m 



CYPBIANUS, ST. 



CYRIL, ST. 



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againat the church, and caused the clergy of Rome to addrea* UIOM of 

 Carthage on the subject (Cypr., ' Epi*f 2.) The plea anxiously 

 alleged by the archbishop and hU apologist Pontiue i* an especial 

 revelation from Ood in a vision. (' Dens cecedere me jussit,' ' Kpit.' 

 9.) That this however wa* a fiction is shown in ' Epist' 5, where one 

 Tertullua is made retponaible for the advice ("\ Tertullo ratio 

 reddetur.") When the peneoution was abated, Cyprian, baring suffered 

 only proecription and the confiscation of his property, returned to 

 Carthage, and being reinstated in his bishopric, he held several 

 council*, at one of which 85 bishops attended to logialate concerning 

 the rebaptiaing of heretic*, apostate*, and deserters, who, after 

 eacaping the (severity of Deoiua by renouncing their religious pro- 

 feation, deaired to be re-admitted into the church. On the renewal of 

 the persecution by the Emperor Valerian, about aix years afterwards, 

 Cyprian waa brought before the proconsul Paternus, with nine bishops 

 of Numidia, who were condemned as profane disturbers of the peace, 

 and aent to work in the mines. Cyprian was banished to Curubis, 

 about 10 mile* from Carthage. By Galerius, the successor of Paternu, 

 he was restored to his former dignities ; but on his refund to sacrifice 

 to the pagan deities in obedience to the emperor's command', he was 

 seized by a baud of soldiers, and was sentenced to be beheaded as an 

 enemy to the gods, and a dangerous seducer of the people. He was 

 led from the consular palace of Sextus to an adjoining field surrounded 

 with trees, which were filled with thousands of spectators, in t'. . 

 midst of whom he submitted with much fortitude to hU sentence. 

 That the populace must have experienced a great reversion of senti- 

 ment towards their archbishop tince they constrained his acceptance 

 of office, is evident from this acquiescence in his death, and from the 

 fact thai previous to this event, they loudly demanded in the theatres 

 that he should bo thrown to the lions. This change arose apparently 

 from the harsh and ascetic austerity of Cyprian in denouncing not only 

 idolatry ami licfUtiouBnca*, but the reasonable and natural gratification 

 of the passions. 



The writings of Cyprian are numerous and valuable, as containing 

 much curious and important information concerning the doctrines 

 and discipline of the primitive church : they consist of two kinds, 

 epistles, and tracts or sermons. Of the epistles there are 83, many of 

 which appear to have been written during the eighteen months of his 

 concealment. The following few notices will show the kind of 

 subject to which these epistles relate. In the one to l-'onatus ho 

 relates, with much rhetorical embellishment, the circumstances uf his 

 own conversion, aad shows the advantages of monastic seclusion and 

 abstinence. In that to bis priest* and deacons he gives advice about 

 escaping from pcrtecution. The one to Cornelius contains passages 

 of much importance to the apologists of the cburch of Rome, in 

 which are mentioned, " I'etri cathedra atque c-cclc- ia principals uiide 

 unitas sacerdotalia cxorta eat." The oj.Utle to Fides contains the 

 judgment of Cyprian and a council of biahops in favour of infant 

 baptism. Another to Magnus on the same subject asserts that 

 sprinkling is no less efficacious than dipping. One to Pompouius 

 reproves the licentious abuses of mouacbUm, and the prevalent custom 

 of virgins living with the clergy, ostensibly for pious instruction, 

 but really for sensual indulgence. An epistle to Cscuilius is important 

 a* insisting upon the absolute indirpensableness of mixing water with 

 the eucharistic wine. In some ancient manuscripts three epistles are 

 given besides the above-mentioned number, one of which, from Pope 

 Cornelius to St. Cyprian, is replete with abuse and insolence. 



