Note.—­Page 165.

In a note on the Epistle of St. Cyprian to his brother, reference was made to the Appendix for a closer comparison of Cyprian’s original letter with the modern translation of the passage under consideration.  By placing the two versions in parallel columns side by side, we shall immediately see, that the mode of citing the testimony of St. Cyprian adopted in Dr. Wiseman’s Lectures, from the compilation of Messrs. Berington and Kirk, is rather to substitute his own comment and inference, than to allow the witness to speak for himself in his own words.  The whole paragraph, as it appears in Dr. Wiseman’s Lectures, is this:—­

“St. Cyprian in the same century:  ’Let us be mindful of one another in our prayers; with one mind and with one heart, in this world and in the next, let us always pray with mutual charity relieving our sufferings and afflictions.  And may the charity of him, who, by the divine favour, shall first depart hence, still persevere before the Lord; may his prayer, for our brethren and sisters, not cease.’  Therefore, after having departed this life, the same offices of charity are to continue, by praying for those who remain on earth.” [Lect. xiii. vol. ii. p. 107, and Berington and Kirk, p. 430.]

St. Cyprian’s words. Epist. lvii. p. 96.

Translation adopted by Dr. Wiseman from Berington and Kirk.

1.  Memories nostri invicem simus,

1.  Let us be mindful of one another IN OUR PRAYERS; {405}

2.  Concordes atque unanimes, 2.  With one mind and with
                                      one heart.

3.  Utrobique. 3.  In this world and in the next,

4.  PRO NOBIS semper oremus, 4.  Let us always pray,

5.   Pressuras et angustias mutua      5.  With mutual charity RELIEVING out
caritate relevemus,                   sufferings and afflictions.

6.  Et si quis istinc nostrum 6.  And may the CHARITY OF HIM, prior divinae dignationis celeritate who, by the divine facour, shall praecesserit, perseveret apud Dominum first depart hence, still persevere NOSTRA DILECTIO, before the Lord;

7.  Pro fratribus et sororibus 7.  May HIS prayer, for our brethren nostris apud misericordiam patris and sisters, not cease. non cesset oratio.

In this translation, by inserting the words, in our prayers, which are not in the original in the first clause; by rendering the adverb utrobique, IN THIS WORLD AND IN THE NEXT, in the third clause; by omitting the words pro nobis, for each other, which are in the original, in the fourth clause; by changing in the fifth the verb relevemus, let us relieve, implying another branch of their mutual kindness, into the participle relieving, which may imply, that the relief alluded to was also to be conveyed by the medium of their prayers; by substituting