Letter 8

I rejoice and give thanks, most brave and blessed brothers, at hearing of your faith and courage — in which the Church, our Mother, glories. She gloried recently, when an enduring confession earned the punishment of exile for Christ's confessors. But the present confession surpasses that in honor as much as it exceeds it in suffering. The combat has intensified, and the glory of the combatants has grown with it. You were not held back by the fear of torture — the tortures themselves drove you deeper into the fight. Bravely and firmly, you returned to the most extreme contest with unflinching devotion. Among you, I see that some have already received the crown. Others are within reach of it. And all whom this peril has gathered into one glorious company are animated by an equal and shared fervor — as befits soldiers of Christ in the divine camp. No bribe should tempt the integrity of your faith. No threat should terrify you. No suffering should overwhelm you. Because greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Earthly punishment cannot cast down more than divine protection can lift up. This truth is proved by the glorious struggle of your brothers who have gone before you — those who, by overcoming their torments, became leaders for the rest. They showed that what a person suffers for Christ is not a punishment but a glory; that what the body endures is not a defeat but a victory. I can picture it: the steadfast confessor, stretched on the rack, stronger than the executioners who stretched him. His lacerated and torn limbs defeating the hooks and claws that lacerated and tore them. His unconquerable faith enduring, even as his body gives way. His blood flowing — not to extinguish his faith, but to feed the fire of it. What a spectacle for God! What joy in heaven! What an army, what a troop of soldiers marshaled in spiritual battle! How the Lord, who said "I have conquered the world," must rejoice in seeing His servants conquer with Him. Stand firm. The crown is near.

Epistle 8 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 the Martyrs and Confessors. Argument.— Cyprian, Commending the African Martyrs Marvellously for Their Constancy, Urges Them to Perseverance by the Example of Their Colleague Mappalicus. Cyprian to the martyrs and confessors in Christ our Lord and in God the Father, everlasting salvation. I gladly rejoice and am thankful, most brave and blessed brethren, at hearing of your faith and virtue, wherein the Church, our Mother, glories. Lately, indeed, she gloried, when, in consequence of an enduring confession, that punishment was undergone which drove the confessors of Christ into exile; yet the present confession is so much the more illustrious and greater in honour as it is braver in suffering. The combat has increased, and the glory of the combatants has increased also. Nor were you kept back from the struggle by fear of tortures, but by the very tortures themselves you were more and more stimulated to the conflict; bravely and firmly you have returned with ready devotion, to contend in the extremest contest. Of you I find that some are already crowned, while some are even now within reach of the crown of victory; but all whom the danger has shut up in a glorious company are animated to carry on the struggle with an equal and common warmth of virtue, as it behooves the soldiers of Christ in the divine camp: that no allurements may deceive the incorruptible steadfastness of your faith, no threats terrify you, no sufferings or tortures overcome you, because greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world; nor is the earthly punishment able to do more towards casting down, than is the divine protection towards lifting up. This truth is proved by the glorious struggle of the brethren, who, having become leaders to the rest in overcoming their tortures, afforded an example of virtue and faith, contending in the strife, until the strife yielded, being overcome. With what praises can I commend you, most courageous brethren? With what vocal proclamation can I extol the strength of your heart and the perseverance of your faith? You have borne the sharpest examination by torture, even unto the glorious consummation, and have not yielded to sufferings, but rather the sufferings have given way to you. The end of torments, which the tortures themselves did not give, the crown has given. The examination by torture waxing severer, continued for a long time to this result, not to overthrow the steadfast faith, but to send the men of God more quickly to the Lord. The multitude of those who were present saw with admiration the heavenly contest — the contest of God, the spiritual contest, the battle of Christ — saw that His servants stood with free voice, with unyielding mind, with divine virtue— bare, indeed, of weapons of this world, but believing and armed with the weapons of faith. The tortured stood more brave than the torturers; and the limbs, beaten and torn as they were, overcame the hooks that bent and tore them. The scourge, often repeated with all its rage, could not conquer invincible faith, even although the membrane which enclosed the entrails were broken, and it was no longer the limbs but the wounds of the servants of God that were tortured. Blood was flowing which might quench the blaze of persecution, which might subdue the flames of Gehenna with its glorious gore. Oh, what a spectacle was that to the