THE ACTUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DEC IAN PERSECUTION

ACCORDING TO SAINT CYPRIAN’ S LETTERS

BY SISTER M. JOSEPHITA GLADI3, O.S.U.

A THESIS

Submitted, to the Faculty of the Graduate School o f the Creighton University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements fo r the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Latin

OMAHA, 1955

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

To Mother M. Columba, Superior o f the Uroutines of Louisville, Kentucky, for her encouragement.

To the Faculty and Librarians of Creighton Uni­ versity for their helpful assistance.

To D octor L . V. Jacks, Head of the Latin Depart­ ment, Creighton U n iversity, fo r his competent direction and advice. TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page INTRODUCTION...... Vi

Chapter

I . CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE, BISHOP AM) MARTYR . . 1 I I . CONDITIONS IF THE AFRICAN CHURCH PRIOR TO THE DEC IAN PERSECUTION ...... 7

I I I . THE ACTUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EEC IAN PERSECUTION...... 14 Loss of Property and Exile ...... 15 Imprisonment ...... 18 Interrogation and Torture...... 21 Death by Beheading or Labor in the Mines ...... 22

IV. DEFECTIONS FROM THE FAITH AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE C H IB C H ...... 25 CONCLUSION...... 36

BIBLIOGRAPHY...... 38

V INTRODUCTION

The letters of Cyprian provide an authentic and rich source of general historical inforraation. They also give firs t hand account of events that disturbed his times—the situation of the Lapsi, the schism of Novation, the baptismal controversy, and the trials and terrors of the Roman persecutions.

The purpose of this investigation is to study the actual characteristics of the Declan persecution, and its e ffe c ts upon the A frican Church as revealed in Cyprian's l e t t e r s .

The first chapter describes very briefly the im­ portant events in Cyprian's life . The prestige the saint enjoyed not only in his own diocese but throughout the whole of Roman Africa is likewise touched upon. * The second chapter treats of conditions in the

African Church prior to the Decian persecution. In­ stances are cited which show how sin and pleasures cou­ pled with an insatiable quest for wealth had replaced fidelity to God in the lives of the greater number of

Christians. Later, during the persecution, this lack of discipline led to wholesale defections from the faith.

The actual characteristics of the persecution are dealt with at length in chapter three. Passages v i i from Cyprian’s letters are cited which heat depict the inhuman treatment of the Christians and the different types o f punishments in flic t e d upon them.

The fourth chapter which treats of the aposta­ sies has an important hearing on our subject, for it throws light on the great numbers who, either through fear or voluntary abjuration, offered incense to the heathen gods and p articip a ted in the s a c rific e s o ffe re d to them. Cyprian’s treatise he Lapsis is quoted par­ ticularly with reference to the moral and spiritual con­ dition of the Church in the third century. CHAPTER I

CYPRIAN OP CARTHAGE , BISHOP AND MARTYR

Cyprian, one of the most interesting personali­ ties of the third century, was horn of an illustrious pagan family in Carthage about the year 200 A.D, L ittle is known of his life prior to his conversion except that he had studied rhetoric, law, and declamation.1 In ac­ cordance with his education and station in life , he was accepted into the best intellectual and social circles.

But in the course of his public career, however, he chanced to make the acquaintance of a holy old priest, Caecilianus2 by name. With this friendship came a pro­ found disgust for his former life and a great zeal and

energy to excel in the study of Christianity. Conse­ quently he turned his fu ll attention to the study of the

^Le Chanoine Bayard, Saint Cyprien; Correspon­ dance (Paris: Société D♦Edition, 1905), IntroductionV pp.IX-X. Ce qui est certain c’est qu’il était, lui aussi, un lettre, rompu a tous les artifices de l ’an­ cienne rhétorique ses écrits le montrent a 1'evidence. I l ex erça it meme avec beaucoup de succès (selon S. Jerome, de vir. ill. 6?, et Lac tance, Div. Inst., 1, 24) a Car­ thage . . .

2A. A. Cayre. Translated by H. Howitt, A.A.B.S., Manual of Patrology and History of Theology (Roma; P rin t- era of Socie ty of sV.~'~jfohn the ifvange lis t , 1936), p. 256. Cyprian’s baptis m occurred about the year 245. His con­ version was due largely to the Influence of Caecilianus. A number of details regarding this venerable old priest are given in the Treatise Ad Donatua. 2

3 Bible, not ao much to indulge an intellectual curiosity as to seek fora more perfect way of life . Although the

Bible took preeminence, Cyprian read and admired other ecclesiastical authors, foremost among whom was Tertul- A llan. Another striking incident in the life of Cyprian during the early days of his conversion was that while yet a catechumen he made a vow o f continency and disposed of the greater part of his possessions to alleviate the indigence of many throughout Carthage.

It is interesting to note that, due to his rapid growth in holiness, his keen intellect and sound judgment, his ordination and his elevation to the episcopate fo l­ lowed within the space of a few years Cyprian had3 45

3?.ev. John Laux, 11.A ., Introduction to the Bible (New York: Benziger Brothers, 1&S4), pp. 15-16. Up to the time o f St. Jerome (336-384) there were severa l Latin translations of the Bible in use, of which the Itala was the most popular. Because the translation into Latin was poor and very crude, Pope Lamas us p revailed upon Jerome to take over the great task of revision. This massive assignment was completed and published shortly before the death of the Pope in 384.

4nev. Alban Butler, The Lives of the .aints (New York: L. & J. Sad lie r, 1864), p, 677. Butler states that Cyprian was particularly delighted with the writings of TertuIlian, that he scarcely allowed a day to pass with­ out reading something in them. He adds that, according to St. Jerome, Cyprian referred to fertullian as his master and would c a ll fo r his w ritin g s , "Bring h ith e r my master,H 5 '■J. 1. Darraa, Abbe, A General History of the Catholic Church (Hew York: ?. Oflihea Publishers,' 1865), 3 hardly accustomed himself to his new duties when the

Decian persecution broke out and he was impelled to go into hiding. From his place of concealment he kept in touch with his flock by an active correspondence. His letters, which were written intermittently over a period

of nine years, portray the turbulent events of his epis-

copate; they mirror the hopes and fears not only of the

shepherd but also of the flock.

These le tte r s were not composed a fte r intense study, but were rather written extemporaneously when the fu lfillm e n t o f some p astoral duty required them; they were obviously intended to be passed from hand to hand so as to be read by many, numerous passages and a llu ­ sions are scattered throughout, acquainting us with the Decian and Valerian persecutions, the rebellion of No- vat ian, the question of the Papal, and the controversy with Pope Stephen on heretical baptism. Moreover, they are testimonials of the energetic activity of a great

I, 228. His ordination took place about the year 247 and about a year la te r 248, upon the death of Donat us, he was, by the unanimous vote of the faithful and clergy, chosen to succeed Don at us. There were, however* five ambitious priests who vigorously opposed hi a election* and later, during the Decian persecution, taught heresy in regard to the Lapai. (5 Johannes ^uasten, Patrology (Maryland: The New­ man Press, 1953), p. 341. 4

7 bishop» whose practical charity entered into his daily life and inspired its multitude of detail* *

This remarkable and historical assemblage com­ prises eighty-one tetters, 3ixty-f ive of which are from the pen of Cyprian; the others are epistles addressed to him by prominent persons holding responsible p osition s in the Roman and A frican Church. At the time that Deciua launched hia destructive program against Christianity, Roman Africa consisted of three provinces: the province of Africa proper comprising the proconsulate Bysacena and Trippoli, and those of

Numidia and Mauretania* However, these three divisions formed but one ecclesiastical province over which the Bishop of Carthage exercised a real though not officia l primacy,8

In recording the episcopate of Cyprian, Cayre writes that Tixeront summed up the character of the Car­ thaginian bishop in the following words, "He was a leader. He was a man of government and authority before whom a ll inclined, even those he did not command." During the nine years of his episcopate, Cyprian, by means of his

n * Xavier S. Than! Nayagam, The Carthaginian Ctergy (South India: Tami Literature Society, 1950)7 p. 8.

