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On Jealousy and Envy

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 6

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

6. Considering which things, beloved brethren, let us with

‹ Section 5 Section 7 ›

vigilance

and

courage

fortify

our

hearts

dedicated

to

God

against

such

a

destructiveness

of

evil

.

Let

the

death

of

others

avail

for

our

safety

;

let

the

punishment

of

the

unwise

confer

health

upon

the

prudent

.

Moreover

,

there

is

no

ground

for

any

one

to

suppose

that

evil

of

that

kind

is

confined

in

one

form

,

or

restrained

within

brief

limits

in

a

narrow

boundary

.

The

mischief

of

jealousy

,

manifold

and

fruitful

,

extends

widely

.

It

is

the

root

of

all

evils

,

the

fountain

of

disasters

,

the

nursery

of

crimes

,

the

material

of

transgressions

.

Thence

arises

hatred

,

thence

proceeds

animosity

.

Jealousy

inflames

avarice

,

in

that

one

cannot

be

content

with

what

is

his

own

,

while

he

sees

another

more

wealthy

.

Jealousy

stirs

up

ambition

,

when

one

sees

another

more

exalted

in

honours

.

When

jealousy

darkens

our

perceptions

,

and

reduces

the

secret

agencies

of

the

mind

under

its

command

,

the

fear

of

God

is

despised

,

the

teaching

of

Christ

is

neglected

,

the

day

of

judgment

is

not

anticipated

.

Pride

inflates

,

cruelty

embitters

,

faithlessness

prevaricates

,

impatience

agitates

,

discord

rages

,

anger

grows

hot

;

nor

can

he

who

has

become

the

subject

of

a

foreign

authority

any

longer

restrain

or

govern

himself

.

By

this

the

bond

of

the

Lord’s

peace

is

broken

;

by

this

is

violated

brotherly

charity

;

by

this

truth

is

adulterated

,

unity

is

divided

;

men

plunge

into

heresies

and

schisms

when

priests

are

disparaged

,

when

bishops

are

envied

,

when

a

man

complains

that

he

himself

was

not

rather

ordained

,

or

disdains

to

suffer

that

another

should

be

put

over

him

.

Hence

the

man

who

is

haughty

through

jealousy

,

and

perverse

through

envy

,

kicks

,

hence

he

revolts

,

in

anger

and

malice

the

opponent

,

not

of

the

man

,

but

of

the

honour

.

Notes

13
Or, with some editors, “more increased in honours.” [To be purged from a Christian’s heart like a leprosy from the body. See Jeremy Taylor, sermon xix., Apples of Sodom. Quotation from Ælian, vol. i. p. 717.]
14
[The sin of Novatian and Arius. See p. 489, note 3, supra.]