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On the Lapsed

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 27

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

27. Nor let those persons flatter themselves that they need

‹ Section 26 Section 28 ›

repent

the

less

,

who

,

although

they

have

not

polluted

their

hands

with

abominable

sacrifices

,

yet

have

defiled

their

conscience

with

certificates

.

That

profession

of

one

who

denies

,

is

the

testimony

of

a

Christian

disowning

what

he

had

been

.

He

says

that

he

has

done

what

another

has

actually

committed

;

and

although

it

is

written

,

“

Ye

cannot

serve

two

masters

,

”

he

has

served

an

earthly

master

in

that

he

has

obeyed

his

edict

;

he

has

been

more

obedient

to

human

authority

than

to

God

.

It

matters

not

whether

he

has

published

what

he

has

done

with

less

either

of

disgrace

or

of

guilt

among

men

.

Be

that

as

it

may

,

he

will

not

be

able

to

escape

and

avoid

God

his

judge

,

seeing

that

the

Holy

Spirit

says

in

the

Psalms

,

“

Thine

eyes

did

see

my

substance

,

that

it

was

imperfect

,

and

in

Thy

book

shall

all

men

be

written

.

”

And

again

:

“

Man

seeth

the

outward

appearance

,

but

God

seeth

the

heart

.

”

The

Lord

Himself

also

forewarns

and

prepares

us

,

saying

,

“

And

all

the

churches

shall

know

that

I

am

He

which

searcheth

the

reins

and

the

heart

.

”

He

looks

into

the

hidden

and

secret

things

,

and

considers

those

things

which

are

concealed

;

nor

can

any

one

evade

the

eyes

of

the

Lord

,

who

says

,

“

I

am

a

God

at

hand

,

and

not

a

God

afar

off

.

If

a

man

be

hidden

in

secret

places

,

shall

not

I

therefore

see

him

?

Do

not

I

fill

heaven

and

earth

?

”

He

sees

the

heart

and

mind

of

every

person

;

and

He

will

judge

not

alone

of

our

deeds

,

but

even

of

our

words

and

thoughts

.

He

looks

into

the

minds

,

and

the

wills

,

and

conceptions

of

all

men

,

in

the

very

lurking

-

places

of

the

heart

that

is

still

closed

up

.

Notes

68
[The kindly but unwise interposition of the confessors in their behalf. See vol. iii. p. 693, note 2.]
69
Matt. vi. 24.
70
Ps. cxxxix. 16.
71
1 Sam. xvi. 7.
72
Apoc. ii. 23.
73
Jer. xxiii. 23.