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On the Advantage of Patience

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 16

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

16. What beyond;—that you should not swear nor

‹ Section 15 Section 17 ›

curse

;

that

you

should

not

seek

again

your

goods

when

taken

from

you

;

that

,

when

you

receive

a

buffet

,

you

should

give

your

other

cheek

to

the

smiter

;

that

you

should

forgive

a

brother

who

sins

against

you

,

not

only

seven

times

,

but

seventy

times

seven

times

,

but

,

moreover

,

all

his

sins

altogether

;

that

you

should

love

your

enemies

;

that

you

should

offer

prayer

for

your

adversaries

and

persecutors

?

Can

you

accomplish

these

things

unless

you

maintain

the

stedfastness

of

patience

and

endurance

?

And

this

we

see

done

in

the

case

of

Stephen

,

who

,

when

he

was

slain

by

the

Jews

with

violence

and

stoning

,

did

not

ask

for

vengeance

for

himself

,

but

for

pardon

for

his

murderers

,

saying

,

“

Lord

,

lay

not

this

sin

to

their

charge

.

”

It

behoved

the

first

martyr

of

Christ

thus

to

be

,

who

,

fore

-

running

the

martyrs

that

should

follow

him

in

a

glorious

death

,

was

not

only

the

preacher

of

the

Lord’s

passion

,

but

also

the

imitator

of

His

most

patient

gentleness

.

What

shall

I

say

of

anger

,

of

discord

,

of

strife

,

which

things

ought

not

to

be

found

in

a

Christian

?

Let

there

be

patience

in

the

breast

,

and

these

things

cannot

have

place

there

;

or

should

they

try

to

enter

,

they

are

quickly

excluded

and

depart

,

that

a

peaceful

abode

may

continue

in

the

heart

,

where

it

delights

the

God

of

peace

to

dwell

.

Finally

,

the

apostle

warns

us

,

and

teaches

,

saying

:

“

Grieve

not

the

Holy

Spirit

of

God

,

in

whom

ye

are

sealed

unto

the

day

of

redemption

.

Let

all

bitterness

,

and

anger

,

and

wrath

,

and

clamour

,

and

blasphemy

,

be

put

away

from

you

.

”

For

if

the

Christian

have

departed

from

rage

and

carnal

contention

as

if

from

the

hurricanes

of

the

sea

,

and

have

already

begun

to

be

tranquil

and

meek

in

the

harbour

of

Christ

,

he

ought

to

admit

neither

anger

nor

discord

within

his

breast

,

since

he

must

neither

return

evil

for

evil

,

nor

bear

hatred

.

Notes

37
Manutius, Pamelius, and others add, “not only seventy times seven times.”
38
Or, “them with the stedfastness of patience,” etc.
39
Acts vii. 60.
40
Eph. iv. 30, 31.