
apostolique se prolongea pendant quinze mois au bout desquels, en mars 251, le
clergé et les fidèles de Rome (environ trente mille personnes) purent enfin se
réunir pour élire pape le prêtre romain Corneille, fils de Castinus. Saint
Cyprien écrivit à un autre évêque, à propos du pape Corneille : Il a
passé par toutes les fonctions de l’Eglise, il a bien servi le Seigneur dans
les divers emplois qui lui ont été confiés, en sorte qu’il n’est monté au faîte
sublime du sacerdoce qu’en gravissant tous les degrés
ecclésiastiques. Malheureusement, une partie de la communauté romaine
refusa l’élection de Corneille au profit du savant Novatien, prêtre ordonné par
le pape Fabien, qui refusait énergiquement de réconcilier les lapsi[1] que Corneille absolvait pouvu qu’ils
reconnussent leur faute et fissent pénitence ; ce schisme s’étendit à
toute l’Italie, à la Gaule et à l’Afrique où Cyprien de Carthage soutenait
vigoureusement Corneille. A l’automne 251, Corneille réunit un synode où
siégèrent soixante évêques, qui excommunia Novatien[2], mesure qui, grâce à Fabius d’Antioche et à
Denys d’Alexandrie, fut adoptée en Orient. Ces évènement n’empéchèrent pas le
pape Corneille d’organiser le clergé de Rome et les institutions caritatives.
A la fin de l'année de 251, alors que les frontières
de l’Empire étaient gravement menacées par les Goths et les Sassanides, une
terrible peste secoua plusieurs provinces. Les païens accusant les Chrétiens
d'avoir provoqué la colère des dieux, l'empereur Gallus (251-253) rouvrit la
persécution. Dès le début de la persécution, Corneille fut arrêté et,
solidement défendu par les nombreux fidèles qui l'accompagnèrent jusqu'au
tribunal, il ne fut condamné qu'à l'exil à Centum Cellæ (Civita-Vecchia) où il
mourut, probablement en juin 253 ; son corps fut transporté à Rome et
enterré dans la crypte de Lucine, proche de la catacombe Saint-Callixte, sur la
voie Apienne, le 14 septembre 253.
Saint Cyprien, ancien avocat converti, devenu évêque
de Carthage, fut un des grands pontifes africains du III° siècle. Il fut
décapité le 14 septembre 258 : Il convient que ce soit dans la ville où il
est à la tête de l’Eglise qu’un évêque confesse le Seigneur et qu’ainsi le
rayonnement de sa confession rejaillisse sur tout le peuple. Saint Cyprien
est fêté en même temps que le pape Corneille parce qu’il entretenait avec lui
une grande amitié : Si l’un fait à l’un de nous la grâce de mourir
bientôt, lui avait-il écrit, que notre amitié se continue auprès du
Seigneur.
Né à Carthage, entre 200 et 210, de riches parents
païens, Thascius Cæcilius Cyprianus fut d’abord rhéteur, puis, vers 246, gagné
au christianisme par le prêtre Cæcilianus, il fut baptisé. Devenu évêque de
Carthage, vers 248, son activité pastorale fut interrompue par la persécution
de Dèce (250) qui l’obligea à se tenir caché près de Carthage. Après la
persécution, comme saint Cyprien avait repoussé la prétention des confesseurs
qui demandaient une réconciliation immédiate pour les lapsi, un parti de
mécontents se forma sous la direction du diacre Felicissimus. Cinq prêtres qui
s’étaient opposés à l’épiscopat de Cyprien, donnèrent leur adhésion et l’un
d’eux Novat se rendit bientôt après à Rome et y soutint le schisme de Novatien.
Au printemps de 251, saint Cyprien put retourner à Carthage. Dans un synode, il
chassa de l’Église les chefs des opposants et décida que
les sacrificati et les thurificati[3], même s’ils se convertissaient, devraient
faire une sévère pénitence ; cependant si une nouvelle persécution
éclatait, ils pourraient, même avant l’expiration de la durée de leur
pénitence, recevoir l’Eucharistie pour avoir la force de lutter. Pendant la
peste qui ravagea certaines provinces de l’Empire, saint Cyprien organisa
héroïquement les secours aux malades.
Le 14 septembre au matin, une grande foule se
rassembla au Champ de Sextus, sur l’ordre du proconsul Galère Maxime. Ce
proconsul ordonna que Cyprien lui fût présenté le jour même quand il siégerait
au Portique des exécutions. Lorsque l’évêque Cyprien fut amené, le proconsul lui
demanda: «C’est toi qui es Thascius Cyprien ? - C’est moi.» Le proconsul :
«C’est toi qui prétends être le chef d’hommes aux doctrines sacrilèges ? -
C’est moi. - Les très saints empereurs ont ordonné que tu sacrifies aux dieux.
- Je ne le ferai pas.» Galère Maxime lui dit: «Réfléchis.» Cyprien
répondit : «Fais ce qu’on t’a commandé. Dans une affaire aussi juste, il
n’y a pas à réfléchir.» Le proconsul, après avoir délibéré avec son conseil, se
décida enfin à prononcer sa sentence. Il parla ainsi : «Tu as longtemps vécu
dans une doctrine sacrilège et tu as rassemblé beaucoup de gens autour de toi
pour un complot criminel ; tu t’es dressé en ennemi des dieux de Rome et
de leurs rites sacrés ; nos religieux et saints souverains, Valérien et
Gallien, nos Augustes, et Valérien, notre très noble César, n’ont pu te ramener
à la pratique de leur culte. Et c’est pourquoi, parce que tu as été convaincu
d’être l’auteur et le propagateur de crimes infâmes, tu serviras de leçon à
ceux que tu as associés à ton forfait ; l’ordre public sera consacré par
ton sang.» Après ce discours, il lut sa décision sur une tablette : «Nous
ordonnons que Tascius Cyprien soit châtié par le glaive.» Cyprien dit: «Je
rends grâce à Dieu.»
[1] Les lapsi étaient
des chrétiens qui s’étaient rendus coupables d’apostasie pendant les
persécutions.
[2] Novatien
qui avait réuni autour de lui un puissant parti, les purs (ou katharoi),
se fit consacrer évêque et devint le premier antipape de l’histoire de
l’Eglise. Novatien, dit Socrate, écrivit à toutes les Eglises qu’il ne
fallait pas admettre aux saints mystères ceux qui avaient sacrifié mais les
exhorter à la pénitence en laissant à Dieu le soin de leur pardonner car seul
il peut remettre les péchés. Certains évêques, comme Marcianus d’Arle,
entrèrent en communion avec Novatien, et d’autres, comme Fabius d’Antioche
restèrent hésitants, tandis que la plupart, comme saint Cyprien de Carthage
restaient unis au Pape. L’Eglise novatienne, outre qu’elle excluait pour
toujours les apostats et les coupables de péché mortel de la communauté
chrétienne, tenaient pour invalides les baptêmes donnés hors de ses rangs et
s’imposait un stricte règle ascétique ; comme, en Orient, ils se rencontrèrent
avec les montanistes, ils poussèrent plus loin leur rigorisme en déclarant
illicites les secondes noces et refusant l’absolution aux coupables de
fornication et d’adultère. En Occident, ils furent assez puissants pour que
l’évêque Réticius d’Autun rédigeât contre eux un gros volume (315), pour
qu’Innocent I° écrivît à leur sujet à l’évêque Victrice de Rouen, pour que
l’évêque Pacien de Barcelone dût s’en défendre, pour que saint Ambroise
consacrât son traité De pænitentiæ à réfuter leurs doctrines.
Constantin offrit aux Novatiens des conditions faciles de réconciliation puis
tenta d’exterminer ceux qui restaient, mais, à la faveur des persécutions de
Julien l’Apostat, ils purent se reconstituer. Il fallut attendre le V° siècle
pour les voir disparaître d’Occident et le VIII° siècle pour n’en plus entendre
parler en Orient.
[3] Lapsi qui
avaient offert des sacrifices aux divinités païennes (sacrificati) ou qui
avaient brûlé l’encens à leurs autels (thurificati).
L’un et l’autre furent en butte à la même hérésie,
celle des Novatiens. Le savant Novatien était fort célèbre dans l’Eglise de
Rome, au temps du pape Fabien qui l’avait ordonné prêtre. Pendant la
persécution de Dèce, après que le pape Fabien eut été martyrisé (20 janvier
250), on resta quatorze mois sans pouvoir réunir le collège électoral et
Novatien participait activement au gouvernement de l’Eglise, mais les électeurs
lui préférèrent Corneille. Rigoriste à l’extrême, Novatien reprochant au pape
Corneille d’admettre à l’absolution et à la communion des chrétiens qui s’étaient
rendus coupables d’apostasie pendant les persécutions, les lapsi, réunit
autour de lui un puissant parti, se fit consacrer évêque et devint le premier
antipape de l’histoire de l’Eglise. Peut-être fut-il lui aussi éloigné de Rome
pendant la persécution de Gallus ; nul ne sait plus rien de certain sur lui,
encore que Socrate dit qu’il fut martyrisé sous Valérien, mais ses fidèles
tentèrent de poursuivre son œuvre.
Bien que rapidement excommunié par un synode romain
réuni sous le pape Corneille, Novatien, dit Socrate, écrivit à toutes les
Eglises qu’il ne fallait pas admettre aux saints mystères ceux qui avaient
sacrifié mais les exhorter à la pénitence en laissant à Dieu le soin de leur
pardonner car seul il peut remettre les péchés. Certains évêques, comme
Marcianus d’Arle, entrèrent en communion avec Novatien, et d’autres, comme
Fabius d’Antioche restèrent hésitants, tandis que la plupart, comme saint
Cyprien de Carthage restaient unis au Pape. Les fidèles de l’Eglise novatienne
qui se nommaient eux-mêmes les purs, outre qu’ils excluaient pour toujours
les apostats et les coupables de péché mortel de la communauté chrétienne,
tenaient pour invalides les baptêmes donnés hors de leurs rangs et s’imposaient
un stricte règle ascétique ; comme, en Orient, ils se rencontrèrent avec les
montanistes, ils poussèrent plus loin leur rigorisme en déclarant illicites les
secondes noces et refusant l’absolution aux coupables de fornication et
d’adultère. Ils furent assez puissants en Occident pour que l’évêque Réticius
d’Autun rédigeât contre eux un grand volume (315), pour que le pape Innocent I°
écrivît à leur sujet à l’évêque Victrice de Rouen, pour que l’évêque Pacien de
Barcelone dût s’en défendre, pour que saint Ambroise consacrât son
traité De pænitentiæ à réfuter leurs doctrines. Constantin offrit aux
Novatiens des conditions faciles de réconciliation puis tenta d’exterminer ceux
qui restaient, mais, à la faveur des persécutions de Julien l’Apostat, ils
purent se reconstituer. Il fallut attendre le V° siècle pour les voir
disparaître d’Occident et le VIII° siècle pour n’en plus entendre parler en
Orient.
SOURCE : http://missel.free.fr/Sanctoral/09/16.php
Cathedral Saint-Vincent-de-Paul of Tunis
Cyprien de Carthage, apôtre de la miséricorde
Kévin
Boucaud-Victoire - Publié le 16/09/17
Évêque carthaginois respecté, saint Cyprien prône le
pardon envers ceux qui ont renié leur foi à cause des persécutions. Pour lui,
l'Église ne doit pas exclure, mais au contraire accueillir.
Né en 200, saint Cyprien de Carthage est le premier
grand écrivain ecclésiastique latin, avant que saint Augustin ne lui vole la
vedette un siècle plus tard. Berbère converti à 46 ans, Cyprien devient rapidement
un membre important de l’Église, sur lequel le pape saint Corneille s’appuie,
notamment lors de la querelle des « laps », chrétiens qui ont
renié leur foi par peur des persécutions. Le carthaginois se distingue alors
par son appel à la miséricorde. Cette position caractérise l’essentiel de sa
théologie.
La miséricorde plus grande que le péché
Dans son livre d’entretien avec le sociologue Dominique Wolton,
le pape François affirme que « miséricordieux, c’est un des noms de
Dieu ». Une déclaration qu’aurait signé des deux mains saint Cyprien.
L’évêque de Carthage est connu pour ses positions en apparences fermes envers
les chrétiens qui désertent l’Église pour rejoindre des sectes
dissidentes. « Il n’y a qu’une maison de Dieu, […] hors de l’Église, il
n’y a de salut pour personne », leur affirmait-t-il dans une lettre
intitulée « Il n’y a point de salut hors de l’Église
» (« Salus extra ecclesiam non est »). Si pour lui la vraie
médiation du salut est l’Église et aucun sacrement n’existe en dehors d’elle,
Cyprien prêchait aussi l’accueil de ceux qui ne sont pas dans l’Église et le
pardon pour ceux qui s’en sont écartés. Pour lui, la miséricorde divine
est plus grande que le plus grand des péchés.
« L’Éternel est miséricordieux et compatissant, lent à
la colère et plein de bonté », déclare la Bible (Psaume 145, 8). Le
chrétien est appelé à suivre Dieu, à travers l’exemple de Jésus. Ainsi, pour
Cyprien, « quand on professe le christianisme, pourquoi ne pas ressembler
à son Père ? Soyons dignes de notre naissance ; après notre
régénération en Dieu, n’allons point dégénérer des vertus paternelles ;
mais plutôt montrons que la bonté est héréditaire et revit dans les
enfants ! ». C’est pour cela que la miséricorde est importante pour
le chrétien. Il s’en fait alors l’avocat devant le reste de l’Église.
Avocat des apostats
À partir de 251 démarrent les conciles de Carthage.
Deux questions y sont principalement débattues : lapsi, qui ont
failli lors de la persécution de Dèce, qui éclate en 250 dans l’Empire romain
et la validité du baptême conféré par les hérétiques. Cyprien défend alors
ardemment les apostats. Pour lui, il ne faut pas leur enlever toute espérance
en les excluant de l’Église. Cela risquerait de les faire abandonner la
foi, à retomber dans la vie païenne. Il estiment néanmoins qu’il faut leur
imposer une longue pénitence et les punir proportionnellement à leur faute. Il
obtient gain de cause et les lapsi réintègrent l’Église. Surtout cette dernière
comprend l’importance de la miséricorde vis-à-vis de ceux qui ont fauté.
SOURCE : https://fr.aleteia.org/2017/09/16/cyprien-de-carthage-apotre-de-la-misericorde/
C’est en nous abaissant
que nous progressons vers les sommets
Qui que tu sois, qui es
envieux et malveillant, vois donc toi-même jusqu’où peuvent aller tes menées
insidieuses, ta capacité de nuire, ton acharnement à l’égard de ceux que tu
hais : tu n’es hostile au salut de personne plus qu’au tien propre. Quel
que soit celui que tu poursuis de ta jalousie, il se pourra qu’il se dérobe et
t’échappe, mais tu ne peux pas te fuir toi-même. Partout où tu te trouves, ton
adversaire est avec toi, l’ennemi est toujours dans ton cœur, ce qui te nuit
est enfermé à l’intérieur de toi, tu es lié et ligoté par des entraves qui
t’enchaînent inéluctablement, la jalousie est ton maître et te tient
prisonnier, aucun soulagement ne vient à ton secours.
C’est pourquoi le
Seigneur, frères bien-aimés, avisant à ce danger qu’en jalousant un frère on ne
tombe dans les filets de la mort, a dit aux disciples qui lui demandaient
lequel d’entre eux était le plus grand : « Le plus petit d’entre
vous tous, c’est celui-là qui est grand ». Il a coupé court à toute
rivalité par sa réponse, il a extirpé et arraché tout prétexte donnant matière
aux morsures de l’envie. Au disciple du Christ la jalousie n’est pas permise,
il n’est pas permis d’envier. Monter plus haut ne peut pas chez nous faire
l’objet d’une lutte. C’est en nous abaissant que nous progressons vers les
sommets.
St Cyprien de Carthage
Saint Cyprien, évêque de
Carthage en Afrique du Nord mourut en martyr en 258. / La Jalousie et l’Envie,
9-10, trad. M. Poirier, Paris, Cerf, coll. « Sources
Chrétiennes » 519, 2008, p. 87-89.
SOURCE : https://fr.aleteia.org/daily-prayer/lundi-26-septembre/meditation-de-ce-jour-1/
Saint Cyprien. Sur les
spectacles
1° Raisons alléguées par
certains chrétiens pour légitimer les spectacles; —2° Réponse de saint Cyprien;
— 3° Les spectacles défendus par la loi divine; — 4° Barbarie des spectacles;
5° Leur obscénité; — 6° Spectacles dignes d’un chrétien.
1° Quand je n’ai pas
l’occasion de vous écrire, je suis dans la tristesse et l’affliction, car je
regarde comme une disgrâce personnelle. D’être privé de converser avec vous;
mais quand les circonstances deviennent plus favorables, rien n’égale ma joie:
en vous écrivant, il me semble être encore au milieu de vous. Je sais que vous
ne doutez pas de ma sincérité; d’ailleurs il me serait facile d’en fournir la
preuve : puis-je mieux vous montrer mon affection, qu’en profitant de toutes
les occasions de vous entretenir?
Vous êtes, je n’en doute
pas, réguliers dans votre conduite, fidèles à participer aux saints mystères ;
mais il en est parmi vous qui se laissent égarer par une molle indulgence,
appuyent le vice de leur autorité, et, ce qui est pire encore, cherchent à le légitimer
par la sainte Écriture. Ils disent, par exemple, que les spectacles sont une
récréation innocente; et, profitant de l’affaiblissement de la discipline
ecclésiastique et de la dépravation des moeurs qui en est la conséquence,
non-seulement ils excusent le vice, mais ils osent l’autoriser. J’ai donc cru
utile de vous adresser, non une instruction, — vous n’en avez pas besoin,— mais
des avertissements, de peur que le mal renfermé dans votre e ne se produise au
dehors et ne forme une plaie incurable. Rien, en effet, n’est plus difficile à
guérir qu’une maladie dont les accès reviennent fréquemment, favorisés comme
ils le sont par les excuses et la complicité du peuple.
Eh quoi! des fidèles,
fiers à juste titre du nom de chrétiens, n’ont pas honte de légitimer par
l’Écriture des spectacles où le paganisme déploie toutes ses superstitions! Ils
osent autoriser l’idolâtrie! Car, ne vous y trompez pas, en assistant à des
fêtes organisées par les païens en l’honneur d’une idole, vous faites acte
d’idolâtrie et vous foulez aux pieds la religion du Dieu véritable. J’ai honte
de citer les autorités dont ils se servent pour excuser leur conduite. Quand
donc, disent-ils, l’Écriture a-t-elle parlé contre les spectacles? quand les
a-t-elle prohibés ? Au lieu de cela, nous voyons Élie emporté sur un char et
David danser devant l’arche; partout dans l’Écriture nous trouvons des harpes,
des trompettes, des tambours, des flûtes, des cithares, des choeurs de
musiciens. L’apôtre se transforme en lutteur! il nous parle de ceste, de lutte,
de combat contre les esprits de malice. Il nous parle aussi de stade et fait
briller à nos yeux La couronne destinée au vainqueur. S’il est permis aux
auteurs sacrés d’écrire ces choses, pourquoi serait-il défendu aux chrétiens de
les regarder?
2° Je commence par dire
qu’il vaudrait bien mieux ne pas savoir lire que de lire de la sorte. On se
sert pour autoriser le vice de paroles et d’exemples qui ne sont dans
l’Écriture que pour nous porter à la vertu. Ces choses ne sont pas écrites pour
devenir le sujet d’un spectacle, mais pour donner à nos esprits plus d’ardeur
pour les biens célestes. En voyant les païens poursuivre avec tant de zèle des
intérêts périssables, nous sentons notre courage s’enflammer. Nous comprenons
que les enseignements de l’Écriture ont pour but, non de légitimer les
spectacles profanes, mais d’exciter en nous le désir des célestes récompenses.
Qu’Élie soit appelé le
conducteur d’Israël, peu importe: il n’a jamais, que je sache, couru dans un
cirque. Que David ait dansé en présence du Seigneur, ce n’est pas une excuse
pour les fidèles qui vont s’asseoir au théâtre; car David ne se livrait pas à
des mouvements obscènes pour exécuter une danse grecque. Les tambours, les
trompettes, les cithares dont parle la Bible glorifiaient Dieu et non pas une
idole. Ainsi, malgré tes artifices du démon, qui change les choses saintes en
choses illicites, vous ne parviendrez jamais à légitimer les spectacles
profanes.
Si les spectacles ne sont
pas proscrits par l’Écriture, ils le sont par ta pudeur. Parfois les Livres
saints pourvoient à notre salut par de sages préceptes, d’autres fois, par une
sorte de pudeur, ils gardent le silence. Ils ne sauraient, sans faire injure
aux fidèles, descendre dans certains détails. Mais alors la nature et la raison
parlent à leur place. Interrogez donc votre conscience, interrogez vos frères,
et vous marcherez dans le chemin de l’honneur, d’autant plus fermes dans votre
résolution que vous ne la devrez qu’à vous-même.
Mais est-il bien vrai que
l’Écriture n’ait pas interdit les spectacles? Sans doute elle défend de
regarder ce qu’elle défend de faire. Or, elle proscrit l’idolâtrie, mère de
tous les jeux, principe de toutes ces fêtes où la vanité et la licence se
donnent rendez-vous; elle proscrit donc par cela même tous les genres de
spectacles. Est-il, en effet, un spectacle sans idole? Un jeu sans sacrifices?
Un combat qui ne soit pas consacré à un mort? Que fait un chrétien au milieu de
ces représentations ? S’il a renoncé à l’idolâtrie, que peut-il dire? S’il est
saint, peut-il trouver son plaisir dans des cérémonies coupables? Peut-il
approuver des superstitions qui offensent Dieu et y trouver du plaisir?
Sachez que ce n’est pas
là l’oeuvre de Dieu, mais l’invention du démon. Et vous viendrez dans l’église
exorciser les esprits mauvais, après avoir participé à leurs fêtes! Dans le
baptême, vous avez renoncé au démon pour vous mettre à la suite du Christ; et
maintenant vous renoncez au Christ pour prendre place aux spectacles du démon!
4° L’idolâtrie, comme je
l’ai déjà dit, est la mère de tous les jeux. Afin de vous attirer à elle, elle
flatte vos yeux et vos oreilles. Après le rapt des Sabines, Romulus institua
les jeux du cirque, pour rendre grâces à Consus, dieu des bons conseils. Les
autres jeux scéniques consacrés à Cérès, à Bacchus et à d’autres idoles, furent
institués pendant une famine, pour réunir le peuple au théâtre. Les concerts de
voix et d’instruments inventés par les Grecs, les jeux athlétiques ont aussi
des démons pour présidents. En un mot, prenez tout ce qui charme les yeux ou
l’oreille du spectateur, examinez-en l’origine, et vous trouverez au principe
une idole, un démon ou un mort. Reconnaissez ici l’adresse du démon : il savait
que l’idolâtrie par elle-même devait exciter l’horreur; il l’a entourée de
pompe pour lui donner l’attrait de la volupté. Pourquoi de plus longs détails?
Pourquoi décrire ces monstrueux sacrifices qui se pratiquent dans les jeux?
Souvent la scélératesse du prêtre choisit un homme pour victime; il reçoit dans
une coupe son sang écumant; il le jette à la face de l’idole qui semble le
boire avec délices. Alors le délire du peuple n’a plus de bornes il demande
d’autres victimes. Ainsi le spectacle devient pour l’homme une école publique
de férocité; on le rend méchant, comme s’il ne l’était pas assez de lui-même.
5° On élève à grand frais
des bêtes féroces pour dévorer des hommes, que dis-je, on leur donne des
maîtres pour aiguillonner leur cruauté, et on fait bien, car sans ces leçons,
elles se montreraient peut-être moins barbares que l’homme. Parlerai-je ici de
toutes les vanités popularisées par l’idolâtrie? Qu’ils sont ridicules ces
combats où on se, dispute pour des couleurs et pour des chars; où on se réjouit
de la vélocité d’un cheval; où on gémit sur sa lenteur; où l’on compte ses
années, les consuls sous lesquels il a brillé; où l’on explique sa généalogie
en remontant jusqu’à ses ancêtres les plus éloignés! Comme tout cela est vain!
Comme tout cela est honteux! Retenir de mémoire toute la généalogie d’un cheval
et la réciter sans broncher! Mais demandez à cet homme la généalogie du Christ,
il l’ignore; et s’il la connaît, il est plus malheureux encore, car si je lui
demande par quel chemin il est arrivé au théâtre, il sera forcé d’avouer qu’il
y a été conduit par la débauche et les passions les plus honteuses. Avant de
souiller ses regards par le spectacle de l’idolâtrie, il les a souillés par
celui de la lubricité, il a traîné l’Esprit-Saint dans des lieux infâmes, et il
a profané le corps du Christ dans les orgies de la prostitution.
