Life of the Hieromartyr Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage

This information is drawn from Saint Cyprian’s own writings and especially from his letters; from the life of Saint Cyprian, written by Pontius the deacon, who was constantly with him in the last years of his life; from Gregory of Nazianzus’s words of praise to Saint Cyprian and Augustine’s conversation on the martyrdom of Saint Cyprian; and also from certain passages in the writings of Jerome, Augustine, and others, where they say anything about St. Cyprian. Fascius Caecilius Cyprian (the full name of the saint) was born in Carthage, a famous city in Africa, around 201. It is unknown who exactly his parents were, for neither he himself nor his writers mention them. It is only known that he came from a famous Carthaginian family (Gregory of Nazianzus in his eulogy to Saint Cyprian), and that his parents, possessing great wealth, did not have the only true treasure - faith in Christ. The upbringing received by Cyprian corresponded to his noble origin and his excellent talents. He was trained in all the sciences that were part of the then pagan education, especially the graceful ones (Pontius, from the life of Saint Cyprian). In the latter he proved so successful that from being a student of eloquence he directly became a teacher of eloquence at the Carthage School (Jerome, in the catalog of famous men). Knowing the custom, according to which in ancient times the position of a public teacher of eloquence was mostly combined with the title of judicial orator, and from the style of some of the Cyprianovs’ letters (Letter to Donatus), they conclude that he used his gift of speech, among other things, to defend innocence before the mirror of justice. With a thorough knowledge of the native (Latin) language, Cyprian combined extensive information in Greek. Therefore, having become a Christian, in his writings he almost never adhered to any Latin translation of the Holy Scriptures, but followed (especially in the book of psalms) his own understanding of the Greek text and, like Tertullian, always cited the Gospels with a Greek title. Born and raised in a pagan religion, Fascius was not, however, one of those pagans who, being blinded by the prejudices of birth and upbringing, did not see anything absurd in paganism. He could not be present without indignation at the circus, where foolish youths sought reckless glory in battles with animals, and where crazy mothers with solemn cries excited children, already tormented by fierce animals, to new battles (Letter to Donatus). Shameless performances of shameful acts in the theater, accompanied by general delight and approval, also did not like Fascius, and produced in him only regret that vice not only remains unpunished, but also lives with praise in the memory of posterity. His heart was especially distressed at the thought of the shameless deeds with which mythology tried to decorate the history of its gods. What good, he thought, can be expected from those people who worship such depraved gods? The sad experience strengthened him even more in this thought! Depravity reigned in all states: in courts of law, in the palaces of kings, even in churches, crimes were committed that could only be expected in dens of robbers; the most prudent people tried to be only the most secret villains; morality, expelled from the hearts, remained in one language, turned with it and was transformed according to the whims of passions. All this, having produced in Cyprian a disgust from paganism, aroused in his soul the saving voice of true religion. Cyprian's spirit was in the most painful state. He saw the lies and vanity of what others and himself considered to be the truth; I felt in my soul an irresistible need for truth, and could not find any way to satisfy it. His mind struggled with a thousand doubts, each of which exceeded his strength. His heart was exhausted among many opposing desires, some of which attracted him with their purity, others with their rudeness. Cyprian, so to speak, hung between heaven and earth. But since he sincerely hungered for truth, sincerely thirsted for truth, Providence did not hesitate to send him the bread of heaven and the water of life. Cyprian was in a friendly relationship with one Christian presbyter named Caecilius. This Christian friend could not see without heartfelt contrition how pitifully Cyprian wandered in the darkness of unbelief. He revealed to him the shortcomings of the pagan religion, which could still hide from him as a pagan, and depicted the spirit of Christianity in all its beneficial greatness. The holiness of his life vouched for the truth of his words, and Cyprian, who had only to see the truth in order to love it, decided to be a Christian. His friend, delighted with his success, took upon himself the responsibility of instructing him in the original truths of the Christian faith. Out of gratitude for such care for himself, Cyprian took his name (Letter to Florentin), did not let go of him until his death, loved and respected him as a father, and after his death took over the care of his family (Pontius, from the life of Saint Cyprian). The good qualities of Cyprian’s heart, having found similar food in the high Christian morality, soon began to reveal themselves in all their strength. Cyprian decided to be a true Christian. He did not at all think of looking for a way to reconcile the pomp of his former state with the severity of the religion he accepted. It seemed to him that the words of the Savior, who commanded the young man to sell his property and give it to the poor, were spoken specifically to him. Therefore, he immediately sold his property, which consisted of houses, gardens and decorations, and distributed the money received for it to the poor - future brothers in Christ. Cyprian had this wondrous experience of love for Christ without having yet received the pledge of faith - baptism, so that he renounced the world and its lusts first by deeds, rather than having to renounce it before the font of baptism in words (Letter to Donatus). This was soon followed, in 246, by baptism. To increase Cyprian's spiritual joy, Donatus, a sincere friend, who had been his companion in the study of pagan wisdom, became his accomplice in Christian wisdom. The actions of the Spirit of God at baptism and after it were so palpable for both that they could not find words in their letters to express the superiority of their present state over the state of paganism. “When I,” Cyprian wrote, “was surrounded by the darkness of paganism and my mind wandered in indecision of heart, not finding peace in anything, it seemed completely impossible for me to leave my former sinful life and become a truly virtuous person. I could not imagine that the life-giving waters of baptism could wash away sins and revive a person for a new life in God. Is it possible, I wondered to myself, that so many habits that had passed into nature itself would suddenly be eradicated, that the law of sin would lose power over the heart, which fed on iniquity; so that from a weak man, given over to sin from youth, a new man becomes, loving and doing only the truth; and so that all these miracles were performed in the same mortal flesh, which was the source of evil, the food of depravity, the seat of the devil? In these thoughts, I considered any attempt against the sin living in me unnecessary; hated him and put up with him as with an invincible enemy; I wanted to be virtuous and decided to remain forever in the area of ​​sin... But when the light of grace penetrated the darkness that surrounded my soul, and I felt the presence of Divine power in my heart, all doubts disappeared, good intentions were strengthened, holy hopes came to life, the impossible became possible, and my spirit, inspired by faith, soared like an eagle over the abyss of its own corruption. You know this, dear friend, just as well as I do; we are both awarded the undeserved mercy of God. Therefore, we must now exercise, as far as possible, the powers given to us from above, so that by their prudent and faithful use we may become worthy of new Divine gifts: our God is inexhaustible in His bounties” (Letter to Donatus on Grace). It is worthy of note that the first letter to Donatus was written in the most beautiful style and filled with all the luxury of pagan ornateness, while all the other letters and writings of Cyprian were written, although strong and touching, but in a simple and artless style. According to Augustine (On Christian Teaching, book 4, chapter 14), this was done by Cyprian not without intention: he wanted that subsequent generations, knowing how Cyprian wrote before Christianity and how he wrote after becoming a Christian, could all the more conveniently judge the beneficial effect of Christian teaching, which transformed for the better not only the heart, but also the very language of Cyprian. Inspiring his friend to an active life in the spirit of Christianity, Cyprian constantly exercised himself in deeds of virtue. There was not a single good deed that he did not consider himself obligated to perform. Realizing the full height of spiritual perfection that Jesus Christ demands from His followers, and knowing that this height can only be achieved by completely curbing the rebellious flesh, he imposed strong bonds of abstinence and self-mortification on this domestic enemy (Pontius, from the life of Cyprian). To the pagans, who knew Cyprian’s former way of life, it seemed that he had become incorporeal. There was only one luxury left for him - love for his neighbors. In this case, like Moses and Paul, he did not like to observe measures. In general, the behavior of the convert Cyprian was such that many even of those who spent their entire lives in Christianity could imitate him. Around this time, in all likelihood, Cyprian wrote the book “On the Vanity of Idols.” This is evident both from the fact that Pontius, speaking about the works of Cyprian, written by him during his solitude, does not mention this book, and from the fact that they first of all tried to instill in the converts the insignificance of idols, and if they were from among the scientists, they were forced to write about this subject in the form of a defense against the pagans. The very composition of the book points to this time; there is nothing visible in it that Cyprian would not have failed to mention if he had written it as a presbyter or bishop. It was most fitting for Cyprian to begin his career as a Christian writer by refuting the idols, which, according to the testimony of Jerome (Catalog of Famous Men), he defended while a pagan. The general surprise excited by the virtues of Cyprian did not remain fruitless for long. Despite the fact that he was among the most recent converts, he, by common consent, was