1. His history, and character, and testimonies to him. II. His works. III. His testimony to the books of the New Testament; and first, of the four gospels. IV. Of the Acts of the Apostles: V. Of St. Paul's thirteen epistles. VI. Of the epistle to the Hebrews. VII. Of the catholic epistles. VIII. Of the Revelation. IX. Respect for the scriptures. X. General titles and divisions of the scriptures. XI. Of Christian apocryphal writings. XII. Of Jewish apocryphal writings. XIII. The sum of his testimony. 6 L. THE account which St. Jerom has given of St. Cyprian, in his book of Illustrious Men, is but short. It is to this purpose: Cyprian of Africa first taught rhetoric with great applause. After⚫wards, being converted to Christianity by a presbyter named Cæcilius, whose name he also took, he gave all his estate to the poor; and after no long time he was made presbyter, and then bishop of Carthage. It is needless to give a catalogue of his works, which are brighter than the sun. He suffered under the emperor Valerian and Gallienus, in the eighth persecution, the same day that Cornelius died at Rome, but not in the same year.' b A more particular history of St. Cyprian may be collected from his life, written by his deacon Pontius, from his own works, the mention made of him by other ecclesiastical writers, and those Acts of his martyrdom, which are generally reckoned genuine, and are allowed by Basnage to contain for the most part matters of fact truly related, though he thinks they have some interpolations. It is fit I should here give a short history of this celebrated bishop of the third century. с Beside the name of Cyprian, he had that of Thascius; and bore likewise as we have already seen, the name of Cæcilius, from the presbyter by whom he was converted. His whole name therefore was Thascius Cæcilius Cyprianus. He was an African, as we have been assured by Jerom; but that he was born at Carthage is not certain. His conversion happened, according a Cyprianus Afer, primum gloriose rhetoricam docuit: exinde, suadente presbytero Cæcilio, a quo et cognomentum sortitus est, Christianus factus, omnem substantiam suam pauperibus erogavit; ac post non multum temporis electus in presbyterum, etiam episcopus Carthaginiensis constitutus est. Hujus ingenii superfluum est indicem texere, cum sole clariora sint ejus opera. Passus est sub Valeriano et Gallieno principibus, persecutione octava, eodem die quo Romæ Cornelius, 2 to bishop Pearson, in the year 246: and therefore, since he suffered martyrdom in the year 258, the greatest part of his life was spent in heathenism, and he might be born before the end of the second century. Cæcilius was not only a presbyter by office, in the church of Carthage, but venerable likewise for his age, at the time of Cyprian's conversion. с b h Jerom says, that Cyprian, in the former part of his life, taught rhetoric with great applause. Lactantius writes to the same purpose; and the like occurs in Eusebius's Chronicle. Fabricius, however, was of opinion, that Cyprian rather shewed his eloquence at the bar, than taught it in the schools; which, he thinks, may be concluded from what Cyprian' himself has intimated of his having lived in great plenty and splendour: but the words which that learned writer refers to, need not to be understood as a description of Cyprian's own circumstances. Undoubtedly Cyprian had a good estate, which he sold, and gave to the poor, soon after his conversion, as Jerom informs us; and still more particularly Pontius, who mentions this as one of the extraordinary actions of Cyprian before baptism, whilst he was yet a catechumen: but Jerom, who was not ignorant, as it seems, of our bishop's circumstances, and has often mentioned him in his works, and had a great opinion of his eloquence, never gives him the title or character of a pleader, or a magistrate; and in one place, beside that already quoted from his Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers, expressly says, that Cyprian taught rhetoric at Carthage. Not to add, that what he said of Cyprian to the same purpose 'in the Chronicle ought to