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Cyprian
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Introductory Notice to Cyprian.
[3206] [The utterly intolerable paganism here exposed, and fully sustained by Martial and other Latin poets, accounts for much of the discipline of the early Church, and its excessive laudations of virginity.]
[3207] Otherwise read, “among you;” or possibly, “whose bathing is modest towards you.”
[3211] [Written a.d. 251.]
[3212] Cyprian had frequently promised, that as soon as peace should be restored to the Church, he would write something definite on the subject of the lapsed; and in the following treatise he fulfils his promise.
[3213] Now that they had been polluted with sacrifices, contrary to the law of the Gospel, before their sins were atoned for, before confession of their crime had been made, they were doing violence to the body and blood of the Lord, and were extorting communion and peace from certain presbyters, without the bishop’s judgment. He exhorts them accordingly, in many words, that,—deterred by the divine vengeance on certain of the lapsed who had communicated unworthily, and animated by the example of those, who, although under the bondage of no crime, either of sacrifice or of certificate, yet, because they had even thought of these things, confessed with grief and sincerity the actual sin to God’s priests and made avowal,—they should confess their sin, to public repentance and full satisfaction.
[3214] The veiled head was the sign of Roman worship.—Oxford trans. [This helps to interpret 1 Cor. xi. 4 which was equally against the Jewish practice.]
[3215] Some read, with very uncertain authority, “with the virtues of continency.”
[3216] [This and the whole passage which follows are cited by Wordsworth, to illustrate the times that produced a Callistus. See his Hippol., p. 140.]
[3217] Some read, “to suffer.”
[3218] A late version gives, “in the ministries.”
[3219] [Vol. iv. p. 22. Here Cyprian’s “master” seems to speak again.]
[3220] [The state of things at Rome under Callistus and his predecessor is here very delicately reflected.]
[3221] Or, “brought no aid to starving brethren in the Church.”
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