classified as a clergyman, and was soon made a presbyter (Pontius, from the life of Cyprian). Everyone saw, writes Pontius, that Cyprian’s successes in spiritual life are not subject to the ordinary order of time; and therefore no one considered it necessary to subordinate it to the accepted order of church degrees. The voice of the people in this case was only an echo of the voice of God. As the range of responsibilities spread, so did Cyprian's jealousy. His house was open to everyone: the hungry found food in it, the naked - clothing, the oppressed - protection, the repentant - consolation, the weak in conscience - sound advice (Pontius, from the life of Cyprian). No one returned from it dissatisfied, except with their own unworthiness. Meanwhile, Cyprian's primary occupation was preaching the Divine word. Knowing that examples have a much stronger effect on the heart, he tried not so much to indicate how one should act, but to show how holy men of God acted. In the depiction of each of them he observed some holy art (Pontius, from the life of Cyprian). Going through the life of some holy man, he focused the attention of his listeners on those qualities of his heart and on those exploits by which he earned the special favor of God, so that, by leading his listeners to the very source of the spiritual greatness of the glorified righteous man, he would thereby open to them the most convenient way to imitate his virtues. Cyprian's listeners joyfully noticed in many of his actions his close and faithful imitation of some famous acts of holy men. The soon following death of the Carthaginian bishop gave the people an opportunity to again express the deep respect that everyone had for the pastoral virtues of Cyprian. At the time he still belonged to the number of converts; despite this, everyone wanted to have him as bishop. The news of persecution would not have been so hard for the cowardice of the weak as the news of this was hard for Cyprian. No one was more aware of the dignity of others than he, and no one felt his own perfections less than him. He resolutely renounced the episcopal throne. But the people, taught by his own example not to weaken in the accomplishment of commendable undertakings, did not lag behind their intention. A strange sight happened! Some gathered in large numbers in front of the house of the future saint, others occupied all the entrances and exits of it; the rest, remaining in the church, prayed, as if expecting a verdict from him over themselves. Cyprian, so to speak, besieged by the zeal of the future flock, listened to the voice of God in its voice, and general joy and triumph took the place of despondency. Defeated by the love of his flock, Saint Cyprian found a way to become a winner in turn. Some did not like to see a convert bishop. Cyprian not only did not show them any dislike, but also honored them with special closeness to himself, trust and friendship, as if they were the first of his well-wishers. The envy of these people, opposed to all the other virtues of Cyprian, could not resist the love for enemies that adorned this saint in such abundance: they humbled themselves and became sincere admirers of his virtues. When Cyprian accepted the pastoral rod, the Church enjoyed peace. This world has become harmful to it due to the weakness of its members. Deanery began to weaken in many: holy vows were fulfilled only in appearance. This was especially noticeable in virgins who devoted themselves to celibacy. This, as Cyprian put it, the flower of the Church, instead of the fragrance of Christ, emitted the stench of worldly aromas. Cyprian courageously took up arms against this abuse, and wrote the book “On Decency and the Dress of Virgins.” Having at the beginning praised the virtue of virginity and proved its superiority over marriage, from many places of Holy Scripture, he explained with all the thoroughness of an experienced mentor that this virtue does not consist in the preservation of bodily purity alone, but in the chastity of the soul, not involved in carnal thoughts. From this he concluded that it is not only indecent for virgins who have dedicated themselves to Christ to seek seductive relationships, but also to be present in those places and between those persons that could be dangerous to innocence. Having renounced the world, they should not attract the eyes of peace lovers with magnificent decorations, but, preparing themselves to be the bride of Christ, they should only care about decorating the soul with good deeds. Wealth does not give them any right to luxury, for there are always and everywhere many poor people who have every right to their assistance. The imaginary inner dispassion does not justify their external splendor, for it is difficult to believe that he could keep his heart intact who does not have the strength to renounce physical beauty. In conclusion, Saint Cyprian begged the virgins to remember the importance of their vow and not to forget about it in prayers, if any of them, having been released from the bonds of the body, appears to the Heavenly Bridegroom (book “On Decency and the Dress of Virgins”). It was to this same time (250) and to the same concern for the deanery that Cyprian’s letter to Eustratius appeared, about a certain actor who, after converting to Christianity, although he left the theater, was engaged in training actors in the house, also to Rogatian about an unruly deacon who dared to revile his presbyter, and to Pomponius about virgins who allowed themselves dangerous and seductive proximity to male gender. Cyprian does not say a word in them about persecution, but if they had been written in a later time, then the danger from the persecutors would have served as a new source of conviction for him towards violators of church rules. In the midst of these concerns for the improvement of the Church, a persecution against Christians flared up: some were imprisoned, others were thrown into prison; others were ridiculed and deprived of their property. Cyprian was condemned to the latter (Letter 69, to Pupian). But the rebellious mob, out of hatred for such a famous bishop, constantly demanded him to fight the lions (letter 15). Cyprian was not afraid of torment; He has already shown the experience of his steadfastness in the circus (letter 55). But suddenly, like the apostle, he saw that if it was better for him to let go and be with Christ, then it would be more beneficial for his flock for him to remain in the body. He could still doubt whether the postponement (he considered dying a martyr to be a necessary accessory to his bishopric) of martyrdom was really not out of a natural fear of death, but out of love for his neighbors. But Revelation, commanding him to leave, stopped his pious indecision (letter 10). After this, the very crown of martyrdom would have been only a sign of pride and disobedience, and Cyprian, having entrusted the administration of the Church to four men proven in faith and virtue (Bridius, Numidinus and Tertilus the presbyters, of whom the last was a bishop, and Rogatian the Elder, after the martyr) retired with Deacon Victor to some secret place (letter 6). The first news Cyprian received in his refuge was very joyful. Some of his flock were already adorned with the crown of martyrdom; others, imprisoned, joyfully prepared to shed their blood for Christ. Out of the fullness of pastoral joy, he wrote to the latter in prison, thanked them for their constancy in the faith, expressed a desire to enjoy seeing them, strengthened their hope and blessed their fate (letter to the Carthaginian confessors). At the same time, he wrote to the Carthaginian clergy, commanding him to take care of the preservation of decorum among the people amid the troubles of persecution, to deliver everything necessary to those deprived of property for Christ and imprisoned, to pay the last debt to the bodies of the martyrs, and to note the day of their exodus for the future celebration of it, to refrain the people from numerous meetings in front of the prisons, so that the pagans, in their malice, would not find in them anything dangerous for public well-being (letter 5 and 12). Following this, Cyprian again wrote to his clergy, entrusting him to the care of all those who suffered from persecution (letter 7). Since the public property at the disposal of the clergy could be insufficient to meet the needs of the great number of poor, he ordered that the remnants of his own estate be added to it. But soon Cyprian's joy was outraged by sadness. Many, fearing torment, rejected Christ and made sacrifices to idols; others, not daring to this extreme, bought manuscripts of freedom from selfish city rulers (letter 15). This evil, not unimportant in itself, was a harbinger of even greater disasters. When, with the removal of the proconsul from Carthage, the persecution weakened, many of those who were expelled from their fatherland for Christ took advantage of that opportunity to return to their homes without permission, thereby exposing themselves and all Christians to the criticism of disobedience to imperial laws. Cyprian immediately denounced the culprits with a stern message (letter 15). To his great chagrin, some confessors, having been freed from prison, acted unworthy of the name of Christ, which they had confessed. Cyprian also wrote to them, reminded them from where they had fallen, depicted the dangerous state of those who, like them, reject the already known truth, presented the disastrous consequences of their vices for the Church, which looks to them as an example, and in conclusion, with their own wounds, suffered for Christ, begged them to walk worthy of their high calling (letter 13). To top off these troubles, a new source of grief opened up, which, with all the patience and activity of Cyprian, could not be exhausted by him until the very end of his life. These are disputes about the fallen, which subsequently outraged all Christian Churches. The fault of these was partly the fallen themselves, partly some confessors. The first, wanting to be reconciled with the Church, did not want to subject themselves to the severity of repentance prescribed by ancient church rules, and hoping to replace the lack of it with the intercession of confessors, they used all methods to ask them for permission letters. The latter, partly from excessive condescension towards the weakness of their brothers, partly without foreseeing the harmful consequences of their imprudence, gave permission without due attention to the property and crimes of those being permitted. Those permitted with impudence demanded peace from the elders; These, instead of unanimously defending the severity of the ancient decrees regarding the fallen, were themselves divided in opinion. The affairs of the Church were brought into great confusion by