be reckoned Jerom's rather than Eusebius's. And that Cyprian taught rhetoric in the schools is plainly said " by St. Augustine, who must be reckoned a material evidence. But I do not perceive him, or any one else to say, that Cyprian ever pleaded, or exercised the office of a magistrate.. And in that way he might come to have a good estate, and be greatly respected. The profession of rhetoric could not but be very profitable" at that time, especially if the professor himself was a man of ability in his way, as Cyprian was. Possibly Cyprian had a stated salary: if not, the gratuities of his numerous scholars could not but be very considerable. His reputation being great, all the youth in general in those parts, who were of any fortune, or who aimed to be magistrates and judges, or pleaders would come to his school. Besides, Cyprian was not only master of the theory of his art, but of the practical part likewise. He not only understood the rules of rhetoric, and how to teach others eloquence, but he was also eloquent himself; and very probably composed for others arguments, or pleadings, or harangues, or panegyrics, and such like discourses, for which he would be well recompensed: and in these two things, teaching persons rhetoric, or qualifying them for the bar, and perhaps sometimes composing pleadings for his scholars, or others, I take to be comprehended the full meaning and intention of St. Augustine's ' words, where he speaks of Cyprian's promoting or improving forensic disputes and contentions. P Cyprian had a quick advancement to the highest offices in the church. This is intimated by Cyprianus magnam sibi gloriam ex artis oratoriæ professione quæsierat. Lact. Div. Inst. Lib. v. cap. 1. Eus. d Cyprianus primum rhetor, deinde presbyter, ad extremum Carthaginiensis episcopus, martyrio coronatur, Chr. p. 175. • Non rhetoricam adeo in scholis docuisse, quam in foro exercuisse Cyprianus videtur. Confer quæ ipse de se Cyprianus libro ad Donatum, non longe ab initio. Fabric. annot. ad Hieron. de V. I. c. 67. Ad Donat. p. 2 et 3. Oxon. 1682. Vid. Vit. S. Cyprian. a Benedictino adornat. num. 1. 39. Paris. 1726. p. h Nondum secunda nativitas novum hominem splendore toto divinæ lucis oculaverat.... Distractis rebus suis ad indigentiam pauperum sustentandam tota prædia pretio dispensans, .&c. Pont. p. 2. Oxon. Beatus Cyprianus instar fontis purissimi, dulcis incedit et placidus. Hieron. Ep. 49. al. 13. ad Paulinum. p. 567. m. Ed. Bened. Cyprianus, vir eloquentia pollens et martyrio. Id. ad Magn. Ep. 83. p. 655. * Proponamus nobis beatum Cyprianum, qui prius idolola triæ assertor fuit, et in tantam gloriam venit eloquentiæ, ut oratoriam quoque doceret Carthagini. Id. Comm. in Jona cap. 3. See before, noted. m Inter quos et Cyprianus. . . . . Qui enim in ludo perversitatis humanæ et suam et aliorum linguas docuerat loqui mendacium, ut quod ab adversario objiceretur, astutâ fallacia negaretur, jam in aliâ scholâ didicerat confitendo devitare adversarium. August. Serm. 312. Tom. y. Bened. [Al de diversis 116.] n Quid si etiam figuras locutionis, quæ illâ arte traduntur, in iis saltem quæ de Apostoli eloquio commemoravi, ostendere voluissem?....Hæc omnia, quando a magistris docentur, pro magno habentur, magno emuntur pretio, magnâ jactatione venduntur. Aug. de Doct. Christ. 1. iv. cap. 7. n. 14 T. iii. P. i. Nunc probabo quas tu ab ore nostro laudes Cypriani desideres. Certe si adhuc in scholâ rhetorum verba discipulis venderem, prius ab eis mercedem sumerem. Vendere tibi volo laudem pudicissimæ conjugis tuæ ; prius mihi mercedem da;. pudicitiam tuam. Aug. Ep. 259. n. 4. al. 125. P Et ut tantæ vocis tuba, quæ forensium mendaciorum certamina solebat acuere, ad prosternendum pretiosis sanctorum mortibus diabolum Christo militantes et in ipso gloriantes devotos martyres excitaret. August. Serm. 312. al. de di versis 116. a Jerom, and more particularly related by Pontius. Bishop Pearson' computes, that he was made presbyter in 247, and bishop of Carthage near the end of the year 248. The learned Benedictine, who writes the life of St. Cyprian prefixed to Stephen