Letter 27: You have acted rightly and with proper discipline, beloved brothers.

Cyprian to the presbyters and deacons, his brothers, greetings. You have acted rightly and with proper discipline, beloved brothers. On the advice of my colleagues who were present, you decided not to admit Gaius, the presbyter of Didda, and his deacon to communion. They have been caught repeatedly in the same offense — communicating with the lapsed and offering the Eucharist on their behalf. Though warned more than once by my colleagues to stop, they have persisted with obstinate presumption and audacity, deceiving some of our own people in the process. We want to look after the welfare of those people with all humility and genuine concern for their salvation — not with dishonest flattery, but with honest faith — so that they will turn to the Lord with real repentance, with groaning and sorrow. For it is written: "Remember where you have fallen, and repent" [Revelation 2:5]. And again the divine Scripture says: "Thus says the Lord: When you turn back and weep, then you will be saved" [Isaiah 30:15]. But how can people mourn and repent when certain presbyters are blocking the very grief that would heal them? By rashly offering communion, they cut short the process. It is written: "Those who call you happy lead you astray and destroy the path before your feet" [Isaiah 3:12]. Our healthy and truthful counsel cannot succeed while these mischievous flatterers get in the way. The wounded mind of the lapsed suffers the same fate as someone who is physically ill — they refuse the medicine that tastes bitter and crave what seems sweet for the moment, and by their recklessness they invite disaster and death. The real remedy of a skilled doctor cannot save them when sweet enticements deceive with their charms. Therefore, in accordance with my letters, take faithful counsel about this. Exclude from communion not only Gaius and his deacon, but all presbyters and deacons who dare to communicate with the lapsed and offer the Eucharist on their behalf before the bishops have reached a common decision. Farewell, beloved brothers, and remember me.

Epistle 27