Letter 24

Cyprian to Moyses and Maximus, the presbyters, and to the other confessors, his very dear brothers, greetings. I had already heard by report, most brave and blessed brothers, of the glory of your faith and courage, and I rejoiced greatly — congratulating you with all my heart that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ has prepared you for his crown through the confession of his name. You have become the leaders and standard-bearers of the battle of our day. You raised the banner of this heavenly war. You launched the spiritual contest that God ordained should be waged by your valor. With unshaken strength and unflinching resolve, you broke the first assault of the rising storm. From your stand came the first victories. Here, martyrdoms were sealed by torture. But the one who goes first in the fight and sets an example of courage for his brothers stands on equal ground with the martyrs in honor. You have woven garlands with your own hands and passed us the cup of salvation. To these glorious beginnings of your confession, and these first signs of victory, you have added something more: the defense of discipline. I saw it in the forceful letter you recently sent to your fellow confessors, urging them with the deepest care to hold firm to the sacred commands of the Gospel and the teachings of life once delivered to us. Here is another high mark of your glory: to stand with a firm step and, by the strength of your faith, to drive back those who would breach the Gospel and tear apart the Lord's commands — that is to combine courage with instruction, witness with wisdom. The Lord, after his resurrection, sent out his apostles and charged them: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" [Matthew 28:18-20]. Anyone who breaks what Christ commanded is cast out; anyone who keeps his word earns glory. What stronger or better thing could I say to you, brothers, than what the Lord himself has already said? I can only ask: continue as you have begun. Hold to the path you walk. You are crowned already by your confession. But keep also that gentle peace and firm discipline which you have shown. The Lord said, "On him I look who is humble and quiet, and who trembles at my words" [Isaiah 66:2]. Farewell, brave and dear brothers.

Epistle 24 Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99... To Moyses and Maximus and the Rest of the Confessors. Argument.— This Letter is One of Congratulation to the Roman Confessors. 1. Cyprian to Moyses and Maximus, the presbyters, and to the other confessors, his very beloved brethren, greeting. I had already known from rumour, most brave and blessed brethren, the glory of your faith and virtue, rejoicing greatly and abundantly congratulating you, that the highest condescension of our Lord Jesus Christ should have prepared you for the crown by confession of His name. For you, who have become chiefs and leaders in the battle of our day, have set forward the standard of the celestial warfare; you have made a beginning of the spiritual contest which God has purposed to be now waged by your valour; you, with unshaken strength and unyielding firmness, have broken the first onset of the rising war. Thence have arisen happy openings of the fight; thence have begun good auspices of victory. It happened that here martyrdoms were consummated by tortures. But he who, preceding in the struggle, has been made an example of virtue to the brethren, is on common ground with the martyrs in honour. Hence you have delivered to us garlands woven by your hand, and have pledged your brethren from the cup of salvation. 2. To these glorious beginnings of confession and the omens of a victorious warfare, has been added the maintenance of discipline, which I observed from the vigour of your letter that you lately sent to your colleagues joined with you to the Lord in confession, with anxious admonition, that the sacred precepts of the Gospel and the commandments of life once delivered to us should be kept with firm and rigid observance. Behold another lofty degree of your glory; behold, with confession, a double title to deserving well of God — to stand with a firm step, and to drive away in this struggle, by the strength of your faith, those who endeavour to make a breach in the Gospel, and bring impious hands to the work of undermining the Lord's precepts:— to have before afforded the indications of courage, and now to afford lessons of life. The Lord, when, after His resurrection, He sent forth His apostles, charges them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Matthew 28:18-20 And the Apostle John, remembering this charge, subsequently lays it down in his epistle: Hereby, says he, we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that says he knows Him, and keeps not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:3-4 You prompt the keeping of these precepts; you observe the divine and heavenly commands. This is to be a confessor of the Lord; this is to be a martyr of Christ — to keep the firmness of one's profession inviolate among all evils, and secure. For to wish to become a martyr for the Lord, and to try to overthrow the Lord's precepts; to use against Him the condescension that He has granted you — to become, as it were, a rebel with arms that you have received from Him — this is to wish to confess Christ, and to deny Christ's Gospel. I rejoice, therefore, on your behalf, most brave and faithful brethren; and as much as I congratulate the martyrs there honoured for the glory of their strength, so much do I also equally congratulate you for the crown of the Lord's discipline. The Lord has shed forth His condescension in manifold kinds of liberality. He has distributed the praises of good soldiers and their spiritual glories in plentiful variety. We also are sharers in your honour; we count your glory our glory, whose times have been brightened by such a felicity, that it should be the fortune of our day to see the proved servants of God and Christ's soldiers crowned. I bid you, most brave and blessed brethren, ever heartily farewell; and remember me.