PL 4 · cols. 389–392

Cyprianus, Epistolae LXIII-LXIX

Letter LXIV

ipsi loco atque officio sacerdotii nostri, frater charissime, in Dominico calice miscendo et offerendo custodire traditionis Dominicae veritatem, et quod prius apud quosdam videtur erratum, Domino monente, corrigere; ut, cum in claritate sua et majestate coelesti venire coeperit, inveniat nos tenere quod monuit, observare quod docuit, facere quod fecit. Opto te, frater charissime, semper bene valere.

this very place and office of our priesthood, dearest brother, to keep the truth of the Lord's tradition in mixing and offering the Lord's cup, and, at the Lord's admonition, to correct what seems previously to have been done in error among some; so that, when He begins to come in His brightness and heavenly majesty, He may find us holding to what He admonished, observing what He taught, doing what He did. I wish you, dearest brother, always to fare well.

EPISTOLA LXIV.

Letter 64.

(Erasm., I, 7. Pamel., Rigalt., Baluz., LXIV. Pariss., LXIII. Oxon., Lips., LXV.)

(Erasmus, 1, 7. Pamelius, Rigault, Baluze, 64. Paris editors, 63. Oxford, Leipzig, 65.)

AD EPICTETUM ET PLEBEM ASSURITANORUM, DE FORTUNATIANO QUONDAM EORUM EPISCOPO.

To Epictetus and the people of the Assuritans, concerning Fortunatianus, formerly their bishop.

ARGUMENTUM. — Monet Epictetum et plebem Assuritanorum ut Fortunatianum, quondam episcopum, sed lapsum, ad episcopatum redire non permittant; tum aliis de causis, tum quod statutum esset ne episcopi lapsi ad priorem gradum admitterentur.

Argument. He warns Epictetus and the people of the Assuritans not to permit Fortunatianus, formerly bishop but lapsed, to return to the episcopate, both for other reasons and because it had been decreed that lapsed bishops should not be admitted to their former rank.

I. Cyprianus Epicteto fratri et plebi Assuras consistenti salutem. Graviter et dolenter motus sum, fratres charissimi, quod cognoverim Fortunatianum quondam apud vos episcopum post gravem lapsum ruinae suae pro integro nunc agere velle et episcopatum sibi vindicare coepisse. Quae res contristavit me, primo propter ipsum, qui miser, vel diaboli tenebris in totum excoecatus, vel quorumdam sacrilega persuasione deceptus, cum debeat satisfacere et ad Dominum exorandum diebus ac noctibus lacrymis et orationibus et precibus incumbere, audet sibi adhuc sacerdotium quod prodidit vindicare, quasi post aras diaboli accedere ad altare Dei fas sit, aut non majorem in se iram et indignationem Domini in die judicii provocet, qui, cum fidei et virtutis dux fratribus esse non potuerit, perfidiae et audaciae et temeritatis

I. Cyprian to Epictetus his brother and to the people dwelling at Assuras, greeting. I have been gravely and grievously moved, dearest brethren, at learning that Fortunatianus, formerly bishop among you, after the grave lapse of his fall, now wishes to act as though he were unimpaired and has begun to claim the episcopate for himself. This matter has saddened me, first on account of the man himself, who, wretched as he is, either wholly blinded by the darkness of the devil or deceived by the sacrilegious persuasion of certain persons, when he ought to make satisfaction and to apply himself day and night to entreating the Lord with tears and prayers and supplications, dares still to claim for himself the priesthood which he betrayed, as if it were lawful to approach the altar of God after the altars of the devil, or as if he would not provoke the greater wrath and indignation of the Lord against himself on the day of judgement, he who, since he could not be a leader of faith and virtue to the brethren, of perfidy and audacity and rashness

Editors' notes and page, col. 389

Footnotes

LECTIONES VARIANTES. (printed under page 188)

(a) ‹anchor: not visible on the page foot› · call in col 389

Asturas Lin. Thu. Foss. Corb.

"Asturas": Lincoln; de Thou; Fossé; Corbie.