8Maurice Haasett, "Carthage," Catholic Encyclo­ pedia (Hew York: Robert Appleton Co., 1908),' IV, 387. 5

personal influence and his highly refined re a pet for the righ ts o f others, was able to group around him the hundreds of bishops who governed the various African Sees. His prestige grew to such stature that he was referred to not only as the bishop of Carthage, but also as the Pope of A fric a : Papa Cyprianus.9

It was not u n til the sprin g o f 251, a fte r the ces­ sation of the Decian persecution»^ that Cyprian retumad to Carthage, The next few years of his episcopate were spent amid the most trying c ire urns t anoes . Serious d iffi­ culties—matters of administration, unfavorable con nee- \ tions with Rome over heretical baptism, the restoration of the Lapa 1, the ransom o f the prisoners, arid the tr e a t­ ment of the plague victims—gave rise to councils and epistles; it vías a period of major decisions and public calamities occasioned by the great plague^ and the

Cay re, op. c lt. » p. 256. Cay re quoting Tixeront. However, Darras, op. c it., I, 242, in a footnote writes that the name of Pope, or Father, was given at that time to a ll the bishops in general, and sometimes to simple p r ie s ts . 10 Albert A. Trevor, History of Ancient C iviliza­ tion (New York: Harcourt, Brace anoCcT.Y 1939), p. 643. Pectus perished with his army near Adamklisai in the Dobrudja province, during his campaign against the Gotha. Hia defeat and death were due largely to the treachery of his legate, Gall us, who later succeeded him as Emperor of Rome *

^Edward V/. Benson, Cyprian, His L if e . His Times. HjA Vtorka (Hew York: The Macmillan Co., 1897), ¡Tp 7 241,"' 6

IP Berber incursions.

Cyprian’s brief but distinguished episcopate cane to an end with the edict of Valerian in 257. Within a month o f i t 3 promulgation, Cyprian was summoned before the proconsul Po.temus and banished to Curubis. After a year’s exile, he was recalled to Carthage, tried, and sen­ tenced. His martyrdom took place on the fourteenth o f 13 September 258.

244. Traversing the civilized world, this pestiferous scourge of famine, prolonged droughts, tornadoes, and severe hailstorms, raged in Carthage in 252 and 253. Its effects were devastating causing diarrhea, ulcerated mouth and th roat, congested eyes, in tern a l fe v e r , and incessant sickness, leaving the victim lama, blind, or deaf. 12 Thani Kayagam, op. c i t . , pp. 95, 96. The Ber­ bers were uncivilized tri¥eS~from the Sahara who made frequent forays on the Roman provinces. Depredation was not their only crime; Christian maidens, wives, and ch il­ dren were carried o f f and held f o r ransom.

^Pierre De Labriolle, History and Literature of Christianity from Tertullian to^Boeihius..(lew York: Al­ fred A.- Knopf , 1924), p. 138. CHAPTER I I

CONDITIONS IN THE APRICAN CHURCH PRIOR

TO THE EEC IAN PERSECUTION

When Cyprian assumed the tremendous re s p o n s ib ility of the See of Carthage in 249, he found himself in charge of an extensive diocese, debilitated by a long period of peace. Although peace had insured a better understand­ ing between Christians and pagans, and had contributed to the growth of Christianity, it brought about soft living, immorality, and inter-marriage of Christian and pagan.

This laxity and irregularity of life soon found its way into the ranks o f the clerg y and led to a gradual decline in ecclesiastical discipline, piety, and religious zeal.*2

In the following paragraph from his treatise, De Lapsis, Cyprian gives an excellent picture of the insatiable quest for wealth and luxury, which prevailed throughout Carthage. A long peace had corrupted the discipline that had been divinely delivered to me. . . . Each one was desirous of increasing his estate, and forgetful of v/hat believers had done either before in times of the Apostles, or always ought to have done, they, with the insatiable ardour of covetousness, devoted themselves to the increase of their

^Mules Lebreton and Jacques z e ille r, The History of the Primitive Church (New York: The Macmillan Co., 1947 }, p. 846.

2ihani Nayagam, op. c i t . , p. 17. 8

property. Among priests there was no devotedness to religion; among the ministers there was no sound fa it h ; among th e ir work there was no mercy; in their manner there was no discipline, . . . Hot a few bishops, who ought to furnish both ex­ hortations and example to others, despising their divine charge, became agents in secular business, forsook their throne, deserted their people, wan­ dered about over foreign provinces, hunted markets for gainful merchandise. while brethren were starving in the Church,3 4

This departure from apostolic tradition greatly disturbed Cyprian. So forgetful of their sublime voca­

tion had various bishops and p riests become, and the u l­ timate end of their ministry, that they were taking an active part in commercial enterprises and were shamefully neglecting the spiritual needs of the souls committed to their care. In one sentence Cyprian points out the spe­ cial functions and spiritual energy that should charac­ terize the life of a priest: "... everyone honored with

the holy priesthood and ordained to the clerical office, ought only to serve at the altar and sacrifices, and give himself to prayers and supplications. In addition to the evil previously mentioned,

^De haps i s , 6. Translated by Rev. Alexander Roberts and "¿fame’s Donaldson, LL.D., Ante-Hicene gathers, V ol. V. This tran slation is used throughout the" th esis where quotes from De hapsia are cited,

4Dp. i. . . . ainguli divino sacerdotio honorât! et clerioo ministerio constituti non nisi altari et sac­ rifie iis deserviré et p reel bus adque orationibus vacare debeant, 9 some of the c le rg y welcomed and accepted the guardianship of estates despite the fact that both clergy and laity had been cautioned and sternly forbidden to engage in this practice♦ Cyprian, with his characteristic energy, un­ dertook to stop this abuse; he issued a timely warning by recounting the d ire consequences that b e fe ll Geminius

Victor, a layman from the diocese of ?umi, who dared to defy the decree and appointed a priest as his executor.

