The Epistles of Cyprian 65
65 To the Clergy and People Abiding at Furni, About Victor, Who Had Made the Presbyter Faustinus a Guardian PL 4, 393
Argument.—Since, Against the Decision of a Council of Bishops, Geminius Victor Had Named in His Will Geminius Faustinus the Presbyter as His Guardian or Curator, He Forbids that Offering Should Be Made for Him, or that the Sacrifice Should Be Celebrated for His Repose, Inferring by the Way, from the Example of the Levitical Tribe, that Clerics Ought Not to Mix Themselves Up in Secular Cares.
1. Cyprian to the presbyters, and deacons, and people abiding at Furni, greeting. I and my colleagues who were present with me were greatly disturbed, dearest brethren, as were also our fellow-presbyters who sate with us, when we were made aware that Geminius Victor, our brother, when departing this life, had named Geminius Faustinus the presbyter executor to his will, although long since it was decreed, in a council of the bishops, that no one should appoint any of the clergy and the ministers of God executor or guardian by his will, since every one honoured by the divine priesthood, and ordained in the clerical service, ought to serve only the altar and sacrifices, and to have leisure for prayers and supplications. For it is written: “No man that warreth for God entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him to whom he has pledged himself.” As this is said of all men, how much rather ought those not to be bound by worldly anxieties and involvements, who, being busied with divine and spiritual things, are not able to withdraw from the Church, and to have leisure for earthly and secular doings! The form of which ordination and engagement the Levites formerly observed under the law, so that when the eleven tribes divided the land and shared the possessions, the Levitical tribe, which was left free for the temple and the altar, and for the divine ministries, received nothing from that portion of the division; but while others cultivated the soil, that portion only cultivated the favour of God, and received the tithes from the eleven tribes, for their food and maintenance, from the fruits which grew. All which was done by divine authority and arrangement, so that they who waited on divine services might in no respect be called away, nor be compelled to consider or to transact secular business. Which plan and rule is now maintained in respect of the clergy, that they who are promoted by clerical ordination in the Church of the Lord may be called off in no respect from the divine administration, nor be tied down by worldly anxieties and matters; but in the honour of the brethren who contribute, receiving as it were tenths of the fruits, they may not withdraw from the altars and sacrifices, but may serve day and night in heavenly and spiritual things.
2. The bishops our predecessors religiously considering this, and wholesomely providing for it, decided that no brother departing should name a cleric for executor or guardian; and if any one should do this, no offering should be made for him, nor any sacrifice be celebrated for his repose. For he does not deserve to be named at the altar of God in the prayer of the priests, who has wished to call away the priests and ministers from the altar. And therefore, since Victor, contrary to the rule lately made in council by the priests, has dared to appoint Geminius Faustinus, a presbyter, his executor, it is not allowed that any offering be made by you for his repose, nor any prayer be made in the church in his name, that so the decree of the priests, religiously and needfully made, may be kept by us; and, at the same time, an example be given to the rest of the brethren, that no one should call away to secular anxieties the priests and ministers of God who are occupied with the service of His altar and Church. For care will probably be taken in time to come that this happen not with respect to the person of clerics any more, if what has now been done has been punished. I bid you, dearest brethren, ever heartily farewell.
ARGUMENTUM.-- Rogatianum episcopum monet Cyprianus, ut diaconi superbiam qui illum contumeliis exacerbaverat coerceat, et audaciae suae poenitentiam agere cogat, ea occasione denuo repetens quaecumque de sacerdotali sive episcopali potestate supra dicta sunt Epistola LV. Quo autem tempore scripta sit, non satis constat, nisi quod in eadem synodo scriptam cum sequenti, initium utriusque epistolae simile persuadeat.