Lord, — how sublime, how great, how acceptable to the eyes of God in the allegiance and devotion of His soldiers! As it is written in the Psalms, when the Holy Spirit at once speaks to us and warns us: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Precious is the death which has bought immortality at the cost of its blood, which has received the crown from the consummation of its virtues. How did Christ rejoice therein! How willingly did He both fight and conquer in such servants of His, as the protector of their faith, and giving to believers as much as he who takes believes that he receives! He was present at His own contest; He lifted up, strengthened, animated the champions and assertors of His name. And He who once conquered death on our behalf, always conquers it in us. When they, says He, deliver you up, take no thought what you shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what you shall speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you. Matthew 10:19-20 The present struggle has afforded a proof of this saying. A voice filled with the Holy Spirit broke forth from the martyr's mouth when the most blessed Mappalicus said to the proconsul in the midst of his torments, You shall see a contest tomorrow. And that which he said with the testimony of virtue and faith, the Lord fulfilled. A heavenly contest was exhibited, and the servant of God was crowned ill the struggle of the promised fight. This is the contest which the prophet Isaiah of old predicted, saying, It shall be no light contest for you with men, since God appoints the struggle. And in order to show what this struggle would be, he added the words, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call His name Emmanuel. Isaiah 7:14 This is the struggle of our faith in which we engage, in which we conquer, in which we are crowned. This is the struggle which the blessed Apostle Paul has shown to us, in which it behooves us to run and to attain the crown of glory. Do you not know, says he, that they which run in a race, run all indeed, but one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain. Now they do it that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Moreover, setting forth his own struggle, and declaring that he himself should soon be a sacrifice for the Lord's sake, he says, I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my assumption is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 This fight, therefore, predicted of old by the prophets, begun by the Lord, waged by the apostles, Mappalicus promised again to the proconsul in his own name and that of his colleagues. Nor did the faithful voice deceive in his promise; he exhibited the fight to which he had pledged himself, and he received the reward which he deserved. I not only beseech but exhort the rest of you, that you all should follow that martyr now most blessed, and the other partners of that engagement — soldiers and comrades, steadfast in faith, patient in suffering, victors in tortures — that those who are united at once by the bond of confession, and the entertainment of a dungeon, may also be united in the consummation of their virtue and a celestial crown; that you by your joy may dry the tears of our Mother, the Church, who mourns over the wreck and death of very many; and that you may confirm, by the provocation of your example, the steadfastness of others who stand also. If the battle shall call you out, if the day of your contest shall come engage bravely, fight with constancy, as knowing that you are fighting under the eyes of a present Lord, that you are attaining by the confession of His name to His own glory; who is not such a one as that He only looks on His servants, but He Himself also wrestles in us, Himself is engaged — Himself also in the struggles of our conflict not only crowns, but is crowned. But if before the day of your contest, of the mercy of God, peace shall supervene, let there still remain to you the sound will and the glorious conscience. Nor let any one of you be saddened as if he were inferior to those who before you have suffered tortures, have overcome the world and trodden it under foot, and so have come to the Lord by a glorious road. For the Lord is the searcher out of the reins and the hearts. Revelation 2:23 He looks through secret things, and beholds that which is concealed. In order to merit the crown from Him, His own testimony alone is sufficient, who will judge us. Therefore, beloved brethren, either case is equally lofty and illustrious — the former more secure, to wit, to hasten to the Lord with the consummation of our victory — the latter more joyous; a leave of absence, after glory, being received to flourish in the praises of the Church. O blessed Church of ours, which the honour of the divine condescension illuminates, Which in our own times the glorious blood of martyrs renders illustrious! She was white before in the works of the brethren; now she has become purple in the blood of the martyrs. Among her flowers are wanting neither roses nor lilies. Now let each one strive for the largest dignity of either honour. Let them receive crowns, either white, as of labours, or of purple, as of suffering. In the heavenly camp both peace and strife have their own flowers, with which the soldier of Christ may be crowned for glory. I bid you, most brave and beloved brethren, always heartily farewell in the Lord; and have me in remembrance. Fare well.