Quant aux plaisanteries
qui se débitent sur la scène, j’ai honte de les rapporter, même pour les
flétrir. Comment parler en effet du chant des acteurs, de l’artifice des
débauchés, de l’impudeur des femmes? Comment oser reproduire ces bouffons
éhontés, ces parasites sordides, ces pères de familles qui déshonorent la toge
par leur stupidité, leurs vices, leurs obscénités? Toutes les classes de la
société, toutes les professions sont traînées dans la boue: et pourtant tout le
monde accourt au spectacle; on se réjouit de la honte commune; on vient, dans
cette école du vice, chercher de funestes leçons afin de renouveler en secret
les infamies de la scène; on vient, sous la sauvegarde des lois, apprendre des
forfaits que les lois réprouvent et condamnent.
Encore une fois, que peut
faire le chrétien dans ces assemblées, lui qui ne peut pas même penser au vice?
Pourquoi se permettre le spectacle de la débauche? Hélas! en dépouillant toute
pudeur, on porte plus loin l’audace du crime; car c’est apprendre à faire le
mal que de s’habituer à le voir. Du moins les femmes que le malheur condamne à
la prostitution se cachent dans des retraites obscures; après avoir vendu leur
pudeur, elles rougissent de paraître en public. Mais, sur le théâtre, la
débauche n‘a pas de bornes; elle ne daigne pas même dissimuler ses excès. On
voit paraître des mimes, aux manières efféminées et dissolues, dont l’art
consiste à parler avec les mains en présence de ces êtres dégradés, toute une
ville s’émeut et applaudit à leurs danses lascives. On puise dans la fable les
sujets les plus lubriques, et ainsi ce qui commençait à se perdre dans la nuit
des siècles, repasse sous les yeux du spectateur. Ce n est pas assez pour la
passion de profiter des maux présents, il faut que, dans un spectacle éhonté,
elle s’approprie encore les turpitudes anciennes.
Non, le répète, il n’est
pas permis aux chrétiens de se mêler à de semblables réunions. Il ne leur est
pas permis non plus de prêter l’oreille à ces artistes trop bien instruits dans
les arts de la Grèce qui promènent partout leur funeste science. L’un avec la
trompette imite les rauques clameurs de la guerre; l’autre avec la flûte
reproduit les sombres mélodies des tombeaux. D’autres, mêlant leurs voix à celle
des choeurs, poussent des cris aigus, arrêtent ou précipitent leur respiration,
frappent sur leur bouche pour produire des sons brisés: travail à la fois
ridicule et offensant pour celui qui leur a donné une langue.
Que dire de la vanité de
la comédie? Que dire des folies des acteurs tragiques? Quand ces spectacles ne
seraient pas consacrés aux idoles, un chrétien ne devrait pas se les permettre.
A défaut de crime, la vanité en fait tout le fond; or la vanité est indigne
d’un chrétien. N’est-ce pas une grande folie, en effet, de recevoir des coups
pour amuser une assemblée oisive, do se condamner à toute sorte de privations
pour mériter une couronne frivole, de présenter son visage aux soufflets pour
obtenir tin morceau de pain?
Parlerai-je de la lutte?
Deux hommes s’enlacent dans des noeuds impudiques; ils tombent l’un sur
l’autre, et dans cette chute honteuse la pudeur reçoit une mortelle atteinte.
Un autre s’élance tout nu au milieu de l’arène; un autre déploie toutes ses forces
pour jeter en l’air un globe d’airain. Tous se disputent la couronne de la
folie en effet, éloignez les spectateurs, que signifient tous ces jeux ?
Fuyez, fuyez, ces
spectacles vains, pernicieux, sacrilèges tenez en garde vos yeux et vos
oreilles contre les dangers qu’ils renferment. L’habitude du mal ne se
contracte que trop vite. L’esprit de l’homme est naturellement porté au vice :
que sera-ce donc s’il a sous les yeux des exemples funestes? Il tombe par sa
propre faiblesse: que sera-ce si on le pousse dans l’abîme? Oui, je vous le
répète pour la millième fois, loin de vous ces spectacles corrupteurs!
6° Ne croyez pas que les
spectacles manquent au chrétien s’il sait se recueillir en lui-même, il
trouvera des plaisirs vrais et utiles. Je ne parlerai pas de ces beautés qu’il
ne nous est pas encore permis de contempler; mais combien d’autres se
présentent à nos regards! La magnificence du monde, le lever et le coucher du
soleil amenant l’alternative des jours et des nuits; le globe de la lune,
marquant par ses diverses phases la fuite rapide du temps; les constellations
qui brillent sur nos têtes, le cercle des saisons, la terre se balançant dans
l’espace avec ses montagnes et ses fleuves; les mers avec leurs flots et leurs
rivages; l’air répandu partout et nous donnant tour-à-tour la pluie et la
sérénité; tous ces éléments divers alimentant chacun les habitants qui lui sont
propres, l’air les oiseaux, l’eau les poissons. La terre les hommes, voilà les
spectacles dignes d’un chrétien.
Quel théâtre, bâti par
les hommes, pourra être mis en parallèle avec les oeuvres du Créateur? Supposez
les pierres aussi grandes que vous le voudrez, ce n’est qu’un fragment de
montagne, et les lambris dorés ne feront jamais pâlir l’éclat des astres. On
admire bien peu les oeuvres humaines quand on se reconnaît fils de Dieu; et
d’ailleurs se serait manquer à sa noblesse que de ne pas réserver au Créateur
toute son admiration.
Que le chrétien étudie
les saintes Écritures : là encore il trouvera des spectacles dignes de sa foi.
II verra Dieu créer le monde ainsi que les animaux et les soumettre au pouvoir
de l’homme. Il verra les méchants engloutis dans un naufrage commun et les
justes miraculeusement sauvés. Il verra la mer se dessécher pour offrir un
chemin au peuple de Dieu et les rochers s’ouvrir pour le désaltérer. Il verra
la nourriture descendre du ciel pour le nourrir, les fleuves enchaîner leurs
eaux, les justes sauvés d’une fournaise ardente, les bêtes féroces domptées par
la foi, les morts sortir de leurs tombeaux, et pour couronner .le spectacle, le
démon, qui avait soumis le monde à son empire, abattu sous les pieds du Christ.
Quel spectacle mes frères! Qu’il est magnifique! Qu’il est agréable! Qu’il est
utile! Il renferme tout ce qui anime notre espérance et assure notre salut. On
peut en jouir, même quand on a perdu l’usage de ses yeux. ge spectacle, ce
n’est pas un consul, un prêteur qui le donne, mais c’est le Créateur de toutes
choses, le seul Dieu unique, le Père de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ glorifié et
béni dans les siècles des siècles. Ainsi soit-il.
SOURCE : http://www.abbaye-saint-benoit.ch/saints/cyprien/spectacles.htm
Statua di San Cipriano, chiesa di San Cipriano,
Cobeña, Madrid, Spagna
Estatua de San Cipriano, iglesia de San Cipriano, Cobeña, Madrid, España
Also known as
Thaschus Caecilius Cyprianus
Thascius Caecilius Cyprian
16
September in Western Church
26
September in the Anglican Church
2
October (Eastern Orthodox)
Profile
Born to wealthy pagan parents. Taught rhetoric
and literature. Adult convert in 246, taught the faith by Saint Caecilius
of Carthage. Ordained in 247. Bishop of Carthage in 249.
During the persecution of Decius,
beginning in 250,
Cyprian lived in hiding, covertly ministering to his flock; his enemies
condemned him for being a coward and not standing up for his faith.
As a writer he
was second only in importance to Tertullian as a Latin Father
of the Church. Friend of Saint Pontius.
Involved in the great argument over whether apostates should
be readmitted to the Church;
Cyprian believed they should, but under stringent conditions. Supported Pope Saint Cornelius against
the anti-pope Novatian.
During the persecutions of Valerian he
was exiled to
Curubis in 257,
brought back Carthage,
and then martyred in 258.
His name is in the Communicantes in the Canon
of the Mass.
Born
190 in Carthage, North
Africa
beheaded 14
September 258 in Carthage, North
Africa
Algeria (proclaimed
on 6
July 1914 by Pope Pius
X)
North
Africa (proclaimed on 6 July 1914 by Pope Pius
X, on 10
January 1958 by Pope Pius
XII, and on 27 July 1962 by Pope John
XXIII editor’s note – no, I don’t know why it was done so many times)
Additional Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Legends
of the Blessed Sacrament: Facts Related by Saint Cyprian
Lives
of the Saints, by Father Alban
Butler
Lives
of the Saints, by Father Francis
Xavier Weninger
Pope
Benedict XVI, General Audience, 6 June 2007
Saints
of the Canon, by Monsignor John T McMahon
Short
Lives of the Saints, by Eleanor Cecilia Donnelly
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other sites in english
Christian Biographies, by James Keifer
Ecumenism and the Ecclesiology of Saint Cyprian of Carthage,
by Father Daniel Degyansky
Introductory
Notice to Cyprian
Life
and Passion of Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr, by Pontius the Deacon
Treatises
of Saint Caecilius Cyprian, by Blessed John
Henry Newman
Catholic Book Blogger
Saint Cyprian: Don’t Worry About Being Too Generous
Saint Cyprian: Every Season has a Spiritual Reward
images
video
e-books
Library of Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church, v3, by
Saint Cyprian of Carthage
sitios en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
sites en français
Abbé Christian-Philippe Chanut
fonti in italiano
Martirologio Romano, 2005 edition
notitia in latin
Readings
You cannot have God for your Father if you do not have
the Church for your mother…. God is one and Christ is one, and his Church is
one; one is the faith, and one is the people cemented together by harmony into
the strong unity of a body…. If we are the heirs of Christ, let us abide in the
peace of Christ; if we are the sons of God, let
us be lovers of peace. – Saint Cyprian,
from The Unity of the Catholic Church
Whatever a man prefers to God, that
he makes a god to himself. – Saint Cyprian
Let us remember one another in concord and unanimity.
Let us on both sides of death always pray for one another. Let us relieve
burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if one of us, by the swiftness of
divine condescension, shall go hence the first, our love may continue in the
presence of the Lord, and our prayers for our brethren and sisters not cease in
the presence of the Father’s mercy. – Saint Cyprian
from Letters, 253
On the morning of the 14th
of September, a great crowd gathered at the Villa Sexti, in accordance with
the order of the governor Galerius Maximus. That same day the governor
commanded Bishop Cyprian
to be brought before him for trial. After Cyprian was brought in, the governor
asked him, “Are you Thascius Cyprian?” The bishop replied,
“Yes, I am.” The governor Galerius Maximus said, “You have set yourself up as
an enemy of the gods of Rome and our religious practices. You have been discovered
as the author and leader of these heinous crimes, and will consequently be held
forth as an example for all those who have followed you in your crime. By your
blood the law shall be confirmed.” Next he read the sentence from a tablet. “It
is decided that Cyprian should die by the sword.” Cyprian responded, “Thanks be
to God!” After the sentence was passed, a crowd of his fellow Christians said,
“We should also be killed with him!” There arose an uproar among the
Christians, and a great mob followed after him. Cyrprian was then brought out
to the grounds of the Villa Sexti, where, taking off his outer cloak and
kneeling on the ground, he fell before the Lord in prayer. He removed his dalmatic and
gave it to the deacons,
and then stood erect while waiting for the executioner. When the executioner
arrived, Cyprian told his friends to give the man 25 gold pieces. The
most Blessed martyr Cyprian
suffered on the 14th of September under the emperors Valerian and
Gallienus, in the reign of our true Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belong honor and
glory for ever. Amen. – from the Acts of
the Martyrdom of
Saint Cyprian by Saint Pontius
You who are envious, let me tell you that however
often you may seek for the opportunity of injuring him whom you hate, you will
never be able to do him so much harm as you do harm to yourselves. He whom you
would punish through the malice of your envy, may probably escape, but you will
never be able to fly from yourselves. Wherever you may be your adversary is
with you, your sin rankles within. It must be a self-willed evil to persecute a
person whom God has taken under the protection of His grace; it becomes an
irremedial sin to hate a man whom God wishes to make happy. Envy is as prolific
as it is hurtful; it is the root of all evil, the source of endless disorder
and misery, the cause of most sins that are committed. Envy gives birth to
hatred and animosity. From it avarice is begotten, for it sees with an evil eye
honors and emoluments heaped upon a stranger, and thinks that such honors
should have been, by right, bestowed upon himself. From envy comes contempt of
God, and of the salutary precepts of our Savior. The envious man is cruel,
proud, unfaithful, impatient, and quarrelsome; and, what is strange, when this
vice gains the mastery, he is no longer master of himself, and he is unable to
correct his many faults. If the bond of peace is broken, if the rights of
fraternal charity are violated, if truth is altered or disguised, it is often
envy that hurries him on to crime. What happiness can such a man enjoy in this
world? To be envious or jealous of another, because such a one is virtuous and
happy, is to hate in him the graces and blessings God has
showered down upon him. Does he not punish himself when he sees the success and
welfare of others? Does he not draw down upon himself tortures from which there
is no respite? Are not his thoughts, his mind, constantly on the rack? He
pitilessly punishes himself, and, in his heart, performs the same cruel office
which Divine Justice reserves for the chastisement of the greatest
criminal. – Saint Cyprian
MLA Citation
“Saint Cyprian of Carthage“. CatholicSaints.Info.
14 September 2021. Web. 16 September 2021.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-cyprian-of-carthage/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-cyprian-of-carthage/
Bleiglasfenster in der Abtei Kornelimünster, Darstellung:
hl. Cyprian von Karthago
St. Cyprian of Carthage
(Thaschus Cæcilius Cyprianus).
Bishop and martyr.
Of the date of
the saint's birth
and of his early life nothing is known.
At the time of his conversion to Christianity he
had, perhaps, passed middle life. He was famous as an orator and pleader,
had considerable wealth, and held, no doubt, a great position in the metropolis of Africa.
We learn from his deacon, St.
Pontius, whose life of the saint is
preserved, that his mien was dignified without severity, and cheerful without
effusiveness. His gift of eloquence is evident in his writings. He
was not a thinker, a philosopher,
a theologian,
but eminently a man of the world and an administrator, of vast energies,
and of forcible and striking character. His conversion was due
to an aged priest named Caecilianus,
with whom he seems to have gone to live. Caecilianus in dying
commended to Cyprian the care of his wife and family.
While yet a catechumen the saint decided
to observe chastity, and he gave most of his revenues to
the poor. He sold his property,
including his gardens at Carthage. These were restored to him (Dei indulgentiâ restituti,
says Pontius), being apparently bought back for him by his friends; but he
would have sold them again, had the persecution made
this imprudent. His baptism probably
took place c. 246, presumably on Easter
eve, 18 April.
Cyprian's first Christian writing
is "Ad Donatum", a monologue spoken to a friend, sitting under a
vine-clad pergola. He tells how, until the grace
of God illuminated and strengthened the convert, it had seemed
impossible to conquer vice; the decay of Roman society is
pictured, the gladiatorial shows, the theatre, the unjust law-courts,
the hollowness of political success; the only refuge is the temperate,
studious, and prayerful life of
the Christian.
At the beginning should probably be placed the few words
of Donatus to Cyprian which are printed by Hartel as a spurious
letter. The style of this pamphlet is affected and reminds us of the bombastic
unintelligibility of Pontius. It is not like Tertullian,
brilliant, barbarous, uncouth, but it reflects the preciosity which Apuleius
made fashionable in Africa.
In his other works Cyprian addresses a Christian audience;
his own fervour is allowed full play, his style becomes simpler, though
forcible, and sometimes poetical, not to say flowery. Without being classical,
it is correct for its date, and the cadences of
the sentences are in strict rhythm in all his more careful writings.
On the whole his beauty of style has rarely been equalled among the Latin Fathers,
and never surpassed except by the matchless energy and wit of St.
Jerome.
Another work of his early days was the
"Testimonia ad Quirinum", in two books. It consists of passages
of Scripture arranged under headings to illustrate the passing away
of the Old
Law and its fulfillment in Christ. A third book, added later,
contains texts dealing with Christian ethics.
This work is of the greatest value for the history of the
Old Latin version of the Bible.
It gives us an African text closely related to that of
the Bobbio manuscript known
as k (Turin). Hartel's edition has taken the text from
a manuscript which
exhibits a revised version, but what Cyprian wrote can be fairly well restored
from the manuscript cited
in Hartel's notes as L. Another book of excerpts on martyrdom is
entitled "Ad Fortunatum"; its text cannot be judged in any
printed edition. Cyprian was certainly only a recent convert when he
became Bishop of Carthage c.
248 or the beginning of 249, but he passed through all the grades of the
ministry. He had declined the charge, but was constrained by the people. A
minority opposed his election, including five priests,
who remained his enemies; but he tells us that he was validly elected "after
the Divine judgment, the vote of the people and the consent of
the bishops".
The Decian persecution
The prosperity of the Church during
a peace of thirty-eight years had produced great disorders. Many even of
the bishops were
given up to worldliness and gain, and we hear of worse scandals.
In October, 249, Decius became
emperor with the ambition of
restoring the ancient virtue of Rome.
In January, 250, he published an edict against Christians. Bishops were
to be put
to death, other persons to
be punished and tortured till they recanted. On 20 January Pope
Fabian was martyred,
and about the same time St. Cyprian retired to a safe place of
hiding. His enemies continually reproached him with this. But to remain
at Carthage was to court death, to cause greater danger to
others, and to leave the Church without
government; for to elect a new bishop would
have been as impossible as it was at Rome.
He made over much property to
a confessor priest, Rogatian,
for the needy. Some of the clergy lapsed,
others fled; Cyprian suspended their pay, for their ministrations
were needed and they were in less danger than the bishop.
From his retreat he encouraged the confessors and wrote
eloquent panegyrics on the martyrs.
Fifteen soon died in prison and
one in the mines. On the arrival of the proconsul in April the severity of
the persecution increased.
St. Mappalicus died gloriously on the 17th. Children were
tortured, women dishonoured.
Numidicus, who had encouraged many, saw his wife burnt to alive, and was
himself half burnt, then stoned and left for dead; his daughter found
him yet living; he recovered and Cyprian made him a priest.
Some, after being twice tortured, were dismissed or banished,
often beggared.
But there was another side to the picture. At Rome terrified Christians rushed
to the temples to sacrifice.
At Carthage the majority apostatized.
Some would not sacrifice, but purchased libelli, or certificates,
that they had done so Some bought the exemption of their family at
the price of their own sin.
Of these libellatici there were several thousands in Carthage.
Of the fallen some did not repent, others joined the heretics,
but most of them clamoured for forgiveness and restoration. Some, who
had sacrificed under torture, returned to be tortured
afresh. Castus and Æmilius were burnt for recanting, others were
exiled; but such cases were necessarily rare. A few began to
perform canonical penance. The first to suffer at Rome had
been a young Carthaginian, Celerinus. He recovered, and Cyprian made him
a lector.
His grandmother and two uncles had been martyrs,
but his two sisters apostatized under fear of
torture, and in their repentance gave themselves to the service of
those in prison.
Their brother was very urgent for their restoration. His letter from Rome to Lucian,
a confessor at Carthage,
is extant, with the reply of the latter. Lucian obtained from a martyr named Paul before
his passion a commission to grant peace to any who asked for it, and
he distributed these "indulgences" with a vague formula: "Let
such a one with his family communicate". Tertullian speaks
in 197 of the "custom" for those who were not at peace with the Church to
beg this peace from the martyrs.
Much later, in his Montanist days
(c. 220) he urges that the adulterers whom Pope
Callistus was ready to forgive after due penance, would now get
restored by merely imploring the confessors and those in the mines.
Correspondingly we find Lucian issuing pardons in the name
of confessors who were still alive, a manifest abuse. The heroic
Mappalicus had only interceded for his own sister and mother. It
seemed now as if no penance was to be enforced upon the lapsed, and
Cyprian wrote to remonstrate.
Meanwhile official news had arrived from Rome of
the death of Pope Fabian, together with an unsigned
and ungrammatical letter to the clergy of Carthage from
some of the Roman clergy,
implying blame to Cyprian for the desertion of his flock, and giving
advice as to the treatment of the lapsed. Cyprian explained his conduct (Ep.
xx), and sent to Rome copies
of thirteen of the letter he had written from his hiding-place
to Carthage. The five priests who
opposed him were now admitting at once to communion all who had
recommendations from the confessors, and
the confessors themselves issued a general indulgence, in
accordance with which the bishops were
to restore to communion all whom they had examined. This was an
outrage on discipline, yet Cyprian was ready to give some value to
the indulgences thus improperly granted, but all must be done in
submission to the bishop.
He proposed that libellatici should be restored, when in danger of
death, by a priest or
even by a deacon,
but that the rest should await the cessation of persecution,
when councils could be held at Rome and
at Carthage,
and a common decision be agreed upon. Some regard must be had for the
prerogative of the confessors, yet the lapsed must surely not be placed in
a better position than those who had stood fast, and had been tortured,
or beggared, or exiled. The guilty were terrified by marvels that
occurred. A man was struck dumb on the very Capitol where
he had denied Christ. Another went mad in the public baths, and
gnawed the tongue which had tasted the pagan victim.
In Cyprian's own presence an infant who had been taken by its nurse to partake
at the heathen altar,
and then to the Holy
Sacrifice offered by the bishop,
was though in torture, and vomited the Sacred Species it had
received in the holy chalice.
A lapsed woman of
advanced age had fallen in a fit, on venturing to communicate unworthily.
Another, on opening the receptacle in which, according to custom, she had
taken home the Blessed
Sacrament for private Communion, was deterred from sacrilegiously touching
it by fire which came forth. Yet another found nought within her pyx save cinders.
About September, Cyprian received promise of support from the Roman priests in
two letters written by the famous Novatian in
the name of his colleagues. In the beginning of 251 the persecution waned,
owing to the successive appearance of two rival emperors.
The confessors were released, and a council was convened
at Carthage. By the perfidy of some priests Cyprian
was unable to leave his retreat till after Easter (23
March). But he wrote a letter to his flock denouncing the most infamous of
the five priests, Novatus,
and his deacon Felicissimus (Ep.
xliii). To the bishop's order
to delay the reconciliation of the lapsed until the council, Felicissimus had
replied by a manifesto, declaring that none should communicate with himself who
accepted the large alms distributed
by Cyprian's order. The subject of the letter is more fully developed in the
treatise "De Ecclesiae Catholicae Unitate" which Cyprian wrote
about this time (Benson wrongly thought it was written against Novatian some
weeks later).
This celebrated pamphlet was read by its author to
the council which met in April, that he might get the support of
the bishops against
the schism started
by Felicissimus and Novatus,
who had a large following. The unity with which St.
Cyprian deals is not so much the unity of the whole Church,
the necessity of which he rather postulates, as
the unity to be kept in each diocese by
union with the bishop;
the unity of the whole Church is maintained by the close
union of the bishops who
are "glued to one another", hence whosoever is not with his bishop is
cut off from the unity
of the Church and cannot be united to Christ;
the type of the bishop is St.
Peter, the first bishop. Protestant controversialists
have attributed to St. Cyprian the absurd argument
that Christ said to Peter what He really meant for all, in
order to give a type or picture of unity. What St.
Cyprian really says is simply this, that Christ, using the metaphor
of an edifice, founds His Church on
a single foundation which shall manifest and ensure its unity.
And as Peter is the foundation, binding the whole Church together,
so in each diocese is
the bishop.
With this one argument Cyprian claims to cut at the root of all heresies and schisms.
It has been a mistake to find any reference to Rome in
this passage (Treatise
on Unity 4).
Church unity
About the time of the opening of
the council (251), two letters arrived from Rome.
One of these, announcing the election of a pope, St.
Cornelius, was read by Cyprian to the assembly; the other contained
such violent and improbable accusations against the new pope that
he thought it better to pass it over. But two bishops, Caldonius and Fortunatus,
were dispatched to Rome for
further information, and the whole council was to await their
return-such was the importance of a papal election. Meantime another
message arrived with the news that Novatian,
the most eminent among the Roman clergy,
had been made pope.
Happily two African prelates, Pompeius and
Stephanus, who had been present at the election of Cornelius,
arrived also, and were able to testify that he had been validly set "in the
place of Peter", when as yet there was no other claimant. It was thus
possible to reply to the recrimination of Novatian's envoys, and a
short letter was sent to Rome,
explaining the discussion which had taken place in the council. Soon
afterwards came the report
of Caldonius and Fortunatus together with a letter
from Cornelius,
in which the latter complained somewhat of the delay in recognizing him.