Baluze's edition of this father, thinks; that he might be baptised in the year 244 or 245, and made bishop in 248, or 249, supposing it to be scarce possible to determine exactly and with certainty the year of those events. Pagi likewise thought it to be doubtful, whether Cyprian was advanced to the episcopate in the year 248 or 249. с e f d Cyprian was made bishop against his own inclination, at the general and earnest desire of the people of Carthage. But his election was opposed by several presbyters of that church, five in number, who afterwards gave him a great deal of uneasiness. It is no where expressly said who was his immediate predecessor; but it is, probably concluded by learned men, that his name was Donatus. n h The beginning of St. Cyprian's episcopate was peaceable, under the emperor Philip; but! near the end of the year 249, or early in the year 250, began the Decian persecution. This bishop of Carthage was extremely obnoxious to the heathen people; and they often demanded in a clamorous manner, in the theatre, and other public places, that he should be thrown to the lions, as is related by Pontius, and by Cyprian himself. Hereupon he retired, (as Pearson supposeth" in Jan. 250) judging it to be " for the good of his people, and agreeable to the doctrine of Christ in the gospel, and having also received a divine direction to that purpose. The government not being able to find him out, he was P proscribed, and proclamation was made at Carthage, That if any one had any goods of Cæcilius Cyprian, bishop of the Christians, he should discover them. Nor is the place where he absconded known to this day. In this retirement, which lasted about fourteen months, he was not idle, nor unprofitable, as appears from the many epistles written by him during that time, a large part of which are still extant. Cyprian seems to have taken with him from Carthage, one of his deacons, named Victor, and some other friends. It is plain, he had such company. with him at the beginning of his retirement. They may be supposed to have been of great use to him in taking copies of his letters sent to Carthage and other places: and to their diligent and faithful attendance on their bishop, as well as perhaps to the kind assistance likewise of some others, who came to him afterwards, we ought to reckon ourselves indebted for the letters above-mentioned, now in our hands. r t The heat of the persecution being abated, in the year 251, soon after Easter, Cyprian came out of the place of his retirement, and returned to Carthage. In the month of May, in the same year, he held a council for regulating some affairs of the church, particularly the treatment of such as had lapsed in the persecution: and in the year following a second council, in which the same affair was farther considered and regulated. There were beside these, several other councils held at Carthage in the time of this bishop of that city; three of which were engaged about the question of the baptism of heretics, in which Cyprian differed from Stephen bishop of Rome, and some others.. Cyprian was of opinion, that "all baptism out of the catholic church a Presbyterium et Sacerdotium statim accepit. Pont. P. 2. Judicio Dei et plebis favore ad officium sacerdotii et episcopatûs gradum adhuc neophytus, et, ut putabatur, novellus, electus est. Id. p. 3. b Pearson. Ann: Cypr. p. 8, 9. c Vit. S. Cypr. (ut supra) sect. ii. p. 42. et sect. iv. p. 45. fin. Vid. Pagi Crit. 248. n. 2. * Non præteribo etiam illud eximium, quemadmodum cum in dilectionem ejus et honorem totus populus adspirante domino prosiliret, humiliter ille secessit, antiquioribus cedens, et indignum se titulo tanti honoris existimans, ut dignus magis fieret. Pont. p. 3. f Quidam illi restiterunt, etiam ut vinceret. Pont. p. 3. Vid. etiam Cypr. Ep. 43. al. 40. 