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An Address to Demetrianus

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 17

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

17. For this reason it is that none of us,

‹ Section 16 Section 18 ›

when

he

is

apprehended

,

makes

resistance

,

nor

avenges

himself

against

your

unrighteous

violence

,

although

our

people

are

numerous

and

plentiful

.

Our

certainty

of

a

vengeance

to

follow

makes

us

patient

.

The

innocent

give

place

to

the

guilty

;

the

harmless

acquiesce

in

punishments

and

tortures

,

sure

and

confident

that

whatsoever

we

suffer

will

not

remain

unavenged

,

and

that

in

proportion

to

the

greatness

of

the

injustice

of

our

persecution

so

will

be

the

justice

and

the

severity

of

the

vengeance

exacted

for

those

persecutions

.

Nor

does

the

wickedness

of

the

impious

ever

rise

up

against

the

name

we

bear

,

without

immediate

vengeance

from

above

attending

it

.

To

say

nothing

of

the

memories

of

ancient

times

,

and

not

to

recur

with

wordy

commemoration

to

frequently

repeated

vengeance

on

behalf

of

God’s

worshippers

,

the

instance

of

a

recent

matter

is

sufficient

to

prove

that

our

defence

,

so

speedily

,

and

in

its

speed

so

powerfully

,

followed

of

late

in

the

ruins

of

things

,

in

the

destruction

of

wealth

,

in

the

waste

of

soldiers

,

and

the

diminution

of

forts

.

Nor

let

any

one

think

that

this

occurred

by

chance

,

or

think

that

it

was

fortuitous

,

since

long

ago

Scripture

has

laid

down

,

and

said

,

“

Vengeance

is

mine

;

I

will

repay

,

saith

the

Lord

.

”

And

again

the

Holy

Spirit

forewarns

,

and

says

,

“

Say

not

thou

,

I

will

avenge

myself

of

mine

enemy

,

but

wait

on

the

Lord

,

that

He

may

be

thy

help

.

”

Whence

it

is

plain

and

manifest

,

that

not

by

our

means

,

but

for

our

sakes

,

all

those

things

are

happening

which

come

down

from

the

anger

of

God

.

Notes

28
Or, according to some, “of kings.”
29
Rom. xii. 19.
30
Prov. xx. 22.