(printed under page 188)

Page

running head: 389 EPISTOLA LXI (cut off at the image edge; presumably EPISTOLA LXIV.)
marginal letters: A ‹ipsi loco atque officio sacerdotii›; B ‹lapsum, ad episcopatum redire non permittant›; C ‹aras diaboli accedere ad altare Dei›; D ‹runt Rogatum; in Collatione Carthaginiensi› (beside Baluze's notes at the page foot, not in the text block)
old-edition numerals: 111 after ‹lacrymis et›

PL 4:390

magister existat, et qui non docuit fratres in praelio fortiter staro, doceat eos qui victi et prostrati sunt nec rogare, cum Dominus dicat: Illis fudistis libamina, et illis imposuistis sacrificia; super haec omnia ergo non indignabor? dicit Dominus (Isa. LVII, 6). Et alio loco: Sacrificans diis eradicabitur, nisi Domino soli (Exod. XXII, 19). Item Dominus denuo loquitur et dicit: Adoraverunt eos quos fecerunt digiti eorum, et curvatus est homo et humiliatus est vir, et non laxabo illis (Isa. II, 8, 9). In Apocalypsi quoque legimus iram Domini comminantis et dicentis: Si quis adorat bestiam et imaginem ejus, et accipit notam in fronte sua et in manu, bibet et ipse de vino irae Dei mixto in poculo irae ejus, et punietur igne et sulphure sub oculis sanctorum Angelorum et sub oculis Agni, et fumus de tormentis eorum in saecula saeculorum ascendet, nec habebunt requiem die ac nocte qui adorant bestiam et imaginem ejus (Apoc. XIV, 9-11).

should stand forth as a teacher, and that he who did not teach the brethren to stand firm in battle should teach those who have been conquered and laid low not even to entreat, although the Lord says: To them you have poured out libations, and to them you have offered sacrifices; shall I then not be angry at all these things? says the Lord (Isa. 57:6). And in another place: He who sacrifices to gods shall be rooted out, unless to the Lord alone (Exod. 22:19). Likewise the Lord speaks again and says: They have worshipped those whom their fingers made, and man has been bowed down and the man has been humbled, and I will not forgive them (Isa. 2:8–9). In the Apocalypse also we read of the wrath of the Lord threatening and saying: If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives the mark on his forehead and on his hand, he too shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, mixed in the cup of His wrath, and he shall be punished with fire and sulphur before the eyes of the holy angels and before the eyes of the Lamb, and the smoke of their torments shall ascend for ages of ages, and they shall have no rest by day or by night who worship the beast and his image (Rev. 14:9–11).

II. Cum ergo haec tormenta, haec supplicia in die judicii Dominus comminetur iis qui diabolo obtemperant et idolis sacrificant, quomodo se putat posse agere pro Dei sacerdote qui obtemperavit et servivit diaboli sacerdotibus? aut quomodo putat manum suam transferri posse ad Dei sacrificium et precem Domini quae captiva fuerit sacrilegio et crimini, quando in Scripturis divinis Deus ad sacrificium prohibeat accedere sacerdotes etiam in leviori crimine constitutos, et in Levitico dicat (XXI, 17): Homo in quo fuerit vitium et macula non accedet offerre dona Deo. Item in Exodo (XIX, 22): Et sacerdotes qui accedunt ad Dominum Deum sanctificentur, ne forte derelinquat illos Dominus. Et iterum: Et cum accedunt ministrare ad altare sancti, non adducent in se delictum, ne moriantur (Ibid. XXIX, 43). Qui ergo

II. Since, then, the Lord threatens these torments, these punishments on the day of judgement against those who obey the devil and sacrifice to idols, how does he who has obeyed and served the priests of the devil think that he can act as a priest of God? Or how does he think that his hand can be transferred to the sacrifice of God and the prayer of the Lord, when it has been held captive to sacrilege and crime, when in the divine Scriptures God forbids priests to approach the sacrifice even if they are involved in a lighter fault, and says in Leviticus (21:17): The man in whom there is a defect and a blemish shall not approach to offer gifts to God. Likewise in Exodus (19:22): And let the priests who approach the Lord God be sanctified, lest perhaps the Lord forsake them. And again: And when they approach to minister at the altar of the holy one, they shall not bring guilt upon themselves, lest they die (ibid. 29:43). Those therefore who

Editors' notes and page, col. 390

Footnotes

(b) ‹anchor: ad Dei› · call in col 390

Dei deest in Corb.