8 Vid. Pear. Ann. Cypr. 251. n. 3.. h Vid. Pears. Ann. Cypr. 248. n. 3. et Benedic. Vit, St. Cypr. n. 4. p. 45. i Vid. Pagi Crit. 250. n. 4. ...maxime cum et suffragiis sæpe repetitis ad leonem postularetur. Pont. p. 4. Nec me in conspectum publicum, et maxime ejus loci, ubi toties flagitatus et quæsitus fuissem, temere committere. Cypr. Ep. 14. [al. 6.] p. 31. Orto statim turbationis impetu primo, cum me clamore violento frequenter populus flagitâsset, • Et audietis omnia, quando ad vos reducem me dominus fecerit, qui ut secederem jussit. Ep. 16. [al. 10.] p. 38. Credidit se, nisi domino latebram tunc jubenti paruisset, etiam ipsâ passione peccare. Pont. p. 5. in.. P Statim denique pro talibus meritis etiam proscriptionis gloriam consecutus est. Pont. p. 4. Persecutio enim veniens .... me proscriptionis onere depressit, cum publice legeretur: si quis tenet vel possidet. de bonis Cæcilii Cypriani episcopi Christianorum. Ep. 66. [al. 69.] p. 166. ! ↑ Salutant vos Victor diaconus, et qui mecum sunt. Ep. 5. r Vid. Ann. Cypr. p. 48. n. 3. Ann. Cypr. ib. n. 5. Conf. Pagi 251. n. 17, 18, 21. Ann. Cypr. p. 35. n. 6, 7. Vid. stiam Cypr. Ep. 5. al. 55. et Conf. Pagi 252. n. 8. ".... visum est ei cum ferme octoginta coëpiscopis suis Africanarum ecclesiaruni, omnem hominem, qui extra ecclesize catholicæ communionem baptizatus fuisset, oportere ad was null and void, and that they who had received such baptism only ought to be baptised when they come over from heretics to the church. What was Stephen's opinion is disputed; whether he held that baptism by all sorts of heretics was valid, and that they who came from them needed not to be baptised; or, whether he maintained the validity of that baptism only which was performed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The most remarkable of these three councils was the last, at which were present eighty-five or eighty-seven bishops, beside presbyters and others. It was held in 256, and the acts of it are still in being. Of these councils I give no farther account, that I may have the more room to shew the excellent conduct of Cyprian in some other matters, which deserve particular notice in this place. g About this time a pestilential distemper wasted the Roman Empire, raging in some part of it for several years. Some learned men think it begun in the reign of Decius, and increased very much under Gallus, about the year 252, in whose time it is placed by Eusebius in his Chronicle, and by Eutropius, and by several other ancient writers. Pagi is of opinion, that this pestilence afflicted the Roman Empire fifteen years, beginning under Gallus and Volusian, in the year 252, and ceasing in 267. In this affliction Carthage had its share; and upon that occasion Cyprian was not negligent in the duties of his episcopal function. His deacon Pontius informs us, that he called together his people, and discoursed to them of the obligation of compassion, shewing out of the divine scriptures, how acceptable offices of kindness are unto God; adding, that it would be no extraordinary thing, if we should take care of our own people: "He only is perfect who does more than publicans and heathens;" Matt. v. 45, 46. We are to propose to ourselves, said Cyprian, the imitation of our heavenly Father, who causeth his sun to rise, and sendeth rain upon all men; and thereby to show that we are not unworthy of our high birth. This discourse had a good effect; and in the time of that calamity there were the most generous acts of goodness performed by the Christians at Carthage, as Pontius relates, and I sometime may have an opportunity to shew more at large. Upon this occasion, likewise, Cyprian wrote a treatise entitled, Of Mortality, or of the Plague; and, as is computed, in the year 252. There was another occasion, in which the virtue of Cyprian and the people under his care was very conspicuous. Some barbarous people of Africa made inroads into Numidia, and carried off with them captives a great number of Christians. The bishops of Numidia gave Cyprian notice of that disaster. Hereupon he made a collection at Carthage for the redemption of those who had been carried captive; and the whole sum contributed by Cyprian himself and his people, and some bishops and other Christians then at Carthage, amounted to about seven hundred and eighty pounds; which Cyprian sent to the bishops of the province of Numidia, together with his own and his people's prayers, that no such ecclesiam venientem denuo baptizari. August. de Bap. contr. Donat. 