Cyprian wrote to Cornelius explaining
his prudent conduct. He added a letter to
the confessors who were the main support of the antipope,
leaving it to Cornelius whether
it should be delivered or no. He sent also copies of his two treatises,
"De Unitate" and "De
Lapsis" (this had been composed by him immediately after the
other), and he wishes the confessors to read these in order that they
may understand what a fearful thing is schism.
It is in this copy of the "De Unitate" that Cyprian appears most
probably to have added in the margin an alternative version of the
fourth chapter. The original passage, as found in most manuscripts and
as printed in Hartel's edition, runs thus:
If any will consider this, there is no need of a long
treatise and of arguments. 'The Lord saith to Peter: 'I say unto
thee that thou art Peter,
and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it; to thee I will give the keys to the kingdom
of heaven, and what thou shalt have bound on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and what thou shalt have loosed shall be loosed in heaven.'
Upon one He builds His Church,
and though to all His Apostles after
His resurrection He
gives an equal power and says: 'As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you:
Receive the Holy Ghost, whosesoever sins you
shall have remitted they shall be remitted unto them,
and whosesoever sins you
shall have retained they shall be retained', yet that He might make unity manifest,
He disposed the origin of that unity beginning from one. The
other Apostles were indeed
what Peter was, endowed with a like fellowship both
of honour and
of power, but the commencement proceeds from one, that the Church may
be shown to be one. This one Church the Holy Ghost in
the person of
the Lord designates in the Canticle of Canticles, and says, One
is My Dove, My perfect one, one is she to her mother, one to her
that bare her. He that holds not this unity
of the Church, does he believe that he holds the Faith? He
who strives against and resists the Church,
is he confident that he is in the Church?
The substituted passage is as follows:
. . . bound in heaven.
Upon one He builds His Church, and
to the same He says after His resurrection,
'feed My sheep'. And though to all His Apostles He
gave an equal power yet did He set up one chair, and disposed the
origin and manner of unity by his authority. The
other Apostles were indeed what Peter was, but
the primacy is given to Peter, and the Church and
the chair is shown to be one. And all are pastors,
but the flock is shown to be one, which is fed by all
the Apostles with one mind and heart. He that holds
not this unity
of the Church, does he think that he holds the faith?
He who deserts the chair of Peter, upon whom the Church is
founded, is he confident that he is in the Church?
These alternative versions are given one after the
other in the chief family of manuscripts which
contains them, while in some other families the
two have been partially or wholly combined into one. The combined version is
the one which has been printed in man editions, and has played a
large part in controversy with Protestants.
It is of course spurious in this conflated form, but the
alternative form given above is not only found in eighth- and
ninth-century manuscripts,
but it is quoted by Bede,
by Gregory
the Great (in a letter written for his predecessor Pelagius
II), and by St. Gelasius; indeed, it was
almost certainly known to St.
Jerome and St.
Optatus in the fourth century. The evidence of the manuscripts would
indicate an equally early date.
Every expression and thought in the passage can be paralleled from St. Cyprian's habitual language,
and it seems to be now generally admitted that this alternative passage is an
alteration made by the author himself when forwarding his work to
the Roman confessors. The "one chair" is always in Cyprian
the episcopal chair, and Cyprian has been careful to emphasize this
point, and to add a reference to the other great Petrine text,
the Charge in John
21. The assertion of the equality of the Apostles as Apostles remains,
and the omissions are only for the sake of brevity. The old contention that it
is a Roman forgery is
at all events quite out of the question. Another passage is also altered in all
the same manuscripts which
contain the "interpolation"; it is a paragraph in which the humble and pious conduct
of the lapsed "on this hand (hic) is contrasted in a long succession of
parallels with the pride and wickedness of
the schismatics "on that hand" (illic), but in the delicate
manner of the treatise the latter are only referred to in a general way. In the
"interpolated" manuscripts we
find that the lapsed, whose caused had now been settled by
the council, are "on that hand" (illic), whereas the reference
to the schismatics — meaning the Roman confessors who
were supporting Novatian,
and to whom the book was being sent — are made as pointed as possible, being
brought into the foreground by the repeated hic, "on this hand".
Novatianism
The saint's remonstrance had its effect, and
the confessors rallied to Cornelius.
But for two or three months the confusion throughout the Catholic Church had
been terrible. No other event in these early times shows us so clearly the
enormous importance of the papacy in East and West. St.
Dionysius of Alexandria joined his great influence to that of
the Carthaginian primate,
and he was very soon able to write that Antioch, Caesarea,
and Jerusalem, Tyre and Laodicea,
all Cilicia and Cappadocia, Syria and Arabia, Mesopotamia, Pontus,
and Bithynia, had returned to union and that their bishops were
all in concord (Eusebius, Church
History VII.5). From this we gauge the area of disturbance. Cyprian
says that Novatian "assumed
the primacy" (Ep. lxix, 8) and sent out his new apostles to
very many cities; and where in all provinces and cities there were long
established, orthodox bishops,
tried in persecution,
he dared to create new ones to supplant them, as though he could
range through the whole world (Ep. lv, 24). Such was the
power assumed by a third-century antipope.
Let it be remembered that in the first days of the schism no
question of heresy was
raised and that Novatian only
enunciated his refusal of forgiveness to the lapsed after he had made
himself pope.
Cyprian's reasons for holding Cornelius to
be the true bishop are
fully detailed in Ep. lv to a bishop,
who had at first yielded to Cyprian's arguments and had commissioned him to
inform Cornelius that
"he now communicated with him, that is with the Catholic Church",
but had afterwards wavered. It is evidently implied that if he did not
communicate with Cornelius he
would be outside the Catholic Church.
Writing to the pope,
Cyprian apologizes for his delay in acknowledging him; he had at least urged
all those who sailed to Rome to
make sure that they acknowledged and held the womb and root of the Catholic Church (Ep.
xlviii, 3). By this is probably meant "the womb and root which is
the Catholic Church",
but Harnack and many Protestants,
as well as many Catholics,
find here a statement that the Roman
Church is the womb and root. Cyprian continues that he had waited for
a formal report form the bishops who
had been sent to Rome,
before committing all the bishops of Africa,
Numidia, and Mauretania to a decision, in order that, when no doubt could
remain all his colleagues "might firmly approve and hold
your communion, that is the unity and charity of
the Catholic Church".
It is certain that St.
Cyprian held that one who was in communion with an antipope held
not the root of the Catholic Church,
was not nourished at her breast, drank not at her fountain.
So little was the rigorism of Novatian the
origin of his schism,
that his chief partisan was no other than Novatus, who
at Carthage had been reconciling the lapsed indiscriminately
without penance. He seems to have arrived at Rome just
after the election of Cornelius,
and his adhesion to the party of rigorism had the curious result of destroying
the opposition to Cyprian at Carthage. It is true that Felicissimus fought
manfully for a time; he even procured five bishops,
all excommunicated and deposed,
who consecrated for
the party a certain Fortunatus in opposition to St. Cyprian, in
opposition to St. Cyprian, in order not to be outdone by the Novatian party,
who had already a rival bishop at Carthage.
The faction even appealed to St.
Cornelius, and Cyprian had to write to the pope a
long account of the circumstances, ridiculing their presumption in
"sailing to Rome,
the primatial Church (ecclesia
principalis), the Chair of Peter, whence the unity of the Episcopate had
its origin, not recollecting that these are
the Romans whose faith was
praised by St.
Paul (Romans
1:8), to whom unfaith could have no access". But this embassy
was naturally unsuccessful, and the party of Fortunatus and Felicissimus seems
to have melted away.
The lapsed
With regard to the lapsed the council had
decided that each case must be judged on its merits, and that libellatici should
be restored after varying, but lengthy, terms of penance, whereas those
who had actually sacrificed might after
life-long penance receive Communion in the hour of death.
But any one who put off sorrow and penance until the hour of sickness
must be refused all Communion. The decision was a severe one. A
recrudescence of persecution,
announced, Cyprian tells us, by numerous visions, caused the assembling of
another council in the summer of 252 (so Benson and Nelke,
but Ritsch and Harnack prefer 253), in which it was decided to
restore at once all those who were doing penance, in order that they might
be fortified by the Holy
Eucharist against trial. In this persecution of
Gallus and Volusianus, the Church of Rome was
again tried, but this time Cyprian was able to congratulate the pope on
the firmness shown; the whole Church of Rome,
he says, had confessed unanimously, and once again its faith,
praised by the Apostle,
was celebrated throughout the whole world (Ep. lx). About June 253, Cornelius was
exiled to Centumcellae (Civitavecchia), and died there, being counted
as a martyr by
Cyprian and the rest of the Church.
His successor Lucius was at once sent to the same place on
his election, but soon was allowed to return, and Cyprian wrote to
congratulate him. He died 5 March, 254, and was succeeded by Stephen, 12
May, 254.
Rebaptism of heretics
Tertullian had
characteristically argued long before, that heretics have
not the same God,
the same Christ with Catholics,
therefore their baptism is
null. The African Church had adopted this view in
a council held under a predecessor of Cyprian, Agrippinus,
at Carthage. In the East it was also the custom of
Cilicia, Cappadocia, and Galatia to rebaptize Montanists who
returned to the church. Cyprian's opinion of baptism by heretics was
strongly expresses: "Non abluuntur illic homines, sed potius sordidantur,
nec purgantur delicta sed immo cumulantur. Non Deo nativitas illa sed
diabolo filios generat" (Treatise
on Unity 11). A certain bishop, Magnus,
wrote to ask if the baptism of
the Novatians was
to be respected (Ep. lxix). Cyprian's answer may be of the year 255; he denies
that they are to be distinguished from any other heretics.
Later we find a letter in the same sense, probably of the spring of 255
(autumn, according to d'Ales), from a council under Cyprian of
thirty-one bishops (Ep.
lxx), addressed to eighteen Numidian bishops;
this was apparently the beginning of the controversy. It appears that the bishops of
Mauretania did not in this follow the custom of Proconsular Africa
and Numidia, and that Pope
Stephen sent them a letter approving their adherence
to Roman custom.
Cyprian, being consulted by a Numidian bishop,
Quintus, sent him Ep. lxx, and replied to his difficulties (Ep. lxxi). The
spring council at Carthage in the following year, 256, was
more numerous than usual, and sixty-one bishops signed
the conciliar letter
to the pope explaining
their reasons for rebaptizing, and claiming that it was a question upon
which bishops were
free to differ. This was not Stephen's view, and he immediately
issued a decree,
couched apparently in very peremptory terms, that no "innovation" was
to be made (this is taken by some moderns to mean "no new baptism"),
but the Roman tradition of merely laying hands
on converted heretics in
sign of absolution must
be everywhere observed, on pain of excommunication.
This letter was evidently addressed to the African bishops,
and contained some severe censures on Cyprian himself. Cyprian writes
to Jubainus that he is defending the one Church, the Church founded
on Peter-Why then is he called a prevaricator of the truth,
a traitor to the truth;?
(Ep. lxxiii, 11). To the same correspondent he sends Epp. lxx, lxxi,
lxxii; he makes no laws for
others, but retains his own liberty. He sends also a copy of his newly written
treatise "De Bono Patientiae". To Pompeius, who had asked to see
a copy of Stephen's rescript,
he writes with great violence:
"As you read it, you will note his error more
and more clearly: in approving the baptism of
all the heresies,
he has heaped into his own breast the sins of
all of them; a fine tradition indeed! What blindness of mind,
what depravity!" — "ineptitude", "hard obstinacy" —
such are the expressions which run from the pen of one who declared that
opinion on the subject was free, and who in this very letter explains that
a bishop must
never be quarrelsome, but meek and teachable. In September, 256, a yet
larger council assembled at Carthage. All agreed with
Cyprian; Stephen was not mentioned; and some writers have even
supposed that the council met before Stephen's letter was
received (so Ritschl,
Grisar, Ernst, Bardenhewer). Cyprian did not wish the responsibility to be
all his own. He declared that no one made himself a bishop of bishops,
and that all must give their true opinion.
The vote of each was therefore given in a short speech, and the minutes have
come down to us in the Cyprianic correspondence under the title of
"Sententiae Episcoporum". But the messengers sent to Rome with
this document were refused an audience and even denied
all hospitality by the pope.
They returned incontinently to Carthage,
and Cyprian tried for support from the East. He wrote to the famous Bishop of Caesarea in
Cappadocia, Firmilian, sending him the treatise "De Unitate" and
the correspondence on the baptismal question.
By the middle of November Firmilian's reply had arrived, and it has
come down to us in a translation made at the time in Africa.
Its tone is, if possible, more violent than that of Cyprian.
(See FIRMILIAN.)
After this we know no
more of the controversy.
Stephen died on 27 August, 257, and was succeeded
by Sixtus
II, who certainly communicated with Cyprian, and is called
by Pontius "a good and peace-loving bishop".
Probably when it was seen at Rome that
the East was largely committed to the same wrong practice, the
question was tacitly dropped. It should be remembered that,
though Stephen had demanded unquestioning obedience, he had
apparently, like Cyprian, considered the matter as a point
of discipline. St. Cyprian supports his view by a wrong
inference from the unity
of the Church, and no one thought of the principle afterwards taught
by St.
Augustine, that, since Christ is always the principal agent, the
validity of the sacrament is independent of the unworthiness of
the minister: Ipse est qui baptizat. Yet this is what is implied
in Stephen's insistence upon nothing more than the correct form,
"because baptism is given in the name of Christ", and
"the effect is due to the majesty of the Name". The laying
on of hands enjoined by Stephen is repeatedly said to
be in poenitentiam, yet Cyprian goes on to argue that
the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying
on of hands is not the new birth, but must be subsequent to it and
implies it. This has led some moderns into the notion
that Stephen meant confirmation to be given (so Duchesne),
or at least that he has been so misunderstood by Cyprian (d'Alès). But the
passage (Ep. lxxiv, 7) need not mean this, and it is most improbable
that confirmation was even thought of in this connection. Cyprian
seems to consider the laying
on of hands in penance to be a giving of the Holy
Ghost. In the East the custom of rebaptizing heretics had
perhaps arisen from the fact that so many heretics disbelieved
in the Holy
Trinity, and possibly did not even use
the right form and matter.
For centuries the practice persisted, at least in the case of some of the heresies.
But in the West to rebaptize was regarded as heretical,
and Africa came into line soon after St. Cyprian. St.
Augustine, St.
Jerome, and St.
Vincent of Lérins are full of praise for the firmness
of Stephen as befitting his place. But Cyprian's unfortunate letters
became the chief support of the puritanism of the Donatists. St.
Augustine in his "De Baptismo" goes through them one by one.
He will not dwell on the violent words quae
in Stephanum irritatus effudit, and expresses his confidence that
Cyprian's glorious martyrdom will
have atoned for his excess.
Appeals to Rome
Ep. lxviii was written to Stephen before the
breach. Cyprian has heard twice from Faustinus, Bishop of Lyons,
that Marcianus, Bishop of Arles,
has joined the party of Novatian.
The pope will
certainly have been already informed of this by Faustinus and by the
other bishops of
the province. Cyprian urges:
You ought to send very full letters to our
fellow-bishops in Gaul,
not to allow the obstinate and proud Marcianus any more to insult our
fellowship...Therefore send letters to the province and to the people
of Arles, by which, Marcianus having been excommunicated,
another shall be substituted in his place...for the whole copious body of bishops is
joined together by the glue of mutual concord and the bond of unity, in
order that if any of our fellowship should attempt to make a heresy and
to lacerate and devastate the flock of Christ,
the rest may give their aid...For though we are many shepherds, yet we feed one
flock.
It seems incontestable that Cyprian is here explaining
to the pope why
he ventured to interfere, and that he attributes to the pope the
power of deposing Marcanus and ordering a fresh election. We
should compare his witness that Novatian usurped
a similar power as antipope.
Another letter dates perhaps somewhat later.
It emanates form a council of thirty seven bishops,
and was obviously composed by Cyprian. It is addressed to the priest Felix and
the people of Legio and
Asturica, and to the deacon Ælius
and the people of Emerita, in Spain.
It relates that the bishops Felix and
Sabinus had come to Carthage to complain. They had been
legitimately ordained by
the bishops of
the province in the place of the former bishops, Basilides and Martialis,
who had both accepted libelli in the persecution. Basilides had
further blasphemed God,
in sickness, had confessed his blasphemy,
had voluntarily resigned
his bishopric,
and had been thankful to be allowed lay communion. Martialis had
indulged in pagan banquets
and had buried his sons in a pagan cemetery.
He had publicly attested before the procurator ducenarius that he had
denied Christ. Wherefore, says the letter, such men are unfit to
be bishops,
the whole Church and the late Pope
Cornelius having decided that such men may be admitted
to penance but never to ordination;
it does not profit them that they have deceived Pope Stephen, who was afar
off and unaware of the facts, so that they obtained to be unjustly restored
to their sees; nay, by this deceit they have only increased
their guilt. The letter is thus a declaration that Stephen was wickedly
deceived. No fault is imputed to him, no is there any claim to reverse his
decision or to deny his right to give it; it is simply pointed out
that it was founded on false information,
and was therefore null. But it is obvious that
the African council had heard only one side,
whereas Felix and Sabinus must have pleaded
their cause at Rome before
they came to Africa On
this ground the Africans seem to have made too hasty a judgment.
But nothing more is known of the matter.
Martyrdom
The empire was surrounded by barbarian hordes who
poured in on all sides. The danger was the signal for a renewal of persecution on
the part of the Emperor
Valerian. At Alexandria St. Dionysius was exiled. On 30
August, 257, Cyprian was brought before the Proconsul Paternus in his secretarium. His
interrogatory is extant and forms the first part of the "Acta
proconsularia" of his martyrdom.
Cyprian declares himself a Christian and
a bishop.
He serves one God to
Whom he prays day
and night for all men and for the safety of the emperor. "Do you
persevere in this?" asks Paternus.
"A good will which knows God cannot
be altered." "Can you, then, go into exile at Curubis?"
"I go." He is asked for the names of the priests also,
but replies that delation is forbidden by the laws;
they will be found easily enough in their respective cities. On September he
went to Curubis,
accompanied by Pontius. The town was lonely, but Pontius tells
us it was sunny and pleasant, and that there were plenty of visitors, while the
citizens were full of kindness. He relates at length
Cyprian's dream on his first night there, that he was in the
proconsul's court and condemned to death,
but was reprieved at his own request until the morrow. He awoke in terror, but
once awake he awaited that morrow with calmness. It came to him on the very
anniversary of the dream. In Numidia the measures were more severe.
Cyprian writes to nine bishops who
were working in the mines, with half their hair shorn, and with insufficient
food and clothing. He was still rich and able to help them. Their
replies are preserved, and we have also the authentic Acts of
several African martyrs who
suffered soon after Cyprian.
In August, 258, Cyprian learned that Pope
Sixtus had been put
to death in the catacombs on
the 6th of that month, together with four of his deacons,
in consequence of a new edict that bishops, priests,
and deacons should
be at once put
to death; senators, knights,
and others of rank are to lose their goods, and if they still persist, to
die; matrons to be exiled; Caesarians (officers of the fiscus) to
become slaves. Galerius Maximus, the successor of
Paternus, sent for Cyprian back to Carthage,
and in his own gardens the bishop awaited
the final sentence. Many great personages urged him to fly, but
he had now no vision to recommend this course, and he desired above
all to remain to exhort others. Yet he hid himself rather
than obey the proconsul's summons to Utica,
for he declared it was right for a bishop to
die in his own city. On the return of Galerius to Carthage,
Cyprian was brought from his gardens by two principes in a chariot,
but the proconsul was ill, and Cyprian passed the night in the house of the
first princeps in the company of his friends. Of the rest we have a
vague description by Pontius and a detailed report in the
proconsular Acts. On the morning of the 14th a crowd gathered "at the
villa of Sextus", by order of the authorities. Cyprian was tried
there. He refused to sacrifice, and added that in such
a matter there was no room for thought of the consequences to
himself. The proconsul read his condemnation and the multitude cried, "Let
us be beheaded with him!" He was taken into the grounds, to a hollow
surrounded by trees, into which many of the people climbed. Cyprian took off
his cloak, and knelt down
and prayed.
Then he took off his dalmatic and
gave it to his deacons,
and stood in his linen tunic in silence awaiting
the executioner, to whom he ordered twenty-five gold pieces to be given.
The brethren cast cloths and handkerchiefs before him to catch his blood.
He bandaged his own eyes with the help of a priest and
a deacon,
both called Julius. So he suffered. For the rest of the day his body was
exposed to satisfy the curiosity of the pagans.
But at night the brethren bore him with candles and torches,
with prayer and
great triumph, to the cemetery of Macrobius Candidianus in the suburb
of Mapalia. He was the first Bishop of Carthage to
obtain the crown of martyrdom.
Writings
The correspondence of Cyprian consists of eighty-one
letters. Sixty-two of them are his own, three more are in the name
of councils. From this large collection we get a vivid picture
of his time. The first collection of his writings must have been made just
before or just after his death, as it was known to Pontius. It consisted
of ten treatises and seven letters on martyrdom.
To these were added in Africa a set of letters on the baptismal question,
and at Rome,
it seems, the correspondence with Cornelius,
except Ep. xlvii. Other letters were successively aggregated to these groups,
including letters to Cyprian or connected with him,
his collections of Testimonies, and many spurious works. To the
treatises already mentioned we have to add a well-known exposition of the Lord's
Prayer; a work on the simplicity of dress proper to consecrated virgins (these
are both founded on Tertullian);
"On the Mortality", a beautiful pamphlet, composed on the occasion of
the plague which reached Carthage in 252, when Cyprian, with
wonderful energy, raised a staff of workers and a great fund of money
for the nursing of the sick and the burial of the dead. Another work,
"On Almsgiving ", its Christian character, necessity,
and satisfactory value, was perhaps written, as Watson has pointed
out, in reply to the calumny that
Cyprian's own lavish gifts were bribes to
attach men to his side. Only one of his writings is couched in a
pungent strain, the "ad Demetrianum", in which he replies in a
spirited manner to the accusation of a heathen that Christianity had
brought the plague upon the world. Two short works, "On Patience" and
"On Rivalry and Envy", apparently written during
the baptismal controversy,
were much read in ancient times. St. Cyprian was the first
great Latin writer among the Christians,
for Tertullian fell
into heresy,
and his style was harsh and unintelligible. Until the days of Jerome and Augustine,
Cyprian's writings had no rivals in the West. Their praise is sung
by Prudentius, who joins with Pacian, Jerome, Augustine,
and many others in attesting their extraordinary popularity.
Doctrine
The little that can be extracted from St.
Cyprian on the Holy
Trinity and the Incarnation is
correct, judged by later standards. On baptismal regeneration,
on the Real
Presence, on the Sacrifice
of the Mass, his faith is
clearly and repeatedly expressed, especially in Ep. lxiv on infant baptism,
and in Ep. lxiii on the mixed chalice,
written against the sacrilegious custom of using water
without wine for Mass. On penance he is clear, like
all the ancients, that for those who have been separated from the Church by sin there
is no return except by a humble confession (exomologesis
apud sacerdotes), followed by remissio facta per sacerdotes. The
ordinary minister of this sacrament is the sacerdos
par excellence, the bishop;
but priests can
administer it subject to him, and in case of necessity the lapsed might
be restored by a deacon.
He does not add, as we should at the present day, that in this case there is
no sacrament; such theological distinctions
were not in his line. There was not even a beginning of canon law in
the Western
Church of the third century. In Cyprian's view each bishop is
answerable to God alone
for his action, though he ought to take counsel of the clergy and
of the laity also
in all important matters. The Bishop of Carthage had
a great position as honorary chief of all the bishops in
the provinces of Proconsular Africa, Numidia, and Mauretania, who were about a
hundred in number; but he had no actual jurisdiction over
them. They seem to have met in some numbers at Carthage every spring,
but their conciliar decisions
had no real binding force. If a bishop should apostatize or
become a heretic or
fall into scandalous sin,
he might be deposed by his comprovincials or by the pope.
Cyprian probably thought that questions of heresy would
always be too obvious to need much discussion. It is certain that
where internal questions of heresy would
always be too obvious to need much discussion. It is certain that
where internal discipline was concerned he considered that Rome should
not interfere, and that uniformity was not desirable — a most unpractical
notion. We have always to remember that his experience as a Christian was
of short duration, that he became a bishop soon
after he was converted, and that he had no Christian writings besides Holy
Scripture to study besides those of Tertullian.