Therefore the bishops, our predecessors, re li­ giously considering this and wholesomely pro­ viding for this* decided that no brother depart­ ing from this life should name a clergyman to act as his executor or guardian; and if any lay­ man should do this, no sacrifice shall be offered for him nor shall it be celebrated for his de­ parted soul. For he does not deserve to be named at the alfcafc of God and in the prayer of the priests who would call the priests and ministers away from the altar. And, therefore, since Vic­ tor, contrary to the decree lately made by the priests in a cou n cil, has dared to appoint Gemi- nius Faustinas, a priest, his executor, it cannot be allowed that any oblation be made by you for his departed soul, nor any prayers be said in his name in the Church, so that the decree o f the priests which was made for a religious and neces­ sary end, may be preserved by us, and at the same time an example be given to the rest of the brethren, that no one may call away the priests and ministers of God who have given themselves to His a lta r and Church to secu lar a f f a ir s . 5

°Ep. i. «í¿uod episcopi antecessores nostri re li­ giose considerantes et aalubriter providentes censuerunt ne quia frater excedens ad tutelam vel curam clericum no- minaret, ac si quia fecisaet, non offerretur prò eo nec sacrificium pro dormitlone eius celebraretur. Seque enlm apud altare Dei me retur nominar! in sace rdotum prece qui ab altari sacerdotes et ministros voluit avocari. Et" ideo Victor cum contra formam nuper in concilio a 10

It is not surprising to find that, in the midst of such feverish activity to amass great wealth, filia l

submission to authority should have assumed a negative aspect. Cyprian’s reply to Rogatianus pro video an excel­

lent hut distressing account of this growing weakness,

Rogatianus, bishop of Nova, had consulted Cyprian about the contemptuous and reb elliou s conduct of one of his d iocese.

And therefore it behooves the deacon of whom you write to do penance for his temerity that he may recognize the dignity of the priesthood and make satisfaction by a perfect humility for having preferred himaelf to his bishop. 1’or these things are the beginnings of heretics and the origin and endeavor of evil minded schismatics, that they might please themselves; that with swelling pride they might despise th e ir bishops. . . , But i f he should fu rth er annoy and ir r it a t e you by his scorn fu l insolence, you must exercise against him the power of your order by either deposing him or excommunicating him.6 sacerdotibus datam Geminium Faustinum presbyterum ausus sit tutorem constituere, non eat quod pro dormitione eius apud vos fia t oblatio, aut deprecatio aliqua nomine eius in ecclesia frequentetur, ut sacerdoti*» dscretum relig i­ ose et necessarie factum servetur a nobis, aimul et ce­ teris fratribus detur exemplum, ne quia aacerdotes et minis troa Lie i altari eius et ecclesia© vac antes ad o accu­ lare ra molestiam devocet.

%p. iii. Et ideo oportet diaconura de quo acribia agere audaciae suae paenitentiam, ut honorem sacerdotis agnoscat et episcopo praeposito suo plena humilitate satisfacere. Haec sunt enim initia haereticorum et ortus adque conatus schis&iaticorum male cogitantium, ut s ib i place ant, ut prae positura superbo tumore oontemnant. . . . Quod si ultra te cont urne Il l s suis exace rbarer it et pro- vocaverit, fungerla contra eum potestatem honoris tui, ut eum vel deponas vel abstineas. 11

Perhaps the letter of Pomponiua is one of the "best sources that shows to what height the moral laxity- had reached when he relates that it tainted even the lives of virgins, who had consecrated themselves to God hy private vow. However, there was nothing to indicate

that the virginal life of women of Cyprian’s day was in any way similar to the life of a nun today; they wore no distinctive garb, followed no common rule, and were subject to no conaaon authority. Although their self- dedication to works of me rcy and piety set them apart from other women, they could marry without incurring a serious fault * For this reason, Cyprian sternly ad­ monishes them e ith e r to d e s is t from t h e ir scandalous living or enter the matrimonial state.

But if they have dedicated themselves to Christ in faith, let them continue to live modestly and chastely without any acaridal, so that courageously and stea d fa stly they may await the recompense of their virginity. But if they w ill not or cannot persevere, it is better that they marry than fa ll into perdition on account of their sins .8

It is obvious that the long peace and the pros­ p e rity that follow ed had done much to g r a tify men’ s* 7

7 'Benson, o p . c it., pp. 52-53. A Sp. iv . iiuod s i ae ex fid e Christo d icaveru n t, pudicae et castae sine ulla fabula perseverent, ita for­ tes ac stabiles praemiurn virginitatis expectent; si autem peraeverare nolunt v e l non posaunt, melius nubant quam in ignem delictis suis cadant. 12

natural desires for pleasure, but had provided little or

nothing for their spiritual maintenance. Therefore when Deciua ascended the throne of the Caesars, Carthaginian society was prolific in moral and spiritual disorders. Perhaps one of the c h ie f fa ctors which contributed in a great measure to the growth of these excessive irregu­

larities was that Carthage swarmed with mingling races.

Benson, in a chapter entitled "The Trials of Peace," al­ ludes to this fact.

In that fierce surge of mingling races, tyrannous classes, inhuman superstitions, the struggles of life and the shock of interests, was upon a com­ paratively narrow space, tenfold more violent and more unscrupulous than in the most intense cen­ ters of our energies. The new sect had been for the third part of a century not only unharmed but prosperous: that hollowness and insincerity should have grown up in i t was in e v ita b le .9

That the persecution was no surprise to many of the faithful may be gleaned from the following passage. We can but recognise as they did themselves that the persecution o f the Church was a mercy to the world . . . that the troublesome years which fo l­ lowed were more favorable by far than profoundeBt peace.10

Moreover, Cyprian himself recognized the need of a severe remedy. Furthermore, he believed that he had been divinely warned of the great trial that was to

9Benson, op. c it. , p. 43. 10Ibid., p. 44 13 engulf tfcA. Christian world.

For it was shown to me that the head of the family was sitting there, while a youth sat at his right hand, that the anxious and somewhat sad youth with a dejected look was sitting there with a certain indignation holding his chin in his hand. But an­ other stood on his le ft who carried a net, which he threatened to throw to catch the people who stood around. And when he who saw this wondered what it could he, it was said to him that the youth who sat on the right was grieved and sorrow­ fu l because his comraandments were not observed; and that he on the left hand exulted because an opportunity was given to him by the aead o f the family of obtaining the power of destroying. This was shown long before the storm of this pres­ ent desolation arose«**- c’o it was that at the outset of the year 250 Cyprian’s fears were realized when news reached Carthage that Decius had published an ediot forbidding adherence to any r e li­ gion other than that of the Roman State.

Bp. x i . Mam e t illu d ostensum eat quod sederet paterfamilias sedente sibi ad dexteram iuvene, qui iuvenis anxius et cum quadara indignation© substriatis maxillam manu tenens maesto vultu aedebat. Alius vero in sinistra parte consitens rete portabat, quod ae mitt ere ut circum- b tan tern populum cape ret minabatur. Et cum miraretur quid hoc esset i l l e qui v i d i t , dictum eat e i iuvenem qui ad dexteram sic sederet contristari et dolore quod praecepta sua non observarentur, ilium vero in sinistra exultare" quod sibi daretur occasio ut a pat ref ami lias poteetatem sumeret saevien di. Hoc prius longe ostensum eat quam tempestas vaetitatis huius oreretur. CHAPTER I I I

THE ACTUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DECIAH

PERSECUTION

Cyprian had been Bishop of Carthage about a year, when suddenly the whole Roman world found its e lf in the throes of a fierce moral and spiritual struggle. Deciua,

an ardent devotee o f the ancient pagan c u lt, ascended the throne of the Caesars and in January of the year 250 A.D., he launched a grave and savage persecution against the

Christians. To accomplish his purpose he issued an ul­ timatum: apostasy or death.

