The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

Cyprian of Cauthage. A. D. 248. 11
which is inscribed to nine bishops by name, and beside them
to others, presbyters, deacons, and the rest of the brethren
in the mines, martyrs of God the Father Ahnighty, and Jesus
Christ our Lord. And those confessors, who were not all
in one and the same place, but in mines at some distance
from each other, answer him again in three several letters,
Avhich are still extant in St. Cyprian's Morks.
Whilst' Cyprian continued at Curubis, Galerius Maximus
succeeded Pateriuis as proconsid of Africa. lie recalled
Cyprian ti-om his banishment, who then Ment to his gardens,
or country house, near Carthage, by the orders, as it seems,
of the proconsul. Those gardens had been sold by Cyprian,
and the price of them given for the benefit of the poor, as
was formerly observed ; but,' by some favourable providence,
they were ag'ain returned to the possession of our
bishop.
Soon after his arrival there, Cyprian understood that there
were orders given for bringing him before the proconsul,
who was then at Utica, a city of Africa, about forty miles
distant from Carthage ; but, being desirous rather to die in
the presence of his own people, he thought fit to go from
his country seat, and concea* himself for a while. Of this
he gives an accounts in his last letter to his clergy and people.
The proconsul being come from Utica to Carthage,
Cyprian returned to his gardens, where many persons of the
best rank in the city came to him, entreating liim to retire,
and offering' him likewise a safe place of retreat : but he
would by no means comply w^ith
written^ by his deacon Pontius.
those proposals. This is
' On the 13th of September 258, an officer, with soldiers,
* Cumque diu ibidem moraretur, successit Aspasio Paterno proconsuli Gale-
rius Maximus, proconsul, qui sanctum Cyprianum episcopum ab exilio revocatum
sibi jussit prajsentari. Cumque Cyprianus sanctus martyr electus a Deo,
de civitate Curubitana, in qua exilio praecepto Aspasii Paterni tunc proconsulis
datus fuerat, regressus esset, ex i^acro praescripto in hortis suis manebat. Act.
pass. p. 12.
f Ad horto-, inquam, quos inter iiiitia fidei suae ven-
ditos, et Dei indulgentia restitutes, pro certo iterum in usus pauperiim vendidissct,
nisi invidiam de persecutione vitaret. Pont. p. 8. fin. s Cum
perlatum ad nos fuisset, fmtres carissimi, frumeatarios esse missos, qui me Uticam
perducerent, et consilio carissimorum persuasum esset, ut de hortis nostris in-
terim secederemus, justa interveniente causa, consensi ; eo quod episcopum in
ea civitate, in qua ecclesiae dominicae praeest, illic Dominum confiteri, et plebem
universam praepositi praesentis confessione clarificari. Cypr. Ep. 81. [al. 83.]
init. p. 238. '' Conveniebant interim plures egregii et clarissimi
ordin is et sanguinis, sed et seculi nobilitate generosi: qui propter amicitiam
ejus antiquam, secessum subinde suaderent: et, ne parum esset nuda suadela,
etiam loca in quae secederet offerebant. llle vero jam mundum suspensa ia
caelum mente neglexerat, nee suadelis blandientibus annuebat. Pont. p. 8.
' Cum ecce Proconsulis jussu ad hortos ejus—cum militibus suis princeps