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Shali tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, Ornahedness, or perit, or sWord None of these things canseparato bellevera, nothing can rear aWay thoso Who aro
is an examination and searching out of the heret. God willsus to be fifted and proved, as He has alWays proved Hispeople; and yet in His trials help has never at any time been Manting to bellevers. 6. Finalty, to the very lorat of Ηis servanis, although placed among Very many sins, and unWorthy of His condescension, yet He has condescended of His goodness towardsus to command : Teli him,' said He, to be sala, becausepeace is coming;- but that, in the meantime, there is a littio delan stat some Who stili remain may be proved. But meare admonished by these divine condescensions both concerning a spare diei and a temperate use of drinh; to wit, test moridly enticement should enervato tho breast noW elevate twith celestiat vigour, or lest the mind, Meighed down by too abundant seasting, should be less Walchsul unto prayers and supplication. 7. It was my duty not to conceat these speciat matters,
whicli each one of iis may bo both instructed and guide l. And do not you sor your part heep this letter concealed among Fourseives, but let tho brethren havo it to read. For it is the part of one Who destres that his brothor should nos bovarned and instructed, to intercept those mords with whichtho Lord condescends to admonish and instruct us. Lot them know that we are proved by our Lord, and let them never fati of that faith whereby wo havs Once belleved in Him, under the conflict of this present affliction. Let each
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brethren, ever heartily sare eli; and have me in remembrance. Saluto the brotherhood in my namo; and remind
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TO THE MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS.
ARGUMENT.- Cyprian, commending the Afriean martyra mam vellausty for theis constanta, urgea them to per 3ederance
by the Gample of their colleague Mappalicua. Cyprian to the martyre and confessors in Christ cur Lord and in God tho Father, evertasting salvation. I gladiyrojoice and am thanhiul, most brave and blessed brethren, athearing os your faith and viriue, Wherein the church, our Mother, glories. Lately, indeed, she gloried, When, in consequence of an enduring confession, stat punishment Wasundergone Whicli drove the confossors of Christ into exile; Fet the present consession is so much tho more illustrious and greater in honour as it is braver in suffering. Thocombat has increased, and the glory of the combatanis has increased also. Nor mere you hept bach hom the strumle by fear of tortures, but by the Very tortures themselves youmere more and more stimulated to the conflici; bravely and firmiy you have returned Mith ready devotion, to contend in the extremest contest. Os you I find that somo ars atreavero ned, While some are even noW Within reach of the crownos victo ; but ait whom the danger has shut up in a glorious company are animaled to carry on the strumlo With an equaland common mamili os viriue, as it behoves the soldiers of Christ in tho divino camp: that no allurementa may deceive the incorruptibio stedsasinosa of your faith, no threais terrisy Fou, no sufferings or tortures overcome you, because greateris He that is in us, than he stat is in tho world; nor is the earinj punishment ille to do more toWards castingdown, than is the divine protection to arti listing up. Thistruth is proved by the glorious struggle of the brethren, Who, having become leadem to the rest in overcoming their tortures, afforded an example of virtuo and faith, contending in thostrife, untii the strife yielded, betag overcome. With What Praises can I commend Du, most courageous brothren Τ
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With what vocat proclamation can Ι exies the strengin ofyour heari and the perseverance of your salth t You havsborne the sita est examination by tortum, eVen unis theglorious consummation, and have not yieldeo to sufferings, but rather the sufferings have oven Way to you. The endos torments, whicli the tortures themselves did not give, thocrown has given. The examination by torture waxingseverer, continued ior a long time to this result, not to ove thron the stodiast faith, but to send the men os God mors quichly to tho Lota. The multitude of thmo Who were present saW missi admiration the heavenly contest,-the comtest of God, tho spiritual contest, the batile of Christ,-sa that His servanta Mood with tres Volce, With unfeldingmind, with divine virtve-bare, indeed, of meapons of this Worid, but belleving and armed mith tho weapons of faith. The tortured Mood moro brave than thec torturere; and thelimbs, beaten and torn as they mers, overcame the hoohs that bent and toro them. The Mourge, osten repeated with ali iis rage, could not conquer invincibie salth, evenalthough tho membrane Whicli Enclosed the entralia membrohen, and it mas no longer the limba but the w-nds of the servants of God thgt were tortured. Blood was flowing