Some idea of the Emperor’s innate hatred for C h ristia n ity can he gleaned from the fo llo w in g message which he sent to a ll provinces concurrently with the de­ cree. The new prince declared

that, resolved to treat a ll his subjects with clemency, he (Decius) was hindered by the sect of Christians, who, by their impiety, called down the anger of the gods, and a ll other calamities upon the empire. He commanded, therefore, that every Christian, without distinction of quality or rank, of sex or age, should be compelled to sacrifice in the temples; that such as refused should be con­ fined in the public prisons, and subjected at first to the lesser punisiuaents, to overcome, by degrees their constancy; and, finally, if they continued obstinate, they should be oast into the sea, or thrown a liv e into the midst of flam es, or exposed to beasts, or suspended upon trees to become the food of birds of prey, or torn to pieces in many 15

ways, by the moat cruel torments.

In every city, village, and hamlet sacrificial commissions were set up which compelled every person sus­ pected of Christianity to make an act of adherence to pagan worship. The demands were simple; the accused, in order to indicate his acknowledgment o f the im perial d e i­ ties, had only to partake of a sacred meal or bum a few grains of incense before the statue of the Emperor.2 Ob­ viously to refuse placed the victim in a precarious posi­ tion; it meant either the confiscation of his possessions, banishment, labor in the mines, imprisonment with starva­ tion and torture following a public interrogation, or death. Adherence to Christ and His teachings then im­ plied heroic fidelity and fortitude.

Firsthand information found in Cyprian*a letters w ill give a vivid picture of the actual characteristics of the Sedan persecution.

Loss of Property and Exile It is evident from Cyprian’s letters that the na­ ture of the sentence depended to a great extent on one’s station in life. Those of noble extraction were either banished after their property was confiscated, or they

kiarras , op. c it. , p. 253. %,ebreton, op. c i t ., p. 792. 16

were beheaded. In a letter to Cyprian* Caldonius, bishop

of a neighboring diocese, cites two instances in which individuals preferred to lose property and citizenship

rather than to live with consciences stained with deny­ ing Christ and sacrificing to idols.

Therefore Felix, who assisted in the office of pres­ byter under Deciraus, was very near to me bound w ith chains (I was rather well acquainted with this same Felix), and Victoria, his wife, and Lucius, who were faithful, were banished. The state treaauiy now has their property which they had le ft. But under the working of this same persecution, a woman, by name of Bona, was dragged by her husband to sacrifice. And she, with conscience guilty of no crime (be­ cause those who held her hands themselves sacri­ fic e d f o r her) began to cry out against them: " I did not do i t ; you did i t l ” --and she h e rs e lf was banished.3

It is not difficult to visualize with what senti­ ments Cyprian dispatched a hasty reply commanding Cal- doniua fo r his prudence and at the same time enclosing five letters expressive of his sentiments in regard to

the lapsed. He firmly believed and proclaimed that "those who had been banished and deprived of a ll their oossessions have arisen as it were and have begun to a lly

uEp. xxiv. Ergo Felix qui presbyterium subminis- trabat sub Decimo proximus mihi vin cu lis (pleniua cognovi eundum Felicem) et Victoria coniunx élus et Lucius Fideles extorres facti reliquerunt possessiones quae nunc fiscus tenet. Bed et sub persecutione opere eodem mulier nomine Bona quae tracta est a marito ad sacrificandum, quae con- scientia non commissi (sed tenentes manus aiua sic ipsi s a c rific a v e ru n t), sic ipsa coep it dicere con tra, «lion feci, vos f eeistis, «—sic et ipsa extorris facta e s t. 17

themselves with Christ.”4

The lot of those who belonged to the aristocracy or who held office in the government was the hardest. No sooner were their sympathies for Christianity discovered than they were placed on the proscribed lis t. But the lose of citizenship and exile held little terror for those who were following in the footsteps of Christ.

Cyprian, in writing to Successus later on, men­ tions these same punishments when he alludes to the de­ cree of Valerian:

. . . that even senators and men of rank and Roman knights should be deprived of their rank. And if, after being deprived of their property, they should continue to be Christians, they should be beheaded. To s peak the truth, women, after having been de­ prived of their property, were to be sent into ex­ ile . Mo reaver, whosoever of Caesar’s household had either confessed previously or should now confess should have his property confiscated and be sent chained to Caesar’ s farm as those who were con­ scripted.®

To forego every comfort and luxury, and to ac­ custom oneself to the barest necessities in strange

^Ep. xxv. . . . qui extorres facti et bonis suis omnibus a pollati erexerunt se et cura Christo stare coepe- runt,

%'p. lxxx. . . , senatores vero et egregi! viri et équités Romani dignitate amissa etiara bonis apolien- tur et si ademptis facultatibus Christian! esse perse­ vera ve rin t, capite quoque m ultentur, matronae autem ademptis bonis in exilium relegentur, Caeaariani autem quicumque vel prius confessi fuerant vel mine confessi fuerint confiscentur et vincti in Caesarianaa possessi­ one a descripti mittantur. 18

surroundings required no little courage and heroism. Ho

less terrifying were Caesar’s farms where the weights of

chains not only impeded b od ily movements, but so impaired health that many died from sheer exhaustion.

Imprisonment

Many of those not of the nobility or rich In this w orld’ s goods were imprisoned and l e f t to die of alow starvation.

Intensely alive to the physical as well as to the spiritual needs of his flock, Cyprian sent a consoling

and encouraging message to Sergius, Rogatianus, and the

others when he learned of their imprisonment. Aware of

the foul and filth y condition of the prisons, he exhorted them to turn their gaze upward toward their future reward. His remarkable g ift of eloquence, which, however, he did not often use, made the prison a paradise, more brilliant th n the sun, a sacred temple harboring future saints. 0 blessed prison, on which your presence has shed light! 0 blessed prison which sends men of God to heaven! 0 darkness more brilliant than the very sun and brighter than this light of the world, where temples of God have been constructed and your members have been sanctified by divine sufferings.“

%p. v i. 0 be atura carcerem quern inlustravit veatra p rae sent ia . 0 beat urn carcerem qui homines Dei mitt it ad caelum. O t ene bras lucidiores sole ipso et luce hac mundi clariores, ubi modo constituía sunt; Dei templa et a&netificata divinis confesaionibus membra vea tra . 13

Despite the delicacy and weakness of their sex, women and children frequently shared in the appalling torments suffered by the confessors. Intrepid and un­

afraid they exhibited a fortitude and constancy in the midst of pain that in many instances surpassed the v ir il­

ity of their stronger companions. It was with the ardent desire that many would be tempted to emulate these val­

iant women and children that Cyprian so magnificently ex­ tolled their capacity for endurance.

Blessed are those women who have been established with you in the same g lory o f acknowledgment (o f C h rist) who are in possession o f the Lord, who, brave beyond their sex» are not only themselves near to the crown but also show an example of their steadfastness to other women.'

Hot infrequ ently pagan mobs, in c ite d by an in­ veterate hatred for Christianity, made violent attacks

upon its adherents. I t was not uncommon f o r a savage » crowd to mistreat a Christian before consigning him to a cell where other and more horrible toxmenta awaited him. A reference to this is found in .Epistle VI in which Cyprian exhorts the faithful;

. . . that in a ll things you follow the presbyter Rogatianus, a gloriou s old man, who is making a

?Ibid. Beatus etiam femlnas quae vobiscum sunt in eadem confessionis g lo r ia const itu ta e , quae dominicam f idem tenent, et aexu suo fo r tio r e a non solum ipsae ad coronam proxlmae sunt, sed et ceteris quoque femlnis ex- emplum de aua constantia praebuerunt. 20

way for ua to the glory of your time by religious courage and divine esteem, who with our brother i'e lie is sinus , always calm and temperate, receiv­ ing the assault of an infuriated populace, has first prepared for you a gueatchamber in prison arid as one who marks o f f a place fo r you in a certain way, now also goes before you*®

Epistle XXII by Lucian us throws some light on these prisons. At the time this Epistle was written Lucian us and his fellow prisoners had completed eight days of heroic suffering. While he eagerly awaited re­ lease from hia bodily sufferings and pains, he writes of the s p ir itu a l jo y they experienced.

