The Epistles of Cyprian 77
77.0 The Reply of Nemesianus, Dativus, Felix, and Victor, to Cyprian PL 4, 414
Argument.—This Epistle and the Two Following Contain Nothing Else Than Replies to the Foregoing, Inasmuch as They Contain The Thanksgiving as Well for the Comfort Conveyed by the Letter as for the Assistance Sent Therewith. But from the Fact that Three Distinct Letters are Sent in Reply to the Single One of Cyprian’s, We are to Gather that the Bishops Who Wrote Them Were Placed in Different Departments of the Mines.
77.1 The Reply of Nemesianus, Dativus, Felix, and Victor, to Cyprian PL 4, 414
1. Nemesianus, Dativus, Felix, and Victor, to their brother Cyprian, in the Lord eternal salvation. You speak, dearly beloved Cyprian, in your letters always with deep meaning, as suits the condition of the time, by the assiduous reading of which letters both the wicked are corrected and men of good faith are confirmed. For while you do not cease in your writings to lay bare the hidden mysteries, you thus make us to grow in faith, and men from the world to draw near to belief. For by whatever good things you have introduced in your many books, unconsciously you have described yourself to us. For you are greater than all men in discourse, in speech more eloquent, in counsel wiser, in patience more simple, in works more abundant, in abstinence more holy, in obedience more humble, and in good deeds more innocent. And you yourself know, beloved, that our eager wish was, that we might see you, our teacher and our lover, attain to the crown of a great confession.
Cyprianus Nemesiano, Felici, Lucio, alteri Felici, Litteo, Poliano, Victori, Juderi Dativo coepiscopis, item compresbyteris et diaconibus, et caeteris fratribus in metallo constitutis martyribus Dei patris omnipotentis et Jesu Christi Domini et Dei conservatoris nostri aeternam salutem. Gloria quidem vestra poscebat, beatissimi ac dilectissimi fratres, ut ad conspectum atque ad complexum vestrum venire ipse deberem, nisi me quoque ob confessionem nominis relegatum praefiniti loci termini coercerent. Sed quomodo possum repraesento me vobis, et ad vos, etiamsi corpore et gressu venire non datur, dilectione tamen et spiritu venio, exprimens litteris animum meum, quo in istis virtutibus et laudibus vestris laetus exulto, participem me computans vobis, etsi non passione corporis, consortio charitatis. An ego possim tacere et vocem meam silentio premere cum de charissimis meis tam multa et gloriosa cognoscam quibus vos divina dignatio honoravit, ut ex vobis pars jam martyrii sui consummatione praecesserit meritorum suorum coronam de Domino receptura, pars adhuc in carcerum claustris sive in metallis et vinculis demoretur, exhibens per ipsas suppliciorum moras corroborandis fratribus et armandis majora documenta, ad meritorum titulos ampliores tormentorum tarditate proficiens, habitura tot mercedes in coelestibus praemiis quot nunc dies numerat in poenis? Quae quidem vobis, fortissimi ac beatissimi fratres, pro merito religionis ac fidei vestrae accidisse non miror, ut vos sic Dominus ad gloriarum sublime fastigium clarificationis suae honore provexerit, qui semper in Ecclesia ejus custodito fidei tenore viguistis, conservantes firmiter Dominica mandata, in simplicitate innocentiam, in charitate concordiam, modestiam in humilitate, diligentiam in administratione, vigilantiam in adjuvandis laborantibus, misericordiam in fovendis pauperibus, in defendenda veritate constantiam, in disciplinae severitate censuram. Ac, ne aliquid ad exemplum bonorum factorum deesset in vobis, etiam in confessione nunc 159 vocis et passione corporis fratrum mentes ad divina martyria provocatis, duces vos exhibendo virtutis, ut, dum grex pastores suos sequitur et quod fieri a praepositis cernit imitatur, paribus obsequiorum meritis a Domino coronetur.
77.2 PL 4, 416
2. For, in the proceedings before the proconsul, as a good and true teacher you first have pronounced that which we your disciples, following you, ought to say before the president. And, as a sounding trumpet, you have stirred up God’s soldiers, furnished with heavenly arms, to the close encounter; and fighting in the first rank, you have slain the devil with a spiritual sword: you have also ordered the troops of the brethren, on the one hand and on the other, with your words, so that snares were on all sides laid for the enemy, and the severed sinews of the very carcase of the public foe were trodden under foot. Believe us, dearest, that your innocent spirit is not far from the hundred-fold reward, seeing that it has feared neither the first onsets of the world, nor shrunk from going into exile, nor hesitated to leave the city, nor dreaded to dwell in a desert place; and since it furnished many with an example of confession, itself first spoke the martyr-witness. For it provoked others to acts of martyrdom by its own example; and not only began to be a companion of the martyrs already departing from the world, but also linked a heavenly friendship with those who should be so.
