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On Works and Alms

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 14

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

14. You are mistaken, and are deceived, whosoever you are

‹ Section 13 Section 15 ›

,

that

think

yourself

rich

in

this

world

.

Listen

to

the

voice

of

your

Lord

in

the

Apocalypse

,

rebuking

men

of

your

stamp

with

righteous

reproaches

:

“

Thou

sayest

,

”

says

He

,

“

I

am

rich

,

and

increased

with

goods

,

and

have

need

of

nothing

;

and

knowest

not

that

thou

art

wretched

,

and

miserable

,

and

poor

,

and

blind

,

and

naked

.

I

counsel

thee

to

buy

of

me

gold

tried

in

the

fire

,

that

thou

mayest

be

rich

;

and

white

raiment

,

that

thou

mayest

be

clothed

,

and

that

the

shame

of

thy

nakedness

may

not

appear

in

thee

;

and

anoint

thine

eyes

with

eye

-

salve

,

that

thou

mayest

see

.

”

You

therefore

,

who

are

rich

and

wealthy

,

buy

for

yourself

of

Christ

gold

tried

by

fire

;

that

you

may

be

pure

gold

,

with

your

filth

burnt

out

as

if

by

fire

,

if

you

are

purged

by

almsgiving

and

righteous

works

.

Buy

for

yourself

white

raiment

,

that

you

who

had

been

naked

according

to

Adam

,

and

were

before

frightful

and

unseemly

,

may

be

clothed

with

the

white

garment

of

Christ

.

And

you

who

are

a

wealthy

and

rich

matron

in

Christ’s

Church

,

anoint

your

eyes

,

not

with

the

collyrium

of

the

devil

,

but

with

Christ’s

eye

-

salve

,

that

you

may

be

able

to

attain

to

see

God

,

by

deserving

well

of

God

,

both

by

good

works

and

character

.

Notes

42
Rev. iii. 17, 18.
43
These words, “in Christ’s Church,” are omitted in a few texts.
44
[See Tertullian, vol. iv. p. 19; and for men, p. 22. Also, “eyelid-powder,” p. 23.]