quer in such servandi of His, as the protector of thiar fiath, and giving in bellovers as much as he who inheth belloves that he receives t He was present at His οὐ contest; Heliited M, strengthened, animaled the champions and assertors
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whicli ho said with tho testimony of virtve and faith, the Lord fulfilled. Α heavenly contest was exhibited, and theservant of God was crowned in the straggle of the promised fght. This is the contest Which the prophet Isaiah of old predicted, saying, It shali be no light contest for you With
appearing.VA This figlit, thereiore, predicted of old by thopropheta, begun by the Lord, Maged by the apostles, Main
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palicus promised again to the proconsul in his own nameand that of his colleagues. Nor did tho faithsul voico deceive in his promise ; he exhibited tho fght to which ho had Hedged himself, and he received the reWard which he deserve l. I not only beseech but exhort the rest oi you, thalyou est should follow that martyr no most biessed, and theother pariners of that engagemen -soldiere and comrades,stodfast in laith, patient in suffering, Victora in tortures,-thatthose Who are united at once by the bond of confession, and the entertainment of a dungeon, may also be united in the consummation of their virtve and a celestial crown; that you by
and illustrious,-the former more secure, to wit, to hasten totho Lord with tho consummation of our victo , he lalter
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of men, and blasphemies; but he that stiali blaspheme against the Ηoly Ghost shali not havo foroueness, but is guilty ofeternal sin. Also the blessed apostle has sald, Ye cannot Minh the cup of the Lord and the cup os deviis; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's tabis and of tho tablo os deviis.' Ηo who withholds these Words from our brethren deceives them, Wretched that they are ; so that they Who truly repent-ing might satis0 God, both as the Father and as mercisul, with their prayers and works, are seduced more deeply toperish ; and they Who might ratis themselves up fati the more deoply. For although in Amalter sins sinners may do penance sor a set time, and according to the rules os disciplino come topublic confossion,' and by imposition of tho hand of the bishopand clero receive the right of communion: now with thoirtimo stili unsulfilled, While persecution is stili raing, Whilo the psaco of the church iraeli is not yet restoreii, they are admitted to communion, and their name is presented; and
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3. But noW they are not milty Who so litile observe tho la. of Scripture; .but they mill milty Who are in omes and donot suggest these things to brethren, so that, Ming instructed by those placed abovo them, they may do ali things with thesesar of God, and with the observance oven and preseribed by Him. Then, momoVer, they lay tho blessed martyre 'open to ill-Will, and involvo the glorious servants of God milli thopriosi os God; so that although they, mindiui os my place,
have directed letters to me, and have asked that their wishos aliould then be examined, and peace granted them, When o Mother, tho church herself, should first have received peace for tho Loraes mercy, and the divine protection have brought mo bach to His church,-yet these, disregarding the honourishita the bl sed martyre With the confessors maintain for me, despising the Loraes laW and that observance, Which the fame martyre and consessore bid to be maintained, besore tho soaros persecution is quenched, besore my return, almost evenbefore the departure of tho martyrs, communicate mitti thelapsed, and offer and give them the eucharist, hen even is the martyra, in the heat of their glory, Were to consider tesscarefulty the Scriptures, and is destre mything more, theyshould bo admonishod by tho presbytera' and deacona' suggestions, as Was alWays done in time past. 4. For this reason the divine rebuke does not cease tochastiso us night nor day. For besides the visions of the nicti,
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contact, or had no leas infected their eonseienee inith Uicted certiscates, were everywhere soliciting the martyrs, and were atio corrupting the confessors with importunate and eaecessive entrea , εο that, Uithout any distinction or examination of the individuati, thousanda os certi eates Mere sinen, again8t the sospei law, I wrote letters in rehieli I Nealled by my advice cis much as possible the martyrsand eonfessors to the Loraea commands' 1. Cyprian to the martyrs and consessore, his beloved brethren, greeting. The anxiety of my siluation and tholaar of the Lord constrain me, my brave and beloved brethren, is admonish you in my letters, stat those Who sodevotedly and bravely maintain tho faith of tho Lord shouldatio maintain the law and discipline of the Lord. For Whilo