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On Jealousy and Envy

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 5

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

5. Hence, in fine, began the primal hatreds of the

‹ Section 4 Section 6 ›

new

brotherhood

,

hence

the

abominable

fratricides

,

in

that

the

unrighteous

Cain

is

jealous

of

the

righteous

Abel

,

in

that

the

wicked

persecutes

the

good

with

envy

and

jealousy

.

So

far

prevailed

the

rage

of

envy

to

the

consummation

of

that

deed

of

wickedness

,

that

neither

the

love

of

his

brother

,

nor

the

immensity

of

the

crime

,

nor

the

fear

of

God

,

nor

the

penalty

of

the

sin

,

was

considered

.

He

was

unrighteously

stricken

who

had

been

the

first

to

show

righteousness

;

he

endured

hatred

who

had

not

known

how

to

hate

;

he

was

impiously

slain

,

who

,

dying

,

did

not

resist

.

And

that

Esau

was

hostile

to

his

brother

Jacob

,

arose

from

jealousy

also

.

For

because

the

latter

had

received

his

father’s

blessing

,

the

former

was

inflamed

to

a

persecuting

hatred

by

the

brands

of

jealousy

.

And

that

Joseph

was

sold

by

his

brethren

,

the

reason

of

their

selling

him

proceeded

from

envy

.

When

in

simplicity

,

and

as

a

brother

to

brethren

,

he

set

forth

to

them

the

prosperity

which

had

been

shown

to

him

in

visions

,

their

malevolent

disposition

broke

forth

into

envy

.

Moreover

,

that

Saul

the

king

hated

David

,

so

as

to

seek

by

often

repeated

persecutions

to

kill

him

—

innocent

,

merciful

,

gentle

,

patient

in

meekness

—

what

else

was

the

provocation

save

the

spur

of

jealousy

?

Because

,

when

Goliath

was

slain

,

and

by

the

aid

and

condescension

of

God

so

great

an

enemy

was

routed

,

the

wondering

people

burst

forth

with

the

suffrage

of

acclamation

into

praises

of

David

,

Saul

through

jealousy

conceived

the

rage

of

enmity

and

persecution

.

And

,

not

to

go

to

the

length

of

numbering

each

one

,

let

us

observe

the

destruction

of

a

people

that

perished

once

for

all

.

Did

not

the

Jews

perish

for

this

reason

,

that

they

chose

rather

to

envy

Christ

than

to

believe

Him

?

Disparaging

those

great

works

which

He

did

,

they

were

deceived

by

blinding

jealousy

,

and

could

not

open

the

eyes

of

their

heart

to

the

knowledge

of

divine

things

.

Notes

10
[Chrysostom, ut. supra.]
11
Variously “semel” or “simul.”
12
[Matt. xxvi. 18.]