this. The impunity of the crime clearly tended to weaken the rules of the Church and the faith itself. On the other hand, some of the confessors demanded that the testimonies they gave have some force (letter 15). It was necessary to act with all Christian prudence, so that, while healing this evil, we would not cause great disaster to the Church. Cyprian did just that. Having denounced the confessors for imprudence in such a matter, where what is permitted on earth is resolved in heaven (letter 20), and the elders for deviating from the ancient decrees of the Church, he first ordered, despite the letters of permission of the confessors, to excommunicate all those who had fallen from communication with the faithful, until the future world of the Church, during which he intended to consider their case at a council (letter 17). But after hearing that the Roman Church had softened its judgment regarding fallen Christians, and discussing the malignancy of the coming season (summer), during which many of the fallen could die without being reconciled with the Church, he softened his own definition. In a new message to his clergy (letter to the clergy), he allowed, out of respect for the intercession of the confessors, to accept into communication with the Church those of the fallen who are exposed to any danger to their lives. The rest, not allowing the message, he entrusted to the guardianship and advice of the clergy. Extending his care to the catechumens, he promised them God’s mercy, even if, for some reason, they departed from this life before baptism. Meanwhile, news reached Cyprian that his removal from the flock was tempting many. This temptation, having brought down some weak members of the Church of Carthage, especially affected the Italian Churches. The Roman clergy sent two messages on this occasion - one admonishing to the Carthaginian clergy, the other purifying to Cyprian himself (letter from the Roman clergy to the Carthaginian clergy). Cyprian, for whom the everlasting law was not only to keep his conscience clear before God, but also, like the apostle, to “present himself to the conscience of every man” (2 Cor. 4:2), could not remain silent and, although it was very difficult for him to talk about his labors and good intentions, he decided to do this to heal the evil of which he had become guilty without guilt. “Since, dear brethren,” he wrote on this occasion to the Roman presbyters, “my act was presented to you in a completely misrepresented form, I considered it necessary to give you a written account of my behavior. When the rebellious mob incessantly demanded me to fight the lions, I, remembering the words of the Savior, withdrew, keeping in mind not my own safety, but the well-being of my flock, so that by my untimely presence I would not embitter my enemies, who were already very cruel. But while I was absent in body, I was not absent in spirit, with advice, with care... I did not leave neither the clergy without advice, nor confessors without admonition, nor violators of church rules without reproof, nor the people without encouragement to silence and prayer.” Along with this letter, Cyprian sent to the Roman clergy thirteen letters, written by him from his solitude, partly to the whole Church, partly to special individuals, so that, as he wrote, the Roman Church could see from them that in solitude he did not cease, as a bishop, to care for his Church. He wrote in a similar way to the Church of Carthage, although he did not directly apologize to her for his departure from it, for in Carthage all well-minded people were already sure that their bishop hid himself not out of fear of death, but out of love for their good. Thus the temptation produced by Cyprian's removal from his flock lost all its power for the faithful. On the contrary, the schism about the fallen incessantly intensified. One of the confessors, named Lucian, reached such insolence that in the name of the other confessors he wrote to Cyprian, commanding him to release all those who had fallen in his Church and to let the other bishops know so that they would do the same. Cyprian informed his clergy about Lucian's impudent demand, sent him a letter from the latter; however, he ordered that the previous rules be strictly adhered to (letter 27). To strengthen his side, which was threatened by the attack of many enemies, Cyprian wrote about this to the Roman clergy, among other things strengthening the faith of his confessors, who were deprived of pastoral instruction, for there was no bishop in Rome at that time (letter 38). To Cyprian’s surprise, the Roman clergy hesitated for a very long time to answer, but the reason for this slowness was not doubt in the truth of Cyprian’s teaching about the fallen, but a desire to give this teaching more power. For almost a whole year, despite all the dangers from the persecutors, consultations were held on this subject between all Western bishops, and when by common opinion it was decided to approve Cyprian’s decree regarding the fallen, a notification and at the same time a letter of gratitude were sent to him (item 30). Cyprian forwarded it to his Church, so that the believers could be comforted by it, as a sign of the unanimity of the entire West with them. A little later, he was visited in solitude by Celerinus, the famous Roman confessor. Before the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, in the year 250, the persecution of Carthaginian Christians ceased. The surrounding bishops, delighted with the peace granted to the Carthaginian Church (persecution was still raging in Rome), gathered to Cyprian. The time was most convenient for the consecration of clergy, and Cyprian was not slow to take advantage of the presence of bishops for this holy task. At this time, among others, two famous confessors, Aurelius and Celerinus, were dedicated to them as readers (letter 39). The latter did not agree to accept the initiation until he received a command in a dream to obey the will of the bishop. At the same time, Cyprian, by revelation, ranked among the class of Carthaginian presbyters a certain presbyter Numidinus, who, during the previous persecution, had distinguished himself by inspiring holy courage for the faith among the martyrs. Cyprian wrote to his clergy about all these newly initiated ones, approving their praiseworthy qualities, especially praising the latter and presenting him as a person worthy of the highest degrees of the church (letter 40). When Cyprian labored in this way to build up the Church, his enemies did not stop working to destroy it. Novatus, a Carthaginian presbyter, who for various atrocities was subject to expulsion from this dignity, but retained it due to the vagueness of time, without the will of Saint Cyprian, made Felicissimus his deacon (letter 15). It was obvious where this action was heading, for Felicissimus was one of Cyprian’s irreconcilable enemies. Having become a deacon of Novatus, he immediately revealed all the malice of his heart, tore away a significant part of the people from Saint Cyprian, separated from the Church and, with his accomplices, chose a certain mountain for prayer meetings. Since he accepted everyone, the fallen flocked to him from all sides in crowds. In vain did Caldonius and Herculanus, bishops and Numidinus, the presbyter, to whom Cyprian entrusted the administration of the Carthaginian Church in his stead, try to convert Felicissimus to the path of truth. He and all his accomplices solemnly declared that the Mount Christians (as his followers were called) did not want to have any contact with those who obey Cyprian. Cyprian's governors immediately informed Cyprian about this, complained about the troublemakers, among other things, because they prevented them from delving into the behavior of the brethren (which they were ordered to do in order to present Cyprian with a list of people worthy of elevation to idle degrees in the Church), and asked for a decisive judgment against Felicissimo (letter 41). Cyprian ordered this rotten member to be cut off from the Church and advised the same to be done with Avgend the deacon, who, imitating Felicissimo, was plotting rebellion. This command was immediately carried out (letter 42). All circumstances tended towards Saint Cyprian returning to his throne. He himself impatiently desired this. But suddenly news came to him that five Carthaginian presbyters (his ancient ill-wishers) had gone over to the side of Felicissimo. These restless people, who did not agree to the election of Cyprian as bishop, constantly harbored a secret hatred of him; It was they who incited the confessors to give letters of permission to all the fallen, contrary to the wishes of the bishop, and to demand peace from those allowed, against his own determinations. In the indignation of Felicissimo, their close accomplice in hatred of Cyprian, they found a favorable opportunity to declare themselves against him. Many of the clergy and people followed their example. This new persecution (as Cyprian called it) kept him in seclusion for several more months, despite the fact that he promised his flock to return to them with the upcoming Easter holiday (letter 43). He was awaiting the arrival in Carthage of the district bishops, who were in the habit of meeting annually with the chief bishop after this holiday (letter 56). When this expectation was fulfilled, Cyprian arrived in Carthage, remaining in solitude for about two years. A council was immediately formed from the assembled bishops (251). The main subject of the meeting was the question of the fallen. Before any decisive determination had yet been made, news was received from Rome about the discord that had occurred on the occasion of the election of a bishop. The state of affairs in Rome was as follows. Most of the Roman clergy and people elected presbyter Cornelius as bishop, a man known to everyone for his virtues and firmness in the faith during persecution. But the treacherous Novatus, who, not hoping for great success from the indignation against Cyprian, retired from Carthage to Rome; foreseeing Kiprianov's future accomplice in Cornelia, he decided to oppose his election. Having united with Novatian, a Roman presbyter (who converted to Christianity from the Stoics and harbored many errors), he, with his stern appearance and supposed holiness of life, attracted part of the clergy and even confessors to his side, and with their assistance installed Novatian as Bishop of Rome. In addition to disagreement in the election of a bishop, Novatus’s congregation was also distinguished by the fact that, contrary to the definitions of the Carthaginian and Roman Churches, the fallen Christians were reduced to being completely lost to the Church and were deprived of all hope of reconciliation with God. This schism, embracing all the African