THASCUS CÆCIULIUS, a principal father of the Christian church, was born at Carthage in Africa, at the latter end of the second or beginning of the third century. We know nothing more of his parents than that they were Heathens; and he himself continued such till the last 12 years of his life. He applied himself early to the study of oratory; and some of the ancients, particularly Laëntius, inform us, that he taught rhetoric in Carthage with the highest applause. Cyprian's conversion is fixed by Pearson to the year 246; and was at Carthage, where, as St Jerome observes, he had often employed his rhetoric in the defence of Paganism. It was brought about by one Cæciulus, a priest of the church of Carthage, whose name Cyprian afterwards took; and between whom there ever after subsisted so close a friendship, that Cæciulus at his death committed to Cyprian the care of his family. Cyprian was also a married man himself; but as soon as he was converted to the faith, he resolved upon a state of continence, which was thought a high degree of piety, as not being yet become general. Being now a Christian, he was to give the usual proof of the sincerity of his conversion; and that was by writing against Paganism and in defence of Christianity. With this view he composed his piece De Gratia Dei, or "concerning the grace of God," which he addressed to Donatus. It is a work of the same nature with the Apologetic of Tertullian, and the Octavius of Minutius Felix. He next composed a piece De Idolorum Vanitate, or "upon the vanity of idols." Cyprian's behaviour, both before and after his baptism, was so highly pleasing to the bishop of Carthage, that he ordained him a priest a few months after. It was rather irregular to ordain a man thus in his very noviciate; but Cyprian was so extraordinary a person, and thought capable of doing such singular service to the church, that it seemed allowable in this case to dispense a little with the form and discipline of it. For besides his known talents as a secular man, he had acquired a high reputation of sanctity since his conversion; having not only separated himself from his wife, as we have observed before, which in those days was thought an extraordinary act of piety, but also consigned over all his goods to the poor, and given himself up entirely to the things of God. It was on this account no doubt, too, that when the bishop of Carthage died the year after, that is, in the year 248, none was judged so proper to succeed him as Cyprian. The quiet and repose which the Christians had enjoyed during the last 40 years, had, it seems, greatly corrupted their manners; and therefore Cyprian's first care, after his advancement to the bishopric, was to correct disorders and reform abuses. Luxury was prevalent among them; and many of their women were not so strict CYP

Cyprianus as they should be, especially in the article of drefs. This occasioned him to draw up his piece De habitu virginum, "concerning the drefs of young women;" in which, besides what he fays on that particular head, he inculcates many lefsons of modesty and sobriety. In the year 249, the emperor Decius began to issue out very severe edicts againft the Chriftians, which particularly affected thofe upon the coast of Africa; and in the beginning of 250, the Heathens in the circus and amphitheatre of Carthage, infisted loudly upon Cyprian's being thrown to the lions: a common method of deftroying the primitive Chriftians. Cyprian upon this withdrew from the church at Carthage, and fled into retirement, to avoid the fury of the perfeutions. He wrote, in the place of his retreat, pious and instructive letters to thofe who had been his hearers; and alfo to the libellatici, a name by which thofe puflfanimous Chriftians were called, who procured certificates of the Heathen magistrates, to show that they had complied with the emperor's orders in sacrificing to idols. At his return to Carthage, he held several councils on the repentance of thofe who had fallen during this perfeution, and other points of discipline; he opposed the schemes of Novatus and Novatianus; and contended for the rebaptizing of thofe who had been baptized by heretics. At laft he died a martyr in the perfeution of Valerian and Gallienus, in 258. Cyprian wrote 81 letters, and feveral treatifes. The best editions of his works are thofe of Pamelius in 1568; of Rigaltius in 1648; and of Oxford in 1682. His works have all been translated into English by Dr Marshal.