. . . In accordance with the Emperor*s cossaana we l^ad been ordered to be put to death by hunger and thirst, and we were imprisoned in two store rooms so that it (death) did not come about by hunger and thirst. Yet no one could endure this fire of our torture which was so unbearable except by a miracle. But now we are established in high repu­ tation. . . » For we were again imprisoned eight aaya on the day I wrote le tte r s to you. For be­ fore the eight days also, we received a small mor­ sel of bread and a measure of water on five inter­ vening daya.y

Q I b id . * « * ut sequamini in omnibus Rogati an um presbyterium glorioaum senem v i am nobis ad glorlam tera- poris veatri religiosa virtute et divina dignat ione fa- cientem, qui cum Felicissimo fratre nostro quieto semper at sobrio excipiens ferocientis populi impetum, primum hospitium vobia in carcere praeparavit et metator quo- dammodo vaster nunc quoque vobia an teced lt.

■Ep. x x i i . . . . lu s s i aumus secundum praeceptum imperatoria fame et s iti necari ; et reclusi aumus in duo- bus cellis (ita ut non efficiebat fame et s iti). Sed et ignem ab opere preasurae noatrae tara intolerabilis quern nerao portare posset. Sed nunc in ipsara claritatem aumus constituti. , . . lam enim ut iterato reclusi sumus sunt 21

Interrogation and Torture Public interrogations were sometimes accompanied by torture, but no amount of inhuman treatment could in­ duce some Christians to apostaaize. as the instruments of to rtu re were applied to d iffe r e n t parts of the body, the bloodthirsty spectators witnessed a scene that fille d them with wonder and amazement. In the fo llo w in g passage

Cyprian gives a vivid description of Homan cruelty and congratulates the martyrs and confessors on their vic­ tory for Christ,

The crowd o f by-standers saw w ith wonder the heav­ enly and spiritual conflict of God, the battle of Christ; that His servants stood with free voice, with pure minds, with a divine courage, not armed, indeed, with weapons of this world, but armed with the armour of believing faith. Those who were tortured stood more resolute than the torturers; and the racked and mangled limbs have overcome the grappling-hooks that racked and raangled them. The savage slaughter renewed again fo r a long time could not overcome their* unconquerable faith , even though after the framework of their internal or­ gans was torn asunder, not the lim bs, but the wounds in the servants of God would be tortured.* 10 dies octo In die quo tibi litteras scrips!» Ham et ante dies per dies quinqué medios modicum pañis accepimus e t aquara ad mensurara. 10ü¡p. x. Vidlt adral rana praesentiura multitude caeleste certamen Dei et spiritale, proelium Christi, stetisae servos eiua voca libera, mente incorrupta, vir- tute d ivin a , t e ils quidem saecularibus nudos, sed arrala fide! credent is armatoe. Steterunt torti torquentibua fort io res et pulsantes ac laniantes úngulas pulsata ac 1anlata membra vicerunt. Inexpugnabiìem fidem superare non potuit saeviens diu plaga repetita, quamvls rupta compage viscerura torquerentur in cervia Dei iam non mem­ bra sed vulnera. — ***•

22

Death by Beheading or Labor in the Mines According to Epistle LXXX which was previously quoted, beheading seems to have been the common method of punishing members of the nobility and the wealthy.11

If these, after being deprived of their property, s till refused to submit to the r e lig io n of the s ta te , they ?/ere seized , thrown into prison, and sentenced to death. Without doubt the most h o rrib le punishment and perhaps the one most feared was the sentence to hard la ­ bor in the mines. Here the vie tin s were fo rced to work while loaded with heavy chains. It was to encourage and to lighten the burden of some of these unfortunates that Cyprian addressed a le t t e r to Hemesianus and his compan­ ions in the s ilv e r mines.12 His message to them is c o l­ ored by his own ardent desire to be one of their number and to share their sufferings for the love of Christ.

For the body of a Ghrlstian whose complete hope is in the Cross, is not greatly terrified at clubs. The servant of Christ recognizes the sacrament of his salvation. Having been redeemed by the Cross to etern a l l i f e he is ca rried to the crown by the Cross. But what wonder, i f gold and s ilv e r uten­ sils , you are consigned to the mines, that is , the home of gold and silver, except that now the na- < ture o f the mines is changed, and the places which

11Cyprian himself later met this fate during the pe rse c ution of Gale r i us , 258 A ,D. 12Thlo letter was written in 257 A.D., during the reign of Valerian, but the same conditions pre­ vailed in the mines during the Decian persecution. 23

v/ere wont to give gold and s ilv e r before began to receive these instead. They have also put fet­ ters on your fe e t and have bound the blessed mem­ bers and temples of God with shameful bonds. . . . These are ornaments, not chains fo r men dedicated to God and bearing witness to their faith with re­ ligious courage, nor do they join together the feet of Christians unto dishonor but they render them illu s tr io u s unto the crown. . . . In the mines the body is not pampered with a bed and p illow s, but it is refreshed with the consolation and com­ fort of Christ. Your limbs, deformed by neglect and f i l t h and rough and unbathed, but you are cleansed spiritually within when you are defiled in the flesh without. Bread is scarce there, and "not alone by bread does man live, but by the word of God," (Luc. 4,4.) Yes, you who are cold, lack cloth in g but he who puts on C hrist is also abun­ dantly clothed and adorned. The hair of your half- shorn head is frightful in appearance, but let the head of the man be Christ, and whatever befits that x head, must be glorious by reason of the name of God. . . . Beloved brethren, what stren gth from a victorious conscience, what elevation of mind, what rejoicing of sense, v/hat triumph of heart that each one of you continues to the promised reward of God, that you walk in the mine, a captive indeed with respect to the body, but reigning in heart, that you know Christ is present with you rejoicing at the endurance of you, His servants, treading Hia ways and in His footsteps to eternal realms ¿I3

^%p. Ixxvi. He que enirn ad fustes Christian um corpus e x p a v it, cuius est apes orari is in Ugno . Sacraraen- tura s a lu tis suae C h risti servus agno v it , rederaptus Ugno ad vitam aste mam Ugno provectus est coronara. £¿uid vero mi rum si vasa aurea et argentea in metallum, id est auri et argenti domiciliara, dati estis, nisi quod nunc retai­ lor um natura conversa est, loca quae aui’ura et argentum dare ante consueverant accipere coeperunt. Inposuerunt quoque conpedes pedibus vestrio et membra fe lid a ac Dei templa infamibus vinculas lig&verunfc. . . . Die at is Deo hominibus et f idem su ara r e lig io s a virtu te testantibus o r ­ namenta sunt is ta , non vincu la, nec c h r is tianorum pedes ad inf amiam copulan! sed cla rifie ant ad coronara. . , . Hon fovetur in metallis leeto et culcitia corpus, sed refrigerio et solacio Christi fovetur. Huai lacent 24

