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TO THE CLERGY AND ΡΕOPLE CONCERNING HIS RETI MENT, A LINLE BEFORE EIS MARTYRDOM. ARGUMENT.- mn, Mar the end of his life, Cyprian, ori r turning to his sardens, was tota that messe vera isere 3entio tale him for punishment to Utica, he wita eis. Andtiae te sistita be thought that he had done so from fear ofriath, he gines the reason in this letter, via. that he miselundergo his martyrdom nowhere elae than at Carthae' in the sight of his own pevis.1. Cyprian to the presbyters and demons, and ali the people, greeting. Whon it had bden told to us, dearest brethren, statino gaolers' had been sent to bring me to Utica, and I hadbeen persuaded by the counset of those dearest to me to with-dr- for a time from my gardens, as a just reason Was affordedΙ consented ; for tho remon that it is fit for a bishop, in that city in Which he presides ovor the church of the Lord, thero to confess the Lord, and that the wholo peoplo Ahould bo glorified by the confession os their prelate in thela presen ce. For wharaver, in that moment of consession, the confesso bisbop spealis, he spealis in the mouth of est, is inspirationos God. But tho honour os our church, glorious as it is, will bo mutilated is Ι, a bishop placed over another church, receiring my sentenco or my confession at Utica, inould gothence as a martyr to the Lord, When in deed, both for myom sine and youre, I pray With continuat supplications, and with Hl my destros entreat, that I may confess among Fou, and there suffer, and thenco depart to the Lord evenas I ought. Therosors horo in a hidden retroat I a ait thoarrival of the proconsul returning to Carthage, stat I mayhear hom him What the emperors have commanded upon the subject of Christian lamen and bishops, and may say Whattho Lota mill sh to bo said at that hour.
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332 THE EPISTLES OF CYPRIAM 2. But do you, dearest brethren, according to the disciplinowhich you have ever received from me out of the Loris commands, and according in What you have so very osten leam tirom my discourse, heep peace and tranquilli ; nor let any of you stir up any tumuit for the brethren, or voluntarilyoffer himself to tho Gentiles. For When apprehended and delivered up, he ought to speah, in much as tho Lord abidingin us spealis in that hour, Who Willod that we should rather eonfess than profess. But for the rest, What it is sitiing that wo inould observe besore the proconsul passes sentence onme for the consession of the name of God, wo mill With tho instruction of the Lord arrange in common. MV our Lordinake you, dearest brethren, to remain sala in His church, and condescend to heep you. So be it through His mero.
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ova care for dreas on the part of those reho had ala ea renounoed the woria, but that rather, since the apositi pre- scribes to married women α dreas to be regulated by sttinglimita, moderation ought even more to be observed by a
that the distinetions os dreas and ornaments are more 3uitedio profututes than to virgina; and he infers that, while somany thius are ostensive to God, more espeetally are theεumptusua Ornamenta of women ; and there fore maring α transition fram super oua ornament to the disserent kiuri
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334 THE TREANSES OF CYPRIAMU es and putata, he Drbida aueh thius, not on0 to
ISCIPLINE. tho infeDard of hope, the Mnd of saith, tho Dido of the Way of salvation, thestimulus and nourishment of good dispositions,
thΘ inacher of Viriue, causes us in abide alWaysin Christ, and is live continuassy for God, and to attain to the heavenly promises and to tho divine reWaria. Tosollow her is Wholesome, and to turn a V hom her and
them; sinco God also beiore predicted by Jeremiah, and
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everyWhere prescribet and the whole foundation os religionand of faith procreds frem obedience and fear; What is morofitting sor us urgently in destre, What more in mia for indis hold fast, than to stand with mola strongly fixed, and withour homos basia missi solid mam upon tho roch uninaen istho stoms and wUHWinti of the worid, so that me may comeis the divine precepta in the re arci os God consideringas Weli as knowing that our members, When purged iram allino filiu of the old contagion by tho sanctification of thelaver os lite, ars Goaea temples, and must not bo violated nor polluted, since he who does violenco to them is himself injuria. - aro the worinippers and pHests of th e temples; let Him Whose Wo havo Hready bemn to M. Paulsella vi in his episties, in Which he has formed us to a course