"Of God" is missing in the Corbie codex.

(printed under page 188)

Qui accedunt Bod. 1, 2. Lam. Ebor. NC. 1, 2. Lin.

"Who approach": Bodleian 1, 2; Lambeth; York; New College 1, 2; Lincoln.

STEPH. BALUZII NOTAE. (Baluze) ‹lemma: XIX. — Opto te› · col 389 XIX. — Opto te. Vetus Remigianus: Semper vale in Deo Domino, frater charissime.

§19. "I wish you." The old Remigius codex: "Farewell always in God the Lord, dearest brother."

(Baluze) ‹lemma: Epist. LXIV. — I. Epicteto› · col 389 Epist. LXIV. — I. Epicteto, episcopo Assuritano in provincia proconsulari. Illi in ea cathedra successisse Victorem liquet ex concilio Carthaginensi sancti Cypriani. In concilio Bagaiensi damnatus est Praetextatus episcopus Assuritanus, in cujus loco Donatistae posuerunt Rogatum; in Collatione Carthaginiensi inter Catholicos et donatistas adfuit Evangelus, episcopus ecclesiae Assuritanae Catholicus.

Letter 64, §1. "To Epictetus," bishop of Assuras in the proconsular province. That Victor succeeded him in that see is clear from Saint Cyprian's council of Carthage. At the council of Bagai Praetextatus, bishop of Assuras, was condemned, in whose place the Donatists set Rogatus; at the Conference of Carthage between the Catholics and the Donatists Evangelus, Catholic bishop of the church of Assuras, was present.

(Baluze) ‹lemma: Fratres charissimi› · col 389 Fratres charissimi. Tres libri veteres praeferunt frater charissime. Quae lectio potest esse bona. Quippe epistola scripta est ad episcopum et plebem, et potuit Cyprianus eo modo scribere quo scripsisse reperitur Epist. LVII, ad Cornelium: quae cum scripta sit ex aequo ad Cornelium et ad omnem Ecclesiam Romanam, tamen inquit Cognovimus frater charissime, et mox stylum convertit Cyprianus ad omnes, qui propterea fratres charissimi vocantur paulo post. Ea discrepantia lectionum in Cypriano videtur orta esse ex notis. Nam anidmaverti frater charissime et fratres charissimi quandoque ita scribi in antiquis codicibus F. K. et FF. CC. eo modo quo dilectissimi vidi saepe scriptum DD.

"Dearest brothers." Three old books give "dearest brother." That reading can be good. For the letter is written to a bishop and his people, and Cyprian could have written in the way he is found to have written in Letter 57, to Cornelius: though it is written equally to Cornelius and to the whole Roman Church, yet he says "We have learned, dearest brother," and soon Cyprian turns his pen to all, who for that reason are called "dearest brothers" a little after. This discrepancy of readings in Cyprian seems to have arisen from abbreviations. For I have noticed (printed "anidmaverti") that "dearest brother" and "dearest brothers" are sometimes written thus in ancient codices, "F. K." and "FF. CC.," in the way I have often seen "most beloved" written "DD."

(Baluze) ‹lemma: Fortunatianum› · cols 389–390 Fortunatianum, quem apostasia dejecerat ab episcopatu, cum sacrificasset idolis. Unde in codice sancti Arnulphi, cum scriptum fuisset apepiscopum scriptum est supra lineam apostatam eadem, ut videtur, manu. Propterea ergo Cyprianus eum ait quondam episcopum fuisse, nunc non esse. Similem loquendi modum adnotavimus in Epistola LIX, p. 97, de Victore quondam presbytero.

"Fortunatianus," whom apostasy had cast down from the episcopate, since he had sacrificed to idols. Hence in the codex of Saint Arnulf, where "apepiscopum" had been written, "apostate" is written above the line, by the same hand, it seems. For this reason, then, Cyprian says he was once a bishop and is now not. We noted a similar manner of speaking in Letter 59, page 97, of Victor, formerly a presbyter.

