THE

PRINCIPAL FACTS

OF THE

NEW TESTAMENT

CONFIRMED, &c.

PART II. CHAP. XLIV.

CYPRIAN, BISHOP OF CARTHAGE.

I. 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 angels. 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.

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. Afterwards, being converted to chris'tianity by a presbyter named Cæcilius, whose name he also 'took, he gave all his estate to the poor; and after no long

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* 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, sed non eodem anno. De V. I. cap. 67.

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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.'

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.

d

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 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.

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 occurss in Eusebius's Chronicle. Fabricius, however, was of opinion, that Cyprian rather showed his eloquence at the bar, than taught it in the schools; which, he thinks, may be concluded from what

b Non enim legitima omnino sunt atque sincera, quæ cum Cypriani operibus edita sunt ex Vet. Cod. MS. Etsi multa in illis verissima contineri, faciles largiamur. Annal. Polit. Ecc. 257. num. 5. © Cyprianus qui et Thascius.-Pupieno S. Ep. Cyprian, 66. [al. 69.] Vid. et Passionis Act. p. 13. d Vid. Ann. Cypr. p. 6. e Erat sane illi etiam de nobis contubernium viri justi et laudabilis memoriæ Cæcilii, et ætate tunc et honore presbyteri, qui eum ad agnitionem veræ divinitatis a seculari errore correxerat. Cypr. Vit. per Pont. p. 3. f Cyprianus magnam sibi gloriam ex artis oratoriæ professione quæsierat. Lact. Div. Inst. lib. v. cap. 1. 8 Cyprianus primum rhetor, deinde presbyter, ad extremum Carthagiensis episcopus, martyrio coronatur. Eus. 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.

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

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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 seeins, 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 Ad Donat. p. 2 et 3. Oxon. 1682. * Vid. Vit. S. Cyprian. a Benedictino Adornat. num. 1. p. 39. Paris. 1726. I 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. m Beatus Cyprianus instar fontis purissimi, dulcis incedit et placidus. Hieron, Ep. 49. al. 13. ad Paulinum. P 567. m. Ed. Bened. Cyprianus, vir eloquentiâ pollens et martyrio. Id. ad Magn. Ep. 83. p. 655. "Proponamus nobis beatum Cyprianum, qui prius idololatriæ assertor fuit, et in tantam gloriam venit eloquentiæ, ut oratoriam quoque doceret Carthagini. Id. Comm. in Jonæ, cap. 3. • See before, note . P Inter quos et Cyprianus.-Qui enim in ludo perversitatis humanæ et suam et aliorum linguas docuerat loqui mendacium, ut quod ab adversario objiceretur, astutâ fallaciâ negaretur, jam in alià scholâ didicerat confitendo devitare adversarium. August. Serm. 312. Tom. v. Bened. [Al. de diversis 116.] 4 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, magnà jactatione venduntur. Aug. de Doct. Christ. 1. iv. cap. 7. n. 14. T. iii. P. i.

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.

Cyprian had a quick advancement to the highest offices in the church. This is intimated by Jerom, and more particularly related byt 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 Baluse's edition of this father, thinks, that he might be baptized in the year 244 or 245, and made bishop in 248 or 249, supposing it to be scarcely 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.

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

Nunc probabo quas tu ab ore nostro laudes Cyprianæ 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.

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 diversis 116. '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. "Pearson. Ann. Cypr. p. 8, 9. ▾ Vit. S. Cypr. (ut supra) sect. * Vid. Pagi Crit. 248. n. 2.

ii. p. 42. et sect. iv. p. 45. fin.

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. ▾ Quidam illi restiterunt, etiam Vid

ut vinceret. Pont. p. 3. Vid. etiam Cypr. Ep. 43. al. 40. Pear. Ann. Cypr. 251. n. 3.

his immediate predecessor; but it is probably concluded by learned men, that his name was Donatus.

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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 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.

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The heat of the persecution being abated, in the year 251, 2 Vid. Pears. Ann. Cypr. 248. n. 3. et Benedic. Vit. St. Cypr. n. 4. p. 45. b Vid. Pagi Crit. 250. n. 4. maxime cum et suffragiis sæpe repetitis ad leonem postularetur. Pont. p. 4. d 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, non tam meam salutem, quam quietem fratrum publicam cogitans, interim secessi, Ep. 20. [al. 15.] p. 42. Vid. et Ep. 59. [al. 55.] p. 130. * Ann. Cyp. p. 17. n. 2. Conf. Pagi 250. n. 5.

f See note d.

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.

Statim denique pro talibus meritis etiam proscriptionis gloriam consecutus est. Pont. p. 4. Persecutio enim veniens-me proscriptionis onere depressit, curn 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.