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An Address to Demetrianus

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 16

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

16. What, then, is that sluggishness of mind;

‹ Section 15 Section 17 ›

yea

,

what

blind

and

stupid

madness

of

fools

,

to

be

unwilling

to

come

out

of

darkness

into

light

,

and

to

be

unwilling

,

when

bound

in

the

toils

of

eternal

death

,

to

receive

the

hope

of

immortality

,

and

not

to

fear

God

when

He

threatens

and

says

,

“

He

that

sacrifices

unto

any

gods

,

but

unto

the

Lord

only

,

shall

be

rooted

out

?

”

And

again

:

“

They

worshipped

them

whom

their

fingers

made

;

and

the

mean

man

hath

bowed

down

,

and

the

great

man

hath

humbled

himself

,

and

I

will

not

forgive

them

.

”

Why

do

you

humble

and

bend

yourself

to

false

gods

?

Why

do

you

bow

your

body

captive

before

foolish

images

and

creations

of

earth

?

God

made

you

upright

;

and

while

other

animals

are

downlooking

,

and

are

depressed

in

posture

bending

towards

the

earth

,

yours

is

a

lofty

attitude

;

and

your

countenance

is

raised

upwards

to

heaven

,

and

to

God

.

Look

thither

,

lift

your

eyes

thitherward

,

seek

God

in

the

highest

,

that

you

may

be

free

from

things

below

;

lift

your

heart

to

a

dependence

on

high

and

heavenly

things

.

Why

do

you

prostrate

yourself

into

the

ruin

of

death

with

the

serpent

whom

you

worship

?

Why

do

you

fall

into

the

destruction

of

the

devil

,

by

his

means

and

in

his

company

?

Keep

the

lofty

estate

in

which

you

were

born

.

Continue

such

as

you

were

made

by

God

.

To

the

posture

of

your

countenance

and

of

your

body

,

conform

your

soul

.

That

you

may

be

able

to

know

God

,

first

know

yourself

.

Forsake

the

idols

which

human

error

has

invented

.

Be

turned

to

God

,

whom

if

you

implore

He

will

aid

you

.

Believe

in

Christ

,

whom

the

Father

has

sent

to

quicken

and

restore

us

.

Cease

to

hurt

the

servants

of

God

and

of

Christ

with

your

persecutions

,

since

when

they

are

injured

the

divine

vengeance

defends

them

.

Notes

25
Ex. xxii. 20.
26
Isa. ii. 8.
27
Some read, “the Son whom.”