Opening the library…

Search the Bible

On the Lapsed

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 33

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

33. Neither let that imprudent error or vain stupor of

‹ Section 32 Section 34 ›

some

move

you

,

who

,

although

they

are

involved

in

so

grave

a

crime

,

are

struck

with

blindness

of

mind

,

so

that

they

neither

understand

nor

lament

their

sins

.

This

is

the

greater

visitation

of

an

angry

God

;

as

it

is

written

,

“

And

God

gave

them

the

spirit

of

deadness

.

”

And

again

:

“

They

received

not

the

love

of

the

truth

,

that

they

might

be

saved

.

And

for

this

cause

God

shall

send

them

the

working

of

error

,

that

they

should

believe

a

lie

;

that

they

all

might

be

damned

who

believed

not

the

truth

,

but

had

pleasure

in

unrighteousness

.

”

Unrighteously

pleasing

themselves

,

and

mad

with

the

alienation

of

a

hardened

mind

,

they

despise

the

Lord’s

precepts

,

neglect

the

medicine

for

their

wound

,

and

will

not

repent

.

Thoughtless

before

their

sin

was

acknowledged

,

after

their

sin

they

are

obstinate

;

neither

stedfast

before

,

nor

suppliant

afterwards

:

when

they

ought

to

have

stood

fast

,

they

fell

;

when

they

ought

to

fall

and

prostrate

themselves

to

God

,

they

think

they

stand

fast

.

They

have

taken

peace

for

themselves

of

their

own

accord

when

nobody

granted

it

;

seduced

by

false

promises

,

and

linked

with

apostates

and

unbelievers

,

they

take

hold

of

error

instead

of

truth

:

they

regard

a

communion

as

valid

with

those

who

are

not

communicants

;

they

believe

men

against

God

,

although

they

have

not

believed

God

against

men

.

Notes

83
Isa. xxix. 10; Vulg. “transpunctionis.”
84
2 Thess. ii. 10.