There are many more letters that treat of the ac­ tual characteristics of the hecian persecution, out those selected and quoted above have a more direct hearing on the persecution and best describe the plans and methods employed by Deciuc to exterminate Christianity from the

Roman Empire.

fessa laboribua viscera, sed poena non est cum Christo lacere. Squalent aine baine io membra situ et sorde de­ fer mia, sed spiritali ter in tua abluitur quando foris camaliter sordidatur. Pania illic exiguus, at "non in pane solo v i vit homo sed in sermone D e i." (Lue. 4, 4 .) Vestía algentibus deeat, sed qui Christum induit et ves- titus abundanter et cultue est. Cernitonei capitis capii- lus horre ac it, sed cum s it caput viri Chriatua, qualec uni­ que illud caput daceat necease eat quod ob Domini nomen insigne est. . . . Qui nunc vobia, dilcc ties imi f rat res, conscientiae victricia vigor, quae sublimitas animi, quae in sensu exultantia, qui triumph us in pectore, unumquemque vestrura stare ad promisaum D ei praemium, de lu d ic i! die esse «ecu rum, ambulare in m etallo captivo quidera corpore sed corde regnante, scire Christum secura ease praesentem gaudentera to le ran tiara servo rum suorura per vestigia et vias auas ad regna aeterna gradientiura! CHAPTER IV

DEFECTIONS FROM THE FAITH AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE CHURCH

Although the persecution raged with great vio­ lence and made te rrific encroachments upon Christian life

since adherence to it meant either death or banishment,

yet its more appalling aspect, viewed from a Christian perspective, was the large number of defections from the fa it h . The unexpectedness of the attack, coupled with the fact that an appalling amount of laxity and corrup­ tion had manifested themselves during the long peace which the Church had just enjoyed, produced the most deplorable effect in the Christian fold. Multitudes presented then®elves to the magistrates to express their compliance with the imperial edict. , . , These defections, though numerous, were more than counterbalanced by the multitudes who suffered death, exile, confiscation, or torture in all parts of the Empire. The Becian persecution was the severest t r i a l to which the Church up to that time had been subjected and the loss suffered by the Church in consequence of the apostasy was almost as damaging as the losses by martyrdom.1

These apostasies occurred largely among the wealthy classes whose luxurious living incapacitated them t emotionally, physically, and spiritually for the ignominy,

^P. J. Healy, "Decius," The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908J, IV1, 666. Tue author’ s sources for the above were Duchesne, Historie ancienne de 1*eglise (Paris, 1906), I, 267-368; Allard, Hlslbrle'l^ pendant la premlre -moitié du Ill''"slecle (Paris , 188feY 2nd ed. 1892) Gregg, The’ 'becian Perse cut ion (Edinburgh, 1897). 26

s u ffe rin g , and hardships that martyrdom e n ta ile d . Cyprian at his place of retreat heard with dis­

pleasure the news that the Christians in great numbers

were swarming to the C ap itol where every v e s tig e o f fa ith

was destroyed by their sacrilegious offerings. It is very likely that Cyprian in his grief found an outlet in

w ritin g the he haps i s , an invaluable tr e a tis e on the moral

and s p ir itu a l condition o f the A frican Church in the th ird century. The following passage taken from be Lapsia de­ picts the panic that followed the promulgation of the de­ c re e .2

Immediately at the f i r s t words o f the threatening foe, the greatest number of the brethren betrayed their faith, and were cast down, not by the onset of persecution, but cast themselves down by volun­ tary lapse. . . . Many were conquered before the battle, prostrated before the attack. Nor did they even leave it to be said for them that they seemed to sacrifice to idols unwillingly. They ran to the market-place of their own accord; freely they hastened to death, as if they had for­ merly wished it , as if they would embrace an op­ portunity now given which they had always desired. How many were put o ff by the magistrates at that time, when evening was coming on; how many even

'"In regard to the Lausi. J. ?. Kirsch, in an ar­ ticle entitled "Lapsi" in the Catholic Encyclopedia; IX, 1, states that this was the regular designation in the third century fo r the G hristians, who, through weaknees and fear in the face of torture, denied their faith by sacrificing to the heathen gods. He is of the opinion that the greater number of these did not return to pagan­ ism out of conviction. They submitted to the decree of Decius simply to preserve themselves and their families from persecution and to save their property, freedom, and l i f e . 27

asked that their destruction mi ¡Jit not he delayed l , » * How can he purge hia crim e» when i t waa he himself who rather used force to bring about his own ruin? When they came voluntarily to the Capitol . . . when they freely approached to the obedience of the terrible wickedness.3

Elsewhere in his treatise De Lapels Cyprian tells of women who brought their small babes--Inf ants in arms — to the scene of their denial and forced into the mouths of these little ones a tiny morsel of the same sacrile­ gious offering.

But to many their own destruction was not sufficient. With mutual exhortation people were urged to their own ruin; death was pledged by turns in the deadly cup. And that nothing mi Jit be wanting to aggravate \ the crime, infants also, in the arms of their par­ ents, either carried or conducted, lost while yet l i t t l e ones, what in the very beginning of th e ir nativity they had gained,4

In order to arrest the profane and sacrilegious reception of the sacrament of the Holy Bucterist, Cyprian cites examples where evil* effects resulted from this. He t e lls of a woman

. . . who in advanced l i f e and of mature age se­ cretly crept in among us when vie were sacrificing and received not food, but a aword f o r h e rs e lf; and as if taking some deadly poison into her jaws and body, began presently to be tortured, and to become stiffened with frenzy; and suffering the misery no longer of persecution, but of her crime, shivering and trem bling she f e l l down . . . and another woman, when she tr ie d with unworthy hands to open her box,

^i>e Laps is , 7, 8. 4I b id , , 9. 28

in which was the holy (body) of the Lord, was de­ terred by fire arising from it from daring to touch it. And when one, who received secretly a part of the sacrifice celebrated by a priest, he could not eat nor handle the holy of the Lord, but found in his hands when opened th at he had a c in d e r.5

As a result of the apostasies, there arose three categories of 'Lapai termed Thurificati, G acrificati. and hibellatici. The Thurificati had merely offered incense

to the heathen gods. The Sacrificati comprised those who took an active part in pagan sacrifice, and, perhaps, even ate of the sacrificial meal. The Libellatici were

those who, by means of cunning intrigue and bribery, ob­ tained a false certificate stating that they had renounced Christ and had sacrificed.

Soon after their abjuration sot* of the Lapai realized the seriousness of their defection; they now wished to re-enter the Church that they might again rec e iv e the Holy Eucharist and become active members. Yet there were many among these who clamored for a speedy return but did not wish to submit to a rigorous penitential pro­ gram.

From his place of concealment, Cyprian, aware of the confusion and disturbance these erring members of his flock were creating, sent instructions to all the clergy. He begged the clergy to help and encourage the Lapsi to

5lb id ., 26. 29 recognize that the magnitude of their crime called for a severe canonical penance. He added that great kindness and leniency must be shown to those seriously ill or in danger of death. These were to be admitted to communion with the Ghurch at once.®

In the days that followed reports from Carthage told of the great numbers that had fallen. This deeply grieved and disturbed Cyprian. But this sorrow was in­ creased a hundredfold when news was brought that some of the clerg y had join ed the ranks o f the apostates. I t was with sadness that Cyprian penned the fo llo w in g passage: \ Indeed I had wished» dearest brethren, to carry greetings with my epistles to an entire clergy un­ harmed. But since th is h o s tile storm which has ruined the greater portion of our people, has also given an added burden to my sorrows, in th at it has laid hold of a portion of the clergy with its destruction, we beg the Lord that we may greet you whom we know to stand fast in faith and vigor, that you may a lso remain standing in the future through divine mercy."