He evidently knew no Greek,
and probably was not acquainted with the translation of Irenaeus. Rome was
to him the centre of the Church's unity;
it was inaccessible to heresy,
which had been knocking at its door for a century in vain. It was the See
of Peter, who was the type of the bishop,
the first of the Apostles. Difference of
opinion between bishops as
to the right occupant of
the Sees of Arles or Emerita would not involve
breach of communion, but rival bishops at Rome would
divide the Church,
and to communicate with the wrong one would be schism.
It is controverted whether chastity was obligatory or
only strongly urged upon priests in
his day. The consecrated virgins were
to him the flower of his flock, the jewels of the Church,
amid the profligacy of paganism.
Spuria
A short treatise, "Quod Idola dii non
sint", is printed in all editions as Cyprian's. It is made up out of Tertullian and Minucius
Felix. Its genuineness is accepted by Benson, Monceaux, and
Bardenhewer, as it was anciently by Jerome and Augustine.
It has been attributed by Haussleiter to Novatian,
and is rejected by Harnack, Watson, and von Soden. "De Spectaculis"
and "De bono pudicitiae" are, with some probability, ascribed
to Novatian.
They are well-written letters of an absent bishop to
his flock. "De Laude martyrii" is again attributed by Harnack
to Novatian;
but this is not generally accepted. "Adversus Judaeos" is perhaps by
a Novatianist and
Harnack ascribes it to Novatian himself.
"Ad Novatianum" is ascribed by Harnack to Pope
Sixtus II. Ehrhard, Benson, Nelke, and Weyman agree with him
that it was written in Rome.
This is denied by Julicher, Bardenhewer,
Monceaux. Rombold thinks it is by Cyprian. "De
Rebaptismate" is apparently the work attributed by Genadius to
a Roman named Ursinus, c. 400. He was followed by some
earlier critics, Routh, Oudin, and lately by Zahn. But it was
almost certainly written during the baptismal controversy
under Stephen. It comes from Rome (so
Harnack and others) or from Mauretania (so Ernst, Monceaux, d'Arles), and
is directed against the view of Cyprian. The little homily "De
Aleatoribus" has had quite a literature of its own within the
last few years, since it was attributed by Harnack to Pope
Victor, and therefore accounted the earliest Latin ecclesiastical writing.
The controversy has at least made it clear that the author was either very
early or not orthodox.
It has been shown to be improbable that he was very early, and Harnack now
admits that the work is by an antipope,
either Novatianist or Donatist.
References to all the brochures and articles on the subject will be found in
Ehrhard, in Bardenhewer, and especially in Harnack (Chronol., II, 370 sqq.).
"De Montibus Sina et Sion" is possibly older
than Cyprian's time (see Harnack, and also Turner in Journal of
Theol. Studies, July 1906). "Ad Vigilium Episcopum de Judaica
incredulitate" is by a certain Celsus, and was once supposed by Harnack
and Zahn to be addressed to the well-known Vigilius of Thapsus,
but Macholz has now convinced Harnack that it dates from either the persecution of Valerian or
that of Maxentius.
The two "Orationes" are of uncertain date and authorship.
The tract "De Singularitate clericorum" has been attributed
by Dom Morin and by Harnack to the Donatist Bishop Macrobius in
the fourth century. "De Duplici Martyrio ad Fortunatum" is
found in no manuscript,
and was apparently written by Erasmus in
1530. "De Paschâ computus" was written in the year preceding Easter,
243. All the above spuria are printed in Hartel's edition
of Cyprian. The "Exhortatio de paenitentia" (first printed by
Trombelli in 1751) is placed in the fourth or fifth century by Wunderer,
but in Cyprian's time or Monceaux. Four letter are also given by
Hartel; the first is the original commencement of the "Ad Donatum".
The others are forgeries; the third, according to Mercati, is by a
fourth-century Donatist.
The six poems are by one author, of quite uncertain date. The amusing
"Cena Cypriani" is found in a large number of Cyprianic manuscripts.
Its date is uncertain; it was re-edited by Blessed Rhabanus
Maurus. On the use of it at pageants in the early Middle
Ages, see Mann, "History of the Popes", II, 289.
The principal editions of the works of St.
Cyprian are: Rome,
1471 (the ed. princeps), dedicated to Paul
II; reprinted, Venice,
1471, and 1483; Memmingen, c. 1477; Deventer, c. 1477; Paris, 1500; ed. by
Rembolt (Paris, 1512); by Erasmus (Basle,
1520 and frequently; the ed. of 1544 was printed at Cologne). A careful
critical edition was prepared by Latino Latini, and published
by Manutius (Rome, 1563); Morel also went to the manuscripts (Paris,
1564); so did Pamele (Antwerp, 1568), but with less
success; Rigault did somewhat better (Paris, 1648,
etc.). John Fell, Bishop of Oxford and Dean of
Christ Church, published a well-known edition from manuscripts in England (Oxford,
1682). The dissertations by Dodwell and the "Annales
Cyprianici" by Pearson, who arranged the letters
in chronological order, make this edition important, though the text
is poor. The edition prepared by Etienne Baluze was
brought out after his death by Dom Prudence Maran (Paris, 1726),
and has been several times reprinted, especially by Migne (P.L.,
IV and V). The best edition is that of the Vienna Academy (C.S.E.L., vol. III,
in 3 parts, Vienna,
1868-1871), edited from the manuscripts by
Hartel. Since then much work has been done upon the history of the
text, and especially on the order of the letters and treatises
as witnessing to the genealogy of the codices.
Sources
A stichometrical list, probably made in 354, of the
Books of the Bible, and of many works of St. Cyprian, was published in 1886
from a manuscript then at Cheltenham by MOMMSEN, Zur lat. Stichometric; Hermes,
XXI, 142; ibid. (1890), XXV, 636, on a second MS. at St. Gall. See SANDAY and
TURNER in Studia Biblica (Oxford, 1891), III; TURNER in Classical Review
(1892), etc.), VI, 205. On Oxford MSS., see WORDSWORTh in Old Lat. Biblical
Texts (Oxford, 1886), II, 123; on Madrid MSS., SCHULZ, Th. Lit. Zeitung (1897),
p. 179. On other MSS., TURNER in Journal of Th. St., III, 282, 586, 579;
RAMSAY, ibid., III, 585, IV, 86. On the significance of the order, CHAPMAN,
ibid., IV, 103; VON SODEN, Die cyprianische Briefsammlung (Leipzig, 1904).
There are many interesting points in MERCATI, D'alcuni nuovi sussidi per la
critica del testo di S. Cipriano (Rome, 1899).
On the life of St. Cyprian: PEARSON, Annales
Cyprianici, ed. FELL; Acta SS., 14 Sept; RETTBERG, Th. Caec. Cyprianus
(Gottingen, 1831); FREPPEL, Saint Cyprien et l'Église d'Afrique (Paris, 1865,
etc.); PETERS, Der hl. Cypr. v. Karth. Ratisbon, 1877); Freppel and Peters
occasionally exaggerate in the Catholic interest. FECHTRUP, Der hl. Cyprian
(Munster, 1878); RITSCHL, Cyprian v. K. und die Verfassung der Kirche (Gottingen,
1885); BENSON, Cyprian, his life, his times, his work (London, 1897). (This is
the fullest and best English life; it is full of enthusiasm, but marred by
odium theologicum, and quite untrustworthy when controversial point arise,
whether against Nonconformists or against Catholics.) MONCEAUX, Hist.
litt. de l'Afrique chrét. (Paris, 1902), II, a valuable work. Of the
accounts in histories, encyclopedias, and patrologies, the best is that of
BARDENHEWER, Gesch. der altkirchl. Lit. (Freiburg, 1903), II. PEARSON's
chronological order of the letters is given in HARTEL's edition. Rectifications
are proposed by RITSCHL, De Epistulis Cyprianicis (Halle, 1885), and Cyprian v.
Karthago (Gottingen, 1885); by NELKE, Die Chronologie der Korresp. Cypr.
(Thorn, 1902); by VON SODEN, op. cit.; by BENSON and MONCEAUX. These views are
discussed by BARDENHEWER. loc. cit., and HARNACK, Chronol., II. BONACCORSI, Le
lettere di S. Cipriano in Riv. storico-critica delle scienze teol. (Rome,
1905), I, 377; STUFLER, Die Behandlung der Gefallenen zur Zeit der decischen
Verfolgung in Zeitschrift fur Kathol. Theol., 1907, XXXI, 577; DWIGHT, St.
Cyprian and the libelli martyrum in Amer. Cath. Qu. Rev. (1907), XXXII, 478. On
the chronology of the baptismal controversy, D'ALES, La question baptismale au
temps de Saint-Cyprien in Rev. des Questions Hist. (1907), p. 353.
On Cyprian's Biblical text: CORSSEN, Zur Orientierung
uber die bisherige Erforschung der klass. Altertumswiss. (1899); SANDAY in Old
Latin Bibl. Texts (1886), II; TURNER in Journ. Theol. St., II, 600, 610;
HEIDENREICH, Der ntl. Text bei Cyprian (Bamberg, 1900); MONCEAUX, op. cit.;
CORSSEN, Der cypr. Text der Acta Ap. (Berlin, 1892); ZAHN, Forschungen
(Erlangen, 1891), IV, 79 (on Cyprian's text of the Apoc.). A new edition (Oxford
Univ. Press) is expected of the Testimonia by SANDAY and TURNER. Tentative
prolegomena to it by TURNER in Journal Theological Studies (1905), VI, 246, and
(1907), IX, 62. The work has been interpolated; see RAMSAY, On early insertions
in the third book of St. Cyprian's Text in Journal of Theol. St. (1901), II,
276. Testimonies of the ancients to Cyprian in HARNACK, Gesch. der altchristl.
Lit., I; GOTZ, Gesch. der cyprianischen Literatur bis zu der Zeit der ersten
erhaltenen Handschriften (Basle, 1891). On the Latin of St. Cyprian an
excellent essay by WATSON, The Style and Language of St. Cyprian in Stud. Bibl.
(Oxford, 1896), IV; BAYARD, Le Latin de Saint Cyprien (Paris, 1902). The
letters of Cornelius are in Vulgar Latin (see MERCATI, op. cit.), and so are
Epp. viii (anonymous) and xxi-xxiv (Celerinus, Lucian, Confessors, Caldonius);
they have been edited by MIODONSKI, Adversus Alcatores (Erlangen and Leipzig,
1889). On the interpolations in De Unitate Eccl., see HARTEL, Preface; BENSON,
pp. 200-21, 547-552; CHAPMAN, Les interpolations dans le traite de Saint
Cyprien sur l'unité de l'Église in Revue Benedictine (1902), XIX, 246, 357, and
(1903), XX, 26; HARNACK in Theo. Litt. Zeitung (1903), no. 9, and in Chronol.,
II; WATSON in Journal Theol. St. (1904), p. 432; CHAPMAN, ibid., p. 634, etc.
On particular points see HARNACK in Texte und Untersuch., IV, 3, VIII, 2; on
the letters of the Roman clergy HARNACK in Theol. Abhandl. Carl v.
Weisacker gewidmet (Freiburg, 1896).
On Cyprian's theology much has been written. RITSCHL
is fanciful and unsympathetic, BENSON untrustworthy. GOTZ, Das Christentum
Cyprians (Giessen, 1896). On his trust in visions, HARNACK, Cyprian als
Enthusiast in Zeitschr. fur ntl. Wiss. (1902), III, ibid. On the baptismal
controversy and Cyprian's excommunication, see GRISAR in Zeitschr. fur
kath. Theol. (1881), V; HOENSBROECH, ibid. (1891), XV; ERNST, ibid., XVII,
XVIII, XIX. POSCHMANN, Die Sichtbarkeit der Kirche nach der Lehre des
h. Cypr. (Breslau, 1907); RIOU, La genèse de l'unité catholique et la
pensée de Cyprien (Paris, 1907). To merely controversial works it is
unnecessary to refer.
The above is only a selection from an immense
literature on Cyprian and the pseudo-Cyprianic writings, for which see
CHEVALIER, Bio-Bibl., and RICHARDSON, Bibliographical Synopsis. Good lists in
VON SODEN, and in HARNACK, Chronol., II; the very full references in
BARDENHEWER are conveniently classified.
Chapman, John. "St. Cyprian of
Carthage." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York:
Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 16 Sept.
2015 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04583b.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for
New Advent by Michael T. Barrett. Dedicated to JoAnn Smull.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. Remy
Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2020 by Kevin Knight. Dedicated
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04583b.htm
St. Cyprian, Archbishop
of Carthage, Martyr
We have his life written
by Pontius, his deacon, an eye-witness to his principal actions; also two-fold
genuine copies of extracts from the Precidial Acts of his two examinations, and
of his martyrdom. The saint’s epistles furnishes us with ample memoirs. See his
life compiled by Tillemont, t. 3, and best by Dom. Maran, the Maurist monk,
prefixed to the edition of this father’s works, prepared by Baluze, before his
death, but published by Maran in 1726. The Cyprianic annals of Bishop Pearson,
and some of Dodwell’s Dissertations, printed in the Oxford edition, are of
great service. Maran has corrected several mistakes, particularly relating to
the schism of Novatus, into which Pearson, Tillemont, and all who had wrote
before him, had been led. See also the life of St. Cyprian compiled in French
by M. Lombert, who printed a French translation of all his works in 1672.
Another elegant translation of the same was printed at Rouen in 1716, with
learned remarks; and Suysken the Bollandist, t. 3, Sept. p. 191.
A.D. 258.
THASCIUS CYPRIAN was a
native of Carthage, his father being one of the principal senators of that
city. He made great improvements in philosophy and all the liberal arts,
applied himself to the study of oratory and eloquence with great success, and
was made public professor of rhetoric at Carthage. This employment was
anciently most honourable, and all this time he lived suitably to the rank of
his birth, in great pomp and plenty; in honour and power, wearing a splendid
attire, and never stirring abroad without a pompous retinue, and a crowd of
clients and followers waiting upon him. He tells us in his book to Donatus,
that he had lived a long time amidst the fasces, which were the Roman emblem of
the supreme magistracy; but he deplores that he was then a slave to vice and
evil habits. The far greater part of his life he passed in the errors of
paganism, and he was upon the borders of old age when he was rescued from the
darkness of idolatry, and the servitude of vice and errors.
There resided at Carthage
a holy old priest, whose name was Cecilius. With him Cyprian contracted an
acquaintance, and by his discourses on the excellency of the Christian
religion, he began to relish exceedingly its divine truths, and the sanctity of
its precepts; but still his carnal heart made strong efforts in favour of the
world and his passions. He describes, in his book to Donatus, the struggle
which he felt within himself, as follows: “I lay,” says he, “in darkness, and I
floated on the boisterous sea of this world a stranger to the light, and
uncertain where to fix my feet. I then thought what I was told of a second
birth, and the method of salvation by it, propounded by the divine goodness,
extremely hard and impracticable. I could not conceive how a man could receive
the principles of a new life from the sacred laver of regeneration, cease to be
what he was before, become quite a new person, and though still retaining the
same bodily constitution, put off the old man, and be entirely renewed in the
spirit of his mind; for how (thought I with myself) is so great an alteration
possible or practicable? How shall I do to leave off on a sudden, and in an
instant, radicated customs, in which I am grown old? How can one who remains
still in the midst of those objects which have so long struck and charmed his
senses, strip himself of all his former inclinations and inveterate habits?
These time and continuance have made natural to me, and they are closely
rivetted in the very frame of my being. When is it known that a person is
transformed into an example of constant frugality and sobriety, who has been
always accustomed to sumptuous and dainty fare, to live in plenty, and to
indulge his appetites without restraint? How rarely does a man become content
with plain apparel and unornamented dress who hath been used to sparkle in gold
and jewels, and embroidered garments! The man of ambitious views, who pleases
himself, and glories in the ensigns of power and authority, can never love an
inglorious private life. In like manner, there is almost a necessity, that wine
should engage, that pride should swell, that anger should inflame, that
greediness of gain should devour, that ambition should amuse and please, and
that lust should tyrannize over a man who hath long indulged such inclinations.
These, and such as these, were frequently my soliloquies; for, as I was deeply
entangled and ensnared in the errors of my former life, which I judged it
impossible for me ever to disengage myself from, I gave way to the solicitation
of my usual vices, added strength to them by indulgence, and despairing of any
possible cure, hugged the chain which had become natural to me, so that I
looked upon it as a part of myself; but as soon as the life-giving waters of
baptism had washed out the spots of my soul, my heart had received the light of
the heavenly truth, the Spirit of God had descended upon me, and I was thence
become a new creature, presently all my difficulties were surprisingly cleared,
my doubts were resolved, and all my former darkness was dispelled. Things
appeared easy to me, which before I looked upon as difficult and discouraging:
I was convinced that I was able to do and suffer all that which heretofore had
seemed impossible. I then saw that the earthly principle which I derived from
my first birth, exposed me to sin and death; but that the new principle which I
had received from the Spirit of God, in his spiritual birth, gave me new ideas
and inclinations, and directed all my views to God.” He goes on professing all
this to have been in him the pure gift and mercy of God, and ascribing it
wholly to the power of his grace; which, he adds, we are bound continually to
ask with earnestness and humility, as by it alone we are enabled to will and to
do.
Cecilius, the holy
priest, was the happy instrument in the hands of God, of his conversion; and
Cyprian ever after reverenced him as his father and guardian-angel, and to
express his gratitude would from that time be called Thascius Cecilius Cyprian,
joining the name of his benefactor (whom he acknowledged under God the author
of his spiritual life) with his own. Cecilius had, in return, the greatest
confidence in his virtue, and on his death-bed recommended his wife and
children to his care and protection; for he had been married before he was
raised to the priesthood. Cecilius left behind him the most excellent character
for all good qualities, and Cyprian became, as it were, the heir of his piety,
says Pontius. This author takes notice, that the fervent convert set himself
with great eagerness to read the holy Scriptures, and to inform himself of all
those lessons which would be of use to him. in his great design of obtaining
God’s favour. Finding the sacred oracles very copious in the commendation of
purity and continence, he made a resolution to practise those virtues for the
more easy attainment of true perfection. Soon after his baptism he sold his
whole estate, and gave almost all the money, and whatever else he possessed,
for the support of the poor; by which, says Pontius, he gained two points of
principal importance, renouncing and despising all secular views (than which
nothing is more fatal to all the true interests of piety and religion) and
fulfilling the law of charity, which God himself prefers to all sacrifices.
With the study of the holy scriptures St. Cyprian joined that of their best
expositors, and in a short time became acquainted with the most approved
ecclesiastical writers. He was particularly delighted with the writings of his
countryman Tertullian, scarcely passed a day without reading something in them,
and when he called for them, used to say: “Reach hither my master,” as St.
Jerom relates. But though he admired his genius, and the variety of his
learning, he was upon his guard not to imitate any of his faults or
errors. 1 St.
Cyprian led a retired penitential life, and by the fervour of his conversion
made such wonderful progress in the exercises of a virtuous life, that whilst
he was yet in the rank of the Neophytes or persons lately baptized, at the
earnest request of the people he was raised to the priesthood; his
extraordinary merit being judged sufficient reason for dispensing in the rule
laid down by St. Paul against admitting Neophytes to holy orders.
During the short time
that he served the church in the sacerdotal functions he did many great things;
and within less than a year after, Donatus, bishop of Carthage, dying, the
clergy and people conspired to demand that he should be raised to that high dignity
in the church. At the first news of this motion, the humble servant of Christ
fled, judging himself unfit for so weighty an employment, and begging that some
more worthy person, and one of his seniors, might be chosen to that dignity.
His declining it made the people keener in their desires, as it showed him to
be the more worthy. A great multitude beset his house, and guarded all the ways
that led to it, so that he could not make his escape from them. He attempted to
get out at a window, but finding it in vain, he yielded, and showed himself to
the people, who were impatiently waiting for him, divided between hope and
fear. He was received with great joy, and consecrated with the unanimous
approbation of the bishops of the province in the year 248, as bishop Pearson
and Tillemont prove. Five priests with some of the people opposed his election,
alleging that he was yet a novice in the church. St. Cyprian treated these
persons as if they had been his best friends, and expressed so much goodness
towards them, that every body admired him for it. In the discharge of the
episcopal functions he showed abundance of piety, charity, goodness, and
courage, mixed with vigour and steadiness. His very aspect was reverend and
gracious beyond what can be expressed, says Pontius, and no one could look him
in the face without a secret awe upon his spirits: his countenance had a happy
mixture in it of cheerfulness and gravity; his brow was neither too contracted
nor too open, but equally removed from both extremes of gaiety and severity, so
that a person who beheld him might doubt whether he should love or respect him
most; only this was certain, that he deserved the highest degrees both of
respect and love. His dress was of a piece with his countenance, neither
affectedly sordid nor pompous. How careful he was of the poor when he was
bishop may be judged from his tenderness for them whilst he was only a
catechumen.
The church enjoyed peace
under the reign of Philip for above a year after St. Cyprian’s promotion to the
see of Carthage. But Decius, who was sent by that emperor to chastise certain
rebels in Pannonia, was proclaimed emperor by them, and advancing towards
Italy, gained a great victory over Philip’s forces who was killed by his
soldiers at Verona, and his son at Rome in 249. Decius began his reign by
raising a bloody persecution against the church. The cruel edict reached
Carthage in the beginning of the year 250. It was no sooner made public, but
the idolaters, in a kind of sedition, ran to the marketplace, confusedly
crying; “Cyprian to the lions: Cyprian to the wild beasts.” The saint was
publicly proscribed by the name of “Cecilius Cyprian, bishop of the
Christians;” and every one was commanded not to hide or conceal his goods. By
his remarkable conversion and great zeal, his name was so odious to them, that
in derision they called him Coprianus, alluding to a Greek word which signifies
dung. He was often sought for by the persecutors on this occasion. St. Cyprian
consulted God, according to his custom, what he ought to do. It is the part of
a hireling to fly when the flock is left destitute in time of danger. But there
were at that time many weak ones among the faithful at Carthage, as appeared by
the great number of those that soon after fell; the havoc which the enemy made
there would have probably been much greater if providence had not preserved St.
Cyprian, that by his active zeal and authority he might maintain discipline,
and repair the ruins caused by the persecution. In order to procure to his
flock all necessary support and comfort during the storm, the holy bishop was
persuaded that the precept of flying from one city to another held good in his
case; and during his deliberation he was favoured with a vision, in which
Christ commanded him to consult his own safety by a prudent retreat, as Pontius
testifies in his life, and as Saint Cyprian himself assures us. 2 The
clergy of Rome who by severe glances reflected upon his flight, as if by it he
had in some measure forsaken the flock, were not apprised of his motives, or of
these circumstances.. Moreover, by his staying at Carthage the heathens would
have been provoked to fall more severely upon the whole church.
During his recess, though
absent in body, yet he was with his flock in spirit, supplying the want of his
presence by frequent letters, pious counsels, admonitions, reproofs,
exhortations, and hearty prayers to heaven for the welfare and prosperity of
his church. He exhorted them to continual prayer to God, saying: “What hath
moved me more particularly to write to you in this manner, was an admonition
which I received in a vision from heaven, saying unto me: ‘Ask and you shall
have.’” 3 He
assured them that the Christians by falling into sloth and a relaxation of
manners during the long peace, had deserved this scourge for their trial and
amendment; and that this storm had been discovered by God before it happened,
to a devout person at Carthage, by a vision of the enemy under the figure of a
net-fencer (a kind of gladiator) watching to destroy the faithful, because they
did not stand upon their guard. 4 In
the same epistle the saint mentions another revelation of God, which he
himself, though the last of all his servants, as he styles himself, had
received concerning the end of the persecution, and the restoration of the
peace of the church. 5 St.
Cyprian during his absence committed the care his church to certain vicars, of
whom some were bishops, as Caldonius and Herculanus; some priests, as Rogatian,
Numidicus, and Tertullus. By frequent letters he warned and exhorted his flock,
encouraged the confessors in the prisons, and took care that priests in turns
should visit them, and offer the sacrifice of the altar and give them the holy
communion every day in their dungeons. Two affairs at that time gave him much
disturbance; the schism of Novatus and Felicissimus, and a controversy about
the absolution of the lapsed.
Felicissimus, a turbulent
clerk of Carthage, had with five priests opposed the election and ordination of
St. Cyprian. During the retreat of that holy pastor, Novatus, a priest of
Carthage, formed an open schism. He was a man of an unquiet disposition,
covetous, presumptuous, a lover of novelty, and suspected by the bishops in
point of faith. He had robbed the widows and orphans, misapplied the revenues
of the church, and suffered his aged father to perish with hunger in a certain
village, without so much as taking care to bury him. For these and other
reasons the brethren were very urgent to have him deposed and excommunicated.