(Baluze) ‹lemma: Quod prodidit› · col 390 Quod prodidit. Codex sancti Arnulphi perdidit.

"Which he betrayed." The codex of Saint Arnulf: "which he lost."

(Baluze) ‹lemma: Fidei et virtutis› · col 390 Fidei et virtutis. Quamvis haec lectio, quam et veteres editiones et duodecim libri veteres praeferunt, sit optima, silere tamen non debeo editionem Morellianam et quinque libros veteres habere virtutis et fidei.

"Of faith and virtue." Though this reading, which both the old editions and twelve old books give, is the best, I must not pass over that Morel's edition and five old books have "of virtue and faith."

(Baluze) ‹lemma: II. — Diaboli sacerdotibus› · col 390 II. — Diaboli sacerdotibus. Codex Fuxensis, diabolo aut sacerdotibus ejus.

§2. "To the priests of the devil." The Foix codex: "to the devil or to his priests."

(Baluze) ‹lemma: Sacrilegio et crimini› · col 390 Sacrilegio et crimini. Codex Gratianopolitanus, quae capta fuerat sacrilegio et crimine. Corbeiensis, sacrilegiorum et criminum. Quae lectio videtur esse melior, si vox captiva retineatur. Hieremiae cap. XLIX, captivos filiorum Anmon. Neque enim dicitur servus domino, sed servus domini. Hinc apud Ciceronem servi legum, seditionum, cupiditatum. Idem dicendum de captivis, qui sui juris non sunt.

"To sacrilege and crime." The Grenoble codex: "which had been captured by sacrilege and crime." The Corbie: "of sacrileges and crimes." This reading seems the better, if the word "captive" is kept. Jeremiah chapter 49: "the captives of the sons of Ammon" (printed "Anmon"). For one does not say "a slave to a master," but "a slave of a master." Hence in Cicero "slaves of the laws, of seditions, of desires." The same must be said of captives, who are not their own masters.

(Baluze) ‹lemma: Ad altare sancti› · col 390 Ad altare sancti. Ita omnes fere libri veteres, etiam Anglicani, et editiones omnes ante Erasmicam, in qua legitur ad altare sanctum. Quamquam hanc quoque lectionem praeferunt duo libri veteres. Rigaltius, omissa voce altare, posuit ad sanctum, auctoritate, ut ipse ait, codicis Veronensis, quod ego tamen non in- (continues)

"To the altar, the holy ones." So nearly all the old books, including the English, and all the editions before Erasmus's, in which one reads "to the holy altar." Though two old books also give this reading. Rigault, leaving out the word "altar," put "to the holy one," on the authority, as he himself says, of the Verona codex, which I, however, did not (continues)

(printed under page 188)

Page

running head: EPISTOLA LXIV. 390
marginal letters: A ritatis magister existat; B tormentis eorum in saecula; C qui accedunt ad Dominum Deum; D teres editiones et duodecim (in the editors' notes at the page foot)
old-edition numerals: (none)

PL 4:391

gravia in se delicta adduxerunt, id est, qui idolis sacrificando sacrilega sacrificia fecerunt, sacerdotium Dei sibi vindicare non possunt, nec ullam in conspectu ejus precem pro fratribus facere, quando in Evangelio scriptum sit: Deus peccatorem non audit; sed si quis Deum coluerit et voluntatem ejus fecerit, illum audit (Joan. IX, 31). Quamvis sic quorumdam pectora tenebrarum ingruentium profunda caligo caecaverit, ut de praeceptis salubribus nihil lucis admittant, sed semel a recto limite veri itineris aversi, per praeceps et per abruptum criminum suorum nocte atque errore rapiantur.

have brought grievous sins upon themselves, that is, those who by sacrificing to idols have offered sacrilegious sacrifices, cannot claim for themselves the priesthood of God, nor make any prayer in His sight for the brethren, since it is written in the Gospel: God does not hear a sinner; but if anyone has worshipped God and done His will, him He hears (John 9:31). And yet the deep gloom of the oncoming darkness has so blinded the hearts of some that they admit no light from the saving precepts, but, once turned aside from the right track of the true road, they are swept headlong and over the precipice by the night and error of their crimes.

