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should obey His precepta, in much as you have been mado an example to others, both of valour and of the fear of God. And I had indoed belloved that the presbyters and deaconsWho are there present Mith you Would admonish and instructyou more fully concerning the law of the gospei, as Was thecase alWays in time past under my predecessors; so that thodeacons passing in and out of the prison controited thowishes of the martyra by their counseis, and by the Scriptum precepta. But nori With great sorroW of mind, I gather stat not only the divine precepis are not suggested is you by them, but that they are even rather restrained, so that those iningswhicli are dono by you yourseives, both in respect oi Godmissi caution, and in respect of God's priest With hono , aro relaxed by certain presbyters, Who consider neither the fereos God nor tho honour of tho bishop. Although you sentletters to me in Which you ash that your Wishes should booxamined, and that peace should be granted to certain of tho
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3. And since I hear, most brave and beloved brethren, that Du are pressed by the shamelessness of some, and that your modesty suffers violence; I beg you With What entroaties Imay, stat, as mindsul of the gospei, and considering What and what sori os things in past time your predecessors the ma tyra conceded, hoW caresul they Were in ali respects, you also fhould anxiousty and cautiousty weigh the wishos of those Who petition yοu, since, as friends os the Lord, and herea terto exercise judgment With Him, you must inspect both thoeonduci and the doings and the deseris of each one. Gumust consider also the hinds and qualities of their sins, test, in the evont os anything being abruptly and unWorthilyoither promised by you or done by mo, our church shouldbogin to blush, even before the very Gentiles. For me arevisited and chastened frequently, and we are admonished, that the commandmhnts of the Lord may bo hept without corruption or violation, Whicli Ι find does not coaso to bo thocase there among you so as to prevent the divino judgmenthom instructing Very many of you also in the disciplino ofilio church. ΝoW this can ali bo done, is you mill regulate thoso things that are askod of you with a carosul considerationos religion, perceiving and resti aining those Who, is accepting persons, ei ther mahe favours in distributing your benestis,
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And again ho has laid it down in his epistie, saying,
Whether ono member suffer, ali the members suffer Withit; or one member rejoice, ait the members rejoice missi it.'
I sympathiae mith you in your suffering and gries, therefore,
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44THE EPISTLES OF CYPRIAN.sor our brethren, Who, having lapsed and fallen prostrato under the severib of the persecution, have inflicted a like pain onus by their Wounds, inasmuch as they tear aWay part of ourbo eis With them,-to these the divine mercy is ablo to bring hoalinu. Yot I do not thinh that there must be anu hastrinor that anything must be done incautiousty and immaturein
test, While peace is being grasped at, the divine indignationbe more seriousty incurred. Tho blessed martyrs havo written to me about certain persons, requesting that their Wishes may be examin ed into. When, as soon as peace is
should attain to these things in duΘ courae. For, as in Smallet sitis Whicli are not committed against God, penance may be performed in a set time, and consession may be made With investigation of tho li se of him Who persorins the penanee,
more ought ali such matters as these to bo observed Mithcaution and moderation, according to the discipline of tho Lord, in these gravest and extremest sinst This Warning, indeed, cur presbyters and deacous ought to haVe giVen Fou, that they might cheristi the sheep committed to their care, and by the divino authority might instruct them in the wayos obtaining salvation by prayer. I am amare of the peae fulness as Woli as the fear of our peopto, Who would be Watch- fui in tho satisfaction and the deprecation of God's anger, uniess some of the presbyters, by Way os gratifying them, had doceived them. 3. Even you, thereiore, γοurael ves, guide them eata one,
and conuol the minia of the lapsed by counsel and by your
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THE EPISTLES OF CYPRIAN. 45oWn moderation, according to the divine precepis. Let noone pluch the unripe fruit at a time as yet premature. Letno one commit his ship, shattered and brohen with the waves, aneW to the deep, beiore he has caresully repatred it. Letnone be in haste to accepi and to put on a rent tunic, uniem he has scen it mended by a skilsul morkman, and has received
in the presence of the consessors, and With your opinion also, may be able to examino the letters and the wishes of thoblessed martyra. Concerning this matter I have written both to the cierin and to the martyrs and consessors, both of whieli letters I have directed to bo read to you. I bid yοu, brethren beloved and most longed-sor, ever he tity fare-weli in the Lord; and have me in remembrance. Fare Fe
to them by the martyrs and confessor3,-eoncerning thisatio I wrote twice to the cleris, and eommandeti it to beread to them, that for the mitigation of theis violenee in any maniter for the meantinae, is any who had reeeived a certiscate froni the martyrs were departing from this life, haring made eonfession and received the handa im- sed von them for repentanee, they should be remuled
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46 THE EPISTLES OF CYPRIAM to the Lord with the peaee promised them by the mam
be assisted by their privilego Mith God, ii they should bosei d with any misfortune and peril of sichness, should, without matting for my presence, besore any presbyter Whomight be present, or ii a presbyter silould not be found and death begius to bo imminent, besore even a demon, be ableto mahe confession of their sin, that, With the imposition othands upon them for repentance, they should come to the Lord with tho psace Which the martyrs have destred, by their letters to us, to be granted to them. 2. Cheristi also by your presence the rest of the peopis Who are lapsed, and cheer them by your consolation, that in
Audientibus,' scii. catechumens.