The time of his trial was near at hand, when the persecution beginning, no
assemblies could be held. In order to prevent his condemnation, he separated
himself from his bishop, persuading some others to do the same, and pretending
to ordain Felicissimus for his deacon, a man like himself, who had been
convicted of several frauds and robberies; they were joined in their schism by
five other priests, and held their assemblies upon a mountain. Some among the
lapsed and confessors, who were angry at St. Cyprian’s severity towards the
former, adhered to them; for Novatus received, without any canonical penance,
all apostates that desired to return to the communion of the church. 6 St.
Cyprian, finding other remedies only served to make the schismatics more
insolent, sent a commission to the bishops and priests, whom he had appointed
to act in his stead, to declare the ringleaders among them excommunicated;
which was done according to his orders. About the beginning of the year 251,
St. Cyprian wrote to his flock, exhorting them to beware of being misled by the
schism, which he calls more dangerous than the persecutions of the pagans.
“There is,” says he, “one God, and one Christ, and but one episcopal chair,
originally founded on Peter, by our Lord’s authority. There cannot therefore be
erected another altar, or another priesthood. Whatever any man in his rage or
rashness shall appoint, in defiance of the divine institution, must be a
spurious, profane, and sacrilegious ordinance.” 7 Novatian
and Novatus having kindled a schism at Rome against Pope Cornelius, St. Cyprian
wrote his excellent book, On the Unity of the Church, in which he more fully
explains the same principles, which overthrow all schisms and heresies which
can arise in the church. The case of the absolution of the lapsed who returned
penitent to the church, gave more exercise to the zeal of our holy pastor than
the schism itself.
Virtue which had stood
the fiercest persecutions, is often seen to melt at the first ray of
prosperity; so dangerous are its flattering blandishments. St. Cyprian
complains in many parts of his works, 8 that
the peace which the church had enjoyed 9 had
enervated in some Christians the watchfulness and spirit of their holy
profession, and had opened a door to many converts who had not the true spirit
of our faith; from which sources a sensible relaxation was discoverable in the
manners of many. Their virtue therefore being put to the test, in the
persecution raised by Decius, many wanted courage to stand the trial. The
lapsed, whether apostates who had sacrificed to idols, or Libellatici who,
without sacrificing, had purchased for money certificates that they had offered
sacrifice, were not admitted to assist at the holy mysteries, before they had
gone through a most rigorous course of public penance, consisting of four
degrees, and of several years’ continuance, as is prescribed for much less
heinous sins than that of apostacy, in the canonical epistle of St. Gregory
Thaumaturgus, written about that time. When, during this penitential term,
absolution was given in danger of death, if the penitent recovered he was
obliged to accomplish his course as to the austerities enjoined him.
Relaxations of these penances, called indulgences, were granted on certain
extraordinary occasions, as on account of the uncommon fervour of a penitent;
of which several instances occur in ecclesiastical antiquity; also, on occasion
of a new violent persecution being raised in the church.
Thus St. Cyprian, in 252,
when the persecution of Gallus began to threaten the church, decreed, “that all
the penitents should receive the peace of the church who professed themselves
ready to enter the lists afresh; there to abide the utmost heat of battle, and
manfully to fight for the name of the Lord, and for their own salvation.” For
the reasons of which indulgence he alleged, that it was necessary “to make a
general rendezvous of Christ’s soldiers within his camp, who are desirous to
have arms put into their hands, and seem eager for the engagement.” So long as
we had peaceable times, there was reason for a longer continuance of penitents
under a state of mortification; yet so as to relax it in the case of sickness
and danger. Now the living have as much need of communion as the dying then
had, unless we would leave those naked and defenceless, whom we are exhorting
and encouraging to fight our Lord’s battle: whereas we should rather support
and strengthen them with the body and blood of Christ. The design of the
eucharist being to be a defence and security for those who partake of it, we
should fortify those whose safety we are concerned for with the armour of our
Lord’s banquet. How shall they be able to die for Christ if we deny them the
blood of Christ? How shall we fit them for drinking the cup of martyrdom, if we
will not first admit them to the cup of the Lord? 10 It
was also customary to grant indulgences to penitents who brought tickets from
some martyr going to execution, or from some confessor in prison for the faith,
containing a request in their behalf, which the bishop and his clergy examined,
and often ratified. This practice was established in Africa in Tertullian’s
time, 11 in
Egypt, in the days of St. Dionysius of Alexandria, 12 in
Asia, as appears from the acts of St. Pionius, and in other places. In St.
Cyprian’s time this custom degenerated in Africa into a great abuse by the
multitude of such tickets, and their often being given in too peremptory terms,
and without examination or discernment, to the great prejudice of souls, and
the relaxation of the discipline of penance.
St. Cyprian being
informed of the mischief which threatened his flock in June, 250, severely
condemned it by three letters which he despatched together, one to the martyrs
and confessors, the second to the priests and deacons, and a third to his
people. In the first 13 he
expresses the utmost concern to the confessors that they had not been better
instructed by his priests in the rules of the gospel than they appeared to have
been, and that by their recommendation “some priests had presumed to make
oblations for the lapsed, 14 and
to admit them to the holy eucharist; that is, indeed, to profane the body of
our Lord. And as a further aggravation,” says he, “they have admitted these
sinners to communion before any submission made by them to penitential
discipline, before any confession made of their heinous and crying sin, and
before any imposition of hands made by the bishop and his clergy unto penance.
Such priests, instead of approving themselves the true shepherds of the sheep,
become as bad to them as butchers and murderers. For a mischievous
condescension is, in effect, a cheat; nor are those who have fallen raised by
such helps, but rather cast down, and pushed upon destruction.” He adds: “I beseech
you, with all possible earnestness, to set before your eyes the examples of
your predecessors, and to consider how careful other martyrs, who are gone
before you, were in making such grants; duly weigh the reasonableness and
justice of the petitions which you hand to me. I again entreat you, that you
see the persons, acquaint yourselves with their circumstances, and be assured
that their humiliation comes very near the just measures of a legitimate and
full satisfaction.” The saint’s letter to the priests 15 is
a much more severe rebuke, that some of their order (whom he threatens to
restrain from offering, that is, to suspend), forgetting the rules of the
gospel, as well as the rank which they held in the church, rashly and hastily
admitted penitents to communion upon the tickets of confessors; “though,” says
he, “they have not performed their penance, made no humble confession of their
sin, nor received the imposition of hands from the bishop and his clergy; the
holy eucharist is administered to them, in defiance of the scripture, which
saith: Whoever shall eat or drink unworthily, shall be guilty of the body
and blood of the Lord, 1 Cor. xi. 27.” Fleury remarks, that St. Cyprian
here does not take the word exomologesis, with Tertullian, for the
whole course of penance, but for a part of it, according to the Greek word,
namely, confession, which was made either publicly or privately,
after penance was ended, before receiving reconciliation by the imposition of
hands. 16 The
holy bishop, in his letter to his people, recommends to them to restrain by
their advice, the forwardness of such confessors within the limits prescribed
by the gospel. 17 He,
however, dispenses in case of sickness, or other extreme danger, and allows
such, with tickets from the martyrs, to be reconciled, “when they have made the
humble confession of their sin before any priest or deacon, 18 whom
they can procure to attend them.” 19 Lucian,
and certain others among the confessors at Carthage, wrote an imperious letter
to St. Cyprian upon this subject, 20 but
the holy pastor strenuously maintained his point. 21
The see of Rome being
then vacant, St. Cyprian wrote concerning this affair to the clergy of that
church, who, by an excellent answer, confirmed the same law of holy penance,
and discipline of the church. 22 They
were by that time well satisfied of the just reasons St. Cyprian had for his
retreat; and condemn over-hasty absolutions. “God forbid,” say they, “that ever
the Roman church should be so easy and compliant, or have so little regard to
the interests of religion, as to relax the severity and rigour of its
discipline. The remedy too hastily applied can do those that are fallen no sort
of service; but through a mistaken compassion, would fester the wound received
by the first offence, and to their greater destruction, deprive the unhappy
souls of the advantages they might reap from a true repentance. For how is it
possible that the medicinal grace of forgiveness should have its effect, if he
who hath the dispensation of it becomes fond of increasing the danger, by
contracting the time which should be allowed for the removal of it, by a
legitimate and proper penance? If he choose only to skin over the wound, and
will not allow due time for the operation of his medicines, nor for closing it
by surer and slower degrees? This, if we would speak out plainly, is not
to cure, but to kill. Let penitents knock at the doors of
the church; but let them not proceed to violence, nor to break them open. Let
their tears and lamentations, coming from the very bottom of their hearts,
plead their cause for them, and speak their shame and sorrow for their sin.
Nay, if they have really a just horror of their guilt, and would have the deep
and dangerous wounds of their consciences handed skilfully, they should even
ask with shame. Let them ask, agreeably to the rules of the gospel, with
modesty and humility. The mercies of God may be considered; but then his
justice should also be remembered. He hath prepared a heaven, but he hath
prepared a hell too,” &c. A letter also which the confessors at Rome wrote
out of prison to those in Africa (much extolled in this and St. Cyprian’s
letters, though not now extant) contributed very much to the support of
discipline.
St. Cyprian writes of a
certain priest named Gaius, who admitted the lapsed to communion, and of such
others: “Let them be suspended from their monthly dividend.” 23 For
the revenues of the clergy then consisted chiefly of the oblations of the
faithful, which were divided every month into four parts, one of which was
assigned to the bishop, and one to his clergy, so that the bishop’s share
equalled that of all his clergy together. The other two parts were allowed to
the poor, and the expenses of oratories or churches. 24 The
Roman clergy tell St. Cyprian, in another letter, that they hoped the
impatience of the lapsed would wear off with time; “and then they will be
thankful,” say they, “that they have been kept in hand for a season, till their
cure could be depended on.” 25 The
schismatics Novatus and Felicissimus supported the cause of the lapsed, and the
rebellious clergy and confessors; but Novatus retired to Rome in the beginning
of the year 251, where St. Cornelius was chosen pope in June that same year.
St. Cyprian congratulated with him upon his election, and they joined their forces
against the double schism kindled both at Rome and in Africa.
At the end of the year
250 the persecution was considerably abated at Carthage, upon the expiration of
the proconsul’s annual authority. It ceased by the death of the two Decii,
father and son, who perished together, by the treachery of Gallus, their
general, as they were fighting against the Carpi, a Scythian nation, near
Abrutum, in Mysia, part of Scythia, in November, 251, the elder Decius having
reigned about two years and six months. St. Cyprian was returned to Carthage in
April that same year, after an exile which he calls of two years, though it
seems only to have continued about fourteen months, as Tillemont observes. Soon
after his return he held a numerous council at Carthage, in which the
schismatics were condemned, and it was ordered that the lapsed should remain in
a course of penance. St. Cyprian granted them afterwards a plenary indulgence
in a second council which he held at Carthage soon after Easter the following
year, the persecution of Gallus then beginning to threaten the church, as has
been already mentioned. Our saint is thought to have read in the first of these
councils his treatise, On the Lapsed, which he published soon after he came out
of his retreat. 26
Visions continued very
frequent in the church in that age, as the learned Mr. Dodwell 27 has
proved, tracing the evidences of this prophetic spirit through almost every
writer, from the apostolic age to this period, namely, from the works of
Hermas, Clement, Romanus, Ignatius, Polycarp, Quadratus, Justin, Melito,
Tertullian, Origen, Dionysius, Alexandrinus, &c. St. Cyprian mentions several
visions with which God had favoured him and many other persons. He assures us,
that he received from God an express order to fly and lie concealed when he was
proscribed or outlawed in the reign of Decius. Pontius, in his life, tells us,
that it was purely owing to his fear of offending God, which induced him rather
to obey the commands of God than to be crowned with martyrdom against the will
of God, to whom in everything he was entirely devoted. He so firmly depended on
the truth of those admonitions which he received from heaven, that he was
persuaded he should commit a sin by suffering, if he had not then concealed
himself, when our Lord commanded him to do so. This historian observes, that he
was preserved by a merciful Providence, lest his weak flock should have been
totally dispersed, and the discipline of penance enervated in it by the
persecutions, first of the heathens, and afterwards of the lapsed. During which
dangers this skilful manager bound up the wounds of the brethren, and, by his
watchfulness, defeated the stratagems by which the cunning enemy sought to
impose upon those who were found not to be upon their guard. Such circumstances
render the vision more credible at those times when miraculous powers were
frequent.
St. Cyprian, in his
eleventh epistle to his priests and deacons, 28 mentions
several other visions; one by which he was moved to exhort them to continual
prayer. “I received,” says he, “an admonition from heaven, in a vision, saying,
Ask, and you shall receive. Next, my people were directed in the same vision to
ask for certain persons; but they could not agree in asking, which exceedingly
displeased him who had said, Ask, and you shall receive; because it is
written: God maketh men to be of one mind in a house.” 29 He
subjoins the vision of the net-fencer, representing the devil threatening the
people, which pointed out the impending persecution of Decius; and gives an
account of a third vision, in which it was shown him that this persecution was
drawing towards an end, in the following words: “To the least of all his
servants, who hath many sins to account for, and in all respects is unworthy of
such a condescension, God, in his infinite mercy, hath been pleased to give the
following direction, saying: ‘Bid him be secure and easy, for settled times are
coming: and, as to the intervening delay of them, there is reason for it,
seeing there are some yet remaining to be proved in this trial.’ Even as to the
point of spare diet, we have some intimation from above, with a manifest view
of preventing any declensions in the vigour of heavenly virtue, through the
allurements of the world; and of disengaging the mind from the weight and
incumbrance of satiety, that it might more easily and expeditely watch for
prayer.” The English editor observes, that this letter was written in 250, when
there was no human appearance of times growing more peaceable. The departure of
the Decii from Rome soon after, upon their expedition, made some abatement in
the persecution, and their unexpected death put an end to it. The event proved
the author to be neither an enthusiast nor an impostor, who depended with great
assurance upon these visions, especially those which promised peace to the
church; of which he writes again: 30 “Let
us animate one another, and endeavour to make all possible improvements in
virtue, that when our Lord shall mercifully vouchsafe that peace to the church
which he hath promised, we may return to her new men,” &c. When some of the
lapsed had written to St. Cyprian, humbly and modestly begging penance and
reconciliation, the holy bishop said of them: “The Lord is my witness how much
I congratulate with them for this regular and Christian conduct, who hath been
pleased also to reveal to me how highly acceptable it is in his sight.” 31 He
speaks of several other divine revelations which he received: 32 he
was often directed by them in promoting persons to holy orders, and in other
occurrences. He was forewarned by God of the revival of the persecution under
Gallus; of which he wrote to Pope Cornelius as follows: “A storm is coming, and
a furious enemy will speedily declare himself against us; the struggle will not
be like the late one, (that under Decius,) but more sharp and insupportable.
This we have had frequently revealed to us from above, and the merciful
providence of God doth often remind us of it; through whose assistance and
compassion for us, we trust that he who, in times of peace, hath foretold to
his soldiers the approaching battle, will crown them with victory when engaged
in it.” 33 Upon
these revelations he, by a plenary indulgence, admitted the lapsed, who had
entered upon a course of penance, to the benefit of reconciliation and
communion.
In the beginning of this
persecution, in July, 252, Pope Cornelius made a glorious confession of his
faith at Rome, and was banished to Centumcellæ. St. Cyprian congratulated him
hereupon by a letter, 34 in
which he foretels both his and his own approaching martyrdom. “Since it hath
pleased God,” says he, “to advertise me of our approaching trial, I cease not
to endeavour by exhorting my people to prepare for it, and to join with me in
continual watchfulness, fasting, and prayer. Let us cry to God continually, and
avert his wrath: for this is our heavenly armour, which will enable us to stand
our ground with constancy and courage. Let us agree in remembering each other
at this time of peril and distress—and whichever of us shall first be favoured
by our Lord with a removal hence, let our affection still persevere before the
Lord for our brethren, in never ceasing prayers for them.” These two great
saints lived in the closest and most constant union together; we have eight
letters of St. Cyprian to that holy pope, besides a synodal epistle; and it
appears by these that he wrote to him many others. After the martyrdom of St.
Cornelius, which happened the same year, 252, on the 14th of September, St.
Cyprian wrote a letter of congratulation to his successor, St. Lucius, who was
no sooner elected than banished. Being recalled, he died about five months
after his election, on the 4th of March, attaining to a “glorious martyrdom,”
as St. Cyprian assures us. 35
The pestilence, which
broke out first in Ethiopia, in the reign of Decius, and ravaged successively
all the provinces of the empire, fell most heavily of all upon Africa. It grew
more violent under Gallus; afterwards destroyed the armies of Valerian in
Persia, and seemed to redouble its virulence in the reign of Gallien. It is
mentioned also under Claudius II. in 270, though its chief havoc is confined to
the space of twelve years, from 250 to 262. 36 St.
Cyprian describes this distemper, that it began by a sinking of the strength,
with colliquative evacuations, and grievous inflammations of the larynx and
parts adjacent: these symptoms were followed with an inward heat of the bowels,
convulsions of the stomach, violent retchings and vomitings, fiery redness of
the eyes, and mortifications in several parts, which required amputations of
limbs; a weakness contracted in the whole frame rendered the body almost
incapable of motion; a dulness of hearing or a dimness of sight also came upon
the patients. 37 This
fatal contagious distemper swept away daily vast numbers, seizing whole
families one after another, without sparing one individual person in them. 38 All
in this dreadful juncture, were in the utmost consternation, every one striving
to shift for himself, and get to the greatest distance from the infection. The
heathens deserted and exposed their nearest friends, turning the dying patients
out of the doors, as if they could shut death out with them. Living carcases
rather than men lay destitute up and down the streets, begging the assistance
of passengers. Yet many were intent upon an unnatural and cruel plunder of the
goods of others.
St. Cyprian, in this time
of desolation, assembled the Christians at Carthage, and spoke to them strongly
on the duty and advantages of mercy and charity, teaching them that they ought
to extend their care not only to their own people, but also to their enemies
and persecutors. The faithful readily offered themselves to follow his
directions. Their services were severally distributed; the rich contributed
large alms in money; the poor gave only their personal labour and attendance,
having nothing else to bestow. Every one was ambitious to engage in a service
wherein they might so eminently approve themselves to God the Father, and
Christ, the Judge of all, and in which they had at their head so great a leader
and commander as their good bishop. How much the poor and necessitous were, not
only during this pestilence, but at all times, the objects of our saint’s most
tender care, appears from the concern he expressed for them, and the orders he
frequently gave about them in his epistles, even during his absence. It was one
of his usual sayings: “Let not that sleep in thy coffers which may be
profitable to the poor. That which a man must of necessity part with, some time
or other, it is wisdom for him to distribute so, that God may everlastingly
reward him.”
All orders of men shared
the good bishop’s attention, but the clergy above the rest. So solicitous was
he that they should be wholly taken up in the spiritual function of their
charge, that he reckoned it among the great disorders which had crept into the church
during the long continuance of peace before Decius, that some bishops,
“neglecting their high trust, entered upon the management of secular affairs.” 39 In
the town of Furnis, one Geminius Victor had, in his last will, appointed
Geminius Faustinus, a priest of that church, his executor. The sixth among the
apostolic canons (framed in various synods during the three first centuries)
and other synodal decrees of the earliest ages forbade any bishop, priest, or
deacon to engage himself in secular business under pain of being deposed.
Bishop Fell observes that the Roman laws made it penal for any one to refuse
the office of executor or guardian when offered. Wherefore, in this case, the
synods inflicted the penalty on him who should appoint a bishop, priest, or
deacon, either executor or guardian, forbidding “any remembrance of him to be
made at the eucharist, (or mass,) or any oblation to be made for him after his
death. The reason of which was, that the clergy should not be distracted from
their holy ministrations—that they might attend their altar and their sacrifices
without interruption, and fix all their attendance upon religious duties,” as
Saint Cyprian says. Wherefore he ordered “that the name of the said Victor
should not be mentioned at the altar—that no oblation should be made for his
repose, nor the customary prayers of the church be offered up on his behalf,”
as was usually done for the faithful departed. St. Cyprian hoped, by this
instance of severity, to prevent any person from calling down to a lower
employment the priests and ministers of God, whose whole time and care should
be devoted to his altar. 40
In the persecution of
Gallus, some priests, who celebrated the holy eucharist early in the morning,
made use of water only in the chalice, for fear of being discovered by the
scent of the wine. This abuse St. Cyprian condemned and confuted. 41 He
mentions the sign of the cross used at baptism, and on other occasions, 42 and
says, “A Christian is fortified by the defensive sign of the cross.” 43 Several
cities in Numidia having been distressed by an incursion of barbarians, who
were not subject to the Romans, a great number of Christians of both sexes were
carried into captivity by them. Upon this accident eight bishops wrote to St.
Cyprian, imploring his assistance for the redemption of the prisoners. St.
Cyprian shed many tears upon reading these letters, and was particularly
concerned on account of the danger to which the virgins were exposed. At his
recommendation the clergy and people of Carthage raised a sum amounting to a
hundred thousand sestertii, that is, about seven hundred and eighty-one pounds
English. 44 This
money St. Cyprian sent to those bishops, charging them to have recourse to him
again upon all such occasions. 45
About the year 255 began
the controversy concerning the validity of baptism given by heretics. St.
Cyprian having been consulted by eighteen bishops of Numidia concerning that
point, answered, that such a baptism is null, and to be reiterated; which
decree he soon after confirmed in a synod of seventy-two bishops, which he held
at Carthage. The pretended reasons for this mistaken notion he sums up in his
epistle to Jubaianus. 46 In
what manner St. Stephen maintained the tradition of the church upon this head,
has been related in the life of that holy pope and martyr. What the behaviour
of St. Cyprian would have been had he seen the controversy determined by the
decision of the church, cannot be doubted from the principles which he himself
lays down. 47 Nor
did he question the superior authority of St. Stephen; though in a point which
he thought to belong merely to discipline, not to faith, he thought he might
maintain the custom which he found established at Carthage by a predecessor
named Agrippinus. Neither was he unacquainted with the dignity of the Roman
see, which he calls “The chair of Peter, the principal church, the origin of
the sacerdotal unity; whither perfidy cannot find access.” 48 If
he for some time betrayed a warmth in this controversy, how much he repented of
it appears by the book which he afterwards wrote on patience; and, if he
offended, this was effaced by his perfect charity and glorious martyrdom, as
St. Austin frequently repeats.
Whilst this controversy
was carried on, the church enjoyed some tranquillity. For Gallus did not reign
full two years, being slain by his own troops. Emilianus, who had revolted
against him, met with the like fate after four months, and Valerian, who next
stept into the throne, was favourable to the Christians, till, through the
instigation of Macrianus, his general, he raised a most bloody persecution in
257, which raged three years and a half, till that emperor was taken prisoner
by the Persians. 49 St.
Cyprian so effectually encouraged his flock to martyrdom, that many who had
fallen under Decius, and been by an indulgence reconciled by St. Cyprian, upon
the approach of the persecution of Gallus, in it courageously suffered
martyrdom; whose example is made use of to confound the harshness of Novatian
in rejecting such penitents, in the work of a learned contemporary writer
against that heresiarch, which has sometimes been ascribed to St. Cyprian.
Indefatigable was the zeal of our holy bishop in exhorting the confessors, and
in procuring them all possible succour. He was also careful in devoutly
honouring the memory of the martyrs, after their triumphs, by sacrifices of
thanksgiving to God on their annual festivals. For this purpose, in his
retirement, during the first of these persecutions, he sent this charge to his
clergy at Carthage: 50 “As
to those confessors who die in prison, observe the days on which they depart
this life, that they may be commemorated with honour, as those of the martyrs
are.—We offer up here the usual sacrifices and oblations in commemoration of
them.” He says, in another letter to his clergy, speaking of certain martyrs:
“We constantly offer sacrifices for them, upon the yearly return of those days,
wherein we celebrate the memorial of the martyrs’ sufferings.”
The saint describes in
his epistles the wonderful constancy with which the martyrs endured the most
unheard-of torments. They were scourged, beaten, racked, and roasted; their
flesh was pulled off with burning pincers; some were beheaded with swords,
others were run through with spears; often more instruments of torment were
employed about the same man than his body had limbs. They were plundered and
stripped, chained and imprisoned, thrown to wild beasts, or burnt at stakes.