and European Churches, threatened the greatest disasters for all of Christianity, which had not yet calmed down from persecution. It was then, as Pontius notes, that the lofty goal for which Saint Cyprian was preserved by the hand of Providence from the past persecution was clearly revealed. No one was more capable than him of reconciling the warring parties. In addition to the fact that the distinctive feature of his character was moderation and the ability to act adaptively to the circumstances of the Church - two qualities that were especially important in the primate of the Christianity of that time - he possessed in abundance the rare ability to spare and love criminals when the crimes they committed were struck with all severity. Moreover, his wisdom and virtues were so respected both in Africa and in Europe that all lovers of truth and order recognized him as a worthy reconciler of the primal Churches. Novatus, foreseeing that the Council of Carthage would have a strong influence on the affairs of the Roman Church, hastily sent his envoys to it with notification of the election of Novatian as bishop of Rome and with a whole scroll of slander against Cornelius, allegedly illegally elected. Cornelius also wrote to the council, announcing his election and the schism of Novatian. Cyprian, knowing from many experiences the uncleanness of the souls of Novatus and his accomplice Novatian, forbade their envoys to publish, at their request, slander against Cornelius. However, not having detailed information about the legality of the election of Cornelius, he decided not to recognize him as a bishop until the presbyters sent to Rome on this occasion returned. When, upon their return, it was learned that Cornelius had been legally elevated to the episcopal throne, Cyprian, having confirmed his election by a council decision, notified all African bishops of this by a district letter. After this he wrote to Cornelius, congratulating him on his accession to the episcopal throne, apologizing to him for his slowness in recognizing him as a bishop, and informing him of the state of affairs regarding the fallen and of his future intentions on this subject. The ambassadors of Novatus, who again sought to be heard publicly, were refused even more decisively than before, so that they were forced to limit the entire success of their embassy to the temptation of some private houses in Carthage. Having calmed down somewhat in his consideration of the disaster that befell the Roman Church, Cyprian and the council again turned to his subject. After many meetings, discussions and delving into many places of Holy Scripture, it was unanimously decided that the fallen should not be completely deprived of hope for reconciliation with the Church, as Novatus demanded, nor should they be allowed to communicate with the faithful, without strict preliminary repentance, as Felicissimus insisted on. The latter, with five elders, his accomplices, was excommunicated from the Church. The list from the conciliar decision was immediately sent to Cornelius, who, having confirmed the opinion of the Carthaginian Church by the council, excommunicated Novatian and his accomplices from his Church, which Cyprian soon announced. Cyprian, delighted by the pacification of such a famous Church as the Roman Church, could not indifferently bear that the best of its members, the confessors seduced by Novatus, should remain victims of the past discord. He wrote an admonishing message to them. The reading of this epistle and the book on the unity of the Church, written by him on the occasion of this same schism, had such a strong effect on them that, putting aside all prejudice towards themselves, they appeared before the bishops gathered in Rome with all the humility of penitents, admitted their error, and asked for permission and oblivion of their misdeeds. Having received news from Cornelius about such a conversion of the confessors, Cyprian wrote a letter of gratitude to them (letter 59). Novatus, ashamed of the failure of his indignation in Rome, as before in Carthage, like a destructive storm, was again transported with his accomplices to Africa. Cornelius, knowing from experience all the danger from his lawless crowd, previously notified the African Church about this, describing in detail the depraved qualities of its future guests (Cornelius’ letter to the Carthaginian clergy). But this Church, relying on its bishop as on an immovable rock, had almost no need for such a warning. Cyprian needed him even less, who, more than all the Roman Christians, knew the power of the poison hidden in the heart of Novatus. By previous councils, epistles, and most of all by the holiness of his life and prayers, he so protected all believers that all the arrows of this apostate and his accomplices fell to the ground or turned on themselves. Only Cyprian's personal enemies idolized this heresy leader: all the others fled from him like from a plague. However, Novat’s poison had some effect, and moreover on such a member who was closest to the head of the African Church. Antoninus, Bishop of Numidia, respected by everyone for the holiness of his life, and even more so by Cyprian, was so embarrassed by the bad rumors about the Church that were spread from the accomplices of Novatus, and especially by the slanderous letter of Novatian about the impermissible communication of Cornelius with heretics, that in a letter to Cyprian he clearly revealed his doubts regarding the legality of the Cornelian bishopric and in general regarding the course of church affairs since the First Council of Carthage (letter 55). Cyprian hastened to the aid of his falling brother with all the weapons of a spiritual warrior. The letter he wrote on this occasion to Antoninus will forever remain an excellent example of pastoral advisory letters. In it, he discusses the state of fallen Christians, explains the spirit of the conciliar decisions regarding them, shows the innocence of Cornelius, denounces the slander of Novatian, exposes his debauchery and reveals his beneficial views, which he had when signing sentences on the fallen. The light of truth, which filled the soul of Cyprian, surrounded Antoninus, and the darkness of doubt disappeared. To completely calm minds and to bring into greater awareness the grounds on which the conciliar definitions about the fallen were affirmed, Saint Cyprian wrote at this time, in 252, the Book of the Fallen. He himself, in a letter to the Roman confessors, depicted its spirit, saying that “there is as much punishment in it for those who allowed themselves to be wounded as there is healing for their wounds.” In accordance with the meaning of the conciliar definitions, it is entirely aimed at instilling fear of crime and saving the criminals themselves. This book, together with the book on the unity of the Church, was distributed to all African and European Churches. When the bishops, after Easter, as usual, gathered in Carthage, Cyprian in 252 assembled a council of them, knowing from many private revelations about the persecution threatening the Church, and foreseeing the danger if the sword of the persecutors found Christians divided, he proposed that all penitents should be allowed to communicate with the faithful, so that the Church, as he said, with virgin purity could appear at the crown of martyrdom. This proposal was accepted unanimously, and the penitents, consoled by such leniency, burned with zeal to wash away the shame of their former cowardice with their blood. But a change in the definition, previously so consistently defended by Cyprian himself, could produce temptation, especially through a misinterpretation on the part of heretics. To prevent this evil, Saint Cyprian, in his letter to the Roman Church, set out in all detail and force the reasons on the basis of which the Council of Carthage considered it necessary to cancel the previous definition. “Being informed,” he wrote, “of frequent revelations about the persecution threatening the Church, we decided to give peace to the living, which was promised only to the dying; so that the repentant go out into battle not unarmed, but clothed in the merits of Jesus Christ. Otherwise, how can we encourage them to take the cup of torment if they do not become capable of this through participation with us in the cup of fellowship? It is necessary, dear brethren, there must be a great difference between those who, having rejected Christ, stuck either to the pagans or to heretics, and between those who, since the day of their fall, have not ceased to be thrown into dust before the gates of the Church. If the penitents courageously fight the enemy, going out against him a second time, then we will have no reason to regret the peace given to such brave warriors. If (which God forbid!) there are among them those who, now insidiously asking for peace, do not show courage in battle, then they will deceive not us, but themselves. We can only see the faces of those who repent, but there is a God who tests the hearts. However, the evil cannot harm the good in this case; on the contrary, the good will be useful to the bad. Out of fear that some might fall again in battle, it would be unfair to deprive others of peace, who will stand until they bleed. It is much better to grant peace to all who fight, so that, out of ignorance, who among them will fall and who will stand, the one who is to be crowned will not be left without weapons. Let no one say that, having undergone torture, he will be baptized in blood, that, having received a reward for this from God, he does not need the permission of the bishop. He is incapable of fighting unless he is armed by the Church. A soul not strengthened by Holy Communion is weak and defenseless. The Lord said: “When you are brought before kings and rulers, do not worry about what you say; for it is not you who will speak, but the Spirit of My Father who will speak in you” (Matthew 10:18–20). If the Spirit of the Father must speak in those who are in a state of confession, then how can one who has not been reconciled with the Church be capable of this feat? For this good Spirit descends into the soul through the Sacraments, whose guardian is the Church... Moreover, it can very easily happen that many, having been imprisoned in impassable places for their courageous confession of the name of Christ, will fall into the hands of robbers, or be exposed to some other danger to their lives. Shouldn't we be counted as sin if these faithful servants of Christ depart from this life without the guidance of faith? Will we, the shepherds, at the Last Judgment of Christ be credited with either extreme negligence or unforgivable cruelty?.. For these reasons, we decided, not without the inspiration of the Spirit of God, to gather all the soldiers of Christ under one banner