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On the Lapsed

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 11

About this work

Cyprian addresses Christians who sacrificed or obtained certificates during persecution, balancing rebuke, repentance, pastoral restoration, the claims of confessors, and the discipline of the church.

Author: Cyprian of Carthage
Date: c. AD 251
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Theological Treatise

11. The truth, brethren, must not be disguised

‹ Section 10 Section 12 ›

;

nor

must

the

matter

and

cause

of

our

wound

be

concealed

.

A

blind

love

of

one’s

own

property

has

deceived

many

;

nor

could

they

be

prepared

for

,

or

at

ease

in

,

departing

when

their

wealth

fettered

them

like

a

chain

.

Those

were

the

chains

to

them

that

remained

—

those

were

the

bonds

by

which

both

virtue

was

retarded

,

and

faith

burdened

,

and

the

spirit

bound

,

and

the

soul

hindered

;

so

that

they

who

were

involved

in

earthly

things

might

become

a

booty

and

food

for

the

serpent

,

which

,

according

to

God’s

sentence

,

feeds

upon

earth

.

And

therefore

the

Lord

the

teacher

of

good

things

,

forewarning

for

the

future

time

,

says

,

“

If

thou

wilt

be

perfect

,

go

,

sell

all

that

thou

hast

,

and

give

to

the

poor

,

and

thou

shalt

have

treasure

in

heaven

:

and

come

and

follow

me

.

”

If

rich

men

did

this

,

they

would

not

perish

by

their

riches

;

if

they

laid

up

treasure

in

heaven

,

they

would

not

now

have

a

domestic

enemy

and

assailant

.

Heart

and

mind

and

feeling

would

be

in

heaven

,

if

the

treasure

were

in

heaven

;

nor

could

he

be

overcome

by

the

world

who

had

nothing

in

the

world

whereby

he

could

be

overcome

.

He

would

follow

the

Lord

loosed

and

free

,

as

did

the

apostles

,

and

many

in

the

times

of

the

apostles

,

and

many

who

forsook

both

their

means

and

their

relatives

,

and

clave

to

Christ

with

undivided

ties

.

Notes

22
According to some, for “things” read “desires.”
23
Matt. xix. 21.
24
Otherwise, “could be bound.”