1. i. cap. 18. p. 93, 94. T. ix. Bened. Ecce in unitate video Cyprianum et alios collegas ejus, qui facto concilio censuerunt omnes, qui extra ecclesiæ communionem fuerint baptizati, baptismum non habere; et ideo eis dandum esse, cum veniunt. ib. 1. ii. c. 6. p. 100. D. Conf. Cypr. ad Jub. Ep. 73. et Conc. Carth. a Vid. Tillemont Mem. Ecc. T. iv. St. Cyprien art. 42, et note xxxix. Du Pin Bibl. St. Cyprien Basn. Ann. 256. n. 3, 4. Pagi Crit. in Bar. 256. n. 4, 5, 6. b There were present eighty-five bishops, one of which had two proxies, who at the same time he voted himself gave in also the votes of two absent bishops, according to the power they had given him. The number of votes therefore was in all eighty-seven. Sub hoc [Gallo] pestilens morbus multas totius orbis provincias occupavit, maximeque Alexandriam et Ægyptum, ut scribit Dionysius, et Cypriani de mortalitate testis est liber. Euseb. Chron. p. 47. a Solâ pestilentiâ et morbis atque ægritudinibus notus eorum [Galli et Volusiani] principatus fuit. Eutr. e Vid. Pagi Crit. 252. n. 25. f Vid. Pagi ib. 252. n. 24. et seqq. 265. n. 5. Aggregatam primo in loco uno plebem de misericordiæ bonis instituit, docens divinæ lectionis exemplis, quantum ad promerendum Deum prosint officia pietatis. Tunc deinde subjungit, non esse mirabile, si nostris tantum debito caritatis ob sequio faveremus; eum perfectum posse fieri qui plus aliquid Mr. Marshall, in a note upon this epistle of St. Cyprian, p. 177, says, 'that sum was collected from his own church only, over and above the several sums contributed from such bishops as happened to be at Carthage when this case was laid before our author.' And so Fleury understood it'; see his Ecclesiastical History, B. vii. ch. 14. p. 420. But Tillemont takes it, as I have done above, that the contributions of Cyprian's church, and of some bishops then at Carthage, all together amounted to that sum. Tout cela ensemble fit une somme de vingt-cinq mille livres. Mem. Ec. St. Cypr. art. 37. p. 210. Which is rightest, I am not much concerned to determine. The thing is of no great importance. like disaster might befal them again; at the same time assuring them that, if there should, the Christians with him would be always ready to send relief to their brethren. a b But the most glorious scene of Cyprian's life remains. The emperor Valerian, who for some time had been very favourable to the Christians, became their persecutor. Cyprian, having been brought before the proconsul, made a confession of the Christian faith, and was banished to Curubis. So far we are informed by Pontius, who refers to the Acts for particulars; and by the Acts which we now have, we are informed that, on the 30th day of August 257, Cyprian was brought before the proconsul Aspasius Paternus; and being examined by him, owned himself to be a Christian, and a bishop; declaring that he knew no other gods, beside the one true God, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and all things therein. Being stedfast in this profession, the proconsul banished him to Curubis. His deacon, Pontius, accompanied him to the place of his exile, where he arrived the 13th or 14th of September. Cyprian had many fellow sufferers, great numbers of Christians in the province of Numidia were apprehended, and sent to the mines. We have a letter of Cyprian, written in his exile, which is inscribed to nine bishops by name, and beside them to others, presbyters, deacons, and the rest of the brethren in the mines, martyrs of God the Father Almighty, and Jesus Christ our Lord. And those confessors, who were not all in one and the same place, but in mines at some distance from each other, answer him again in three several letters, which are still extant in St. Cyprian's works. d Whilst Cyprian continued at Curubis, Galerius Maximus succeeded Paternus as proconsul of Africa. He recalled Cyprian from his banishment, who then went to his gardens, or country house, near Carthage, by the orders, as it seems, of the proconsul. Those