and give each of them weapons. Whoever does not approve of our condescension will give an answer before God either in cruelty or in inattention to the salvation of his brothers” (conciliar envoy to the Roman clergy, 57). With this letter, a list of African bishops who remained faithful to the Church and to Cyprian was sent to Cornelius, so that he would know to whom in Africa, without violating the peace with Cyprian, he could write to him and from whom he could receive letters. At this time, Privatus appeared in Carthagan, who was once a bishop in Numidia, but for various crimes was deprived of this rank by the verdict of ninety bishops, and who after this unsuccessfully sought the Roman bishopric in Italy. Surrounded by false bishops and false presbyters, who were elevated to these degrees by him without any right, he impudently demanded from the Council of Carthage that his case be considered again. Having received a refusal, he dared to commit unheard-of shamelessness: he declared Saint Cyprian unworthy of the bishopric, and consecrated Fortunatus, one of the heretics and personal enemies of the saint, in his place. The new African false bishop, despite the unfortunate fate that befell Novatian in Italy for such indignation against the legitimate bishop, sent a large embassy to Rome under the command of Felicissimo, with the news of his accession to the episcopal throne. Cyprian himself immediately sent a letter to Cornelius with the acoluth Felician, informing him of Privat’s indignation. But Felician slowed down on the way. Meanwhile, Felicissimus, having arrived in Rome, came with letters to Cornelius. This, knowing their content from the nature of the persons by whom they were written, first rejected them with all the importance of a bishop, and wrote a letter about this to Cyprian, filled with brotherly love and respect. But later, when Felicissimus, upset by the refusal, used threats, Cornelius began to hesitate, especially since he did not receive any news from Cyprian about such a matter that concerned him and, moreover, from such an important angle. Another letter was written to Cyprian, in which the unsteadiness of Korneliev’s spirit and his displeasure with Cyprian’s silence were quite expressed. Having received it, Cyprian hastily answered. Thanks to the Bishop of Rome for the constancy he showed initially against Felicissimo, he did not approve of the cowardice that followed, explained the reason for his silence and described the vicious life of Privat and his accomplices (letter 59). Cornelius soon made amends for his weakness by the courageous defense of Cyprian against his enemies, and subsequently by his courageous death for Christ in prison. And the crowd of Privat, despite its formidable appearance, soon weakened to the point that its leader himself was forced to eat alms. Having got rid of the internal disaster on the part of Privat, the Church of Carthage was subjected to the full weight of external evils. A terrible plague devastated cities and villages. The feeling of philanthropy, as usually happens amid social disasters, became dulled: the living looked indifferently at the dying; unburied corpses filled houses, streets and squares; not hoping to save lives, they did not think about those who became victims of death. The pagans, considering this disaster to be a punishment for the contempt shown by Christians to the gods, launched a cruel persecution against them. It seemed that heaven and earth were rushing to destroy the Church. Cyprian, like a Guardian Angel, appeared in the midst of the disgrace of death. Having been elevated above her fear, he tried to arouse contempt for her in others, but not insensitive contempt, but combined with deeds of love and mercy. With this intention, he wrote two treatises: “On Mortality” and “On Alms.” Death exposed the vanity and insignificance of earthly goods; Cyprian pointed out in mercy a way to give them value. “Before,” he said, “only the rich had the opportunity to provide benefits, but now this has become equally possible for the poor. What is required is not money, but diligence, for the objects of good deeds are not the living, but the dying, who need only compassion and charity, or the dead, for whom only a grave is needed. Here is the opportunity, - exclaimed Cyprian, - to show Christians their true dignity over the pagans. Extend a helping hand to those over whom the hand of death weighs. Do not look at the faces of the suffering, they are all your brothers, children of the one Heavenly Father. Let the pagans learn that death itself cannot extinguish a Christian’s love for his enemies” (Treatise on Mortality and Almsgiving). As for the slander of the pagans, supposedly the plague and other disasters that depressed the Roman Empire were executions for the abandonment of the gods by Christians, Saint Cyprian wrote a whole book to reflect it. Demetrian, to whom it is inscribed, according to some, was the then proconsul of Africa. Very likely. For if Saint Cyprian decided to solemnly expose the errors of the pagans regarding the source of social disasters, then it was most fitting to address this exposure to the head of African paganism (letter to Demetrian). Despite this, the Carthaginian mob, during the persecution, as usual, repeatedly demanded Cyprian to fight the lions, but his hour, appointed by Providence, had not yet come; He also survived this persecution, which soon ceased. Cornelius' successor in the Roman bishopric was Lucius, who soon after his election was awarded the honor of confessing the name of Christ. Saint Cyprian, having heard about this, congratulated him with a message on the special honor of bishop and confessor (letter to Lucius). At the beginning of the next year, 253, the barbarians, attacking the Numidian regions, captured a large number of Christians. Cyprian wrote to the Numidian bishops about ransoming them, and when they apologized for the lack of their property, he opened a subscription for this in his Church. The people, prompted by the example of the bishop, made great donations, which were immediately sent to Numidia (letter to the Numidian bishop). Soon after this, Cyprian wrote to Caecilius about the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The reason for this was the sinful habit of some presbyters, and even bishops, to use only water during sacred rites, instead of wine and water. This custom was excused by the example of a certain bishop in ancient times and the narrow circumstances of the Church. Cyprian proved that the example of the bishop, who drank only water either out of ignorance or out of simplicity, is invalid, and that the blood and water that flowed from the side of the Savior during suffering showed by the very time of their expiration that persecution should not separate them (letter to Caecilius). With the return of peace to the Church at the end of 253, a Council was again convened in Carthage under the chairmanship of Cyprian, probably to put in order the affairs of the Church, upset by persecution. It resolved some issues regarding infant baptism. The desire of bishops and presbyters, deprived of their title for inconstancy during persecution, to regain their previous degrees was declared illegal (Acts of the Council. Writings of St. Cyprian). The beginning of the next year, 254, was very unpleasant for Cyprian. He received an insulting letter from a certain bishop Pupian, who became famous during the Dacian persecution by confessing Christ. It revealed that Pupian to this day cannot convince himself that Cyprian was worthy of the bishopric; that he considered and still considers unclean all those who obey Cyprian, and that Cyprian, in his opinion, is the main fault of all the disagreements tearing the Church apart. It was not difficult to guess by what spirit these slander was inspired by Pupian, who was deceived by Novatian’s accomplices. Cyprian, foreseeing all the danger for the Church if the bishops themselves were as frivolous and impudent as Pupian, seemed to forget his moderation for a while and thundered against him with all the power of the words of God. The message sent to him on this occasion is quite remarkable in many respects. Here it is. “Fascius Cyprian wishes good health to his brother Florence Pupian. I believed that you, dear brother, had long ago changed your mind and repented of listening to the grave slander against me. But from your letter I see that you are absolutely the same as you were, you believe with all frivolity the same things that you believed before, and as if fearing to eclipse the glory of your martyrdom by communicating with me, you diligently delve into my behavior; Having despised the judgment of God, you want to set yourself up as a judge not only over me (for what glory is it to be my judge?), but also over Jesus Christ Himself, who gives bishops and elders to His Church. To do this means not to believe God Himself, it means to oppose Jesus Christ and His gospel. He said: “Are not two sparrows sold for one assarium, and not one of them will fall... without the will of the Heavenly Father (Matthew 10:29). You, on the contrary, think that priests themselves are appointed to the Church without the will of God. For to consider as unworthy and unclean those who are elevated to this level, what else does it mean than to not believe that priests in the Church are appointed without the will of God?.. But you better agreed to blindly follow the suggestions of the insane enemies of the Church, rather than believe the determination of divine Providence and the testimony of my conscience, as if anything could be found among the enemies of the Church, deprived of the Spirit of God, except a corruption of the heart, a lying tongue, poisonous hatred and sacrilegious deceptions! You write that elders should be humble, in imitation of the humility of the Lord and His apostles. But my humility is known to everyone, not only to the brethren, but also to the pagans. You yourself respected and loved me for my humility, until you separated from the Church and from me. Which of us is further from humility, is it me, who serves the brethren daily and joyfully receives and gives peace to all who come to our Church; or are you, setting yourself up as a bishop of bishops and a judge of judges?.. When St. Paul was told: “How do you slander the high priest of God?”, he apologized through ignorance and said nothing more offensive to the high priest, although he had the right to say a lot against the one who condemned the Lord of glory to crucifixion. He honored in this case, so to speak, the shadow of the high priesthood. And you do the opposite. If you did not believe my bishopric before the persecution, then you should have believed it after the persecution. For the same persecution that raised you to the level of martyrdom, subjected