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Exhortation to Martyrdom

Cyprian of Carthage

Part 6 · Introduction

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

In Deuteronomy: “But if thy brother, or thy son

‹ Section 4 Section 5 ›

,

or

thy

daughter

,

or

thy

wife

which

is

in

thy

bosom

,

or

thy

friend

which

is

the

fellow

of

thine

own

soul

,

should

ask

thee

secretly

,

saying

,

Let

us

go

and

serve

other

gods

,

the

gods

of

the

nations

,

thou

shalt

not

consent

unto

him

,

and

thou

shalt

not

hearken

unto

him

,

neither

shall

thine

eye

spare

him

,

neither

shalt

thou

conceal

him

,

declaring

thou

shalt

declare

concerning

him

.

Thine

hand

shall

be

upon

him

first

of

all

to

put

him

to

death

,

and

afterwards

the

hand

of

all

the

people

;

and

they

shall

stone

him

,

and

he

shall

die

,

because

he

hath

sought

to

turn

thee

away

from

the

Lord

thy

God

.

”

And

again

the

Lord

speaks

,

and

says

,

that

neither

must

a

city

be

spared

,

even

though

the

whole

city

should

consent

to

idolatry

:

“

Or

if

thou

shalt

hear

in

one

of

the

cities

which

the

Lord

thy

God

shall

give

thee

,

to

dwell

there

,

saying

,

Let

us

go

and

serve

other

gods

,

which

thou

hast

not

known

,

slaying

thou

shalt

kill

all

who

are

in

the

city

with

the

slaughter

of

the

sword

,

and

burn

the

city

with

fire

,

and

it

shall

be

without

habitation

for

ever

.

Moreover

,

it

shall

no

more

be

rebuilt

,

that

the

Lord

may

be

turned

from

the

indignation

of

His

anger

.

And

He

will

show

thee

mercy

,

and

He

will

pity

thee

,

and

will

multiply

thee

,

if

thou

wilt

hear

the

voice

of

the

Lord

thy

God

,

and

wilt

observe

His

precepts

.

”

Remembering

which

precept

and

its

force

,

Mattathias

slew

him

who

had

approached

the

altar

to

sacrifice

.

But

if

before

the

coming

of

Christ

these

precepts

concerning

the

worship

of

God

and

the

despising

of

idols

were

observed

,

how

much

more

should

they

be

regarded

since

Christ’s

advent

;

since

He

,

when

He

came

,

not

only

exhorted

us

with

words

,

but

with

deeds

also

,

but

after

all

wrongs

and

contumelies

,

suffered

also

,

and

was

crucified

,

that

He

might

teach

us

to

suffer

and

to

die

by

His

example

,

that

there

might

be

no

excuse

for

a

man

not

to

suffer

for

Him

,

since

He

suffered

for

us

;

and

that

since

He

suffered

for

the

sins

of

others

,

much

rather

ought

each

to

suffer

for

his

own

sins

.

And

therefore

in

the

Gospel

He

threatens

,

and

says

:

“

Whosoever

shall

confess

me

before

men

,

him

will

I

also

confess

before

my

Father

which

is

in

heaven

;

but

whosoever

shall

deny

me

before

men

,

him

will

I

also

deny

before

my

Father

which

is

in

heaven

.

”

The

Apostle

Paul

also

says

:

“

For

if

we

die

with

Him

,

we

shall

also

live

with

Him

;

if

we

suffer

,

we

shall

also

reign

with

Him

;

if

we

deny

Him

,

He

also

will

deny

us

.

”

John

too

:

“

Whosoever

denieth

the

Son

,

the

same

hath

not

the

Father

;

he

that

acknowledgeth

the

Son

,

hath

both

the

Son

and

the

Father

.

”

Whence

the

Lord

exhorts

and

strengthens

us

to

contempt

of

death

,

saying

:

“

Fear

not

them

which

kill

the

body

,

but

are

not

able

to

kill

the

soul

;

but

rather

fear

Him

which

is

able

to

kill

soul

and

body

in

Gehenna

.

”

And

again

:

“

He

that

loveth

his

life

shall

lose

it

;

and

he

who

hateth

his

life

in

this

world

,

shall

keep

it

unto

life

eternal

.

”

Notes

1
Deut. xiii. 6–10.
2
The Oxford edition inserts here, “Thou shalt inquire diligently; and if thou shalt find that that is certain which is said.”
3
Deut. xiii. 12–18.
4
Or, “for a man who does not suffer.”
5
Matt. x. 32, 33.
6
2 Tim. ii. 11, 12.
7
1 John ii. 23.
8
Matt. x. 28.
9
John xii. 25.