When the persecutors had run over all their old methods of tortures and
executions, they studied to invent others more barbarous. They not only varied,
but repeated the torments, and where one ended, another began. This cruelty
they added to all the rest, that they tortured them without leaving them hopes
of dying soon, stopping them in their journey to heaven. Many were purposely
kept upon the rack, that they might die piecemeal, and that their pains might
be lingering: no intervals or times, of respite were given them, that the sense
of their torments might be without intermission, unless some chanced to give
their executioners the slip, by expiring in the midst of their pains. All this
did but render the faith and patience of the martyrs more illustrious, and make
them more earnestly long for heaven. They tired out their tormentors, overcame
the sharpest engines of execution, and smiled at the busy officers that were
raking in their wounds; when their flesh was wearied and consumed, their virtue
and fidelity to God were unconquerable. The multitude beheld with admiration
these heavenly conflicts, and stood astonished to hear the servants of Christ
in the midst of all this, with unshaken souls, making a free and bold
confession of him, destitute of any external succour, but armed with a divine
power, and the shield of faith. The holy bishop ceased not to prepare his
people for the combat, by having this saying often in his mouth: “All present
evils are to be endured for the hope of good things to come.” He was preserved,
by a special providence, during two such violent storms, that he might be the
support of a weak flock, and the father of many fervent penitents and holy
martyrs. The third storm in which he was involved, was the eighth general
persecution raised by Valerian in the fourth year of his reign, of Christ 257.
In that very year St.
Cyprian was apprehended at Carthage, and on the 30th of August presented before
Aspasius Paternus, the proconsul of Africa, in the council-chamber. This
magistrate said to him: “The most sacred emperors Valerian and Gallien have
done me the honour to command me by their letter, that I oblige all who follow
not the Roman worship immediately to conform to it. What is your name and
quality?” Cyprian said: “I am a Christian and a bishop. I know no other gods
besides the one true God, who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that
is therein. This God we Christians serve; his mercies we implore both day and
night for ourselves, for all men, and for the safety of these very emperors.”
When the proconsul further asked him if he persevered in that resolution? He
replied that, “A purpose so well founded, and a will which hath once devoted
itself to God, can never be altered.” The proconsul said: “Go then into
banishment to the city Curubus.” The martyr answered: “I will go.” The
proconsul said: “The emperors have done me the honour to write to me to find
out not only bishops but also priests. I would therefore know what priests live
in this city.” Cyprian answered: “The Roman laws wisely forbid us to become
informers; and I cannot discover them. But they may be found at home.” The
proconsul said: “I will find them.” He added: “I have orders also to forbid the
holding of your assemblies in any place, or entering into the cemeteries.
Whoever observes not this wholesome ordinance, shall be put to death.” To which
Cyprian made answer: “Then obey your orders.” The proconsul having commanded
that he should be banished to Curubis, the saint arrived there on the 13th or
14th of September. Curubis was a small town fifty miles from Carthage, situated
in a peninsula upon the coast of the Lybian sea, not far from Pentapolis. The
place was pleasant and healthy, in a good air, and though situated in a desert
country, green meadows, and the conveniency of fresh water (scarce and valuable
things in many parts of Africa) were not wanting. The saint was attended by his
deacon Pontius, and some others; and met with kind and courteous usage. He was
favoured with a vision the night after his arrival, by which God forewarned him
of his approaching martyrdom, and which Pontius gives in the very words in
which St. Cyprian related it. “Before I went to sleep,” said he, “there
appeared to me a young man of a very uncommon stature, who led me to the
palace, and placed me before the tribunal of the proconsul, who, as soon as he
cast his eyes upon me, began to write a sentence in a pocket-book. The young
man who stood behind him, and read it, signified to me by signs the substance
of it; for stretching out his hands at full length, so as to represent a sword,
he made a cross stroke over one hand with the other, imitating the action of
beheading a person, so that no words could have made the thing more
intelligible. I immediately apprehended that this was to be the death which was
prepared for me, and I addressed myself to the proconsul for a short reprieve,
till I could settle my affairs. He wrote again in his pocket-book; and I
guessed that he granted my request of a reprieve till the morrow, by the
evenness of his countenance, and the openness of his brow. This the young man
intimated to me by twisting his fingers one behind another.” This, says Bishop
Fell, was a known mark of the thing in question being postponed; as bending the
thumb was a mark of condemnation, and holding it straight a token of acquittal.
The reprieve of a day signified a year; and the bishop suffered on the same day
in the following year. This warning he took for a divine promise of the honour
of martyrdom. The reasons of his desiring a reprieve was for settling the
affairs of his church, and, for an opportunity of expressing by a last effort,
his tenderness for the poor, upon whom he accordingly bestowed almost all he
was then possessed of. Pontius doubts not but God granted him this respite
because he desired it for these purposes.
A messenger arrived about
that time from Rome, sent by Pope Xystus, to advertise St. Cyprian that new and
very bloody edicts were speedily expected. No sooner were they published but
St. Xystus was immediately sacrificed, on the 6th of August, 258, somewhat
above a month before St. Cyprian. Our saint received from Rome information of
his martyrdom, and that the order which Valerian (who was set out upon his
Persian expedition) sent to the senate, imported, “that bishops, priests, and
deacons should forthwith suffer.” 51 From
that time St. Cyprian lived in the daily expectation of executioners arriving
to take off the heads of such as were marked out for victims. Meanwhile divers
persons of the first rank and quality, even several pagans met together, and
endeavoured to persuade him to secrete himself, with offers of a commodious and
safe retirement. But he had so set his affections upon things above, that he
utterly neglected all lower interests. He took all opportunities of encouraging
the servants of God, and spoke with most ardent affection upon religious
subjects, always wishing the moment of his martyrdom might overtake him whilst
he was discoursing upon God. He prepared himself for it by those exercises of
compunction and penance, the spirit of which he so excellently expressed in his
treatise, On the Lapsed, and by which he studied to purify his soul more and
more, that it might appear without spot or stain before the God of infinite
sanctity. He devoted his time to penance, and made heavenly contemplation the
favourite employment of his retirement, by which he raised his soul to God by
the most inflamed love, and longing desires and prayers to be united to him for
evermore, according to the maxim which he lays down in the close of his book On
Mortality, where he says: “To this delightful society of the blessed, and to
Christ who is at the head of it, let us hasten, my brethren, upon the wings of
desire, and of an holy love. Let God and Christ be witnesses, that this is the
main bent of our wishes, and the sum of our most ardent hopes. Then our rewards
will be proportioned to the earnestness of our present desires, if they proceed
from his love.”
Our saint was still at
Curubis when Galerius Maximus succeeded Paternus in the government of Africa.
The new proconsul recalled St. Cyprian to Carthage, that he might more readily
come at him as soon as he should receive the new edicts which he expected from
Rome. The bishop by his order, resided at his own gardens or country-house near
the city, which he had sold for the benefit of the poor when he was baptized,
but which afterwards fell again into his hands. He desired to give this estate
again, with the rest of his fortune, to the poor; but could not do it at that
dangerous season for fear of exasperating the persecutors. The sanguinary order
reached Carthage about the middle of August, whilst the proconsul was at Utica,
which shared with Carthage the honour of being his residence for part of the
year. Maximus despatched a guard to conduct him to Utica; but St. Cyprian being
desirous to suffer in the midst of his own flock, stepped aside, and took
shelter in a more private place, till the proconsul being returned to Carthage,
he showed himself again in his own gardens. Galerius, upon notice given him,
sent the prince (that is, the chief of those who served under the magister
Officiorum) with another officer, to seize him by surprise. But nothing could
happen suddenly or unexpectedly to the blessed man, who was always ready and
prepared for any event. He, therefore, came forth with all imaginable
cheerfulness and courage, and all the marks of an undaunted mind. The officers
putting him into a chariot between them, carried him to a country seat at
Sextus, where the proconsul was retired for his health, six miles from
Carthage. The proconsul not being then ready, deferred the trial till the next
day, and the martyr was conducted back to the house of the chief officer that
had apprehended him, situated in the street of Saturn, between the streets of
Venus and Salus. Upon the rumour that Thascius was taken, the city was alarmed;
the very pagans flocked together, and testified their compassion; for he had
been well known among them; and they remembered the excess of his charity
towards all in the late instance of the public distress and pestilence. The
multitude that was gathered together was very great, in proportion to the extent
of the city of Carthage, which was inferior to none but Rome for the number of
its inhabitants.
St. Cyprian was guarded
that night by the chief of the officers in a courteous manner, and his friends
were allowed to sup with him. The next morning, which the conscience of the
blessed martyr, says Pontius, rendered a day of joy to him, he was conducted by
a strong guard to the prætorium or court of the proconsul, about a furlong from
the officer’s house where he had passed the night. The proconsul not being yet
sitting, he had leave to go out of the crowd, and to be in a more private
place, where the seat he got was accidentally covered with a linen cloth, as if
it were to be a symbol of his episcopal dignity, says the deacon Pontius; by
which it appears that bishops had then such a badge of distinction, at least at
the public divine service. One of the guards who had formerly been a Christian,
observing that the sweat ran down the martyr’s body, by the length and hurry of
his walk, offered to wipe it off, and to give him dry linen in exchange for
that he had on, which was wet, linen garments being common in hot countries.
This was the soldier’s pretence; his meaning was to get into his possession
some of the holy man’s garments and sweat, as Pontius observes. The bishop
excusing himself, replied: “We seek to cure complaints, to which perhaps this
very day will put a final period.” By this time the proconsul was come out, and
being seated on his tribunal, he ordered the martyr to be brought before him,
and said: “Art thou Thascius Cyprian?” The martyr answered: “I am.” Proconsul:
“Art thou the person who hath been bishop and father to men of ungodly minds?”
Cyprian: “I have been their bishop.” Proconsul: “The most sacred emperors have
commanded thee to conform to the ceremonies of the Roman religion.” Cyprian: “I
cannot.” Proconsul: “Consider better of thy own safety.” Cyprian: “Obey your
orders. In so manifestly just a case there is no need of consideration.” Upon
this the proconsul consulted with his friends, and coming to the resolution to
condemn him, said: “Long hast thou lived with an irreligious heart, and hast
joined great numbers with thee in an unnatural conspiracy against the Roman
deities, and their holy rites: nor have our sacred and most pious emperors,
Valerian and Gallien always august, nor the most noble Cæsar Valerian, been
able to reclaim thee to their ceremonies. Since thou hast been a ringleader in
crimes of such an heinous nature, thou shalt be made an example to those, whom
thou hast seduced to join with thee; and discipline shall be established in thy
blood.” Then he read the following sentence written in a tablet: “I will that
Thascius Cyprian be beheaded.” To which Cyprian subjoined: “Blessed be God for
it.” The Christians who were present in crowds, said: “Let us be beheaded with
him;” and they made a great uproar.
When the martyr went out
of the court, a great number of soldiers attended him, and he was guarded by
centurions and tribunes marching on each side of him. They led him into the
country, into a large plain, thick set with high trees; and many climbed up to
the top of them, the better to see him at a distance, by reason of the crowd.
St. Cyprian being arrived at the place appointed, took off his mantle, fell
upon his knees, and prostrated himself before God. Then he put off his
Dalmatic, 52 which
he gave to the deacons, and remained in a linen vestment, or shirt, expecting
the executioner, to whom he ordered a sum of twenty-five golden denarii,
amounting to about six pounds English, to be given. He himself bound the napkin
over his eyes; and he desired a priest and a deacon to tie his hands. The
Christians spread before him napkins and handkerchiefs to receive his body. His
head was struck off on the 14th of September, 258. For fear of the insults of
the heathens, the faithful conveyed his body for the present into an adjoining
field, and they interred it in the night with great solemnity on the Mappalian
way. Two churches were afterwards erected to his memory, the one on this place
of his burial, called the Mappalia, the other on the spot where he suffered,
called Mensa Cypriana, or Cyprian’s Table, because there he was made a
sacrifice to God. Both are mentioned by Victor. 53 The
proconsul Galerius Maximus died a few days after him, but in a very different
manner. In the Liberian Calendar, and that published by F. Fronto, his festival
is placed on the 14th of September; but since the fifth age has been joined
with that of St. Cornelius on the 16th. Certain ambassadors of Charlemagne,
returning from Aaron, king of Persia, through Africa, obtained leave of the
Mahometan king of that country to open the tomb of St. Cyprian (which they
found entirely neglected) and to carry his relics into France, which they
deposited at Arles, in 806, according to Ado, 54 or
in 802, according to Agobard. Leidrarde, archbishop of Lyons, with the king’s
consent, removed them to Lyons, and deposited them behind the altar of St. John
Baptist; a poem upon this translation was written by Leidrarde’s successor,
Agobard. Charles the Bald caused them to be translated to Compeigne, and lodged
with those of St. Cornelius, in the great abbey which he built, and which is
called Saint Corneille. Part of the relics of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian is
kept in a shrine in the collegiate church of Rosnay, near Oudenarde, in
Flanders. 55
It is a maxim of our holy
faith, which St. Cyprian strongly inculcates, that we must follow the saints
now in desire if we hope to reign with them hereafter: “We have solemnly
renounced the world,” said he, “and therefore whilst we continue in it, should
behave like strangers and pilgrims. We should welcome that happy day (of our
death) which is to fix us, every one in our proper habitation, to rescue us
from the embarrassments and snares of this world, and remove us to the kingdom
of heaven. Who amongst us, if he had been long a sojourner in a foreign land,
would not desire a return to his native country? What person, when he had begun
to sail thither, would not wish for a prosperous wind to carry him to his
desired home with expedition, that he might the sooner embrace his friends and
relations? We must account paradise our country. There friends, and parents,
and brethren, and children without number, wait for us, and long to
congratulate our happy arrival. They are in secure possession of their own
felicity, and yet are solicitous for ours. How great will be our common joy,
upon the transports of our meeting together in those blessed abodes! How
unutterable must be the pleasures of that kingdom, which have no allay or
intermission, having eternity added to the highest degrees of bliss! There we
shall meet with the glorious choir of the apostles; with the goodly company of
the prophets; with an innumerable multitude of holy martyrs; there we shall be
blessed with the sight of those triumphant virgins who have subdued the
inordinate lusts of the flesh; and there we shall behold the rewards of those
who, by feeding the hungry and succouring the afflicted, have with their
earthly treasure purchased to themselves a treasure in heaven.” 56
Note 1. St. Cyprian
wrote soon after his conversion a long epistle or a treatise to Donatus who had
been baptized with him, and who seems to have been a companion of his studies
in rhetoric. It is entitled, On the Contempt of the World, or, On the Grace of
God. The style is very pompous, like that of a professor of oratory accustomed
to declamations, and seems to show that he came fresh from that employment. In
this work, he gives, first, an account of his own conversion; shows that the
difficulties, which the passions raise, vanish when resolutely encountered, and
exhorts his friend to set no bounds to his fervour, saying: § 4. “You will find
your powers of action will be always equal to your desires and progress in
faith. For it is not in heavenly, as it is in earthly benefactions. You are
stinted to no measure or boundary in receiving the gift of God. The fountain of
divine grace is ever flowing, is confined to no precise limitations, hath no
determinate channel to restrain the waters of life; let us but in earnest
thirst after them; and open our hearts to receive them; and as much will flow
in upon us, as our faith will enable us to receive.” He says, “We have a
sensible proof how the invisible fiends are expelled, and sin cleansed away in
our souls by the power which Christians have from God, of compelling those
impure and wandering spirits which have got possession of human bodies, to
confess who they are; of expelling them thence by mere strength of arms, and of
increasing their pains and punishments by various applications of our spiritual
weapons.” ib.
Bishop Fell
remarks, that Tertullian, Minutius Felix, Lactantius, and others, mention this
miraculous power as publicly notorious, and with such confidence, that there is
no room for doubt of the fact. It was promised by Christ, (Mark xvi.
17,) and why should we think he would not perform it? says the bishop of
Oxford.
St. Cyprian bids
Donatus suppose himself placed upon some very exalted eminence, whence he might
take a view of the various motions and agitations of human life over the whole
world. “You will,” says he, “have a real compassion for the world, and your
thoughts will rise in gratitude and praise to God, for having made your escape
from its pollutions.” The orator sets before his eyes the highways beset with
robbers, and the seas with pirates, many countries filled with all the forms of
war and bloodshed; for though a single murder is deemed a crime; yet, “that
crime shall commence a virtue, when committed under the shelter of public
authority; and the more enormous the size of the wickedness is, the much
greater is its chance for impunity.” He mentions the inhuman sports of the
gladiators, and fights with wild beasts, and the lewdness and wickedness of the
stage, ministering fuel to every impure passion, and by soothing the
affections, and indulging the senses, imperceptibly undermining all the powers
of conscience in the spectators, whose applause is given with the loudest
peals, to him who can act wickedness most to the life.
Cyprian puts his
friend in mind that private families and the most secret recesses, often abound
with envy, jealousy, incontinence, and pride; perjuries, injustices, and
oppressions often reign in courts of judicature; ambition only raises itself by
fawning and every action that degrades human nature, and the ends of all its
pomp and flutter is generally most shameful: the vanity of riches appears in
this, that, though they are called goods, they most frequently serve none but
evil purposes, and they usually spread a thick darkness over men’s
understandings. The close of this work is an exhortation to piety, which is the
sure road to happiness, disengages the soul from the entanglements of this
perplexing scene of the world, purifies it from the dross of sin, fits it for
immortality, and is the harbour of sweet peace and safety. This inestimable
treasure, the highest dignity and happiness of human nature, stands not in need
of cost or courting, like worldly goods. It is the free gift of God, who is
desirous to bestow it upon us. His grace flows into the soul, as the sun of its
own accord enlightens the dark corners of the earth; as an overflowing fountain
offers its waters to any who will use them; or, as the refreshing dews descend
upon the thirsty meadows. To be capable of receiving this blessing, a man must
raise himself above the world by contemning it, must be diligent in prayer and
in reading the word of God, sometimes speaking to him, sometimes hearing him
speak: he must diligently apply himself to the exercise of all virtues. A soul
in which the Holy Ghost settles his abode, must be fitted up, and adorned with
the embellishments of all virtues, with a concern proportioned to the dignity
of such a guest.
St. Cyprian was
also a layman when he composed his book, On the Vanity of Idols, showing they
could not be gods who were once men on earth, and infamous for their crimes. He
proves that the heathens often worshipped the devils themselves, the same who
sometimes possessed the bodies. For the truth of this he appeals to the senses
of their worshippers, who were witnesses to the devils often making this
confession, when adjured or exorcised by Christians. §4. Upon this passage
Bishop Fell makes this observation: “This is such an appeal to the senses of mankind,
that our author must have been out of his senses when he made it, if there had
not been notoriety of fact to support it. Let our modern sceptics see what
answer they can make to it.” St. Cyprian in this book transcribes sometimes the
very words of Tertullian and Minutius Felix. His two books to Quirinus (who
seems to have been at that time a catechumen) are entitled, Of Testimonies
against the Jews, and are a collection of texts of the Old Testament, pointing
to Christ and his Church. His third book of Testimonies is a like collection of
passages, forming a system of morality.
St. Cyprian, just
after his entrance upon the episcopal dignity, according to Pamelius, Pearson,
and Tillemont, or rather a little before it, according to Dom Maran, (for he
exhorts not from any claim of power, but from tenderness of affection, p. 3,)
published his book On the Habit of Virgins. His master Tertullian had written a
book On the Veiling of Virgins, in which he says the sanctity of their state is
proved “By the scripture of God, by the nature of God, and by the discipline
which God has established among men.” (C. 15.) St. Cyprian addresses this
treatise to virgins “devoted to God, dedicated to Christ,” or such “who profess
virginity, and a stricter attendance than ordinary upon the service of God.” He
tells them, that “continence makes a particular profession of following Christ,
and chastity hath particularly the kingdom of God in its aim and prospect.” He
calls them: “The flower of the Church’s flock, the ornament and lustre of
spiritual grace, her joyful offspring, the very perfection of honour and
praise, the image of God copied according to the pattern of his holiness, the
more illustrious portion of the flock of Christ.” By them, says he, “the
glorious fecundity of our Mother the Church richly flourishes, in them she
particularly rejoices: and, as their numbers multiply, her joy increases,” n.
3. He observes, that “the more sublime their glory is, the greater care is
required from them.” (Ib.) He says that their reward is sixty fold, and next to
that of martyrdom, which is an hundred fold; that if they persevere in their
purposes of chastity, they are plainly equal to the angels. But “great
attainments,” says he, “cannot be reached without much difficulty and struggle.
We are content to sweat and take pains in climbing up an high ascent; and shall
we complain of weariness in a labour which raiseth us to heaven? You will
support your toil with joy, if you look up to the crown which is promised you,”
&c.
The saint severely
condemns all painting of the hair or face (which disguises and pretends to mend
the workmanship of God) and all allurements of dress, by which many cause the
ruin of others by drawing their eyes after them; he observes that rich attire,
and care in dressing, only become prostitutes, and the scripture speaks of them
after this manner: “It is accordingly observable,” says he, “that none are more
sumptuous in their appearances than such whose modesty is cheap, and who are
profligate in their character. The more curious persons are in setting off
their bodies, the more careless they grow as to the ornaments of their minds.
Who would not abhor and shun what has already proved destructive to others? Who
would desire or court what hath been found as certainly fatal as a sword or
spear is to the man that dies by it? Were you to see a man expire immediately
upon eating of such a dish, or drinking of such a liquor, you would conclude
that it contained poison, and would by no means touch of the same.” Having
censured other snares and dangerous occasions, he adds: “These are the arts by
which the great enemy, the devil, makes his sly approaches, and at last obtains
an entrance. Thus whilst our virgins set off themselves with elegance of dress,
and take other liberties, the poison works insensibly, and they perish before
they are aware of it.” Even if they should not lose their honour themselves,
they are at least the murderers of others’ souls. “If,” says our saint, “you
provide fuel for others’ lust, and put in their way occasion of sin; if, with
pretended safety to yourselves, you prove the destruction of others, and kill
them as surely as poison or the sword would do; what professions soever you may
make of meaning no evil, your mind is polluted, and you cannot be accounted
guiltless.” Riches are no excuse for such dressing, because all that is
superfluous is due to the poor. “Let the necessitous be sensible of your
abundance,” says St. Cyprian, “put out your money to God, who will repay your
loans with interest. Feed your Redeemer in his destitute and hungry members;
engage by your treasure many solicitors to the throne of grace, that you may be
enabled to persevere in your purpose of chastity, and attain to the
recompense,” &c. He concludes with this request to the virgins: “Then
remember me, when your virginity shall, by blessed perseverance, open you a
passage to the reward assigned to it.” Which words clearly show the belief of
the Church to have always been, that the saints in heaven intercede for us before
God. St. Cyprian, in his 4th ep. (ad Pompon.) says, that a virgin who was
accused of having conversed criminally with a young man, is to be ranked in the
class of an adulteress, “as having broken her faith which she had plighted to
Christ.” He will not have such virgins to live under the same roof with young
men, saying: “When once a house has taken fire, the goods must be taken out
with all possible expedition, or the flames would devour them. A man in the
midst of danger will not be safe if he sits down in it: nor will a servant of
God be long able to escape the machinations of death, who hath suffered himself
to be entangled in his wiles and snares.” (Ep. 4, p. 10.)
The book, On the
Unity of the Church, was composed by St. Cyprian a little before he left his
retreat, and returned to Carthage. In it he observes that the devil sows heresy
and schisms in order to subvert souls which have escaped the snares of
idolatry. After this, he demonstrates that the church of Christ is essentially
one. He tells us, that for a visible mark of this unity, Christ built his
church upon St. Peter, and gave the power of his keys to him; though he also
gave the same power to all his apostles, he would have it take its rise from
one, and settled the whole upon that foundation. The general rule which he lays
down is: “That in matters of faith, the way to come at the truth is very short
and compendious, and fact is instead of all other proof.” Then he produces the
unity of the church founded upon St. Peter. “He,” says our holy doctor, “can
never attain the recompense propounded by Christ to his followers, who deserts
his church. He becomes thence unsanctified, an alien, and a downright enemy. He
cannot have God for his father, who hath not the church for his mother. Could any
one escape who was not with Noe in the ark? The coat of Christ was not rent or
divided. Being seamless and undivided, it is a lively emblem to us, of that
inseparable union which must be maintained among his followers. Who is so
profligate and abandoned, so false to the trust reposed in him, as to imagine
that the unity which is maintained in heaven may be broken upon earth? that the
church of Christ, which is always described to us as one, can be split into
more. To believe that this is possible, is gross absurdity; but to make any
attempt towards it, is flagrant wickedness. Our Lord tells us, there should be
one fold, and one shepherd. John x.
16. St. Paul inculcates this doctrine. 1 Cor. i.
10; Ephes. iv.
2. The church was prefigured by the house of Rahab. Jos. ii.
18, 19; by the lamb which was to be eaten in one house. Exod. xii.
