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An Address to Demetrianus

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 10

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

10. You who judge others, be for once also a

‹ Section 9 Section 11 ›

judge

of

yourself

;

look

into

the

hiding

-

places

of

your

own

conscience

;

nay

,

since

now

there

is

not

even

any

shame

in

your

sin

,

and

you

are

wicked

,

as

if

it

were

rather

the

very

wickedness

itself

that

pleased

you

,

do

you

,

who

are

seen

clearly

and

nakedly

by

all

other

men

,

yourself

also

look

upon

yourself

.

For

either

you

are

swollen

with

pride

,

or

greedy

with

avarice

,

or

cruel

with

anger

,

or

prodigal

with

gambling

,

or

flushed

with

intemperance

,

or

envious

with

jealousy

,

or

unchaste

with

lust

,

or

violent

with

cruelty

;

and

do

you

wonder

that

God’s

anger

increases

in

punishing

the

human

race

,

when

the

sin

that

is

punished

is

daily

increasing

?

You

complain

that

the

enemy

rises

up

,

as

if

,

though

an

enemy

were

wanting

,

there

could

be

peace

for

you

even

among

the

very

togas

of

peace

.

You

complain

that

the

enemy

rises

up

,

as

if

,

even

although

external

arms

and

dangers

from

barbarians

were

repressed

,

the

weapons

of

domestic

assault

from

the

calumnies

and

wrongs

of

powerful

citizens

,

would

not

be

more

ferocious

and

more

harshly

wielded

within

.

You

complain

of

barrenness

and

famine

,

as

if

drought

made

a

greater

famine

than

rapacity

,

as

if

the

fierceness

of

want

did

not

increase

more

terribly

from

grasping

at

the

increase

of

the

year’s

produce

,

and

the

accumulation

of

their

price

.

You

complain

that

the

heaven

is

shut

up

from

showers

,

although

in

the

same

way

the

barns

are

shut

up

on

earth

.

You

complain

that

now

less

is

produced

,

as

if

what

had

already

been

produced

were

given

to

the

indigent

.

You

reproach

plague

and

disease

,

while

by

plague

itself

and

disease

the

crimes

of

individuals

are

either

detected

or

increased

,

while

mercy

is

not

manifested

to

the

weak

,

and

avarice

and

rapine

are

waiting

open

-

mouthed

for

the

dead

.

The

same

men

are

timid

in

the

duties

of

affection

,

but

rash

in

quest

of

implores

gains

;

shunning

the

deaths

of

the

dying

,

and

craving

the

spoils

of

the

dead

,

so

that

it

may

appear

as

if

the

wretched

are

probably

forsaken

in

their

sickness

for

this

cause

,

that

they

may

not

,

by

being

cured

,

escape

:

for

he

who

enters

so

eagerly

upon

the

estate

of

the

dying

,

probably

desired

the

sick

man

to

perish

.

Notes

20
Some texts read, “fear or shame in sinning.”