Cyprianus Rogatiano fratri salutem. Graviter et dolenter commoti sumus ego et collegae mei qui praesentes aderant, frater charissime, lectis litteris tuis, quibus de diacono tuo conquestus es quod, immemor sacerdotalis loci tui et officii, ac ministerii sui oblitus, contumeliis et injuriis suis te exacerbaverit. Et tu quidem honorifice circa nos et pro solita tua humilitate fecisti, ut malles de eo nobis conqueri, cum, pro episcopatus vigore et cathedrae auctoritate, haberes potestatem qua posses de illo statim vindicari, certus quod collegae tui omnes gratum haberemus quodcumque circa diaconum tuum contumeliosum sacerdotali potestate fecisses, habens circa hujusmodi homines praecepta divina, cum Dominus Deus in Deuteronomio dicat: Et homo quicumque fecerit in superbia ut non exaudiat sacerdotem aut judicem, quicumque fuerit in diebus illis, morietur homo ille, et omnis populus audierit timebit, et non agent impie etiam nunc . Et ut sciamus hanc Dei vocem 113 cum vera et summa majestate ejus processisse ad honorandos ac vindicandos sacerdotes suos, cum adversus Aaron sacerdotem tres de ministris, Chore et Dathan et Abiron, ausi sunt superbisse et cervicem suam extollere et sacerdoti praeposito se adaequare, hiatu terrae absorpti ac devorati, poenas statim sacrilegae audaciae persolverunt. Nec soli illi, sed et caeteri ducenti quinquaginta qui eis comites ad audaciam fuerunt, prorumpente a Domino igne consumpti sunt, ut probaretur sacerdotes Dei ab eo qui sacerdotes facit vindicari. In libro quoque Regnorum, cum Samuel sacerdos a Judaeorum populo ob senectutem, sicut tu modo, contemneretur, exclamavit iratus Dominus et dixit: Non te spreverunt, sed me spreverunt . Et ut hoc ulcisceretur, excitavit eis Saul regem, qui eos injuriis gravibus affligeret, et per omnes contumelias et poenas superbum populum calcaret et premeret, ut contemptus sacerdos de superbo populo ultione divina vindicaretur.
Sed et Salomon in Spiritu sancto constitutus testatur et docet quae sit sacerdotalis auctoritas et potestas, dicens: Ex tota anima tua time Deum, et sacerdotes ejus sanctifica. Et iterum: Honora Deum ex tota anima tua, et honorifica sacerdotes ejus . Quorum praeceptorum memor beatus apostolus Paulus, secundum quod in Actibus Apostolorum legimus, cum ei diceretur: Sic insilis in sacerdotem Dei maledicendo, respondit et dixit: Nesciebam, fratres, quia pontifex est. Scriptum est enim: Principem populi tui non maledices . Dominus etiam noster ipse Jesus Christus, rex et judex et Deus noster, usque ad passionis diem servavit honorem pontificibus et sacerdotibus, quamvis illi nec timorem Dei nec agnitionem Christi servassent. Nam, cum leprosum emundasset, dixit illi: Vade, et monstra te sacerdoti, et offer donum . Humilitate ea qua nos quoque esse humiles docuit, sacerdotem adhuc appellabat quem sciebat esse sacrilegum. Item sub ictu passionis cum alapam accepisset, et ei diceretur, Sic respondes pontifici, nihil ille contumeliose locutus est in personam pontificis, sed magis innocentiam suam tuitus est dicens: Si male locutus sum, exprobra de malo. Si autem bene, quid me caedis ? Quae omnia ab eo ideo facta sunt humiliter atque patienter ut nos humilitatis ac patientiae haberemus exemplum. Docuit enim sacerdotes veros legitime et plene honorari, dum circa falsos sacerdotes ipse talis exstitit.
Meminisse autem diaconi debent quoniam Apostolos, id est episcopos et praepositos, Dominus elegit, diaconos autem, post ascensum Domini in coelos, Apostoli sibi constituerunt episcopatus sui et Ecclesiae ministros. Quod si nos aliquid audere contra Deum possumus, qui episcopos facit, possunt et contra nos audere diaconi, a quibus fiunt. Et ideo oportet diaconum de quo scribis agere audaciae suae poenitentiam, et honorem sacerdotis agnoscere et episcopo praeposito suo plena humilitate satisfacere. Haec sunt enim initia haereticorum et ortus atque conatus schismaticorum male cogitantium, ut sibi placeant, ut praepositum superbo tumore contemnant. Sic de Ecclesia receditur, sic altare profanum foris collocatur, sic contra pacem Christi et ordinationem atque unitatem Dei rebellatur. Quod si ultra te contumeliis suis exacerbaverit et provocaverit, fungeris circa eum potestate honoris tui, ut eum vel deponas vel abstineas. Nam, si apostolus Paulus ad Timotheum scribens dixit: Juventutem tuam nemo despiciat , quanto magis tibi a collegis tuis dicendum est: « Senectutem tuam nemo despiciat. » Et quoniam114 scripsisti quemdam cum eodem diacono tuo se miscuisse et superbiae ejus atque audaciae participem esse, hunc quoque, et si qui alii tales exstiterint et contra sacerdotem Dei fecerint, vel coercere poteris vel abstinere: nisi quod hortamur et monemus ut peccasse se potius intelligant et satisfaciant, et nos propositum nostrum tenere patiantur. Magis enim optamus et cupimus contumelias et injurias singulorum clementi patientia vincere, quam sacerdotali licentia vindicare. Opto te, frater charissime, semper bene valere.