Cyprian's Letter To Fabius Analysis

The main victims of these persecutions were those that publicly refused to sacrifice, or voluntarily presented themselves as Christians. Most people would be imprisoned and put on trial where the judge would issue the sentence. Ranging from a simple dismissal of the case to a very rare edict of the death penalty, most Christians were subjected to torture and longer periods of imprisonment in order to persuade them to dismiss their Christian beliefs. The author Eusebius quotes a letter from Dionysius of Alexandria to the Bishop of Antioch, Fabius, which describes the scene of the persecutions in Alexandria. Dionysius explains that all of the Christians were afraid and most of which came forward and dismissed their Christian beliefs, participating in sacrifice and creating false documentations. Those that did not come forward and relinquished their previous beliefs either fled, were captured, imprisoned and put on trial, or tortured. Cyprian, a bishop from Carthage, fled Carthage
during these persecutions and wrote many letters and sermons to the clergy in hopes of keeping the church strong and its members plentiful.
This issue would turn out to be the most damaging effect that the emperor’s decree would have had on the Christian church during the early 250’s.
“And everywhere the churches were left in the aftermath with the devastation of the fallen within their ranks.” In his letter to Carthage of the mass apostasy that had occurred there in his absence, Cyprian, furiously addresses the issue of those that denied God without hesitation and lapsed in their Christianity in order to save themselves. In reply to Cyprian’s disturbing letter, “The Letter of the Confessors” was sent explaining that those that had committed crimes of apostasy, had since confessed and had been readmitted into the church. This initially frustrated Cyprian even more and even though the members of the church were declining due to the persecutions, he did not believe that the confessors should be
readmitted so easily. His proposal to the Church of Carthage, stated that once peace from the persecutions arrived, he and the other members of the church clergy that had fled or were in hiding, would return and personally examine each case and situation thoroughly before passing judgement. His sentiments changed however, once his actions were being questioned and the lowering numbers of the church were becoming more apparent. After not receiving any replies to his letters sent out and realizing that it is taking longer than he thought for the persecutions to end, Cyprian wrote the following message to the clergy, “I think that the cases of our brethren should be met; so that those who have received letters from the martyrs, … they may go to the Lord with that peace which the martyrs in their letters to me have requested for them.” Allowing only those with the possibility of passing away in the near future, meant that there also had to be mention of what would occur to the rest of the people that had lapsed in the persecutions. Cyprian explains that if these people have not truly abandoned their faith, still listen to the clergy members, and continue to do good works, then they would have been put under the Lord’s mercy and would be readmitted among their case examination. This devastating toll on the Christian church would have been the most damaging effect from the persecutions of Decius and would not be outdone, until the reign of Valerian, who will be described in depth after a brief look at the following emperor Gallus.