The following are the principal tracts of Cyprian : ' De Lapsis,' 

 that U, concerning those who, from persecution, had lapsed into 

 idolatry, in which are several miraculous stories of very incredible 

 character. ' On the Unity of the Church : ' this is a treatise which 

 both from the Roman and Engli-h hierarchy has received especial 

 attention. It strongly denounce* all schismatic separation, declaring 

 that there is no crown, even for martyrdom, out of the pale of the 

 true church. Th* discourse ' On Mortality ' was written at the time 

 of a dreadful plague, which for several years devastated tho Roman 

 nipirr, and is chiefly remarkable a* showing the lamentable want of 

 a due estimate of the value of life which distinguished the religious 

 enthusiasm of that age. The ' Exhortation to Martyrdom ' consist* of 

 twelve classes of scriptural passages exhibited to encourage and stimu- 

 late the faithful in submitting to tortures and death. The treatise 

 'Against the Jews' is also a series of texts, quoted and verbally 

 applied, a* usual at that time, without any regard to the sense of the 

 context. In the tract 'On the Ores* of Virgins' (' De Habitu Virginum ') 

 many faeU are mentioned which illustrate tho social state of those 

 times. A severe denunciation is directed against the passion among 

 rich and youthful female* for immodest attire, extravagant ornament*, 

 the use of paint and cosmetics, and the dyeing of black hair a flaxen 

 yellow in imitation of the Germans. The immoral habit* of unmarried 

 women appear to have furnished an especial subject for the sermons 

 not only of Cyprian, but of all the primitive fattier*, liesidca a dis- 

 course on the Lord's Prayer, which has received high commendation, 

 there are four which are considered to be wrongly ascribed to 8t 

 Cyprian ; one U a tuiyid declamation in praise of Martyrdom ; the 

 second i* on Chastity ; and the other two against Theatres, and against 

 the heretic Novation. 



The atyle of Cyprian much resemble* that of bis master and 

 favourite author Tertullian. lie treat* the tame subject* in the same 



manner, and though his language is more artificial, it is similar in 

 harshness and occasional barbarism.". His eloquence is admired bow- 

 ever by Jerome and even by Lactoulius. In credulity he appears to 

 have had but few equals, if indeed be believed (which is very doubtful) 

 all the miraculous stories he relate* ; for besides his own continual 

 visions, which happened generally to authorise some act of episcopal 

 power unapproved by his clergy and people, ho seriously appeals not 

 only to the deeds of demoniacs or rather maniacs, and to tho dream* 

 of poor and ignorant women, but to the revelations of ' little boy* 

 full of the Holy Ghost' (' Episf 0.) 



There aro several good editions of bis works, among which may 

 be mentioned that of the 'Opera Oinnia,' Oxford, fol.. lu>. 

 A ii, t.Tilam, 1700; but tho editio optima is that of Paris, in fol . 

 The following translation of the whole is in general accurate and 

 faithful : ' The genuine Works of St Cyprian, with bis Life, as v. 

 by his Deacon Pontius, all done into English from the Oxford edition, 

 and illustrated with notes, by Nathaniel Marshall, LL.I!.,' fol, 1717. 

 The whole works and life have also be u translated into 

 Lombert, 1682. Translations of separate tracts are very nun. 

 That 'On Mortality,' with others, is Englished by Elyot, 15: 

 lireude, 1553; by Story, 1656; and by Lupset, 1560. 'On the ! 

 Prayer,' by Paynel, 1539. ' On Virgin*,' by Borksdale, 1675. ' On the 

 Unity of the Church,' by Bishop Fell, i to, 1681 ; and by Horn' 

 1815. The life and martyrdom of Cyprian, by Pontius, his iir 

 friend, is still extant, and printed in several editions of the ' Opera 

 Omnia ; ' but the stylo is too rhetorical for simple truth. The 

 substance of this account is given in Larduer's 'Credib.,' vol. iii. 



(Livet of the Saints, by the Rev. Albau Butler, voL is., i 

 contains an elaborate biography of Cyprian ; Dr. Adam Clarkr 

 cation of Sacred Lit., voL i, p. 177; Cave, Jfist. Lit.; Le Clcrc, 

 ttililiotli.; Tillemont and Bollaudus ; Poole, Life and TimeiofCi, 

 Oxford, 1840; Taylor, Ancient Chritlianit </ ; Dr. Middleton, Inquiry.) 