46. Neither is the flesh of Christ to be thrown abroad out of the house, or
eaten but in the one, the only church.—If such (heretics or schismatics) should
even suffer martyrdom for the name of Christ, they would not expiate their
crime. There can be no such thing as a martyr out of the church. Though they
should be thrown into the fire, or be exposed to the fury of wild beasts, such
a death will never be esteemed a crown of their faith and constancy, but rather
a punishment of their perfidy. Such a man may be put to death but cannot be
crowned.—If the schismatic should suffer out of the church of Christ, he will
never thence become entitled to the recompense which none can claim who are not
in it.—There is but one God, one Christ, one church, one faith, and one entire
body of Christian people.—Whatever shall be separated from the fountain of
life, can have no life remaining in it, after having lost all communication
with its vital principle.” The addition which is wanting in some copies was
quoted by Pelagius II. (ep. 2, ad Episc. Istriæ.) It is indeed suspected by
some to have crept from the margin into the text; but Dom. Maran maintains it
genuine. The sense of the passage is, however, sufficiently clear without it.
See on this controversy D. Maran’s note, and Bibliothéque Francoise, t. 12, p.
10, ann. 1728. [back]
Note 2. S. Cypr. ep.
10, ed. Pam. p. 30. [back]
Note 3. St. Cypr.
ep. 11, ed. Oxon. [back]
Note 4. Ib. n.
4. [back]
Note 5. St. Cypr. n.
7. [back]
Note 6. St. Cypr.
ep. 34, Pam. 41, Fello. et seq. [back]
Note 7. Ep. 43,
Fello. 39, Pam. [back]
Note 8. L. de
Unit. Eccles. n. 20, ep. 8, ed. Pam. p. 23, ep. 11, ed. Oxon. tr. de
Lapsis, n. 4. [back]
Note 9. The church
had enjoyed a kind of calm from the death of Severus, in 211, to that of Philip
in 249, especially during the five years reign of the last emperor; if we
except, during this interval, frequent commotions of the people or magistrates
in certain places; and the sixth general persecution which raged after the
death of Alexander and Mammæa, in 235, during the three years of the usurpation
of Maximinus, of whom Capitolinus says, that “never did a more cruel beast
tread on the earth.” [back]
Note 10. St. Cypr.
ep. 57, ed. Oxon. 54, Pam. [back]
Note 11. Tertull. De
Pudic. c. 22. [back]
Note 12. Eus. l. 4,
42. [back]
Note 13. Ep. 11, ed.
Oxon. [back]
Not e 14. All
who communicated at mass were admitted by the priests to make their oblation at
the beginning of that sacrifice. [back]
Note 15. Ep.
16. [back]
Note 16. Fleury, l.
6, n. 42. See Gabr. Albaspinæus Observ. Eccles. Obs. 20, l. 1, p. 94, and
Baronius, ad an. 253, n. 60. [back]
Note 17. Ep. 17, ed.
Oxon. [back]
Note 18. A deacon
might be deputed to give canonical, but not sacramental absolution. [back]
Note 19. Ep. 18 et 19. [back]
Note 20. Inter Cypr.
ep. 23, ed. Oxon. [back]
Note 21. Ep.
26. [back]
Note 22. Ep. 30,
inter Cypr. ed. Oxon. [back]
Note 23. S. Cypr.
ep. 34, ed. Oxon. [back]
Note 24. Ep. 39 et
ep. 5. See Bishop Fell’s note, ibid. and Bingham. [back]
Note 25. Ap. Cypr.
ep. 36, ed. Oxon. [back]
Note 26. In his book
On the Lapsed he extols the crowns of the martyrs, but bitterly deplores the
lamentable fall of those who had apostatized, by which he says his very bowels
were rent, and no words could express his grief, which admitted no alleviation
but that of tears and sighs. After showing the greatness of the crime of
apostacy, he passes to the remedies, and inveighs against a rash and hasty
pretended reconciliation. “He,” says the saint, “would betray a great ignorance
of his profession, who for fear of putting his patient to pain by opening his
wound, should softly handle it, skin it over, and close it up, not cleansing it
of the corruption lodged in it; for, by this unskilful management, the
malignity would take deep root, and taint the whole mass. The wound, we know,
in all such cases, must be opened, the knife must not be spared, all
superfluities must be pared away, without regard to the pain occasioned by so
sharp a treatment. If the patient complain, and cry out for the present, he
will afterwards thank the operator when he finds his recovery has been owing to
such a treatment. A new source of destruction is broken out among us; and, as
if the persecution had not done sufficient mischief, another evil comes upon us
likely not to be less fatal. A delusive absolution is given at random,
dangerous to the givers, useless to the receivers. Coming fresh from the altar
of the devil, their hands yet reeking with the blood of the sacrifices offered
thereon, they would fain approach the highest mysteries. In spite of the divine
admonitions, violence is offered to the body and blood of Christ. Their
intrusion is not to be interpreted a less affront to our Lord, who presume
(unqualified) to receive the holy sacrament into their hands and mouths, than
that which they offered him before when they denied and renounced him. All this
indulgence is no more beneficial to sinners, than tempestuous weather is to the
fruits of the earth, than a murrain to cattle, or a dreadful storm to the
mariner. They who dispense it subvert the only true foundation which the lapsed
can have of any hope in God; they resemble unskilful pilots, who, instead of
conducting their vessel safe into harbour, split it upon the rocks. The peace
thus given them is so far from answering its purposes, that it directly thwarts
them. By this stratagem the subtle enemy would wipe out of their hearts all
remembrance of their past offence, and all sorrow for it. It is none of his
interest that they should deprecate the wrath of God or pass through a long and
laborious penance.”
The zealous pastor
shows that penitents deceive themselves, who think that a reconciliation can be
given them before they have expiated their crime by penance, and purified their
conscience by imposition of hands from the bishop: he says, that the merits and
works of the martyrs can prevail much with Christ, and that what they ordain
ought to be granted, if it be just and lawful; but not if they demand anything
against the law of God and the gospel; nor ought it to be presumed that martyrs
for the gospel would attempt anything in derogation from it. To strike a terror
into sinners, he relates several examples of persons severely punished by God
in a miraculous manner, for being so bold as to receive the body and blood of
Christ before they had done condign penance. Such visible chastisements, like
that of Ananias and Saphira, were frequent in the primitive age, (see 1
Cor. xi.
30,) and are sensible tokens of the invisible punishments which God
inflicts on such crimes. “What dreadful instances,” says St. Cyprian, (n. 13,)
“do we see of God’s vengeance executed upon many who deny him! How lamentable
were the ends they came to! Though this be not the proper time of punishment,
they do not escape it even here. It lights for the present upon few only, but
the example is designed for all. A woman who, after denying her faith, went
immediately to the public baths, there fell down possessed by an evil spirit,
and becoming her own executioner in wreaking the vengeance of God upon herself,
in her rage bit to pieces her tongue, the instrument of her crime, and being
seized with cruel pains in her bowels, in a very little time gave up the
ghost.” He adds an example to which he had been an eye-witness. The parents of
a sucking little girl flying for fear of the persecutors, the nurse carried the
child before the magistrates, and as it was not old enough to eat flesh, they
gave it some bread dipped in wine which remained of the heathenish libations.
As soon as the heat of the persecution was abated the mother returned, and
having got her child again, carried it to the church where St. Cyprian was
offering the great sacrifice of the eucharist—Sacrificantibus nobis. The child
cried and grieved all the time of the oblation, as if it were to confess, by
all the signs it could give, its unfitness for that holy place. At the
communion, when the deacon brought it the cup, the infant turned its head,
closed its lips forcibly together, and with all its might refused to touch what
was offered. The deacon, however, forced some of the blessed sacrament into the
girl’s mouth; upon which she was seized with violent convulsions and a fit of
vomiting. Christ would not suffer the holy sacrament to stay with her after her
bowels had been polluted with the heathenish sacrifices.
A woman, somewhat
advanced in years, who had sacrificed to idols, crept in unobserved, whilst St.
Cyprian was offering the sacrifice; but she had no sooner received the
sacrament, but she began to heave and struggle for her life, as if she had
received a mortal wound, and losing her breath, fell down trembling and
sobbing. Another woman whose hands had been polluted with heathen sacrifice, as
she tried to open her box, in which she kept the body of our Lord (according to
the custom of that age for private communion when persons could not assist at
religious assemblies in times of persecution,) perceived fire arise thence, by
which she was so affrighted that she durst not touch it. A man who had
apostatized, having privately received the sacrament from the priest in his
hand, opening it, found nothing but ashes. Several in the like circumstances
were seized by unclean spirits, and some lost their senses, and ran mad.
St. Cyprian adds a
strong exhortation to penance, and says, that some among the faithful, “because
they had once sinned only in thought and purpose, confessed this with much
grief to the priests of God doing severe penance, unburdening their consciences,
and seeking a healing remedy for their wounds: knowing that God is neither to
be deceived nor mocked, no arts and stratagems can delude or circumvent
him.” “Quoniam de hoc vel cogitaverunt, hoc ipsum apud sacerdotes Dei
dolenter et simpliciter confitentes, exomologesim conscientiæ faciunt, animi
sui pondus exponunt,” &c. n. 14, p. 95. Upon which words the English
Protestant editor of St. Cyprian’s works makes this remark: “This submission to
a solemn exomologesis for their thought is a proof of the esteem which
voluntary confession stood in. No one could have called them to account for the
purpose of their heart, if they had not of their own accord declared it.” p.
131.
St. Cyprian
repeats his pressing solicitations to sinners: “Let every one of you make an
humble and solemn confession of his sin whilst he is yet in the world, whilst
his confession can be admitted, whilst his satisfaction, and the pardon given
him by the priests are available with God.” He puts them in mind, that this is
not to be obtained without much lamentation and sorrow, and without renouncing
diversions, banquets, and vain apparel; that if they would mourn for a friend
that was dead, how much more ought they to do it for their souls? “You have
lost your soul,” says he: “you are dead to all spiritual purposes; you survive
this loss; and will you not lament and mourn? will you not secrete yourself for
a time from company and divertisements? Behold, fresh aggravations of your
guilt. Penance here is left as the only remedy. They who would represent this
as needless, leave the case incurable and hopeless. Whilst persons rashly trust
to salvation against the terms of the gospel, there is left no hope of it upon
any reasonable grounds. Let us then mourn and weep in proportion to the
greatness of our sin; as the wound is large and deep, let our care of it be
suitable, let not the severity of our penitential labours fall short of the
heinousness of our guilt. You must ask more fervently, must continue a great
while instant in prayer and supplication, must spend whole days in sorrow,
whole nights in tears, and every moment of your time in mourning and
lamentation. You must prostrate yourselves upon the ground, lie down in
sackcloth and ashes, neglect all care of dress and ornament; choose
henceforward abstinence and fasting, and be diligent in works of justice and
charity. Your riches, which helped to ensnare and ruin you, can no longer be a
just object of your love and adherence. You should rather detest them as a
mortal enemy, avoid them as you would robbers and cut-throats; shrink from them
as you would from poison or the sword. They should now be chiefly employed in
redeeming your crime and your guilt. Let the remainder of your fortune be spent
in seeking relief against the grievous wound you have received. God who is to
judge you should be engaged by your loans to him, to become your debtor. If any
man will pour out his soul to God in fervent prayer, if he will shed in great
abundance penitential tears, if he will labour to pacify the wrath of God by
repeated acts of justice and charity, then at length it may be hoped, that he
will pity and be moved to pardon, who said: When thou shalt return and
repent thou shalt be saved, Isa. xxx.
15. He therefore can pardon his humble supplicants, his sincere penitents,
such as bring forth suitable fruits of repentance. He can make available
whatever either the martyrs shall ask, or the bishop and ministers of his
Church shall do on their behalf. Thus the soldier of Christ will rally his
broken forces, fight with the more ardour and courage, and being inspired with
greater degrees of constancy and firmness from an humble remembrance and sense
of his sin, he will derive upon himself the divine assistance, and contribute
as much to the joy and triumph of the Church, as he had done to her dejection
and grief.” This holy pastor always feared lest his indulgence was too great:
“I would, as to myself, forgive all that is past: even the faults committed
against God, I do not rigorously search: nay, I even become myself an offender,
I fear, by my too great indulgence to the offences of others; and as for those
who are desirous of confessing their sin with openness and humility, and making
all possible satisfaction for it, these I am ever ready to embrace with the
most true and cordial affection.”
St. Cyprian’s most
useful discourse, Of the Lord’s Prayer, was written soon after this last
treatise, and is strongly recommended by St. Hilary and St. Austin. The latter
exhorted the monks of Adrumetum to get it by heart. The author shows the
excellency of that divine prayer, and explains in its petitions, what we are to
ask of God. He mentions the solemn hours of daily prayer; the first, third,
sixth, &c., and lays down the conditions of prayer, especially humility,
reverence, attention, fervour, and constant perseverance. “The avenues of our
souls,” says he, “should be all locked up from our enemy, and God alone should
have access to them. It is a strange degree of indolence and sloth to suffer
our minds at that time to be alienated from their proper business. This is to
offend the majesty of God by our careless approaches whilst we profess to
implore his mercy.” He takes notice that the priest in the preface to the
celebration of the eucharist, said: “Lift up your hearts;” and that the people
answered: “We lift them up to the Lord.” He says, our prayers ought not to be
barren, or to ascend empty and unattended to the throne of grace, but must be
accompanied with almsdeeds and good works, which will recommend them to God.
Excellent maxims concerning prayer occur in his epistles, especially in the
exhortation to continual prayer, which he sent to his clergy with a charge that
it should be also communicated to the laity. (Ep. 11, ed. Oxon. 8, Pamel.)
Upon the renewal
of the persecution under Gallus and Volusianus, in 252, St. Cyprian wrote his
Exhortation to Martyrdom, to fortify his flock against the day of trial. This
work is compiled of passages of holy scripture, these being the best arms which
a bishop can put into the hands of soldiers of Christ, whom it is his duty to
exercise and train to battle. Our saint, to comfort and fortify his flock, in
the time of the grievous pestilence, composed his book, On the Mortality or
Pestilence. In it he shows, that true servants of God ought to rejoice in
calamities, because they afford opportunities to exercise patience, and all
heroic virtues, and to merit heaven. As for death, “No man,” says he, “can be
afraid of it, but he who is loath to go to Christ, nor can any one be loath to
go to Christ but he who hath reason to fear that he shall have no part in his
kingdom.” He describes the happiness of those who are got out of the storms and
hurricanes of this world, have made to the haven of everlasting bliss, and have
put on a happy immortality, being freed from the dangers of sin, the assaults
of the devil, and the conflicts of the passions, of which he draws a pathetic
and elegant picture. Too great a fear of death in a Christian he calls a proof
of the want of lively faith and hope which fortify the mind, and enable us to
despise the king of terrors. “Above all things,” says he, “we should bear in
mind the obligation we lie under to do, not our own, but our heavenly Father’s
will, as Christ has taught us to desire in our daily prayer. Now, how
inconsistent and absurd is it for us to desire that his will may be done, when
upon his summoning us to leave this world, we are backward and reluctant, and
loth to answer to his call? With what propriety or truth do we beg of him that
his kingdom come, when we plainly prefer before it a state of bondage on earth?
Wherefore do we so often repeat our desires to him, to hasten his kingdom, when
it is evident we would rather continue here in a state of subjection to the
devil, than reign with Christ in his kingdom and glory?”
He mentions a
certain fellow-bishop, who, being almost at the last gasp, was extremely
shocked at the thoughts of death. Whilst he earnestly begged for some time of
respite, a youth of a majestic presence, and such a venerable aspect as mortal
eyes could scarcely endure to behold, appeared standing by him, and said, with
a good deal of seeming displeasure, “You are afraid both of suffering and of
death; yet you are unwilling to quit the place of suffering. What then shall I
do for you, seeing you yourself know not what to ask?” St. Cyprian adds: “I
myself have been frequently warned by express revelation from God, to declare,
in the most public and pressing manner, that we ought not to mourn for the
death of those whom our Lord hath called to himself, and delivered from the
troubles of this world; inasmuch, as we know, and should consider, that they
are not so properly taken away from us as sent before us; that they have only
got the start of us, as it were, in a voyage or a journey; and that, though we
may be allowed to miss them, it is not fit we should lament them as if they
were lost.” He says, our behaviour ought to agree with our words, and avow our
belief that our departed friends are in a state of bliss. It is his remark that
a wish for longer life for the sake of martyrdom is an illusion of self-love,
seeing resignation to the divine will is the most perfect sacrifice of
ourselves to God; and adds, “that we ought to show the power of our faith, by
bearing the departure of our dearest friends without emotion; and when it shall
please God to call us to himself, we should gladly receive his summons, and
follow him with cheerfulness and without delay.” Lastly, he strongly exhorts
all Christians heartily to wish for the happy hour of their death, as it will
be their passage to the glory of heaven, their admission into the kingdom of
divine love, and into the glorious society of the angels and saints. St.
Cyprian’s books, On the Lord’s Prayer, and On Mortality, were published in
French by the duke of Luynes, under the name of the Sieur de Lavalyn in
1664. [back]
Note 27. Dodwell
Diss. Cyprian, 4. [back]
Note 28. Ep. 11, ed.
Oxon. 8, Pam. [back]
Note 29. Ps. xlviii.
6. [back]
Note 30. Ep. 13, ed.
Oxon. n. 4. [back]
Note 31. Ep. 33, ed.
Oxon. [back]
Note 32. Ep. 7, 39,
63, &c. [back]
Note 33. Ep. 57, ad
Cornel. ed. Oxon. [back]
Note 34. Ep. 60, ed
Oxon. 58, Pam. [back]
Note 35. S. Cypr.
ep. 67. [back]
Note 36. Tillemont,
vit. S. Cyprian, art. 33. [back]
Note 37. S Cypr. l.
de Mortal, n. 9. [back]
Note 38. Pontius
vitâ Cypriani, n. 9. [back]
Note 39. S. Cypr.
tr. de Laps. n. 4. [back]
Note 40. S. Cypr.
ep. 1, ed. Oxon. [back]
Note 41. Ep. 63, ad
Cæcilium, ed. Oxon. [back]
Note 42. Tr. de
Laps. n. 2, De Unit. Eccles. n. 15. [back]
Note 43. L. 2,
Testim. n. 16. [back]
Note 44. At the rate
of £7 16s. 3d. the sestertium, or one thousand sestertii. Mr. Smith,
in his corrections of Dr. Arbuthnot’s tables, makes a sestertius Zd. of
our present English coin, and a sestertium £8 6s. 8d. [back]
Note 45. Ep. 62, ed.
Oxon. S. Aug. ep. 199, n. 95. [back]
Note 46. Ep. 73, ad
Jubaian. [back]
Note 47. L. de Unit.
Eccl. p. 83, et ep. 55, &c. S. Aug. l. 1, de Bapt. c. 18, p. 94, t. 9,
&c. [back]
Note 48. Ep. 59, ad
Cornel. n. 10, p. 265. See also ep. 55, ad Antonian. n. 5, p. 243. L. de Unit.
Eccl. p. 76, &c. Raymundi Missorii Dissertatio critica in Epistolam ad
Pompeium adversus decretum Stephani papæ I. Venetiis, 1733, 4to. [back]
Note 49. The latter
works composed by St. Cyprian are these that follow: The book To Demetrianus,
(an inferior heathen magistrate of Carthage, an acquaintance of St. Cyprian’s
though a great enemy to the Christians,) is an answer to his invectives,
showing that the Christian faith was not the cause of the public calamities of
the empire, with an exhortation to repentance. The treatise, Of Alms and Good
Works, compiled about the year 254, is a moving exhortation to alms-deeds and
works of mercy, as commanded in the Holy Scriptures, and as the means to obtain
the divine mercy. The author says, it is utterly inexcusable to come to the
holy sacrifice, or pretend to celebrate the Lord’s day, without making an
offering for the poor. In answer to the objections which covetousness suggests,
he shows that a number of children to be provided for does not exempt a man
from this duty, but enhances the obligation, seeing those betray the true interest
of their children, who teach them to misplace their affection, and to prefer
mammon before Christ; and who do not procure them the divine protection by
religion and almsdeeds. He insists much upon this, that the sentence of the
last day will be given according to the abundance or deficiencies of our alms.
St. Cyprian, in
order to cool the heats which had been raised in the disputes about rebaptizing
heretics, composed about the year 256, his book On the Advantage of Patience.
This virtue he takes not only for the restraint of resentment and revenge, but
for the train of all those virtues which contribute to make a man merciful,
mild, gentle, forbearing, and forgiving; and which enable him to endure all
sorts of hardships, and to oppose all sorts of temptations. He observes, that
the heathen philosophers were strangers to true patience, which supposes in the
person possessed of it, meekness and humility; whereas they were conceited and
puffed up, exceedingly pleased with themselves, consequently not pleasing God
at all, but full of ignorance, presumption, frowardness, and vain boasting. It
is the business of a Christian to be in reality, what they sought to be only in
appearance, and live up to that pitch of sanctity which they talked of. He
recommends the practice of patience from the example of God, from whose
illustrious fountain it takes its rise and derives its main honour and dignity;
also from the precepts of the gospel, the example of Christ, of St. Peter,
“upon whom Christ hath vouchsafed to build his Church,” the other apostles and
holy patriarchs; and from the consideration of the future judgment.
St. Cyprian
mentions the power of exorcising and casting devils out of human bodies in the
name of Christ both in this treatise, (n. 4,) in that to Donatus, (n. 4,) and
in that of Demetrianus, (n. 9,) to whose senses he confidently appeals, if he
would make the trial. Whence the English Protestant editor, in his notes upon
this passage to Donatus, says: “This power of Christians in expelling evil demons
from the bodies of persons possessed by them, is so often appealed to, and so
strongly asserted by the unanimous consent of the ancient fathers, that there
is no room to doubt of the fact, either that such bodies were so possessed, or
so exorcised.” (P. 4.) St. Cyprian wrote his treatise, On Jealousy and Envy,
for the same purpose, and soon after the last. He shows in it that envy is the
source of numberless evils, and the nursery of manifold sins; for all sorts of
vices are grafted upon its root; that it is both a grievous sin, and its own
present torment. “If you will not lose your share in the trophies you have
gained,” says he, “lay aside all perverseness of temper, pursue those courses
which lead you directly to the way of salvation, weed out of your heart those
thorns and briers which would choke it, and receive into it the seeds of
righteousness which may spring up, and bring forth fruit abundantly; disgorge
the gall and venom of malignant contentious humours, cleanse your mind of all
its filth, and sweeten the bitterness and rancour of your soul, with a truly
Christian and healing medicine. The cross of Christ, by proper applications,
will do that for you which the tree did for the Israelites at the waters of
Mara. All the bitterness of your soul will be sweetened, if the cross of Christ
be applied to it in a proper manner. You will then want no cure nor medicine
for any of its distempers; but may derive your remedy, from what originally
impaired your health,” viz. the tree of the forbidden fruit. Thus does he
recommend devotion to Christ’s passion, and meditation on that model of all
virtue.
Upon the ceasing
of the persecution at the death of Gallus, in the beginning of the year 253,
St. Cyprian assembled a council at Carthage of sixty-six bishops, to settle the
affairs of the church. Whilst the council was sitting he received a
consultation from Fidus, an African bishop, whether new-born infants should be
baptized before the eighth day from their birth, as was prescribed in the old
law with regard to circumcision. St. Cyprian with his council answered, “That
no one should be denied access to the grace of God;—particularly infants, who
by their tears and deprecations as soon as they are born seem to implore our
help in the most moving manner, and to have the best title of any to the
mercies of God. If remission of sin be not refused to the most heinous
offenders, how much less reason,” says he, “is there for denying it to infants,
who being but newly born, can be guilty of no sin, this only excepted, that, by
being derived from Adam, their birth hath communicated to them the infection
and punishment of his offence.” (Ep. 64, ed. Oxon.) No difficulty was then
moved about the practice of infant-baptism, but about the day: and even as to
this, the unanimity of the synod shows what was the general tradition. Even
Tertullian, who pleaded for the delay of baptism, pronounces him guilty of
murder who should refuse it to any in cases of necessity. See the tradition and
practice of infant-baptism both in the Latin and Greek churches, clearly
demonstrated from the earliest ages of our holy religion by Count Acami,
against the letter of an English Anabaptist upon that point. (Jacobi
Comitis Acami de Pædobatismo solemni in Ecclesia Latina et Græca. Romæ,
1755.)
Among the works
doubtfully or falsely attributed to St. Cyprian that Against Public Shows, was
written in the same age by a bishop absent from his flock in the time of
persecution. The book Of Charity, and the Discourse against Novation, seem to agree
with the former in style, which differs from that of St. Cyprian; otherwise
these three works might do honour to his name. The anonymous book, On the
Celibacy of the Clergy, is extremely useful; and seems written about the
seventh century.