gardens had been sold by Cyprian, and the price of them given for the benefit of the poor, as was formerly observed: but, by some favourable providence, they were again returned to the possession of our bishop. Soon after his arrival there, Cyprian understood that there were orders given for bringing him before the proconsul, who was then at Utica, a city of Africa, about forty miles distant from Carthage; but, being desirous rather to die in the presence of his own people, he thought fit to go from his country seat, and conceal himself for a while. Of this he gives an account in his last letter to his clergy and people. The proconsul being come from Utica to Carthage, Cyprian returned to his gardens, where many persons of the best rank in the city came to him, entreating him to retire, and offering him likewise a safe place of retreat: but he would by no means comply with those proposals. This is written by his deacon Pontius. k On the 13th of September 258, an officer, with soldiers, was sent to Cyprian's garden by the proconsul to bring him before him. Cyprian then knew his end was near; and with a ready and constant mind, and a cheerful countenance, he went without delay to Sexti, a place about six miles from Carthage, where the proconsul was for the sake of his health. Cyprian's cause was deferred" for that day. He was therefore ordered to the house of an officer, where he was "His tam bonis et tam piis actibus supervenit exilium. Pont. p. 6. Ut, imminentis martyrii pleniore fiduciâ, non exulem tantummodo Curubis, sed et martyrem possideret. ib. 7. Et ut, quid sacerdos Dei Proconsule interrogante responderet, taceam; sunt Acta quæ referant. ib. p. 6. Imperatore Valeriano quartum et Gallieno tertium Consulibus, tertio Calendarum Septembrium, Carthagine in secretario Paternus Proconsul Cypriano dixit:... Exquisivi ego de nomine tuo: quid mihi respondes? Cyprianus episcopus dixit: Christianus sum, et Episcopus. Nullos alios Deos novi, nisi unum et verum Deum, qui fecit cœlum et terram, mare, et quæ in eis sunt omnia.... Poteris ergo secundum præceptum Valeriani et Gallieni exul ad urbem Curubitanam proficissi. Cypr. Pass, p. 11. d Nam et me inter domesticos comites dignatio caritatis ejus delegerat exulem voluntarium. Pont. p. 7. * Ep. 76. al. 77. Cumque diu ibidem moraretur, successit Aspasio Paterno proconsuli Galerius Maximus, proconsul, qui sanetum Cyprianum episcopum ab exilio revocatum sibi jussit præsentari. Cumque Cyprianus sanctus martyr electus a Deo, de civitate Curubitanâ, in quâ exilio præcepto Aspasii Paterni tunc pro consulis datus fuerat, regressus esset, ex sacro præscripto in hortis suis manebat. Act. pass. p. 12. & Ad hortos, inquam, quos inter initia fidei suæ venditos, et Dei indulgentiâ restitutos, pro certo iterum in usus pauperum vendidisset, nisi invidiam de persecutione vitaret. Pont. p. 8. fin. h Cum perlatum ad nos fuisset, fratres carissimi, frumentarics esse missos, qui me Uticam perducerunt, et consilio carissimorum persuasum esset, ut de hortis nostris interim secederemus, justâ interveniente causâ, consensi; eo quod episcopum in eâ civitate, in quâ ecclesiæ dominicæ præest, illic dominum confiteri, et plebem universam præpositi præsentis confessione clarificari. Cypr. Ep. 81. [al 83.] init. p. 238. i Conveniebant interim plures egregii et clarissimi ordinis et sanguinis, sed et seculi nobilitate generosi: qui propter amicitiam ejus antiquam, secessum subinde suaderent: et, ne parum esset nuda suadela, etiam loca in qua secederet offerebant. Ille vero jam mundum suspensâ in cælum mente neglexerat, nec suadelis blandientibus annuebat. Pont. p. 8. * Cum ecce Proconsulis jussu ad hortos ejus... cum militibus suis princeps repente subitavit. id. ibid. 1.... et in Sexti perduxerunt: ubi idem Galerius Maximus proconsul bonæ valetudinis recuperandæ gratiâ secesserat. Act. Pass. p. 12. m Sed dilatus in crastinum, ad domum principis a prætorio revertebatur. ... Receptum eum tamen et in domo principis constitutum unâ nocte continuit custodia delicata: ita ut convivæ ejus, et cari in contubernio ex more fuerimus. Pont. p. 9 |