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On the Lapsed

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 24

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

24. One of those who of his own will ascended

‹ Section 23 Section 25 ›

the

Capitol

to

make

denial

,

after

he

had

denied

Christ

,

became

dumb

.

The

punishment

began

from

that

point

whence

the

crime

also

began

;

so

that

now

he

could

not

ask

,

since

he

had

no

words

for

entreating

mercy

.

Another

,

who

was

in

the

baths

,

(

for

this

was

wanting

to

her

crime

and

to

her

misfortunes

,

that

she

even

went

at

once

to

the

baths

,

when

she

had

lost

the

grace

of

the

laver

of

life

)

;

there

,

unclean

as

she

was

,

was

seized

by

an

unclean

spirit

,

and

tore

with

her

teeth

the

tongue

with

which

she

had

either

impiously

eaten

or

spoken

.

After

the

wicked

food

had

been

taken

,

the

madness

of

the

mouth

was

armed

to

its

own

destruction

.

She

herself

was

her

own

executioner

,

nor

did

she

long

continue

to

live

afterwards

:

tortured

with

pangs

of

the

belly

and

bowels

,

she

expired

.

Notes

57
[See p. 340, note 2, supra.]
58
Otherwise, “for the mercifulness of prayers.”
59
Some read, “and fell down.”