fultation with him, a man of a turbulent ferocious difpofition, "a firebrand of fedition"," fomented great internal troubles in the Church. About this time he went to Rome, and either instigated or promoted the clandeftine and unlawful confecration of Novatian to the Epifcopal See, in oppofition to the truly appointed Bishop Cornelius.

Novatus and Novatian, men of congenial spirits, now fet their partizans in array against their constituted fpiritual governors; and in order to throw fome creditable colouring over their cause, professed a zeal for rigid discipline, under the name of Cathari or Pure, and in a display of exceffive aufterities kept themselves from all fociety with the lapsed, and those who communicated with them.

Thefe circumftances afford the best key to our Author's writings; and particularly will account for that vehement reprobation of fchifm which is thus expreffed in his treatise De Unitate Ecclefiæ: ઃઃ Quifquis ab ecclefia

fegregatus, adulteræ jungitur, a promiffis ec"clefiæ feparatur. Nec pervenit ad Christi præmia, qui relinquit ecclefiam. Alienus eft, profanus eft, hoftis eft. Habere jam non Ipoteft Deum patrem, qui ecclefiam non ha

z Fax et ignis ad conflanda feditionis incendia. Pater fame mortuus, ab eo nec fepultus. Uterus uxoris calce percuffus. Ep. 54.

"bet matrem. Si potuit evadere quifquam

qui extra arcam Noe fuit; et qui extra eccle"fiam foris fuerit, evadet. Dicit Dominus;

Ego et Pater unum fumus. Et iterum de "Patre et Filio et Spiritu Sancto scriptum est, "Et hi tres unum funt. Et quifquam credit "hanc unitatem de divina firmitate venientem "facramentis cœleftibus cohærentem fcindi in "ecclefia poffe, et voluntatum collidentium divortio feparari? Hanc unitatem qui non tenet, Dei legem non tenet, non tenet Patris "et Filii fidem, et veritatem non tenet ad fa"lutem."

..

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After the death of the Emperor Decius, Cyprian left his retreat, and returned to Carthage A. D. 251, and held a Synod of Bishops for the purpose of taking into confideration the cafe of the Lapfed. This meeting condemned the fevere and tyrannical measures of Novatus and Novatian, and maintained a moderate and equitable course towards the Lapfed, adapted to their several cafes and degrees of delinquency. Our Author's treatise De Lapfis was probably delivered in substance at this Council, and afterwards tranfmitted to Rome. As it is in his best style, and relates to a fubject of great importance in the third century, I venture to give a more extended account of it. The opening is in his ufual florid and lively

manner:

"Pax ecce dilectiffimi fratres, ecclefiæ red"dita eft: et quod difficile nuper incredulis, "ac perfidis impoffibile videbatur, ope atque “ ultione divinâ fecuritas noftra reparata eft. "In lætitiam mentes redeunt, et tempeftate preffâ ac nube et caligine difcuffâ, tranquillitas ac ferenitas refulferunt. Dandæ "laudes Deo.-Exoptatus votis omnium dies venit, et poft longæ noctis horribilem tetramque caliginem Domini luce radiatus mundus "reluxit."

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He proceeds to congratulate in triumphant ftrains the glorious company of faithful confeffors and martyrs: "Circumftantium multitudo " veftram gloriam fequitur, veftigia veftra co"mitatur. Eadem eft in illis finceritas cordis, "eadem fidei tenacis integritas. Inconcuffis præceptorum cœleftium radicibus nixos, et Evangelicis traditionibus roboratos, non præfcripta exilia, non deftinata tormenta, non "rei familiaris damna, non corporis fupplicia "terruerunt." In confidering the reverse of this picture, his forrow is intense: "Has martyrum cœleftes coronas, has confefforum glorias fpiritales, has ftantium fratrum maxi

mas eximiafque virtutes mæftitia una con"triftat. Doleo fratres, doleo vobifcum, nec "mihi ad leniendos dolores meos integritas

propria, et fanitas privata blanditur; quando plus paftor in gregis fui vulnere vulneratur."

He declares the great cause of defection to be the relaxation of difcipline during a long period of tranquillity; yet that the Lapsed are without excuse, who difregarded the prophecies and denunciations of the Gospel: and he thus eloquently arraigns the conduct of those who facrificed at heathen altars: "Nonne "fenfus obftupuit, lingua hæfit, fermo defecit? "Stare illic potuit Dei fervus et loqui et re"nunciare Chrifto, qui jam Diabolo renunci"arat et feculo? Nonne ara illa, quo moriturus "acceffit, rogus illi fuit? Quid hoftiam tecum mifer, quid victimam fupplicaturus imponis?

Ipfe ad aras hoftia, victima ipfe venifti. "Immolafti illic falutem tuam; fpem tuam, "fidem tuam funeftis illis ignibus concre"mafti."

He condemns the facility with which abfolution was fometimes granted, and the too great reliance placed upon the authority of martyrs. Nemo fe fallat, nemo fe decipiat. "Solus Dominus mifereri poteft. Veniam peccatis quæ in ipfum commiffa funt, folus poteft ille largiri, qui peccata noftra portavit, " qui pro nobis doluit, quem Deus tradidit pro "peccatis noftris."

He afferts that those perfons need repentance alfo, who not having indeed facrificed to idols, yet by fome fubterfuge or collufion obtained certificates, libellos, of their having denied

Christ. Finally, he expatiates on the discipline and efficacy of true repentance, exemplified in prayer, fasting, mortification, good works, and charity. "Si precem toto corde quis faciat, "fi veris pœnitentiæ lamentationibus et lachrymis ingemifcat, fi ad veniam delicti fui "Dominum juftis et continuis operibus in

flectat, mifereri talium poteft, qui et mi"fericordiam fuam protulit, dicens: Cum con"verfus ingemueris, tunc falvaberis; nolo "mortem morientis, quantum ut revertatur et "vivat."

The firm temper of Cyprian's godly virtue had yet to encounter a new trial. In the course of the next year, A. D. 252. the plague raged at Carthage; and to this date may be affigned our Author's two treatises De Mortalitate and De Exhortatione Martyrii. In the firft he exhorts Chriftians to bear troubles and calamities because they are foretold, and because the haven of fecurity and happiness is in a future and eternal life. A want of patience and fortitude arifes, he afferts, from a want of faith in God: death is indeed a king of terrors to the impious and the wicked: "mori plane "timeat, fed qui ex aqua et fpiritu non rena"tus, gehenæ ignibus mancipatur; mori ti"meat qui non Chrifti cruce et paffione cen"fetur; mori timeat, qui ad fecundam mor"tem de hac morte tranfibit." But to Chrif