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LETTER 1 (Ep. 30 in St. Cyprian's correspondence) The presbyters and deacons serving at Rome send their greetings to Bishop Cyprian. Chapter 1 tlltHE MAN WHO IS CONSCIOUS of having acted well , . • . I . and relies upon the strength of evangelical discipline , 'f' " • and who can testify to himself of his fidelity to the : ' ~ " , divine law is usually content to have God as his sole judge. He neither seeks the praise of others, nor fears their accusations . They are deserving of double praise, however, who wish their actions to have the approval of their brethren, even though they know quite well that they are held responsible to God alone, their judge.1 (2) We are not in the least surprised that you, brother Cyprian, are acting in such a manner. With your customary modesty and innate zeal, you have wished us to be participants in, not judges of, your policies so that our approval of your undertakings would also make us co-sharers with you in their glory. When we subscribed to your deliberations, we would become fellow beneficiaries. One can readily conclude that all of us have equally co)1aborated in these deliberations because he will find all of us united and of one mind in regard to discipline and censure. 1 For the impact of this passage on Cyprian, see M. Bevenot, "A Bishop is responsible to God alone (St. Cyprian)," Recherches de science re/igieuse 39 (1951/52) 397-415. 187 188 NOVATIAN Chapter 2 Is there anything that could be more fitting in time of peace, or more necessary during the strife of persecution than to maintain the due strictness of divine discipline? It is quite evident that the man who relaxes the strictness of this discipline forever drifts about haphazardly on an unsteady course and finds himself tossed about hither and yon by the unforseeable vicissitudes of events. Once the rudder of counsel has been wrenched, as it were, from his hands, he will run the ship of the Church's welfare on the rocks. Certainly, there is no better way to provide for the welfare of the Church than by standing up against those who infringe upon it, as one would do against oncoming waves, and one must cling to the norms of discipline which have always been observed, as one would hold fast to a rudder for safety in a storm. (2) We have rtot just recently adopted this particular course of action, nor have these measures against the ungodly suddenly crossed our mind. For with us, the strictness is ancient, the faith is ancient. The Apostle would not have praised us so highly by stating: "Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world,"2 if this strictness of ours had not already been rooted in the faith of those times. To fall from the pinnacle of such praise and glory is the greatest of misfortunes. It is less inglorious never to have achleved public esteem than to topple from its summit. It is less blameworthy never to have been honored by a glorious testimonial, than to have lost the honor of glorious testimonials. It is less never to have had one's merits recognized, to remain unknown and without esteem, than to be stripped of the heritage of one's faith and of the praise it brings. If one does not painstakingly and solicitously live up to what has been said in one's praise, then it all takes the swollen fonn of hatred for a grave crime. Chapter 3 That we speak the truth is evident from our previous letters. In them, we have given you a clear explanation of our position against 2 Rom. 1.8. LETTERS 189 those who have revealed themselves as nonbelievers by an unlawful show of those despicable certificates of sacrifice.3 They seem to think that by such action on their part, they can avoid the treacherous snares of the devil. But the very fact that they claim to have offered sacrifice makes them no less guilty than if they had actually stepped before those iniquitous altars. In our letters we have also expressed ourselves against those who had acquired receipts even though they were not personally present when they were acquired. You can be sure that their presence was felt when they ordered those receipts to be drawn up in a specified manner. The man who has issued the orders for the perpetration of crime is not free of guilt. Although one did...
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