Letter 67: From Cyprian, Caecilius, Primus, Polycarp, Nicomedes, Lucilianus, Successus, Sedatus, Fortunatus, Januarius,...

From Cyprian, Caecilius, Primus, Polycarp, Nicomedes, Lucilianus, Successus, Sedatus, Fortunatus, Januarius, Secundinus, Pomponius, Honoratus, Victor, Aurelius, Sattius, Petrus, another Januarius, Saturninus, another Aurelius, Venantius, Quietus, Rogatianus, Tenax, Felix, Faustinus, Quintus, another Saturninus, Lucius, Vincentius, Libosus, Geminius, Marcellus, Iambus, Adelphius, Victoricus, and Paulus — to Felix the presbyter and the people of Legio and Asturica, and to Laelius the deacon and the people of Emerita: brothers in the Lord, greetings. When we gathered together, dearest brothers and sisters, we read your letters. You wrote with the integrity of your faith and the fear of God, reporting that Basilides and Martial — stained by certificates of idolatry and bound by the consciousness of grave sins — should no longer hold the episcopate or administer the priesthood of God. You asked for our reply, and you wished your concern — as just as it is necessary — to be addressed by our judgment. Our counsel is not so much ours as God's own, since the divine commands have long made clear who may and who may not serve the altar. In Exodus, God tells Moses: "Let the priests who come near to the Lord God sanctify themselves, lest the Lord strike them down" [Exodus 19:22]. In Leviticus, the Lord commands that no one with a blemish shall approach to offer sacrifice. In light of this, and in light of what the council of bishops has already decreed — that bishops who lapsed during the persecution may be received back to repentance but are prohibited from returning to their priestly office — Basilides and Martial cannot resume their positions. The fact that Basilides himself traveled to Rome and deceived our brother Stephen into writing on his behalf does not alter the situation. Stephen, who was far away and ignorant of the true facts, was misled. But the truth cannot be rescinded by deception. As for the election of Sabinus and Felix as their replacements: you acted properly. Episcopal elections must be conducted in the presence of the people, who know the candidates' lives and have observed their conduct. This is the tradition handed down from the apostles and observed throughout almost all the provinces. A bishop is chosen in the presence of the people, under the judgment of the neighboring bishops, and with the consent of all. Your elections stand. They are valid and lawful. The impostors who try to return have no ground to stand on. Farewell, beloved brothers and sisters.

Epistle 67