[Sidenote: Stephen’_s Conduct disapproved by_ Dionysius _of_ Alexandria;]
_Dionysius_, afterwards Pope, and _Philemon_, both then Presbyters of the Church of _Rome_, acquainted, no doubt, by _Stephen_’s Direction, the great _Dionysius_, Bishop of _Alexandria_, with what had passed, hoping to gain him over to their Party, and extort from him an Approbation of _Stephen_’s Conduct: but that illustrious Prelate, foreseeing, and well weighing, the evil Consequences that might attend it, declared his Sentiments with all the Freedom and Zeal that became a Man of his Rank in the Church. He told them plainly, that the condemning a Practice, which had been established by so many Councils, was what he could by no means approve of; that an Affair of such Consequence required long and mature Deliberation; and that the deciding it over-hastily might raise eternal Disputes, and end at last in a Schism: he therefore begged _Stephen_, in a Letter, which he writ to him on this Occasion, that he would, upon Reflection, alter his Conduct; and in an Affair upon which so much depended, take different Measures from those which he had hitherto pursued[448]. As _Stephen_ wrote to _Dionysius_, so did St. _Cyprian_ to _Firmilian_, giving him a particular and candid Account both of _Stephen_’s Conduct and his own. _Firmilian_ was Bishop of _Cæsarea_ in _Cappadocia_, and one of the most eminent Prelates at that Time in the Church both for Piety and Learning: he had a singular Veneration for St. _Cyprian_, maintained with great Zeal the same Cause, and consequently had been equally ill used and excommunicated by _Stephen_. He therefore received with extraordinary Joy the Letter, which St. _Cyprian_ sent him by _Rogatian_ one of his Deacons, often read it with great Satisfaction[449], and answered it with a long Letter[450], which is still extant, though St. _Cyprian_’s to him has been lost long since. [Sidenote: _and severely censured by_ Firmilian.] In this Letter _Firmilian_, amazed and provoked at _Stephen_’s unaccountable Conduct, expresses his Detestation of it in sharper Terms than the Laws of Charity can well allow; for, not content to charge him with sacrificing the Peace of the Church to a petulant Humour, he compares him to _Judas_, and stigmatizes him with the Epithets of inhuman, audacious, insolent, wicked, impious Schismatic; for _he is a true Schismatic_, says _Firmilian, who departs from the Unity of the Church, which thou hast done, O_ Stephen; _for, by attempting to separate others from thee, thou hast separated thyself from all other Churches. How much Sin hast thou heaped upon thyself by cutting thyself off from so many Flocks[451]!_ _Firmilian_’s Letter was translated into _Latin_ by St. _Cyprian_ himself, as is manifest from the Style. It was unknown, it seems, to St. _Austin_; for he never quotes it, nor, in confuting the Opinion of Sr. _Cyprian_, takes any notice of some Reasons alleged in that Letter to support it.