Actually Cyprian had not fu lly recovered from this blow when he learned that some of the presbyters, takingii* 7

^Darras, op. cit. , p. 244. 7 Lp. x iv . Opt a ve ram quidera, fra tre s ca rissim i, ut universum clerum nostrum integrum et incoi urne m mela l i t t e r i s salutarem. 3ed quoniam in fe s ta tempestas quae plebem nostrara ex maxima parte p ro a tra vit hunc quoque ad­ ii id it nostris doloribua cumulum ut etiam cleri portionem sua strage p e rs trin g e re t, oramus Dominum ut vos, quos e t in fide at in virtute stare eognovimus, atantes quoque in postema per divinara ralsericordiam salutemus. 30 advantage of his absence, were granting to the Laps! the same privileges that they had enjoyed before their fa ll.

Aware o f the abuses th at would a rise from the fr e e d is ­ trib u tio n of pardon documents, Cyprian rebukes the pres­ byters for communicating with the Lapai before they had received any official absolution.

I hear, however, that some of the presbyters who, mindful neither of the Gospel nor what the martyrs have w ritten me, nor reservin g to the Bishop the honor of his priesthood and o f f ic e , have already begun to communicate w ith the Laos! and both to o f ­ fer for them and to give them the Lucharist, when it is proper that they attain to these things in due order. . . . May they listen to my advice pa­ tiently, may they look forward to my return, that when I s h a ll come to you by the mercy of God, a f ­ ter many of my co-bishops have been called to­ gether according to the discipline of the Lord and the presence o f the confessors and a ls o your judg­ ment, we may examine the documents and wishes o f the blessed martyrs .8

In the course of an active correspondence with his Carthaginian flock, Cyprian learned that the Lapai were divided in their views in regard to his decree which stated that canonical penance was an absolute necessity

% p. x v i i . Audio quosdam tomen de presbytaris , nec eva n g e lii memores, nec quid ad nos raartyres 3 crip ae- rint cogitantes, nec episcopo honorem sacerdotii sui et cathedrae reservantes, iam cum Lapsia conanunicare coe- pisse et ofierre pro lilis et eucharistiam daré, quando opporteat ad haec per ordinem perveniri. . . . Audiant, quaeso, patienter consllium noatrum, expectent regressi- onem noatram, ut cum ad vos per Be i misericordiam veneri- mus, convocatia co-epiacopis plures secunduia Bominl dis­ ciplinara et confeasorum praesentiam et ve 3 trara quoque sententiam beatorum martyrum litte r a a et d esid eria ex­ aminare po s s imua. 31 for a crime ao great as the denial of one’s faith. The one group manifested a rebellious sp irit. They refused to await Cyprian’s return to Carthage that their cause might be properly examined. Consequently they made them­ selves offensive by their persistent demands for a speedy reconciliation. Cyprian’s reply to them is very s te m . Since this then is founded on the divine law, I marvel that some with daring temerity have wished to w rite thus to me , as i f they wrote in the name of the Church, when the Church is established upon the Bishops and the C lergy and in a l l the f a it h ­ ful, . . . If, however, some wish themselves to be the Church and i f the Church is among them and in them, what is left but for us to ask these very persons that they would deign to admit us to the \ Church? Therefore it behooves them to be submis­ s iv e , qu iet, and modest ...»

On the contrary, the members of the other group showed an attitude that was both docile and respectful. Their letter to Cyprian was a humble acknowledgment of their defection. Great kindness marks the tone of Cypri­ an’s answer to these.

However sow of the Lapsi humble, meek, trem bling, and fe a rin g God have'' w ritten to me . . . and a l­ though they had received certificates from the

%¿p. x x x i l i . Cum hoc it a divina lege fundatum sit, mlror quosdam audaci teme ritate sic raihi seribere voluisse ut ecclesiae nomine litte ras facerent, quando ecclesia in episcopo et clero et in omnibus stantibus sit conatituta. . . . Si autem quidam ecclesiam se volunt esse et si apud ilio© atque in illis est ecclesia, quid su- perest quam ut ipai rogentur a no bis ut nos ad ecclesiam dignentur admitiere? Sumraisaoa ergo et quietos et vere­ cundos esse oportet eos . . . 32

martyrs, nevertheless, that this very satisfaction might he admitted to the Lord, they have written me saying that they acknowledge their sin and are do­ ing real penance, that they do not hasten rashly nor importunately to obtain reconciliation, hut are awaiting our presence saying that if they would re­ ceive it while we were present this very reconcilia­ tion i t s e l f would he sweeter fo r them in the fu tu re.

There were some in Carthage, however, who disap­ proved of Cyprian’s disciplinary action. One of his most h itter opponents was a priest by the name of Movatus.3-1- Contrary to the commands of Cyprian, liovatus ’«ms freely admitting to communion a l l who cams to him. When liova­ tus discovered that his conduct with reference to the

Lapsi was being censured he separated himaelf from the

Church, appointed Felici3simus deacon,12 and leaving him at Carthage, went to Rome.

3-QIb id . Seripaerunt autem mihi quidam de laps is humiles et' "alias et fcrementes ac metuentes I)aum . . . et quamvia lib e llo a martyrihua accepto, ut tsmen ad Bominura satisf actio ipsa admitti poasit, o rant as seripaerunt mihi se delictum auum cognosce re et paenitentiam veram agere, nec ad pacem temsre aut inportune properare, sed expect are praesentiam nostram, dicentea pacem quoque ipsara s i earn nobis praeaentihua acceporint dulciorem sihi futuram. •^Butler, op. c lt., p. 690. Uovatus, a native of Carthage, was a man of unquiet disposition, presumptuous, a lover of novelty, and suspected by a ll the bishops in point of faith. Although a priest, he did not hesitate to rob the widows and orphans, and to misapply the reve­ nues of the Church, furthermore he added to his crimes the death of his aged father, whom he suffered to perish of hunger without so much as taking care to bury him. 12Benson, op. c lt., p, 115. The veracity of the above statement is contested. Benson declares that there is no ground for assuming that No vat us exaggerated his crimes by actually conferring orders upon felicissim us. 33

While in Rome Hovatus allied himself with Hova- 13 tia n , a member o f the Roman c le rg y and a man of great learning» but very rigorous. Ho vat i an had helped in the

government o f the Roman Church while the papacy was va­

cant. Disappointed in his ambition for the papacy, he severed himself from the Church and taught a false doc­ trine in regard to the Lapsi . He held that the Church

had no power to grant re c o n c ilia tio n to the apostates. In holding this view he did not exclude them from the hope of salvation but maintained that to bring them to repentance was indeed a solemn ministry; but it was \ never permissible to have any communication with them,'1’4

Shortly after his return to Carthage in the spring of 251, Cyprian convoked a synod3-5 to which sev­ enty bishops responded. Since the ultimate purpose of the Council was to corredt and punish the disorders and15* 14

Karras, op. c it., p. 246. Failing to get him­ s e lf elected pope, Ho vat ian calumniously accused Corne­ lius, the pope elect, of being a libellatic. Finally he yielded to the plans of Hovatus and four other priests, got himself elected by three bishops from remote parts of Italy and thus became the firs t anti-pope.

