Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

Exhortation to Martyrdom

Cyprian of Carthage

Part 11 · Introduction

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

John, in his epistle, proves this, saying: “

‹ Section 9 Section 10 ›

Greater

is

He

who

is

in

you

than

he

that

is

in

the

world

.

”

Also

in

the

cxviith

Psalm

:

“

I

will

not

fear

what

man

can

do

unto

me

;

the

Lord

is

my

helper

.

”

And

again

:

“

These

in

chariots

,

and

those

in

horses

;

but

we

will

glory

in

the

name

of

the

Lord

our

God

.

They

themselves

are

bound

,

and

they

have

fallen

;

but

we

have

risen

up

,

and

stand

upright

.

”

And

even

more

strongly

the

Holy

Spirit

,

teaching

and

showing

that

the

army

of

the

devil

is

not

to

be

feared

,

and

that

,

if

the

foe

should

declare

war

against

us

,

our

hope

consists

rather

in

that

war

itself

;

and

that

by

that

conflict

the

righteous

attain

to

the

reward

of

the

divine

abode

and

eternal

salvation

,

—

lays

down

in

the

twenty

-

sixth

Psalm

,

and

says

:

“

Though

an

host

should

be

arrayed

against

me

,

my

heart

shall

not

fear

;

though

war

should

rise

up

against

me

,

in

that

will

I

put

my

hope

.

One

hope

have

I

sought

of

the

Lord

,

this

will

I

require

;

that

I

may

dwell

in

the

house

of

the

Lord

all

the

days

of

my

life

.

”

Also

in

Exodus

,

the

Holy

Scripture

declares

that

we

are

rather

multiplied

and

increased

by

afflictions

,

saying

:

“

And

the

more

they

afflicted

them

,

so

much

the

more

they

became

greater

,

and

waxed

stronger

.

”

And

in

the

Apocalypse

,

divine

protection

is

promised

to

our

sufferings

.

“

Fear

nothing

of

these

things

,

”

it

says

,

“

which

thou

shalt

suffer

.

”

Nor

does

any

one

else

promise

to

us

security

and

protection

,

than

He

who

also

speaks

by

Isaiah

the

prophet

,

saying

:

“

Fear

not

;

for

I

have

redeemed

thee

,

and

called

thee

by

thy

name

:

thou

art

mine

.

And

if

thou

passest

through

the

water

,

I

am

with

thee

,

and

the

rivers

shall

not

overflow

thee

.

And

if

thou

passest

through

the

fire

,

thou

shalt

not

be

burned

,

and

the

flame

shall

not

burn

thee

;

for

I

,

the

Lord

thy

God

,

the

Holy

One

of

Israel

,

am

He

who

maketh

thee

safe

.

”

Who

also

promises

in

the

Gospel

that

divine

help

shall

not

be

wanting

to

God’s

servants

in

persecutions

,

saying

:

“

But

when

they

shall

deliver

you

up

,

take

no

thought

how

or

what

ye

shall

speak

.

For

it

shall

be

given

you

in

that

hour

what

ye

shall

speak

.

For

it

is

not

ye

who

speak

,

but

the

Spirit

of

your

Father

who

speaketh

in

you

.

”

And

again

:

“

Settle

it

in

your

hearts

not

to

meditate

before

how

to

answer

.

For

I

will

give

you

a

mouth

and

wisdom

,

which

your

adversaries

shall

not

be

able

to

resist

.

”

As

in

Exodus

God

speaks

to

Moses

when

he

delayed

and

trembled

to

go

to

the

people

,

saying

:

“

Who

hath

given

a

mouth

to

man

?

and

who

hath

made

the

stammerer

?

and

who

the

deaf

man

?

and

who

the

seeing

,

and

the

blind

man

?

Have

not

I

,

the

Lord

God

?

And

now

go

,

and

I

will

open

thy

mouth

,

and

will

instruct

thee

what

thou

shalt

say

.

”

Nor

is

it

difficult

for

God

to

open

the

mouth

of

a

man

devoted

to

Himself

,

and

to

inspire

constancy

and

confidence

in

speech

to

His

confessor

;

since

in

the

book

of

Numbers

He

made

even

a

she

-

ass

to

speak

against

the

prophet

Balaam

.

Wherefore

in

persecutions

let

no

one

think

what

danger

the

devil

is

bringing

in

,

but

let

him

indeed

consider

what

help

God

affords

;

nor

let

human

mischief

overpower

the

mind

,

but

let

divine

protection

strengthen

the

faith

;

since

every

one

,

according

to

the

Lord’s

promises

and

the

deservings

of

his

faith

,

receives

so

much

from

God’s

help

as

he

thinks

that

he

receives

.

Nor

is

there

anything

which

the

Almighty

is

not

able

to

grant

,

unless

the

failing

faith

of

the

receiver

be

deficient

and

give

way

.

Notes

1
1 John iv. 4.
2
Ps. cxviii. 6. [The text adopts the old Latin numbering.]
3
The Oxford editor reads, “Their feet are bound.”
4
Ps. xx. 7, 8.
5
Ps. xxvii. 3, 4. [The text is numbered by the old Latin.]
6
Ex. i. 12.
7
Rev. ii. 10.
8
The common reading is, “through the fire, the flame,” etc.
9
Isa. xliii. 1–3.
10
Matt. x. 19, 20.
11
Luke xxi. 14, 15.
12
Ex. vi. 11, 12.
13
[Confirmed in the New Testament, as if on purpose to silence unbelief (2 Pet. ii. 16). Cyprian is one of the few divines who note the light thrown on Balaam’s inspiration by the fact that even a dumb beast might be made to speak words, not of his own will.]