CYRIL, ST., of Jerusalem, was born in that city abqut A.D. 315, 

 and received among the clergy there an education for the church. In 

 345 he wan ordained priest and catechist by Maximua, the Put 

 or, which is in fact the same thing, Archbishop of Jerusalem. On tli 

 death of that prelate iu 350, Cyril was chosen to succeed him ; and 

 the commencement of his episcopate is said to have been signalised l>y 

 a wonderful luminous appearance in the heavens, called the ' 

 rition of the Cross.' It is spoken of in the Chronicle of Alex: 

 by Socrates (lib. ii. c, 28), by Philontorgius (lib. iii. c. 26), and by several 

 other ecclesistical historians. Tho letter immedi.it ly written by 

 St Cyril to the Emperor Constantius describing this luiraculoi 

 notneuon, is quoted in proof of the fact by Sozomen, U lycos, 

 phaucs, John of JSiaca, Kutychius, and many subsequent wi 

 Dr. Cave, in liia ' Life of St. Cyril,' inserts it entire. It is state 

 on the nones (7th) of May, 351, at nine in tho morning, a great mans 

 of light, far brighter than tho sun, was observed over Golgotha, and 

 extending to Mount Olivet (two English miles) ; that it assuui' 

 form of a cross, and was seen during several hours by all the inhabit- 

 ants of Jerusalem. 



The zeal with which St. Cyril enforced anil defended tho dorti iue 

 of the consubstautiality of the Son, with the jealousy about preci 

 and the ambitious encroachment of jurisdiction, which characterise 

 the episcopal history of that age, occasioned Acacius, the Arian bishop 

 of Cicsares, to commence a course of persecution against him, 

 terminated iu his deposition by a council in :'...7. On this he i 

 to Tarsus until :;.">!), when, by a council of Seleuaia, he was re-estab- 

 lished in his see, but through tho party of Acaciua he wa* deposed a 

 second time by a council of Constantinople in 300. On the accession 

 of Julian, who, to increase the broils of the church, recalled all the 

 exiled bishops, Cyril returned to his bishopric, from which, under the 

 Emperor Valens, he was in 367 expelled a third time by Kudoxus, 

 the Arian bishop of Constantinople. Finally, under Theodosius, who 

 favoured the Trinitarian sect, ho was again restored by a coi.:. 

 Constantinople iu 381 ; and notwithstanding the ambitious and 

 schismatic contests of the bishops and clergy, he remained iu I 

 until his death in 386. An incident noticed by all the biographer* of 

 St. Cyril, is the celebrated attempt of tho Emperor Julian to i 

 the temple of the Jews at Jerusalem, ostensibly for the inn- 

 promoting their religion, but really with the hiniitter 

 the prophecies respecting it* irreparable destruction. It 

 notwithstanding the enthusiastic expectations of the Jews, and HIM 

 prodigious preparations and actual commencement of tho work, St. 

 Cyril's reliance on the infallibility of the Scriptures, induced him to 

 persevere in predicting the failure of the project ; and that accordingly 

 a series of earthquakes, storm* of lightning, and subterraneous erup- 

 tions of fire and smoke destroyed sll the materials ami a multit 

 workmen, the garments of those who escaped being impressed with 

 shining phosphoric crosses, which even by washing could not be 

 The particulars of this miraculous fulfilment of Cyril's prediction aro 

 related by St Gregory Naziau (' Orat 4 advent. Julian ') ; by 

 doret, Socrates, St Chrysjostoin, Pbilostorgius, Sozomen, and St. 

 Ambrose. See also Bishop Warburton'i Dissertation on the subject, 

 p. 88. 



The extant writing* of St Cyril are in the Greek language, and 

 consist of eighteen books of cateobeseii, or sermons, delivered during 

 Lent to tho catechumens, called before baptism Illuminati ; five similar 