14Benson, op. o it., p. 125.

150arras, op. c i t ., p. 246. At the sane time that the Carthaginian Council convened a sim ilar one was held at Rome, presided over by Cornelius and attended by sixty bishops. I t s purpose was to study the case o f Hovatian. Due to the fact that he had made himself anti-pope and at the same time taught heresy in regard to the apostates the council excommunicated him. 34 abuses arising from the persecution, Felicissimus and Ms fo llo w e rs , who had caused so much trouble in the Church, were excommunicated In the case o f the L a p a i, the bishops discussed and formulated penitential canons which would restore discipline and at the same time impress the apostates with the enormity of their a in.

In accordance with the regulations and rules drawn up by the Council to test the faith and sincerity o f the L a p a i, the duration o f the penance was determined by the circumstances under which they succumbed. When

¿judging the individual cases the bishops and clergy were to be guided by the fo llo w in g in making d ecision s! F ir s t, whether the penitent had voluntarily offered sacrifice or had done so only after torture; second, whether he had led his family into apostasy or had simply obtained the certificate to save himself and his family from further persecution, In its decision the Council maintained that those who of their own accord had participated in pagan worship might be recon ciled with the Church only at the point of death. ïhe Libellât ic i, who had fraudulently / secured a falae certificate, might after a reasonable penance be readmitted.17 It is highly probable that

16Ib id . , p. 246.

17J. ?. Kirsch, "Laps!," Catholic Encyclopedia (New York; Robert Appleton Co., 1910)» IX, 2. 35

these regulations were sent to Cornelius soon after the Council adjourned.

Some time a ft e r E aster o f the fo llo w in g year 252, Cyprian found it expedient to hold a second Council.18 This time the assembled bishops modified the regulations

of the previous year. They declared that the Laps 1 were to be admitted to communion with the Church, even when

they were not in danger of death; without insisting on the precise penance they agreed upon the regulations

fonaulated in the synod of 251. It is enlightening to note that soon other bishops adopted the same attitude toward the Lapsi as Pope Cornelius and the Ita lia n

bishops and Cyprian and the African bishops had done.19

181)arras , op. c it., p, 250* This concession was expedient because the new Emperor, Callus, on succeeding L eciu s, renewed his h o s t ilit y to C h ris tia n ity , and was waging a severe onslaught against its adherents.

19Kirsch, op, c it., p. 2, CONCLUSION

Prom what has been said in the preceding chapters it is evident that the persecution of Beciua was a well- organized attempt to destroy Christianity. In order that no one might escape examination, sacrificial commissions were set up in locations that were accessible to a ll.

These were the pivotal points upon which the success or failure of the persecution rested. At Rome and throughout a ll her provinces, on the same day and at the same hour, C hristians were summoned to o ffe r incense to the pagan d e it ie s . No d is tin c tio n was made as to rank, sex, or age. Many in th e ir weakness obeyed the Wmperor *s decree and obtained a document ex­ empting them from further annoyance; others remained to be tortured until they recanted; s till others, true to Christ and His Church, were banished or condemned to death.

The cry of the day, however, was not to make mar­ tyrs but to make apostates. In this the Decian persecu­ tion differed from any of those the Church had hitherto su ffered , as the persecution progressed the number of apostates increased u n til i t seemed as though the African Church were doomed to destruction. Cyprian himself at­ tested to the veracity of this statement when he wrote 37

that the greater portion of his people had been over­ whelmed by it s devastating fo r c e . I f th is be l i t e r a l l y true we must conclude that more than fifty per cent of

the Christians in H or them Africa had already apoataaised within the first year of the persecution, 'faking the

number of martyrs and exiles into account also it is evi­ dent that the Church suffered a great numerical loss.

The premature death of Decius saved the day and afforded time for the Church to strengthen ter members for the next persecution.

A serious problem faced the Christian bishops when many of the lapsed Christians desired imuediate re c o n c ilia tio n and readmits ion in to the Church as soon as they repented of their apostasy. Cyprian held that the lapsed must prove their sincerity by a period of penance before they were‘again received into the Church unless they were dying of illness. To insure this he convoked two Councils (251 and 252 A J).) in which d efi­ nite rules were formulated concerning the treatment of the lapsed. These regulations were in accord with the decisions of the Italian bishops .

Thus the Church emerged from the Dec fan Persecu­ tion purified, strengthened, and better prepared for the next onslaught of her enemies.

39

Books

Primary Sources

Bayard, Le Chanoine. Saint Cyprien: Correspondance. Paris: Société B ‘Edition, 190»« Saint Cyprian. The Ante-Li ce no Fathers. Translated By Rev. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, LL Si. Vol. V. Hew York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1905.

Secondary Sources Bardenhewer, Otto, PhJ>. Patrology: The Lives and Works of the Fathers of the Church. StV Louis: B. Herder Book Company, 1908. Bardy, Abbe. The Christian Latin Literature of the Pi rat Six Ce ntulfTes.’ ‘ sV. Lour a': li'7'Serder Company, 1930. \ Benson, Edward W. Cyprian, His L i f e . His Times« Hia Works. Hew York: The .iac-ailian Company, 1897. Butler, Rev. Alban. The Lives of the gathers, Martyrs: and Other Principal- 'iain'ts", Vol. Hx7 Slew York:" D. & J. G ad 1 i e r ,1854” Barras, J. E . A General History of the Catholic Church. Hew York: "f5 .' 0* Shea u b l 'i a 'ro',' 18G& Be Labriolle , Pierre. History and Literature of Chris­ tianity from Tertullian to Boethfua. New York: Alf rod ^ o p f .19 S 4 .' Laux, Rev. John, M.A. Introduction to the Bible. Hew York: Benziger Brothers, 1934. Lebreton, Jules, and Zeiller, Jacques. The History of the Primitive Church. Hew York: The me ml 1 lan Comoany, 'l§49. Lortz, Joseph. History of the Church. Milwaukee: The Bruce Publiahing Company, 1939. Plummer, A lfred , M.A. The Church of the E arly Bathers. ■ Hew York: Longmans'1,” 'Green' "and dompany, 1890. 40 f^uasten, Johannes. Patrolo;?/. The Hevnaan Press, 195-. Stebbing, Rev, George, C.SS.R, The Story of the Catholic Church. S t. Lou is: B. Herder Book Company, 1915. Thani Hayagam, Xavier. The Carthaginian Clergy Luring the Spiscopata of Saint' Cyprian'. South India: Tamil Literat"ure Sooiety , 1950.

Trover, Albert A. History of Ancient Civilization. Hew York: Karcourt, Brace and Company, 1939*

Articles

Baynes, H. B . “The Church and S ta te ," The Cambridge Ancient History. Vol. XII. Hew York: The Mac - ml'liah 0 o mpany, 1939. Has set t , ’four ic e . "C arthage, “ The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. IV. Haw York; Robert Appleton Company, 1903. \ Healy, P. J. YDeclusThe C atholic encyclopedia. Vol. IV. Hew York: Robert Apple ton Company, 1908.

Kirsch, J. P. "Lapsi , " The Catholic encyclopedia. Vol. IX. Hew York:''Robert Appleton Company, 1910.