The first edition
of St. Cyprian’s works (which appeared soon after the invention of printing,
without the name of the printer or place where it was printed) is more correct,
and freer from faults than those that followed. Among others, Erasmus, Manutius
at Rome, Morellus at Paris, Pamelius, and Rigaltius gave new editions of his
works. This last author is called by bishop Fell a masked or disguised
Calvinist, his notes upon Tertullian and St. Cyprian often most absurdly
leaning towards certain principles of that sect; on which see Albaspinæus, H.
Grotius, Ep. ad Salmas. p. 323, and Petitdidier, in his excellent Remarques sur
la Bibliothèque de Dupin, t. i. Pamelius first placed St. Cyprian’s letters
according to the series of time; which order is changed in almost every edition
before and since. The excellent Oxford edition appeared in 1682, with new notes
added by doctor Fell, bishop of Oxford, together with the learned bishop
Pearson’s Annales Cyprianici, and Dodwell’s thirteen Dissertationes Cyprianicæ,
to illustrate certain matters of fact and points of discipline. Baluze prepared
a new edition of this father’s works; after whose death, it was completed,
Baluze’s notes in some places amended, and new ones added, with a new life of
St. Cyprian, by D. Maran. This most exact edition was printed at Paris in 1726.
St. Jerom and
Lactantius justly admired the eloquence of St. Cyprian’s works. The latter
observes, that “he had an easy, fertile, agreeable invention; and what is more,
a clearness of understanding and a spirit of perspicuity reign throughout all
his writings, which is one of the best qualities belonging to any discourse. He
has a great deal of ornament in his narration, an easy turn in his expressions,
and force and vigour in his reasonings, so that he had all the three talents
required in an orator, which are to please, to teach, and to persuade; and it
is not easy to say which of these three he possesses most eminently.” His
letter to Donatus is too elaborately adorned; yet is both truly eloquent and
very serious, though not a model; for we may apply to it the remark of
Malebranche concerning Seneca, Tertullian, and Montaigne, that in such writers
the most vicious dazzling flashes are most apt to be imitated, to the
depravation of taste and true eloquence. (Recherche de la Vérité, l. 2, p. 3,
c. 3.) St. Austin says, that God permitted some affected ornaments, and strokes
of vain oratory to fall from St. Cyprian’s pen, in this his first essay after
his conversion, to show us how much the spirit of Christian simplicity
afterwards retrenched the superfluous ornaments of style, and reduced it within
the bounds of a grave true eloquence. This is the distinguishing character of
all the letters that St. Cyprian wrote after this, which we may safely admire,
and imitate, says Fenelon. Yet, as the same judicious master of style observes,
his language has a tang of the African roughness and genius; nor is it quite
clear of that studied sublimity that prevailed in his days. This, however, is
not such but that his eloquence still appears smooth and natural, and is
removed from the style of a declaimer. There is nothing in his writings mean,
quaint, or insipid; nothing that has the tincture of ordinary literature. Every
where we see a great soul, filled with lofty sentiments, which are expressed in
a very noble and moving manner; his tongue always speaks from the abundance of
his heart. He sometimes uses certain words not agreeable to the purity of the
Latin tongue (as mortalitas remissa, &c.) so difficult a matter
is it to abstain from words which we daily hear from those with whom we
converse. Nevertheless, after Lactantius, St. Cyprian is one of the most
eloquent of the Latin fathers. [back]
Note 50. Ep. 12, ed.
Oxon. [back]
Note 51. S. Cypr.
ep. 80, ad Successum. ed. Oxon. See S. Xystus’s life, Aug. 6. [back]
Note 52. A kind of
inner garment, so called from Dalmatia, where it was invented. [back]
Note 54. Martyr. ad
14, Sept. See Rosweide and Georgi, ibid. Ruinart, Act. Mart. p.
203. [back]
Note 55. See Suysken
the Bollandist, p. 340. 342, et. p. 769. [back]
Note 56. L. de
Mortal. n. 20. [back]
Rev. Alban
Butler (1711–73). Volume IX: September. The Lives of the
Saints. 1866.
Cessata la persecuzione (primavera 251) molti cristiani, che hanno ceduto per paura, vorrebbero tornare nella Chiesa. Ma quelli che non hanno ceduto si dividono tra indulgenti e rigoristi. Cipriano è più vicino ai primi, e con altri vescovi d’Africa indica una via più moderata, inimicandosi i fautori dell’epurazione severa. A questo punto le sue vicende s’intrecciano con quelle di Cornelio, un presbitero romano d’origine patrizia. Eletto papa a 14 mesi dal martirio di Fabiano, si trova di fronte a uno scisma provocato dal dotto e dinamico prete Novaziano, che ha retto la Chiesa romana in tempo di sede vacante. Novaziano accusa di debolezza Cornelio (che è sulla linea di Cipriano) e dà vita a una comunità dissidente che durerà fino al V secolo.
Da Cartagine, Cipriano affianca Cornelio e si batte contro Novaziano, affermando l’unità della Chiesa universale. Non è solo sintonia personale con papa Cornelio: Cipriano parte dall’unità dei cristiani innanzitutto con i rispettivi vescovi, e poi dei vescovi con Roma quale sede principalis, fondata su Pietro capo degli Apostoli. Ucciso in guerra l’imperatore Decio, il suo successore Treboniano Gallo è spinto a perseguitare i cristiani perché c’è la peste, e la “voce del popolo” ne accusa i cristiani, additati come “untori” in qualunque calamità. Si arresta anche papa Cornelio, che muore in esilio nel 253 a Centumcellae (antico nome di Civitavecchia). E viene definito “martire” da Cipriano, che appoggia il suo successore Lucio I contro lo scisma di Novaziano. Lucio muore però dopo un anno (254). Gli succede Stefano I, e durante il suo pontificato c’è uno strappo con Cartagine, per il battesimo amministrato da eretici e scismatici, che è valido per Stefano e nullo per Cipriano.
Questi poi accusa Stefano di considerare ingiustamente il primato di Pietro come un diritto all’ingerenza continua nella vita delle singole Chiese. Il dissidio si estende pericolosamente, ma nell’agosto 257 papa Stefano muore, e intanto l’imperatore Valeriano ordina un’altra persecuzione. Cipriano viene mandato in esilio, dove apprende che il nuovo papa Sisto II è morto martire a Roma, col diacono Lorenzo. Liberato, può far ritorno a Cartagine; ma nel settembre 258 lo arrestano di nuovo, e il giorno 14 muore decapitato. In questo stesso giorno Cornelio e Cipriano sono ricordati per sempre insieme dalla Chiesa.
Autore: Domenico Agasso
Statue des
heiligen Cyprianus am Portal von St. Kornelius in Kornelimünster
BENEDETTO XVI
UDIENZA GENERALE
San Cipriano
Cari fratelli e sorelle,
nella serie delle nostre catechesi su grandi
personalità della Chiesa antica, arriviamo oggi a un eccellente Vescovo
africano del III secolo, san Cipriano, che «fu il primo Vescovo che in Africa
conseguì la corona del martirio». In pari grado la sua fama – come attesta il
diacono Ponzio, che per primo ne scrisse la vita – è legata alla produzione
letteraria e all’attività pastorale dei tredici anni che intercorrono fra la
sua conversione e il martirio (cfr Vita 19,1; 1,1). Nato a Cartagine
da ricca famiglia pagana, dopo una giovinezza dissipata Cipriano si converte al
cristianesimo all’età di 35 anni. Egli stesso racconta il suo itinerario
spirituale: «Quando ancora giacevo come in una notte oscura», scrive alcuni
mesi dopo il Battesimo, «mi appariva estremamente difficile e faticoso compiere
quello che la misericordia di Dio mi proponeva ... Ero legato dai moltissimi
errori della mia vita passata, e non credevo di potermene liberare, tanto
assecondavo i vizi e favorivo i miei cattivi desideri ... Ma poi, con l’aiuto
dell’acqua rigeneratrice, fu lavata la miseria della mia vita precedente; una
luce sovrana si diffuse nel mio cuore; una seconda nascita mi restaurò in un
essere interamente nuovo. In modo meraviglioso cominciò allora a dissiparsi
ogni dubbio ... Comprendevo chiaramente che era terreno quello che prima viveva
in me, nella schiavitù dei vizi della carne, ed era invece divino e celeste ciò
che lo Spirito Santo in me aveva ormai generato» (A Donato 3-4).
Subito dopo la conversione, Cipriano – non senza
invidie e resistenze – viene eletto all’ufficio sacerdotale e alla dignità di
Vescovo. Nel breve periodo del suo episcopato affronta le prime due
persecuzioni sancite da un editto imperiale, quella di Decio (250) e quella di
Valeriano (257-258). Dopo la persecuzione particolarmente crudele di Decio, il
Vescovo dovette impegnarsi strenuamente per riportare la disciplina nella
comunità cristiana. Molti fedeli, infatti, avevano abiurato, o comunque non
avevano tenuto un contegno corretto dinanzi alla prova. Erano i
cosiddetti lapsi – cioè i «caduti» –, che desideravano ardentemente
rientrare nella comunità. Il dibattito sulla loro riammissione giunse a
dividere i cristiani di Cartagine in lassisti e rigoristi. A queste difficoltà
occorre aggiungere una grave pestilenza che sconvolse l’Africa e pose
interrogativi teologici angosciosi sia all’interno della comunità sia nel
confronto con i pagani. Bisogna ricordare, infine, la controversia fra Cipriano
e il Vescovo di Roma, Stefano, circa la validità del Battesimo amministrato ai
pagani da cristiani eretici.
In queste circostanze realmente difficili Cipriano
rivelò elette doti di governo: fu severo, ma non inflessibile con
i lapsi, accordando loro la possibilità del perdono dopo una
penitenza esemplare; davanti a Roma fu fermo nel difendere le sane tradizioni
della Chiesa africana; fu umanissimo e pervaso dal più autentico spirito
evangelico nell’esortare i cristiani all’aiuto fraterno dei pagani durante la
pestilenza; seppe tenere la giusta misura nel ricordare ai fedeli – troppo
timorosi di perdere la vita e i beni terreni – che per loro la vera vita e i
veri beni non sono quelli di questo mondo; fu irremovibile nel combattere i
costumi corrotti e i peccati che devastavano la vita morale, soprattutto
l’avarizia. «Passava così le sue giornate», racconta a questo punto il diacono
Ponzio, «quand’ecco che – per ordine del proconsole – giunse improvvisamente
alla sua villa il capo della polizia» (Vita 15,1). In quel giorno il santo
Vescovo fu arrestato, e dopo un breve interrogatorio affrontò coraggiosamente
il martirio in mezzo al suo popolo.
Cipriano compose numerosi trattati e lettere, sempre
legati al suo ministero pastorale. Poco incline alla speculazione teologica, scriveva
soprattutto per l’edificazione della comunità e per il buon comportamento dei
fedeli. Di fatto, la Chiesa è il tema che gli è di gran lunga più caro.
Distingue tra Chiesa visibile, gerarchica, e Chiesa
invisibile, mistica, ma afferma con forza che la Chiesa è una sola,
fondata su Pietro. Non si stanca di ripetere che «chi abbandona la cattedra di
Pietro, su cui è fondata la Chiesa, si illude di restare nella Chiesa» (L’unità
della Chiesa cattolica 4). Cipriano è convinto, e lo ha formulato con parole
forti, che «fuori della Chiesa non c'è salvezza» (Epistola 4,4 e 73,21), e
che «non può avere Dio come Padre chi non ha la Chiesa come Madre» (L’unità
della Chiesa cattolica 4). Caratteristica irrinunciabile della Chiesa è
l’unità, simboleggiata dalla tunica di Cristo senza cuciture (ibid., 7): unità
della quale dice che trova il suo fondamento in Pietro (ibid., 4) e la sua
perfetta realizzazione nell’Eucaristia (Epistola 63,13). «Vi è un solo
Dio, un solo Cristo», ammonisce Cipriano, «una sola è la sua Chiesa, una sola
fede, un solo popolo cristiano, stretto in salda unità dal cemento della
concordia: e non si può separare ciò che è uno per natura» (L’unità della
Chiesa cattolica 23).
Abbiamo parlato del suo pensiero riguardante la
Chiesa, ma non si deve trascurare, infine, l’insegnamento di Cipriano sulla
preghiera. Io amo particolarmente il suo libro sul Padre Nostro, che mi ha
aiutato molto a capire e a recitare meglio la «preghiera del Signore»: Cipriano
insegna come proprio nel Padre Nostro è donato al cristiano il retto modo di
pregare, e sottolinea che tale preghiera è al plurale, «affinché colui che
prega non preghi unicamente per sé. La nostra preghiera – scrive – è pubblica e
comunitaria e, quando noi preghiamo, non preghiamo per uno solo, ma per tutto
il popolo, perché con tutto il popolo noi siamo una cosa sola» (L’orazione del
Signore 8). Così preghiera personale e liturgica appaiono robustamente
legate tra loro. La loro unità proviene dal fatto che esse rispondono alla
medesima Parola di Dio. Il cristiano non dice «Padre mio», ma
«Padre nostro», fin nel segreto della camera chiusa, perché sa che in
ogni luogo, in ogni circostanza, egli è membro di uno stesso Corpo.
«Preghiamo dunque, fratelli amatissimi», scrive il
Vescovo di Cartagine, «come Dio, il Maestro, ci ha insegnato. E’ preghiera
confidenziale e intima pregare Dio con ciò che è suo, far salire alle sue
orecchie la preghiera di Cristo. Riconosca il Padre le parole del suo Figlio,
quando diciamo una preghiera: Colui che abita interiormente nell’animo sia
presente anche nella voce ... Quando si prega, inoltre, si abbia un modo di
parlare e di pregare che, con disciplina, mantenga calma e riservatezza.
Pensiamo che siamo davanti allo sguardo di Dio. Bisogna essere graditi agli
occhi divini sia con l’atteggiamento del corpo che col tono della voce ... E
quando ci riuniamo insieme con i fratelli e celebriamo i sacrifici divini con
il sacerdote di Dio, dobbiamo ricordarci del timore reverenziale e della
disciplina, non dare al vento qua e là le nostre preghiere con voci scomposte,
né scagliare con tumultuosa verbosità una richiesta che va raccomandata a Dio
con moderazione, perché Dio è ascoltatore non della voce, ma del cuore (non
vocis sed cordis auditor est)» (3-4). Si tratta di parole che restano
valide anche oggi e ci aiutano a celebrare bene la Santa Liturgia.
In definitiva, Cipriano si colloca alle origini di
quella feconda tradizione teologico-spirituale che vede nel «cuore» il luogo
privilegiato della preghiera. Stando alla Bibbia e ai Padri, infatti, il cuore
è l’intimo dell’uomo, il luogo dove abita Dio. In esso si compie quell’incontro
nel quale Dio parla all’uomo, e l’uomo ascolta Dio; l’uomo parla a Dio, e Dio
ascolta l’uomo: il tutto attraverso l’unica Parola divina. Precisamente in questo
senso – riecheggiando Cipriano – Smaragdo, abate di San Michele alla Mosa nei
primi anni del nono secolo, attesta che la preghiera «è opera del cuore, non
delle labbra, perché Dio guarda non alle parole, ma al cuore dell’orante» (Il
diadema dei monaci l).
Carissimi, facciamo nostro questo «cuore in ascolto»,
di cui ci parlano la Bibbia (cfr 1 Re 3,9) e i Padri: ne abbiamo
tanto bisogno! Solo così potremo sperimentare in pienezza che Dio è il nostro
Padre, e che la Chiesa, la santa Sposa di Cristo, è veramente la nostra Madre.
Saluti:
J’accueille avec plaisir les pèlerins de langue
française, en particulier tous les jeunes présents ce matin. À l’exemple de
saint Cyprien, soyez des hommes et des femmes de prière, attentifs à la
présence de Dieu, à l’écoute de sa Parole et au service de vos frères. Bon
pèlerinage à tous !
I am pleased to greet the officers and cadets from the
New York Maritime College and the members of the European Ophthalmic Pathology
Society. I am also happy to welcome the pilgrims who have travelled to Rome for
the Canonizations last Sunday. May we all continue to be inspired by the lives
of these saints. Upon all the English-speaking visitors present at today’s
Audience, especially those from Finland, England, Scotland, New Zealand and the
United States of America, I cordially invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace.
Ganz herzlich heiße ich die Audienzbesucher deutscher
Sprache willkommen, besonders die Pilgergruppe des internationalen Hilfswerks
„Kirche in Not“ wie auch den „Fränkischen Kreis“ katholischer Unternehmer.
Bitten wir Gott, daß er uns ein hörendes Herz gebe (vgl. 1 Kön 3, 9),
daß wir seinen Willen erkennen und verstehen lernen, daß Gott unser Vater und
die Kirche, die Braut Christi, wirklich unsere Mutter ist. Euch alle schütze
und führe der gütige Herr in diesen Tagen mit seiner Gnade und seinem Segen!
Saludo cordialmente a los visitantes de lengua
española. En particular, a las Hijas de María Auxiliadora y al grupo de las
Obras Misionales Pontificias. Saludo también a los demás peregrinos de España,
México, El Salvador, Argentina y de otros Países latinoamericanos. Siguiendo
las enseñanzas de san Cipriano, abramos nuestro corazón a la oración para
experimentar plenamente que Dios es nuestro Padre y que la Iglesia, la santa
Esposa de Cristo, es verdaderamente nuestra Madre.
Uma saudação especial aos peregrinos vindos
de Portugal, especialmente o grupo de jovens do Arciprestado de Carrazeda
de Ansiães, e do Brasil um grupo de visitantes. Que a visita à cidade
onde foram martirizados os Apóstolos São Pedro e São Paulo reavive a vossa fé
em Cristo Jesus, que por amor nos redimiu e nos chamou a ser filhos de Deus e a
viver como irmãos na justiça e na paz. A todos, de coração, dou a minha Bênção,
que faço extensiva aos vossos familiares e amigos.
Saluto in lingua polacca:
Pozdrawiam pielgrzymów polskich. Jutro przypada
Uroczystość Bożego Ciała. Idąc w procesji za Chrystusem przypominajmy
wszystkim, że Jezus obecny w Eucharystii w swoim Ciele i Krwi, jest z nami
„przez wszystkie dni, aż do skończenia świata” (Mt 28, 20). Niech to spotkanie
z Chrystusem przemienia wasze życie. Wam tu obecnym i uczestnikom jutrzejszych
procesji serdecznie błogosławię.
Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua polacca:
Saluto i pellegrini polacchi. Domani è la Solennità
del Ss.mo Corpo e Sangue di Cristo. Andando in processione dietro Cristo,
presente nell’Eucaristia, Suo Corpo e Sangue, noi ricordiamo a tutti che Egli è
con noi “tutti i giorni, fino alla fine del mondo” (Mt 28,20). Che questo
incontro cambi la vostra vita. A tutti voi qui presenti e a tutti coloro che
domani parteciperanno alla processione, giunga la mia benedizione.
Saluto in lingua croata:
Srdačno pozdravljam sve hrvatske hodočasnike, a
posebno studente Filozofskoga i Teološkoga Fakulteta Družbe Isusove iz Zagreba
te vjernike župe svetoga Petra iz istoga grada. Neka blagovanje Kristova Tijela
vaš život uvijek sve više suobličava Njemu koji nas je ljubio do kraja! Hvaljen
Isus i Marija!
Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua croata:
Saluto cordialmente i pellegrini croati,
particolarmente gli studenti della Facoltà di Filosofia e Teologia della
Compagnia di Gesù di Zagreb e i fedeli della parrocchia di san Pietro della
stessa città. La comunione al Corpo di Cristo conformi la vostra vita sempre di
più a Lui che ci ha amati sino alla fine! Siano lodati Gesù e Maria!
Saluto in lingua slovacca:
S láskou vítam pútnikov z Bratislavy a Nitry. Bratia a
sestry, Kristus je cesta k Otcovi a v Eucharistii sa ponúka každému z nás ako
prameň božského života. Čerpajme vytrvalo z toho prameňa. S týmto želaním
žehnám vás i vašich drahých vo vlasti. Pochválený buď Ježiš Kristus!
Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua slovacca:
Un affettuoso benvenuto ai pellegrini provenienti da
Bratislava e Nitra. Fratelli e sorelle, Cristo è la via che conduce al Padre e
nell’Eucaristia si offre ad ognuno di noi come sorgente di vita divina.
Attingiamone con perseveranza. Con questi voti benedico voi ed i vostri cari in
Patria. Sia lodato Gesù Cristo!
Saluto in lingua ungherese:
Szeretettel köszöntöm a magyar híveket, elsősorban
azokat, akik Szatmárról jöttek. Zarándoklatotok Rómába, Szent Péter és Pál
apostol városába, erősítse meg hiteteket és az Egyházhoz való hűségteket. Ezzel
a jókívánsággal adom áldásomat Rátok és családjaitokra. Dicsértessék a Jézus
Krisztus!
Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua ungherese:
Saluto cordialmente ii fedeli ungheresi provenienti di
Satu Mare. Il vostro pellegrinaggio a Roma, alla Città consacrata dai santi
Apostoli Pietro e Paolo, rafforzi la vostra fede e la vostra fedeltà alla
Chiesa. A voi e a tutti che vi sono cari, imparto la Benedizione Apostolica.
Sia lodato Gesù Cristo!
* * *
Rivolgo un cordiale benvenuto ai pellegrini di lingua
italiana. In particolare, saluto i fedeli provenienti da Margherita di Savoia,
che ricordano il 250° anniversario di fondazione della parrocchia
del Santissimo Salvatore. Cari amici, auspico che questa fausta ricorrenza
susciti in ciascuno un rinnovato impegno di adesione a Cristo e di coraggiosa
testimonianza evangelica. Saluto, poi, la Brigata aeromobile “Friuli” di
Bologna, che ha partecipato a diverse missioni di pace, distinguendosi per la
generosa attenzione verso le popolazioni più bisognose.
Saluto infine i giovani, i malati e
gli sposi novelli. Il mese di giugno è dedicato al Sacro Cuore di
Gesù. Soffermiamoci spesso a contemplare questo Cuore che è la sorgente
dell'Amore divino.
Voi, cari giovani, alla scuola del Cuore di
Cristo imparate ad assumere con serietà le responsabilità che vi attendono.
Voi, cari malati, trovate in questa fonte inesauribile la serenità per
compiere sempre la volontà di Dio. E voi, cari sposi novelli, restate
fedeli all’amore di Dio che è fondamento e sostegno del vostro amore coniugale.
APPELLO PER IL G-8
Oggi è iniziato a Heiligendamm, Germania, sotto la
Presidenza della Repubblica Federale di Germania, il Vertice Annuale dei Capi
di Stato e di Governo del G-8 - cioè i sette Paesi più industrializzati del
mondo più la Federazione Russa. Lo scorso 16 dicembre ebbi occasione di scrivere
alla Cancelliere Angela Merkel ringraziandola, a nome della Chiesa cattolica,
per la decisione di conservare all’ordine del giorno del G-8 il tema della
povertà nel mondo, con particolare attenzione all’Africa. La Dottoressa Merkel
mi rispose cortesemente il 2 febbraio scorso, assicurandomi circa l’impegno del
G-8 nel raggiungimento degli obiettivi di sviluppo del millennio. Vorrei ora
rivolgere un nuovo appello ai leader riuniti a Heiligendamm, affinché non
vengano meno alle promesse di aumentare sostanzialmente l’aiuto allo sviluppo,
in favore delle popolazioni più bisognose, soprattutto quelle del Continente
Africano.
In tale senso, speciale attenzione merita il secondo
grande obiettivo del millennio: “il raggiungimento dell’educazione
primaria per tutti; l’assicurazione che ogni ragazzo e ragazza completi
l’intero corso della scuola primaria entro il 2015”. Questo obiettivo è parte
integrale del raggiungimento di tutti gli altri obiettivi del millennio; è
garanzia del consolidamento degli obiettivi raggiunti; è punto di partenza dei
processi autonomi e sostenibili di sviluppo.
Non si deve dimenticare che la Chiesa cattolica è stata sempre in prima linea nel campo dell’educazione, arrivando, particolarmente nei Paesi più poveri, là dove le strutture statali spesso non riescono ad arrivare. Altre Chiese cristiane, gruppi religiosi e organizzazioni della società civile condividono tale impegno educativo. E’ una realtà che, in applicazione del principio di sussidiarietà, i Governi e le Organizzazioni internazionali sono chiamati a riconoscere, a valorizzare e a sostenere, anche mediante l’erogazione di adeguati contributi finanziari. Speriamo che si lavori seriamente per il raggiungimento di questi obiettivi.
© Copyright 2007 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
SOURCE : https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/it/audiences/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20070606.html