body.V Lot us glorisy and bear God in a pure and chastobody, and with a more completo obedienco; and since moliave been redeomed by the blood of Christ, let us obey andove furtherance to tho empiro of our Redeemer is ali ino edience of service, that nothing impure or prosane may bebrought into sto templo os God, lest He should bo offended, and forsaho the templo which Ho inhabita. Tho motas of tho Lord giring health and teaching, as meli curing as War
nor suffers the man aster arti to mander With Dee and --
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3. My ad tress is noW to virgins, Whose glory, as it is more eminent, excites the greater interest. This is the flonor of the ecclesiastical seed, the grace and ornament of spiritual endominent, a joyοus disposition, the wholesome and uncorrupted Work of praise and hono , God's imago ans ering to the holi-ness of the Lord, the moro illustrious portion os Chrises floch. Tho glorious fruitsulness of Ilother church rejoices by theirmeans, and in them abundantly flourishes; and in proportionas a copious Virginiu is added to her number, so much themoro it increases the joy of the Ilother. To these I speis, theso I exhort with affection rather than With poWer; notthat I Would claim, last and least, and very conscious of mylo liness as I am, any right to censure, but because, belagunceasingly caresul even to solicitude, Ι fear more from theonset os Satan. 4. For that is not an empty caresuiness nor a Vain fear,
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dress, and with ornamenta, Where ith While they are strivingio please men they offend God not considering that it is declared, They Who piisse men are put to confusion, b causo God hath despuod them; '' and that Paul also has gloriousj and sublimely ultered, Ii Ι yet ple ed men, Ishould not bo the servant of Christ. M But continencs and modesty consist not alone in puri of the flest, but also in Memliness, as meli as in modesty of dress and adornment; sothat, according to the apostle, she Who is unmarried may boholy both in body and in spirit. Paul instructi and teachesus, saying, He that is unmarriod careth for the things of the Lord, hoW ho may pleras God: but he who has contracted marriago careth for tho things whicli aro os this Worid, hoW he may please his Wiso. So both tho virgin and
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beautri Wheu fhe has no straggle greater than that againsther flesh, and no contest more obstinate than that oi co
glory When site is tortured in confession of the name; Whena woman is found to be stronger than the tortures; Whenshe suffers sire, or the cross, or the sword, or the wild beasis, that she may be crowned. These are the precious je eis of the flesli, these are the botter ornaments of the body. 7. But there are some rich M omen, and wealthy in the se illi os means, Who preser their own wealth, and contendthat they ought to use these blessings. Let them kno first
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in the worid. Is any man Iove the worid, the love of the Fastor is not in him. For ali that is in the worid, is lust of tho flesh, and tho lust of the cyes, and the pride os lise, Whichis not from tho Father, but is of the lust of tho worid. Andthe worid passeth aWay, and the lust thereos: but ho that doeth tho will of God abideth sor ever, even as God also
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nor costly arrv, but as becometh Women professing chastitnmith a good conversation.' Also Peter consenta to theso fame precepta, and says, t there bo in the Woman notthe outWard adorning os arru, or gold, or apparet, but insadorning of tho heart. But is theso also wam us that thomomen WhO are accustomed in mari an excuso for their
dress by reference to their h band, should be restriania and limited by religious observanco to the church's discipline, how much more is it right that the virgin should heep that
observance, Who has no excuse sor adorning herself, nor can
cause othera to peristi, and offer yo self, as it Were, a sWordor polson to the spectators; Fou cannot bo excused on thopretenco that you are chaste and modest in mind; yourshamesul dress and immodest ornament accuse Fou; nor eanyou be counted noW among Christ's maidens and virgins, since you live in such a manner as in mae Fourselves objects of destre.