III. Nec mirum si consilia nostra aut Domini praecepta nunc abnuunt qui Dominnm negaverunt: stipes et oblationes et lucra desiderant, quibus prius insatiabiles incubabant; et coenis atque epulis etiam nunc inhiant, quarum crapulam superstite nuper in dies cruditate ructabant, nunc manifestissime comprobantes nec ante se religioni, sed ventri potius et quaestui profana cupiditate servisse. Unde et ipsam venisse perspicimus et credimus de Dei exploratione censuram, ne apud altare consistere et contrectare ulterius perseverarent pudorem incesti, fidem perfidi, religionem profani, divina terreni, sancta sacrilegi. Quod ne tales ad altaris impiamenta et contagia fratrum denuo redeant, omnibus viribus excubandum

III. Nor is it surprising if those who have denied the Lord now reject our counsels or the Lord's precepts: they long for the gifts and offerings and gains over which they formerly brooded insatiably; and they still gape after the suppers and banquets whose surfeit they lately belched forth, with indigestion lingering from day to day, now most plainly proving that even before they had served not religion but rather the belly and gain with a profane greed. Hence we perceive and believe that this censure too has come from God's searching, so that they should not go on any further standing at the altar and handling, the unchaste, chastity; the faithless, faith; the profane, religion; the earthly, divine things; the sacrilegious, holy things. That such men may not return once more to the desecrations of the altar and the contagion of the brethren, with all our strength we must keep watch

Editors' notes and page, col. 391

Footnotes

LECTIONES VARIANTES. (printed under page 189)

(a) ‹anchor: not visible on the page foot› · call in col 391

Si qui Oxon.

"If any": Oxford edition.

(printed under page 189)

(b) ‹anchor: not visible on the page foot› · call in col 391

Irruentium Lin. NC. 1.

"Of those rushing in": Lincoln; New College 1.

(printed under page 189)

Abrupta Bod. 1.

"Broken off": Bodleian 1.

(printed under page 189)

Page

running head: 391 DIVI CYPRIANI
marginal letters: A gravia in se delicta adduxerunt; B tiabiles incubabant; C Abrupta Bod. 1 (in Lectiones variantes); D sanctus Martyr usus est (in Baluze's notes)
old-edition numerals: (none)
misprints kept as printed: "Dominnm" (§ III, for Dominum)

PL 4:392

est, et omni vigore nitendum ut quantum possumus ab hac eos sui sceleris audacia retundamus, ne adhuc agere pro sacerdote conentur qui ad mortis extrema dejecti, ultra lapsos laicos ruinae majoris pondere proruerunt.

and we must strive with all vigour so that, as far as we can, we may beat them back from this audacity of their crime, lest they still try to act as priest, who, cast down to the extremities of death, have fallen headlong with the weight of a greater ruin beyond the lapsed laity.

IV. Si vero apud insanos furor insanabilis perseveraverit, et, recedente Spiritu sancto, quae coepit caecitas in sua nocte permanserit, consilium nobis erit singulos fratres ab eorum fallacia separare, et, ne quis in laqueos erroris incurrat, ab eorum contagione secernere, quando nec oblatio sanctificari illic possit ubi Spiritus sanctus non sit, nec cuiquam Dominus per ejus orationes et preces prosit qui Dominum ipse violavit. Quod si Fortunatianus, aut immemor criminis sui per diaboli caecitatem, aut minister et servus diabol factus ad decipiendam fraternitatem, in hoc suo furore permanserit, vos quantum potestis elaborate, et in hac caligine diaboli saevientis fratrum mentes ab errore revocate, ne alienae dementiae facile consentiant, ne se desperatorum delictis participes faciant, sed teneant integri salutis suae et integritatis conservatae a se et custoditae perpetuum tenorem.

IV. But if among the insane an incurable madness persists, and, the Holy Spirit departing, the blindness which has begun remains in its own night, our counsel will be to separate the brethren one by one from their deceit, and, lest anyone run into the snares of error, to set them apart from their contagion, since neither can the oblation be sanctified there where the Holy Spirit is not, nor can the Lord benefit anyone through the prayers and petitions of one who has himself outraged the Lord. But if Fortunatianus, either unmindful of his crime through the blindness of the devil, or made a minister and servant of the devil for deceiving the brotherhood, persists in this madness of his, do you labour as much as you can, and in this darkness of the raging devil call back the minds of the brethren from error, so that they may not readily consent to another's madness, so that they may not make themselves partakers in the offences of the desperate, but may, being whole, hold the perpetual course of their salvation and of the integrity preserved and guarded by themselves.

