A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

239The schism of Felicissimus was occasioned by the positiontaken by Cyprian in regard to the admission of the lapsi in theDecian persecution. But it was at the same time the outcomeof an opposition to Cyprian of longer standing, on account ofjealousy, as he had only recently become a Christian when hewas made bishop of Carthage.Ch. 2. It has appeared whence came the faction of Felicissimus,on what root and by what strength it stood. These mensupplied in a former time encouragements and exhortations toconfessors, not to agree with their bishop, not to maintain theecclesiastical discipline faithfully and quietly, according to theLord's precepts, not to keep the glory of their confession with anuncorrupt and unspotted mode of life. And lest it should havebeen too little to have corrupted the minds of certain confessors [216]and to have wished to arm a portion of our broken fraternityagainst God's priesthood, they have now applied themselves withtheir envenomed deceitfulness to the ruin of the lapsed, to turnaway from the healing of their wound the sick and the wounded,and those who, by the misfortune of their fall, are less fit andless able to take stronger counsels; and having left off prayersand supplications, whereby with long and continued satisfactionthe Lord is to be appeased, they invite them by the deceit of afallacious peace to a fatal rashness.Ch. 3. But I pray you, brethren, watch against the snaresof the devil, and being careful for your own salvation, guarddiligently against this deadly deceit. This is another persecutionand another temptation. Those five presbyters are none other thanthe five leaders who were lately associated with the magistratesin an edict that they might overthrow our faith, that they mightturn away the feeble hearts of the brethren to their deadly netsby the perversion of the truth. Now the same scheme, the sameoverturning, is again brought about by the five presbyters, linkedwith Felicissimus, to the destruction of salvation, that God shouldnot be besought, and that he who has denied Christ should not