me to deprivation of property. It was read publicly: “If anyone has anything that belongs to Caecilius Cyprian, the Christian bishop,” and so on, as if so that those who did not believe God, who appointed the bishop, would believe the devil, who cast him out. It is with great sorrow and not for praise that I mention this, seeing that you put yourself as a judge of Jesus Christ Himself, who said about the apostles and their vicars, the bishops: “Whoever listens to you listens to Me, and whoever rejects you rejects Me” (Luke 10:16). This is where all the heresies and schisms arose and are originating, that the bishop, who alone should rule the Church, is, due to the violent pride of some, subjected to contempt, and the one awarded divine election is considered unworthy of human approval. Judge for yourself where pride takes you. From your words it appears that for six years neither the brotherhood had a bishop, nor the people a leader, nor the Church a ruler, nor Jesus Christ the builder of His mysteries. Where was Pupian looking? Why did I not pronounce judgment on us for a long time, so that the large number of faithful who died during my episcopacy would not depart without hope, peace and salvation, and so that those who remained alive would not be left without the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which I could not impart to them. Honor, honor the favorable confirmation by your authority of my bishopric; do Jesus Christ a favor; give the altar and the people a leader... You complain that you have fallen into doubt; but who is to blame for this if not your frivolity, not your dishonest tendency to listen to the most absurd slander against your brother; not your shameful passion to defend someone else's lies, not your inattention to the wise advice of Solomon, who says: “The wicked will listen to the tongue of transgressors, but the righteous will not listen to the lips of flatterers” (Proverbs 17:4). Why did not the martyrs, filled with the Holy Spirit, ready to pass through death before the face of Jesus Christ, fall into this doubt? On the contrary, they wrote to me from prison, calling me the bishop of God. Why didn’t the bishops, my co-workers, who were all worthy to confess the name of Christ in different ways, fall into this doubt? Why did not such a large number of confessors, covered with ulcers for Jesus Christ, fall into this doubt: pure virgins, serving as a reproach for pagan life; reverent widows who know no other entertainment other than fasting and prayer? Why did not many Churches scattered throughout the world, which are in harmony and love with me, fall into doubt? If all of these, through communication with me, became unclean, as you pretend, and lost the right to eternal life, then only Pupian, who renounces communication with me, remains pure, innocent, holy; he alone will inhabit the blessed dwellings prepared in heaven for the righteous. You make me to blame for the fact that part of the flock of Christ is scattered. Not true! The true members of the Church of Christ are all united by a union of love and peace, and form one body. Some wander outside the fence, who should have been driven out even if they were inside the courtyard. “But what? if some have become unfaithful? Will “their unfaithfulness destroy... the faithfulness of God? No way! God is faithful, but every man is a liar” (Rom. 3:3–4). When some disciples, tempted by the words of Jesus Christ, left Him, He asked the other disciples: do they also want to go? Peter answered in everyone’s name: “Lord! who should we go to? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). This is the law and code of the true Church! She is always with Jesus Christ. Where there is a bishop, there is the Church. Bishop in the Church, Church in the bishop. He who is not with the bishop is outside the Church. In vain do some deceive themselves, thinking that the sacred union with the bishop can be replaced by secret unions with certain weak members. The True Church is indivisible. He who is at war with the head cannot be at peace with the members. Therefore, dear brother, if you, having reflected more diligently on the greatness of God, by whose will presbyters are appointed, and leaving the harmful habit of judging the dignity of bishops by false rumors, and not by the response of the Church, repent sincerely of your pride, and show fruits worthy of repentance, then I do not refuse to resume my previous communication with you, granting, however, to myself the right to postpone this until I ask God and receive instructions from Him on how to deal with you. For I cannot forget what was revealed to me, I cannot forget that, among other things, in the revelation given to me, God was pleased to say this: “Whoever does not believe Jesus Christ, who made a priest, will believe Him, who avenges the priest He made.” I know that to some all dreams seem empty, all visions are false. But this seems so only to those who would rather trust something to a priest than to a priest. Likewise, Joseph’s brothers did not believe Joseph’s dreams. But when the dreams came true, they were forced to believe. I cannot pronounce any judgment on what you did during the persecution and during the peace, for I see that you want to be my judge. This is what I considered necessary to write to you, in purity of conscience and trust in God! I have a letter from you, you will have my letter; on the day of judgment, both will be read before the face of Jesus Christ” (letter 66). It is not known what effect his letter had in Pupian, only in the works of Cyprian, written after this time, there are no complaints about his indignation. He probably turned to the path of truth.” At the Council, which, as usual, took place after the Easter holiday, Cyprian received a letter from the Spanish Church, in which she asked for advice regarding Bishops Basilides and Martial, who had been deprived of their episcopal rank for inconstancy in the faith during persecution, but who sought to retain it with the assistance of the Bishop of Rome Stephen (letter to the Spanish Church). Following this, another letter was received from the Gallican, Spanish and English bishops, in which they complained about Stephen for the fact that, contrary to their request, he continued to take the side of the deposed bishops, and asked Cyprian to admonish him with a message. Cyprian immediately confirmed by the Council the verdict of the Gallican churches against Basilides and Martial with their accomplices. As a result, two messages were sent, one reassuring to these Churches, the other advisory to Stephen. It was a difficult task both to expose Stephen for sinful relations with heretics, and to maintain the respect that belonged to him as the primate of the Western Churches. All the more unpleasant were the affairs of this kind to Saint Cyprian, who with all possible care avoided all cases in which the tempting superiority of one Church over another equal could be shown. However, his prudence and Christian meekness inspired him with such expressions that the letter sent to Stephen was as much inclined towards the glory of the one being exposed as of the accuser. There is not the slightest trace of the sovereignty of the judge in him, but everywhere one can hear the voice of a friend who, prompted by love, reveals lies and shows the truth. By the way, Cyprian advised Stephen to immediately notify the bishops by a district message about the legality of the overthrow of Basilides and Martial, promising to do the same himself. He found this necessary because the overthrown heretics boasted that they were in alliance with the Roman and Carthaginian Churches (letter 68). Stephen came to his senses, but, as we shall see, he will not forgive Cyprian for this admonition. Around this time (255) a dispute arose in Africa about the baptism of heretics. A certain Magnus, Bishop of Numidia, asked Cyprian in writing whether it was necessary to baptize those heretics (other heretics, as a result of the determination of the Council, which was presided over by Agrippinus, the predecessor of Cyprian, were baptized) who convert from Novatian (August., book 6, on baptism). Cyprian, whom both the example of his predecessor and the spirit of his beloved mentor Tertullian (see the book on modesty), and, perhaps, the desire to create a bulwark against the growing sect of Novatian, disposed in this case to a strict way of thinking, answered that repentant Novatians, like all other heretics, should be received into the Church through baptism (letter 69). When the voice of the leading bishop was heard about the controversial subject, other voices, hitherto separated, began to merge with him into one public voice: but at the same time, the voices of opponents became more audible, especially in Numidia. Fifteen Numidian bishops, not finding any way to stop the dissent in their dioceses, turned to Cyprian demanding help. He, after a conference with the oldest of his Carthaginian collaborators, gave the Council a definition that commanded the baptism of all those turning from error to the true Church. This determination was immediately sent to Numidia (letter 70). Despite the fact that Cyprian's voice was already supported by the voices of other bishops, some, even from the Carthaginian bishops, did not want to agree with him for two reasons: according to the ancient custom of not repeating baptism over heretics, and because of the unity of Holy Baptism. Cyprian, having learned about such dissent from Lucian, his co-presbyter, wrote a letter to Quintus, the Moorish bishop (probably one of the dissenters), in which he responded to the above reasons in accordance with his way of thinking about baptism and heretics. The main reason for repeating baptism over heretics was his confidence that outside the Church there is no Spirit of God, and therefore there are no true Sacraments. With the letter, a list of the conciliar message of the Carthaginian Church to the Numidian bishops was sent to Quintus, in order to make the opinion of Carthage known in Mauritania (letter 71). Meanwhile, seeing that some bishops are not convinced either by the definition of the recent one or by the importance of the previous Council held by his predecessor Agrippinus, and relying on the ancient custom that existed in the Church before Agrippina, they teach that for the legal acceptance of heretics into the bowels of the Church, the laying on of hands is sufficient, Cyprian decided to use another method for the reconciliation of minds - he wrote a book on the benefit of patience. Sparing the conscience of those who differ, not wanting to appear biased towards his opinion and being too persistent, he limited himself to a general discussion about the advantage of like-mindedness over dissent, and only lightly touched upon the