The Presbyters Project

Epistula 73

VIII,1. Nec hoc, frater carissime, sine scripturae diuinae auctoritate proponimus ut dicamus certa lege ac propria ordinatione diuinitus cuncta esse disposita nec posse quemquam contra episcopos et sacerdotes usurpare sibi aliquid quod non sit sui iuris et potestatis.

Nam et Core et Dathan et Abiron contra Moysen et Aaron sacerdotem sacrificandi licentiam sibi usurpare conati sunt, nec tamen quod inlicite ausi sunt inpune fecerunt.

2. Et filii Aaron qui alienum ignem altari inposuerunt in conspectu statim domini indignantis extincti sunt. Quod supplicium manet eos qui alienam aquam baptismo inferunt falso, ut diuina censura ulciscatur et uindicet id haereticos contra ecclesiam gerere quod non nisi soli liceat ecclesiae.

(ed. Diercks 1996: 538)

Letter 73

VIII,1. Nor do we propose this, dearest brother, without the authority of divine Scripture, when we say that all things are arranged by divine direction by a certain law and by special ordinance, and that none can usurp to himself, in opposition to the bishops and priests, anything which is not of his own right and power. For Korah, Dathan, and Abiram endeavoured to usurp, in opposition to Moses and Aaron the priest, the power of sacrificing; and they did not do without punishment what they unlawfully dared.

2. The sons of Aaron also, who placed strange fire upon the altar, were at once consumed in the sight of an angry Lord; which punishment remains to those who introduce strange water by a false baptism, that the divine vengeance may avenge and chastise when heretics do that in opposition to the Church, which the Church alone is allowed to do.

(trans. R.E. Wallis, https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf05.iv.iv.lxxii.html)

Discussion:

The letter is addressed to Bishop Jubaianus, it deals with the invalidity of baptism administered by heretics.

"Sacerdos" may occur here as an additional word to describe the bishops, or, more probably, it refers to the presbyters, as the second grade after the bishops.

Place of event:

Region

Latin North Africa

About the source:

Author: Cyprian
Title: Letters, Epistulae, Epistolae
Origin: Carthage (Latin North Africa)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

Cyprian was born probably about 200 AD. He converted to Christianity in about 245 and in 248 was elected Bishop of Carthage. Soon after, the Decian persecution began (in 249/250) and Cyprian went into hiding. In 251 he returned to the city. Under Valerian, he was exiled in 257 and executed in 258. The epistolary of Cyprian consists of 81 letters (16 of them by his correspondents, and 6 synodal or collective), the majority of them are from the period of 250-251, when they were the means of Cyprian`s communication with his clergy. They offer us a wide view on the organization of the Church in Carthage in the middle of the third century, her relation with the Church of Rome, on the development of the persecutions, and on the conflicts that they caused inside the Church.

Different numerations of Cyprian's letters exist, I follow the edition of Diercks in Corpus Christianorum.

Edition:

G.F. Diercks ed., Sancti Cypriani Episcopi Epistularium. Epistulae 58-81, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 3C, Turnhout 1996.

Categories:

Described by a title - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς

Ritual activity - Baptism and instructing catechumens

Equal prerogatives of presbyters and bishops

Theoretical considerations - On priesthood

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: S. Adamiak, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1105, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1105