V. Lapsi vero magnitudinem delicti sui cognoscentes, a deprecando Domino non recedant, nec Ecclesiam catholicam, quae una et sola est a Domino constituta, derelinquant; sed, satisfactionibus immorantes

V. But let the lapsed, recognizing the magnitude of their offence, not withdraw from entreating the Lord, nor abandon the Catholic Church, which alone and one has been established by the Lord; but, abiding in satisfactions

Editors' notes and page, col. 392

Footnotes

(d) ‹anchor: not visible on the page foot› · call in col 392

Agere sacerdotem Lin.

"To act as priest": Lincoln.

(printed under page 189)

(e) ‹anchor: not visible on the page foot› · call in col 392

Lapsus laicos Oxon.

"Lapsed laymen": Oxford edition.

(printed under page 189)

(f) ‹anchor: not visible on the page foot› · call in col 392

Consecrata Ver.

"Consecrated": Verona.

STEPH. BALUZII NOTAE. (Baluze) ‹lemma: Ad altare sancti, continued› · col 391

(continued) veni in margine exemplaris mei editionis Manutianae, et lectionem illam ait esse rectissimam, non animadvertens hunc eumdem locum infra Epist. LXVIII, pag. 117 et Epist. LXII, pag. 129 editum à semetipso fuisse eodem omnino modo quo ego istic restitui. Is qui scripsit codicem Fuxensem posuit ad altare Domini, quod confirmat emendationem nostram. Ait autem Pamelius reperire se non potuisse quem Scripturae locum citet Cyprianus. Goulartius vero ait alludere eum ad varia Mosis dicta in Exodo, praesertim de sacerdotum altari Jehovae inservientium officio. Recte profecto. Nam locus iste sumptus est ex capite XXVIII Exodi secundum versionem Septuaginta interpretum. In editione nostra Vulgata sacrae Scripturae legitur: Vel quando appropinquant ad altare ut ministrent in sanctuario, ne iniquitatis rei moriantur. Versio qua sanctus Martyr usus est dilucidior est et facilior ad intelligendum sensum hujus loci. Hieronymus in Dialogo adversus Luciferianos legebat, cum accedunt ministrare sancta. Quae lectio multum accedit ad eam quae citatur ex codice Veronensi.

(Baluze) ‹lemma: Quorumdam pectora› · col 391 Quorumdam pectora. Codex Gratianopolitanus, quosdam peccatores.

"The hearts of some." The Grenoble codex: "some sinners."

(Baluze) ‹lemma: III. — Cruditate› · col 391 III. — Cruditate. Hieronymus in Epistola ad Rusticum monachum, erumpentem cruditatem, quae parens libidinum est. Salvianus lib IV, cap. 3, cruditate, distenderis, ubi codex Corbeiensis habet crudelitate; lib. VII, cap. 16, alios cruditate distentos, ubi codex Colbertinus habet crudelitate. Et apud Avitum Viennensem Epist. LXXXV, gentium distantia cruditatem. Pro quo in codice Viennensis Marnaesii scriptum est crudelitate. Crudelitatem itaque et cruditatem antiqui librarii quandoque commutabant.

§3. "With surfeit." Jerome in the Letter to Rusticus the monk: "a bursting surfeit, which is the parent of lusts." Salvian, book IV, chapter 3: "you are distended with surfeit," where the Corbie codex has "with cruelty"; book VII, chapter 16: "others distended with surfeit," where the Colbert codex has "with cruelty." And in Avitus of Vienne, Letter 85: "the distance of the nations, surfeit," for which in the Vienne codex of Marnaesius "cruelty" is written. So the old copyists sometimes interchanged "crudelitas" and "cruditas."