controversial subject. Since the success of this work did not fully correspond to his desire, he was soon forced to convene a new Council, at which not only Carthaginian, but also Moorish and Numidian bishops were present, in whose area they especially argued about baptism. At this Council, the ruling on the baptism of converting heretics was again considered and approved; the private practice of some Churches - not to return their degrees to bishops and presbyters converting from heresy, was converted into a general law. According to the law of agreement and communication that existed between the Carthage and Roman Churches, Cyprian informed the latter of these definitions in full confidence that its primate Stephen, by his agreement with them, would introduce them into use in the Western Churches (letter 72). But Stefan in his spirit was already far from Cyprian. The disagreement that occurred in the Carthaginian Church seemed to him the most convenient opportunity to humiliate its bishop. The ancient custom of not repeating baptism over heretics could serve as a plausible pretext to act openly against the entire African Church, especially against its head, without, however, revealing any ill will toward her personally. This pretext was immediately put into action. Instead of maintaining respect for such a famous shepherd as Cyprian, to reveal in a friendly manner his doubts regarding the validity of his opinion and through friendly consultations, without any temptation for the Church, to agree with him in the truth, Stephen, openly taking the side of Cyprian’s opponents, responded to the Council of Carthage with an accusatory letter, in which, condemning its opinion regarding the baptism of heretics, he threatened with excommunication of all Carthaginian bishops from the Church, not excluding and Cyprian (letter to Pompey). Thus, says Augustine, two bishops of the most famous Churches, Roman and Carthaginian, made completely contradictory statements about the same subject. Stephen believed that for the legal acceptance into the Church of all heretics in general, one laying on of hands was sufficient. Cyprian, on the contrary, argued that every converted heretic should be baptized. The truth had to be sought in the middle, between these two extremes, as indeed the Church subsequently found it here, making it a law to baptize only those heretics who thought incorrectly about the basic dogmas of Christianity. But Cyprian acted in simplicity of heart and out of pure disgust for everything heretical. And Stefan, with his arrogant tone, clearly revealed that he was taking the opportunity to show his dislike for his former warner. Therefore, although it was subsequently considered necessary to limit Cyprian’s opinion regarding the repetition of baptism, his dispute on this subject with Stephen, revealing all the moderation and modesty of his character, especially in contrast to the latter’s arrogance, constitutes the most edifying part of his actions. It was hard for Cyprian to see trouble from that Church, which recently owed him its pacification! But, to his consolation, he knew that the Roman clergy and people did not participate in the ill-will of their bishop towards him, and that this ill-will was a consequence of personal displeasure against him. Therefore, having appeared at the Council (it was still ongoing), although he expressed great sorrow and brought a complaint about the pride with which Stephen called himself bishop of bishops, he did not despair of the future success of the matter (letter 74). Stefano's letter, so offensive to the honor of the Carthaginian Church, was still known to few; one could hope that Stephen would change his thoughts, and the disagreement would be stopped at the very beginning and without the temptation of the Churches. But Stefan did not want the honor of satisfying this hope. Not relying on the power of the previous denunciation, he publicly pronounced a verdict against the Council of Carthage and its chairman Cyprian, and again threatened him with excommunication if he did not change his thoughts. Having learned that the eastern bishops agreed with Cyprian regarding the baptism of heretics, Stephen wrote to them, threatening the same (letter 75). On the other hand, some of the African bishops, having heard about Stephen's extraordinary message to their chairman, expressed a written desire to have copies of him (letter 74). It was impossible to hide the state of affairs from the Church without temptation: it was necessary to notify it of Stephen’s actions and give judgment on them. However, in this case Cyprian showed his prudence and moderation. Knowing that the stubborn defense continued only to fight, he did not dare to write a special refutation of Stefan’s letter. The immoderate tone that dominated him betrayed itself. Hoping for the justice of his cause, he did not even hesitate to publish the letter of Stephen in all African Churches, being content with only brief notes on some places thereof (letter 75). Then he wrote a letter to Firmilian, the oldest of the Eastern bishops, confirming it in agreement with himself and explaining the injustice of Stephen. Finally, a numerous Council was convened to successfully defend the freedom of the Carthaginian Church from the claims of the Bishop of Rome. As if foreseeing in Stephen's act the beginning of an illegal desire for dominion over the entire Church, which later became a distinctive feature of the Roman see, the African fathers decided that none of the bishops should dare to call himself the head of all bishops and assume the right of judgment over the entire Church, and that the Church of Carthage should not seek judgment from the Roman Church. Lists from this determination were sent to all the Eastern bishops, and to Stephen himself. On this occasion, one should have expected even sadder phenomena for the Church from Stephen’s arrogance. But Providence was not pleased to expose her to this temptation, perhaps the most dangerous of all that she then endured. The outbreak of persecution against Christians, at the beginning of which Stephen died, put an end to the disputes. Saint Cyprian had already been prepared by the hand of Providence for the crown of martyrdom, but in anticipation of it, he had to glorify God through imprisonment, so that, as Pontius notes, this great ascetic, distinguished by the variety of virtues, would also be distinguished by the variety of sufferings. Paternus the proconsul, having appeared in Carthage with orders to persecute Christians, immediately ordered Cyprian to be brought before him. When this man appeared fearlessly, the proconsul began the following conversation with him: Proconsul: The august emperors Valerian and Galien entrusted me with the duty of forcing Christians to worship the gods. So I ask you about your name and intention, answer. Saint Cyprian answered with importance and humility: I am a Christian and a bishop. I know no other God than He who created the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them; This is the God we Christians serve and worship, praying to Him not only for ourselves, but also for all people, and for the well-being of the emperors themselves. Proconsul: So you remain constant in your way of thinking? Cyprian: Good will, having once known God, cannot change. Proconsul: So you agree, at the behest of Valerian and Galien, to go into captivity in the city of Curubit? Proconsul: But the command given to me concerns not only bishops, but also presbyters. Therefore, I want to know from you, who are the elders here? Cyprian: You yourself found it useful to legislate against informers against Christians. Therefore, I cannot reveal to you the local elders; however, you can find each of them in his church. Proconsul: But I intend to make a search without leaving this city. Cyprian: I believe, but since our rules forbid calling oneself to torture, and, moreover, this is not in accordance with the spirit of the Roman government, then neither I can show you the presbyters, nor can they present themselves. But if you decide to look for them, then, without a doubt, they will be found. Proconsul: No doubt I will find them if I want; but I have also been entrusted with seeing that there are no meetings between Christians, and that anyone who does not obey this useful law will be punished by death. Cyprian: Do as you are commanded. After this, the proconsul gave the order to imprison Saint Cyprian in Kurubit. Pontius the deacon also went with him, who subsequently described the life of Cyprian from the time of his adoption of Christianity. In this case, the comforting truth was once again justified that to those who seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, everything is given. Kurubit, designated as a place of imprisonment for Cyprian, despite the fact that it was surrounded by dry and barren steppes, was likened to a pleasure garden due to the great number of trees and its springs (Pontius, from the life of Cyprian). The persecutors, thinking to depress Cyprian's old age, with this imprisonment gave him pleasant rest after incessant labor. However, the good soul of the holy elder did not stop working even in exile. He wrote, as was his custom, messages, advised, approved, forbade, begged, and, ending his course, still made the faithful rejoice in his light. At the very beginning of his stay in Kurubita, Saint Cyprian was forewarned of his future fate by his vision. He dreamed that a young man, whose majestic appearance testified to his angelic dignity, brought him to the proconsul. This, after the usual interrogation, began to write the verdict. The young man, who at that time was standing behind the proconsul, made Cyprian understand by various signs that the proconsul had condemned him to death. “I,” says Saint Cyprian, “immediately turned to him with a strong request that the execution of the sentence be postponed at least for one day, so that I could put my affairs in order. The proconsul, touched, as it seemed, by the justice and unimportance of my request, began to write on the tablet again. From his appearance I already concluded that he was writing something in my favor. The young man, who was observing what the proconsul was writing, again let me know that I was given one day to put my affairs in order” (Pontius, from the life of St. Cyprian). Despite the fact that this vision was rather dark, Saint Cyprian, who from frequent communication with the spiritual world acquired the ability to penetrate into the meaning of visions, easily understood that Providence was pleased to postpone his death for another year, indicated in the vision during the day. The event, as evidenced by Pontius - an eyewitness to the imprisonment and death of Cyprian - completely justified such an explanation. Saint Cyprian accepted the crown