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An Address to Demetrianus

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 19

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

19. Do you think that we suffer adversity equally with yourselves

‹ Section 18 Section 20 ›

,

when

you

see

that

the

same

adverse

things

are

not

borne

equally

by

us

and

by

you

?

Among

you

there

is

always

a

clamorous

and

complaining

impatience

;

with

us

there

is

a

strong

and

religious

patience

,

always

quiet

and

always

grateful

to

God

.

Nor

does

it

claim

for

itself

anything

joyous

or

prosperous

in

this

world

,

but

,

meek

and

gentle

and

stable

against

all

the

gusts

of

this

tossing

world

,

it

waits

for

the

time

of

the

divine

promise

;

for

as

long

as

this

body

endures

,

it

must

needs

have

a

common

lot

with

others

,

and

its

bodily

condition

must

be

common

.

Nor

is

it

given

to

any

of

the

human

race

to

be

separated

one

from

another

,

except

by

withdrawal

from

this

present

life

.

In

the

meantime

,

we

are

all

,

good

and

evil

,

contained

in

one

household

.

Whatever

happens

within

the

house

,

we

suffer

with

equal

fate

,

until

,

when

the

end

of

the

temporal

life

shall

be

attained

,

we

shall

be

distributed

among

the

homes

either

of

eternal

death

or

immortality

.

Thus

,

therefore

,

we

are

not

on

the

same

level

,

and

equal

with

you

,

because

,

placed

in

this

present

world

and

in

this

flesh

,

we

incur

equally

with

you

the

annoyances

of

the

world

and

of

the

flesh

;

for

since

in

the

sense

of

pain

is

all

punishment

,

it

is

manifest

that

he

is

not

a

sharer

of

your

punishment

who

,

you

see

,

does

not

suffer

pain

equally

with

yourselves

.

Notes

32
Or, “whom you do not see not to suffer with yourself.”