Quod autem, fustibus caesi prius graviter et afflicti, per ejusmodi poenas initiastis confessionis vestrae gloriosa primordia, execranda nobis ista res non est. Neque enim ad fustes christianum corpus expavit, cujus est spes omnis in ligno. Sacramentum salutis suae Christi servus agnovit. Redemptus ligno ad vitam aeternam ligno provectus est ad coronam. Quid vero mirum si vasa aurea et argentea in metallum, id est auri et argenti domicilium, dati estis, nisi quod nunc metallorum natura conversa est, locaque quae aurum et argentum dare ante consueverant, accipere coeperunt. Imposuerunt quoque compedes pedibus vestris, et membra felicia ac Dei templa infamibus vinculis ligaverunt, quasi cum corpore ligetur et spiritus, aut aurum vestrum ferri contagione maculetur. Dicatis Deo hominibus et fidem suam religiosa virtute testantibus ornamenta sunt ista, non vincula; nec Christianorum pedes ad infamiam copulant, sed clarificant ad coronam. O pedes feliciter vincti, qui non a fabro sed a Domino resolvuntur! o pedes feliciter vincti, qui in itinere salutari ad paradisum diriguntur! o pedes in saeculo ad praesens legati, ut sint semper apud Dominum liberi! o pedes compedibus et traversariis interim cunctabundi, sed celeriter ad Christum glorioso itinere cursuri! Quantum vult hic vel invida crudelitas vel maligna, nexibus vos suis et vinculis teneat, cito a terris et poenis istis ad coelorum regna venietis. Non fovetur in metallis lecto et culcitris corpus, sed refrigerio et solatio Christi fovetur. Humi jacent fessa laboribus viscera; sed poena non est cum Christo jacere. Squalent sine balneis membra situ et sorde deformia; sed spiritaliter intus abluitur quod foris carnaliter sordidatur. Panis illic exiguus: at non in solo pane vivit homo, sed in sermone Dei . Vestis algentibus deest; sed qui Christum induit, et vestitus abundanter et cultus est. Semitonsi capitis capillus horrescit; sed, cum sit caput viri Christus, qualecumque illud caput deceat necesse est quod ob Domini nomen insigne est. Omnis ista deformitas detestabilis et tetra gentilibus, quali splendore pensabitur? Saecularis haec et brevis poena quam clari et aeterni honoris mercede mutabitur, cum, secundum beati Apostoli vocem transformaverit Dominus corpus humilitatis nostrae conformatum corpori claritatis suae ?
77.3 PL 4, 417
3. Therefore they who were condemned with us give you before God the greatest thanks, beloved Cyprian, that in your letter you have refreshed their suffering breasts; have healed their limbs wounded with clubs; have loosened their feet bound with fetters; have smoothed the hair of their half-shorn head; have illuminated the darkness of the dungeon; have brought down the mountains of the mine to a smooth surface; have even placed fragrant flowers to their nostrils, and have shut out the foul odour of the smoke. Moreover, your continued gifts, and those of our beloved Quirinus, which you sent to be distributed by Herennianus the sub-deacon, and Lucian, and Maximus, and Amantius the acolytes, provided a supply of whatever had been wanting for the necessities of their bodies. Let us, then, be in our prayers helpers of one another: and let us ask, as you have bidden us, that we may have God and Christ and the angels as supporters in all our actions. We bid you, lord and brother, ever heartily farewell, and have us in mind. Greet all who are with you. All ours who are with us love you, and greet you, and desire to see you.
Sed nec in illo, fratres dilectissimi, aliqua potest aut religionis aut fidei jactura sentiri quod illic nunc sacerdotibus Dei facultas non datur offerendi et celebrandi sacrificia divina. Celebratis, immo atque offertis sacrificium Deo et pretiosum pariter et gloriosum et plurimum vobis ad retributionem praemiorum coelestium profuturum, cum Scriptura divina loquatur et dicat: Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus, cor contritum et humiliatum Deus non despicit . Hoc vos sacrificium Deo offertis, hoc sacrificium sine intermissione die ac nocte celebratis, hostiae facti Deo, et vosmetipsos sanctas atque immaculatas victimas exhibentes, sicut Apostolus adhortatur et dicit: Oro ergo vos, fratres, per misericordiam Dei, ut constituatis corpora vestra hostiam vivam, sanctam, placentem Deo, nec configuremini saeculo huic, sed transformemini in renovatione sensus, ad probandum quae sit voluntas Dei bona et placens et perfecta .