of martyrdom precisely a year after this vision, and on the very day on which it was given to him. At the end of this (258th) year, the new proconsul ordered Cyprian to return from his imprisonment, and to be in his gardens until the final verdict on him. Soon after, an order was received from Rome to intensify the persecution of Christians. The proconsul, being at that time in Utica to improve his health, sent guards to bring Cyprian there. But Cyprian once again showed his character - to do good in such a way that the greatest possible benefit comes out of it. Foreseeing that his torment would be much more edifying for his flock if he were tortured in Carthage, he retired from his home to a secret place, letting the proconsul know, meanwhile, that he was ready to appear before him, only not in Utica, but in Carthage. From this solitude he wrote his last letter to his flock, in which he, exhorting them to maintain silence and tempering their pious zeal, to suffer for the faith, promised upon his departure to intercede for her at the throne of God (letter 81). Upon the return of the proconsul to Carthage, Saint Cyprian immediately returned to his home. Rumors immediately spread throughout the city about the danger threatening him. Not only all the faithful, even many of the noble pagans gathered in Cyprian’s house and, not wanting to lose such a great man, begged him to save his life by leaving, offering safe places for this. But Cyprian, having heeded the voice of God calling him to Himself, could no longer use their zeal. Meanwhile, the proconsul, fearing that Cyprian would not use his freedom to save himself by flight, sent soldiers to capture him and bring him to him. Unnecessary fear! Cyprian, imitating the great Model of the sufferers, himself went out to meet the soldiers, and with the triumph characteristic of such an important feat as the confession of the name of Christ, he went to the praetor. But the proconsul, without any reason satisfactory to him, postponed the trial of Cyprian until the next morning. This reason was hidden in the determination of Providence. One more day had to pass so that a year would be completed after the vision. Cyprian was taken to the proconsul's house to spend the night. The guards were given orders to let anyone who wanted to come to him. A great many friends and admirers of the Kiprianovs gathered. The people, fearing that their dear bishop might be kidnapped during the night, remained sleepless in front of the dungeon until the morning. Thus, the night before the suffering of Cyprian represented the night before the suffering of the Savior, which the faithful also spent without sleep. Saint Cyprian did not remain silent throughout its entire continuation, giving advice and consolation to the flock he left behind. From an excess of heartfelt feelings his lips were so full that he wished that his conversation would end in no other way than with life itself. Finally, the longed-for day for Cyprian arrived, that day that could not but be his last, even if all the Roman proconsuls wished it. Surrounded by a countless crowd of faithful, he appeared at the praetor's office. The usual interrogation began: “Are you Fascius Cyprian?” - "I". “Were you the pope of the blasphemers?” - "I". - “The most pious emperors command you to make a sacrifice to the gods.” - “I can’t.” - “Think about the fate that awaits you.” - “Do as you are prescribed; in the present case there is no room for reflection.” Then the proconsul, having spoken with his advisers, said, turning to Saint Cyprian: “For a long time you lived in a sacrilegious manner, seducing many to follow your evil heresy and being at enmity against the Roman laws and gods. The very condescension of the most pious emperors, Valerian and Galien, could not convert you to the worship of the gods. Being the author of the most terrible atrocities, you will serve as an example for those who are deceived by your deceit; your wisdom will be sealed with your blood.” Thus, the very condemnation of Cyprian expressed his glory, and the proconsul, like Caiaphas, involuntarily uttered a prophecy about the establishment of the Church with his blood! For this he pronounced the final sentence: “Fascius Cyprian is condemned to die by the sword.” Saint Cyprian said: “Glory to God.” The people, hearing this, were so inflamed with zeal to suffer for the faith that they all exclaimed: “And we will die with the holy bishop!” The soldiers, having taken Saint Cyprian out of the praetor, led him to a certain place called Xysta. As he continued his journey, he exhorted the faithful not to expose themselves to the sword of the pagans unnecessarily. Having reached Xista, he took off his outer clothing and gave it to the deacons who were with him; then, kneeling, he said a short prayer; after this, having bequeathed to give thirty pieces of silver to the perpetrator of the execution, he blindfolded himself, as is the custom of those being executed; His hands, according to the same custom, were tied by one of the deacons. In this position with his neck exposed, he had to stand until the executioner received a sign from the centurion to strike. Many people, fearing, due to the crowded conditions and remoteness, to lose sight of Saint Cyprian, climbed the trees surrounding the place of execution. Finally the sign was given - and the most holy head was separated from the purest body. The sacred remains of Cyprian were buried in a nearby hill, with a triumph befitting the zeal of the flock, which so ardently loved their shepherd. This is how the holy martyr Cyprian ended his course, having lived in the earthly vale for about fifty-seven years, having labored in Christianity for thirteen, and ruling the African Church for eight years! His torture took place in 258, on October 18, under the emperors Valerian and Galien. On Cyprian's face, Pontius writes, joy always shone, the reflection of a soul that had found peace in God. His gaze always expressed something majestic, exuding awe. Those who saw Cyprian did not know what was more exciting to see him: love or respect; but they felt that he was fully worthy of both. In Cyprian's clothes there was not a trace of that splendor, which is completely indecent for an admirer, much less for a servant of the Crucified One; nor that negligence and poverty, which equally betray the soul both when they serve as an expression of its spiritual poverty and when they do not cover up its spiritual wealth. The same moderation is visible in the government of the Church. Cyprian could not tolerate disobedience and pride in his subordinates, and based on these vices he explained all the internal disasters from which the Church was then suffering. But he could not tolerate it when shepherds, forgetting themselves, consider their will to be an immutable law for their flock. From the very beginning of his episcopate, he made it an indispensable rule not to do anything in his flock without the advice of the elders. Enjoying the excellent respect of all the Christian Churches and giving saving advice to each of them, he did not neglect the voice of the last member of the Church, and knew no other title than the humble title of co-presbyter. Between the imprints of Cyprian's spirit and his services to the Christianity of that time, his concern for preserving Christians from arbitrary dangers from persecutors should be honored. The zeal to suffer for the faith, so commendable in itself, in some was close to turning into passion. Saint Cyprian showed by his own example that it is possible, and sometimes necessary, to hide from persecution. He found the instillation of this truth so necessary due to the circumstances of the Church at that time that on the way to the place of execution he again bequeathed the believers not to volunteer unnecessarily for torture. The circumstances of the Church, shaken sometimes by external and sometimes internal disasters, did not allow Saint Cyprian to devote his talents, following the example of other Church Fathers, to the explanation of the Holy Scriptures. Almost all of his writings contain an explanation of the issues that were then discussed in the dispute, and a resolution of church perplexities. However, despite the fact that Christian teaching appears in them as an application to particular cases, it is clear from this that Cyprian had a deep knowledge of the speculative and active truth of the Christian faith. A good application of principles guarantees their thorough knowledge even more than a good presentation of principles; Having become a Christian writer, Saint Cyprian made almost no use of pagan wisdom at all. If he had not been forced in some letters to mention his condition in paganism, it would not have been possible to guess from his writings that he was a learned pagan before converting to Christianity. An excellent gift of eloquence is visible in all the works of Cyprian, but everywhere it is also clear that he, following the example of the apostle, believed the dignity of his word “not in convincing words of human wisdom, but in manifestations of the Spirit and power” (1 Cor. 2:4). Of the spiritual writers, Saint Cyprian loved mainly Tertullian. From frequent reading of this writer, Cyprian developed a certain moral friendship with him, which extended to their writings. Cyprian, like Tertullian, apparently always expresses himself with the first words that come his way, which is why his syllable is somewhat heavy and not entirely processed; but in every expression his heart is visible. After Lactantius he must rank first among Western Christian writers. Like all great men, Saint Cyprian had many enemies. However, in history itself there are not many saints whom the flock would love with such ardor as Saint Cyprian. We have already seen that she wanted to go under the sword with him. This desire was even stronger in those who, having been honored by Saint Cyprian with closeness to him, had the opportunity to see all the greatness of his soul. These are the words with which Pontius concludes the biography of Saint Cyprian, and which do as much honor to the biography writer as to Cyprian himself: “I don’t know what to do? My heart is excited by the fullness of various feelings; My soul seems to be divided in two. On the one hand, I am overwhelmed with joy at the glorification of the holy martyr, on the other hand, I am plunged into sorrow that I did not follow him. I don't know what to do. Should I give in to grief? But we must celebrate his victory! Should we be happy about his victory? But I didn't participate in it. However, I will say frankly and in simplicity of heart, I will say what you already know, I rejoice greatly at the triumph of Cyprian, but I grieve even more that I did not follow him” (Pontius, from the life of St. Cyprian). You might be interested in: