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Cyprian of Carthage

Section 3

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

3. Let us then acknowledge, beloved brethren, the wholesome gift

‹ Section 2 Section 4 ›

of

the

divine

mercy

;

and

let

us

,

who

cannot

be

without

some

wound

of

conscience

,

heal

our

wounds

by

the

spiritual

remedies

for

the

cleansing

and

purging

of

our

sins

.

Nor

let

any

one

so

flatter

himself

with

the

notion

of

a

pure

and

immaculate

heart

,

as

,

in

dependence

on

his

own

innocence

,

to

think

that

the

medicine

needs

not

to

be

applied

to

his

wounds

;

since

it

is

written

,

“

Who

shall

boast

that

he

hath

a

clean

heart

,

or

who

shall

boast

that

he

is

pure

from

sins

?

”

And

again

,

in

his

epistle

,

John

lays

it

down

,

and

says

,

“

If

we

say

that

we

have

no

sin

,

we

deceive

ourselves

,

and

the

truth

is

not

in

us

.

”

But

if

no

one

can

be

without

sin

,

and

whoever

should

say

that

he

is

without

fault

is

either

proud

or

foolish

,

how

needful

,

how

kind

is

the

divine

mercy

,

which

,

knowing

that

there

are

still

found

some

wounds

in

those

that

have

been

healed

,

even

after

their

healing

,

has

given

wholesome

remedies

for

the

curing

and

healing

of

their

wounds

anew

!

Notes

9
Prov. xx. 9.
10
1 John i. 8, 9. Oxford editors add: “If we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” [They remind us that this passage is expounded in the Anglican Book of Homilies, Hom. xi. part ii. p. 347, ed. Philadelphia, 1844.]