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Exhortation to Martyrdom

Cyprian of Carthage

Part 2 · Introduction

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

On the Exhortation to Martyrdom.

In the cxiiith Psalm it is

‹ Section 12 Section 1 ›

shown

that

“

the

idols

of

the

heathen

are

silver

and

gold

,

the

work

of

men’s

hands

.

They

have

a

mouth

,

and

speak

not

;

eyes

have

they

,

and

see

not

.

They

have

ears

,

and

hear

not

;

neither

is

there

any

breath

in

their

mouth

.

Let

those

that

make

them

be

made

like

unto

them

.

”

Also

in

the

Wisdom

of

Solomon

:

“

They

counted

all

the

idols

of

the

nations

to

be

gods

,

which

neither

have

the

use

of

eyes

to

see

,

nor

noses

to

draw

breath

,

nor

ears

to

hear

,

nor

fingers

on

their

hands

to

handle

;

and

as

for

their

feet

,

they

are

slow

to

go

.

For

man

made

them

,

and

he

that

borrowed

his

own

spirit

fashioned

them

;

but

no

man

can

make

a

god

like

unto

himself

.

For

,

since

he

is

mortal

,

he

worketh

a

dead

thing

with

wicked

hands

;

for

he

himself

is

better

than

the

things

which

he

worshippeth

,

since

he

indeed

lived

once

,

but

they

never

.

”

In

Exodus

also

:

“

Thou

shalt

not

make

to

thee

an

idol

,

nor

the

likeness

of

anything

.

”

Moreover

,

in

Solomon

,

concerning

the

elements

:

“

Neither

by

considering

the

works

did

they

acknowledge

who

was

the

workmaster

;

but

deemed

either

fire

,

or

wind

,

or

the

swift

air

,

or

the

circle

of

the

stars

,

or

the

violent

water

,

or

the

sun

,

or

the

moon

,

to

be

gods

.

On

account

of

whose

beauty

,

if

they

thought

this

,

let

them

know

how

much

more

beautiful

is

the

Lord

than

they

.

Or

if

they

admired

their

powers

and

operations

,

let

them

understand

by

them

,

that

He

that

made

these

mighty

things

is

mightier

than

they

.

”

Notes

2
Ps. cxxxv. 15–18; cxv. 4–8.
3
Wisd. xv. 15–17.
4
Ex. xx. 4.
5
Pamelius and others read here, “the gods who rule over the world,” apparently taking the words from the thirteenth chapter of the book of Wisdom, and from the Testimonies, iii. 59, below, where they are quoted.
6
Wisd. xiii. 1–4.