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1. Cyprian to the presbyters and deacons, his brethren, grueting. Ι have read your letter, beloved brethren, Wherein you Wrois that your Wholmome counset Was not manting toour brethren, that, laying aside ali rash haste, they should manifest a religious patiencs in God, so that when by Hismercy me come together, We may debate upon est hinti ofthings, according to the discipline of the church, especiallysince it is .Huen, Remember hom whenco thou hast Iullen, and repent.' W he rependi, who, remembering the divine precepi, With mee ess and patience, and obeying the priosis of God, deserves meli of the Lord is his obedienco and his righteous WOas. 2. Since, ho ever, you intimate that some are petulant, and eagerly urge their being received to communion, and have destred in this matter that some rese Ahould bo givenby mo is you, I think I have sussiciently written on this su joci in tho last letter that Was sent to Fou, that they Whohave received a certificata from the martyrs, and can Massisted by their help With the Lota in respect of their sitas, is thoy beon to bo oppressed With any sichness or rish; Whenthey have made confession, and have received the impositionos hands on them by you in aciso Iedginent of their peni- lance, should be remitted to the Lord With the peace promised to them by the martyra. But othera Who, Without haring
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this is the cause not os a scW, nor of one chiarch, nor of one
province, but of the whole Worid), must Wait, in depondencoon the protection of the Lord, for the public peace of thocli ch itself. For this is sultable to the modesty and thodisciplino, and even the lise of ali of us, that tho chios offleommeeting together With the clero in the presenco also of the
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uarious times declare is you, whicli I have transmitted toyou; in Which nesther counset to the clero, nor exhortationto the confessors, nor rebuis, When it Was necessarn to the exiles, nor my appeals and persuasions to the whole brother
reached both to our tortured brethren and to those Who as yet were only imprisoned With a vien to torture, to strengthenand console them. Moreover, When I found that those whohad pollutod thola hands and mouitis With sacrile ous cominet, or had no lem infected their consciences mith miched certificates, were eve Where soliciting the martyrs, and merealso corrupting the confessore With importunate and excessivo
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50THE EPISTLES OF CYPRIAMentreati , so that, Without any discrimination or examinatiore of tho individuals themselves, thousanda os certificates mero
the martyrs and confessors to the Loraes commands. To tho presbyters and deacons also Was not Wanting the vigour of
the pri thood; so that some, too litile mindiui os discipline, and hastri With a rash precipitation, Who had Hready begunto communicate Mith the lapsed, Were restrained by my intemposition. Among the people, moreover, I have done What Icould to quiet their minds, and have instructed them to mai tain ecclesiastical discipline. 3. But after arti, When some of the lapsed, Whether of theiroWn accord, or by the suggestion Oi any other, brohe forti, willia daring demand, as though they Would endeavour is a violenues ori to extori the peace that had been promised to them is the martyrs and confessors; concerning this also I wrote twicoto the clero, and commanded it to be read to them; that fortho mitigation of their violence in any manner for the mean- time, ii any Who had received a certificate from the martyremere departing irom this lite, having made confession, and received the imposition of hands on them sor repentance, theyinould bo remitted to the Lord with the peace promised them by the martyrs. Nor in this did I give them a lam orrashly constitute myseis the author of the direction; but asit sosmod sit both that honour should be paid to the martyra,