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On the Lapsed

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 30

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

30. Do we believe that a man is lamenting with

‹ Section 29 Section 31 ›

his

whole

heart

,

that

he

is

entreating

the

Lord

with

fasting

,

and

with

weeping

,

and

with

mourning

,

who

from

the

first

day

of

his

sin

daily

frequents

the

bathing

-

places

with

women

;

who

,

feeding

at

rich

banquets

,

and

puffed

out

with

fuller

dainties

,

belches

forth

on

the

his

indigestions

,

and

does

not

dispense

of

his

meat

and

drink

so

as

to

aid

the

necessity

of

the

poor

?

How

does

he

who

walks

with

joyous

and

glad

step

mourn

for

his

death

?

And

although

it

is

written

,

“

Ye

shall

not

mar

the

figure

of

your

beard

,

”

he

plucks

out

his

beard

,

and

dresses

his

hair

;

and

does

he

now

study

to

please

any

one

who

displeases

God

?

Or

does

she

groan

and

lament

who

has

time

to

put

on

the

clothing

of

precious

apparel

,

and

not

to

consider

the

robe

of

Christ

which

she

has

lost

;

to

receive

valuable

ornaments

and

richly

wrought

necklaces

,

and

not

to

bewail

the

loss

of

divine

and

heavenly

ornament

?

Although

thou

clothest

thyself

in

foreign

garments

and

silken

robes

,

thou

art

naked

;

although

thou

adornest

thyself

to

excess

both

in

pearls

,

and

gems

,

and

gold

,

yet

without

the

adornment

of

Christ

thou

art

unsightly

.

And

you

who

stain

your

hair

,

now

at

least

cease

in

the

midst

of

sorrows

;

and

you

who

paint

the

edges

of

your

eyes

with

a

line

drawn

around

them

of

black

powder

,

now

at

least

wash

your

eyes

with

tears

.

If

you

had

lost

any

dear

one

of

your

friends

by

the

death

incident

to

mortality

,

you

would

groan

grievously

,

and

weep

with

disordered

countenance

,

with

changed

dress

,

with

neglected

hair

,

with

clouded

face

,

with

dejected

appearance

,

you

would

show

the

signs

of

grief

.

Miserable

creature

,

you

have

lost

your

soul

;

spiritually

dead

here

,

you

are

continuing

to

live

to

yourself

,

and

although

yourself

walking

about

,

you

have

begun

to

carry

your

own

death

with

you

.

And

do

you

not

bitterly

moan

;

do

you

not

continually

groan

;

do

you

not

hide

yourself

,

either

for

shame

of

your

sin

or

for

continuance

of

your

lamentation

?

Behold

,

these

are

still

worse

wounds

of

sinning

;

behold

,

these

are

greater

crimes

—

to

have

sinned

,

and

not

to

make

atonement

—

to

have

committed

crimes

,

and

not

to

bewail

your

crimes

.

Notes

78
Lev. xix. 27.