(Baluze) ‹lemma: Ad altaris impiamenta› · cols 391–392 Ad altaris impiamenta. Hic in primis locus ostendit audaciam et inscitiam veterum librariorum. Codices enim Fuxensis, Metensis, sancti Arnulphi, et Gratianopolitanus habent impia mente, Monasteriensis amplas mentes; Divionensis et unus Remigianus per simplas mentes unus meus vetus, per simplicia merita. Quarum lectionum nulla bona est. Sex Anglicani habent ad altaris sanctificationem impia mente accedunt, ubi vox sanctificationem addita videtur a librario non intelligente quod scribebat.

"To the defilements of the altar." This place above all shows the boldness and ignorance of the old copyists. For the Foix, Metz, Saint Arnulf and Grenoble codices have "with impious mind," the Münster "ample minds"; the Dijon and one Remigius "through simple minds"; one old one of mine, "through simple merits." None of these readings is good. Six English ones have "they approach the sanctification of the altar with impious mind," where the word "sanctification" seems to have been added by a copyist who did not understand what he was writing.

(Baluze) ‹lemma: Impiamenta› · col 392 Impiamenta. Festus Pompeius: impiatus, sceleratus. Vocabulum deductum a verbo impio, quod significat committere crimen adversus pietatem. Unde apud Plautum Rudente legitur: Si erga parentem aut deos impiavi; quod interpretes exponunt ac si Plautus dixisset: Si impius fui erga parentes. Apuleius, lib. I Metamorphoseon: Ut adhuc credam cruore me esse humano aspersum atque impiatum, et lib. II, Habetis itaque reum tot caedibus impiatum. Contra dicebant etiam Piamentum. Plinius lib. XXV, cap. 4: Hac evulsa scrobem repleri vario genere frugum religio est ad terrae piamentum, et cap. 9; Favis ante et melle terrae ad piamentum datis; lib. XXXVII, cap. 1, satis piamenti in unius gemmae voluntario damno videretur. PIARE vetus verbum est quod invenitur apud Plautum, Horatium, Senecam, alios. Significat autem purgare vel expiare.

"Defilements." Festus Pompeius: "impiatus, criminal." The word is derived from the verb "impio," which means to commit a crime against piety. Hence in Plautus's Rudens one reads: "If I have sinned against parent or gods"; which the commentators explain as if Plautus had said: "If I have been impious towards my parents." Apuleius, book I of the Metamorphoses: "so that I still believe myself spattered and defiled with human gore," and book II: "You have therefore a defendant defiled with so many murders." On the other side they also said "piamentum." Pliny, book XXV, chapter 4: "When this has been pulled up, it is a religious rule that the hole be filled with various kinds of grain as an atonement to the earth," and chapter 9: "honeycombs and honey having first been given to the earth as an atonement"; book XXXVII, chapter 1: "it would seem atonement enough in the voluntary loss of a single gem." PIARE is an old verb found in Plautus, Horace, Seneca and others. It means to purify or expiate.

(Baluze) ‹lemma: Et omni vigore nitendum› · col 392 Et omni vigore nitendum. Cum ista exstent in omnibus antiquis editionibus, in omnibus codicibus nostris et in Anglicanis, mirum est excidisse in Rigaltiana. Reinhartus et Angli reposuerunt.

"And we must strive with all vigour." Since these words stand in all the ancient editions, in all our codices and in the English ones, it is strange that they fell out of Rigault's. Reinhart and the English editors restored them.

(Baluze) ‹lemma: IV. — Sed teneant› · col 392 IV. — Sed teneant. In uno codice regio legitur, sed teneant integri salutis suae tenorem et integritatis conservent et custodiant perpetuum vigorem. Melius in codice sancti Arnulphi, salutis suae tenorem et integritatis conservatae a se et custoditae perpetuum vigorem. Atque ita reponendum esse puto. In Gratianopolitano desunt haec, integri salutis suae tenorem.

§4. "But let them hold." In one royal codex one reads: "but let them, whole, hold the course of their salvation, and keep and guard the perpetual vigour of integrity." Better in the codex of Saint Arnulf: "the course of their salvation, and the perpetual vigour of the integrity kept and guarded by them." And so I think it should be restored. In the Grenoble codex these words are missing: "whole, the course of their salvation."

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