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An Address to Demetrianus

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 7

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

7. Behold, the Lord is angry and wrathful, and

‹ Section 6 Section 8 ›

threatens

,

because

you

turn

not

unto

Him

.

And

you

wonder

or

complain

in

this

your

obstinacy

and

contempt

,

if

the

rain

comes

down

with

unusual

scarcity

;

and

the

earth

falls

into

neglect

with

dusty

corruption

;

if

the

barren

glebe

hardly

brings

forth

a

few

jejune

and

pallid

blades

of

grass

;

if

the

destroying

hail

weakens

the

vines

;

if

the

overwhelming

whirlwind

roots

out

the

olive

;

if

drought

stanches

the

fountain

;

a

pestilent

breeze

corrupts

the

air

;

the

weakness

of

disease

wastes

away

man

;

although

all

these

things

come

as

the

consequence

of

the

sins

that

provoke

them

,

and

God

is

more

deeply

indignant

when

such

and

so

great

evils

avail

nothing

!

For

that

these

things

occur

either

for

the

discipline

of

the

obstinate

or

for

the

punishment

of

the

evil

,

the

same

God

declares

in

the

Holy

Scriptures

,

saying

,

“

In

vain

have

I

smitten

your

children

;

they

have

not

received

correction

.

”

And

the

prophet

devoted

and

dedicated

to

God

answers

to

these

words

in

the

same

strain

,

and

says

,

“

Thou

hast

stricken

them

,

but

they

have

not

grieved

;

Thou

hast

scourged

them

,

but

they

have

refused

to

receive

correction

.

”

Lo

,

stripes

are

inflicted

from

God

,

and

there

is

no

fear

of

God

.

Lo

,

blows

and

scourgings

from

above

are

not

wanting

,

and

there

is

no

trembling

,

no

fear

.

What

if

even

no

such

rebuke

as

that

interfered

in

human

affairs

?

How

much

greater

still

would

be

the

audacity

in

men

,

if

it

were

secure

in

the

impunity

of

their

crimes

!

Notes

14
Jer. ii. 30. [Compare Aug., City of God, passim.]
15
Jer. v. 3.