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On the Mortality

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 25

About this work

Written during epidemic, this pastoral work urges Christians not to fear death, interprets suffering through faith and hope, and calls the community to courage, charity, and readiness for God.

Author: Cyprian of Carthage
Date: c. AD 252
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Theological Treatise

25. And this, as it ought always to be

‹ Section 24 Section 26 ›

done

by

God’s

servants

,

much

more

ought

to

be

done

now

—

now

that

the

world

is

collapsing

and

is

oppressed

with

the

tempests

of

mischievous

ills

;

in

order

that

we

who

see

that

terrible

things

have

begun

,

and

know

that

still

more

terrible

things

are

imminent

,

may

regard

it

as

the

greatest

advantage

to

depart

from

it

as

quickly

as

possible

.

If

in

your

dwelling

the

walls

were

shaking

with

age

,

the

roofs

above

you

were

trembling

,

and

the

house

,

now

worn

out

and

wearied

,

were

threatening

an

immediate

destruction

to

its

structure

crumbling

with

age

,

would

you

not

with

all

speed

depart

?

If

,

when

you

were

on

a

voyage

,

an

angry

and

raging

tempest

,

by

the

waves

violently

aroused

,

foretold

the

coming

shipwreck

,

would

you

not

quickly

seek

the

harbour

?

Lo

,

the

world

is

changing

and

passing

away

,

and

witnesses

to

its

ruin

not

now

by

its

age

,

but

by

the

end

of

things

.

And

do

you

not

give

God

thanks

,

do

you

not

congratulate

yourself

,

that

by

an

earlier

departure

you

are

taken

away

,

and

delivered

from

the

shipwrecks

and

disasters

that

are

imminent

?