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On Works and Alms

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 25

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

25. Let us consider, beloved brethren, what the congregation of

‹ Section 24 Section 26 ›

believers

did

in

the

time

of

the

apostles

,

when

at

the

first

beginnings

the

mind

flourished

with

greater

virtues

,

when

the

faith

of

believers

burned

with

a

warmth

of

faith

as

yet

new

.

Then

they

sold

houses

and

farms

,

and

gladly

and

liberally

presented

to

the

apostles

the

proceeds

to

be

dispensed

to

the

poor

;

selling

and

alienating

their

earthly

estate

,

they

transferred

their

lands

thither

where

they

might

receive

the

fruits

of

an

eternal

possession

,

and

there

prepared

homes

where

they

might

begin

an

eternal

habitation

.

Such

,

then

,

was

the

abundance

in

labours

,

as

was

the

agreement

in

love

,

as

we

read

in

the

Acts

of

the

Apostles

:

“

And

the

multitude

of

them

that

believed

acted

with

one

heart

and

one

soul

;

neither

was

there

any

distinction

among

them

,

nor

did

they

esteem

anything

their

own

of

the

goods

which

belonged

to

them

,

but

they

had

all

things

common

.

”

This

is

truly

to

become

sons

of

God

by

spiritual

birth

;

this

is

to

imitate

by

the

heavenly

law

the

equity

of

God

the

Father

.

For

whatever

is

of

God

is

common

in

our

use

;

nor

is

any

one

excluded

from

His

benefits

and

His

gifts

,

so

as

to

prevent

the

whole

human

race

from

enjoying

equally

the

divine

goodness

and

liberality

.

Thus

the

day

equally

enlightens

,

the

sun

gives

radiance

,

the

rain

moistens

,

the

wind

blows

,

and

the

sleep

is

one

to

those

that

sleep

,

and

the

splendour

of

the

stars

and

of

the

moon

is

common

.

In

which

example

of

equality

,

he

who

,

as

a

possessor

in

the

earth

,

shares

his

returns

and

his

fruits

with

the

fraternity

,

while

he

is

common

and

just

in

his

gratuitous

bounties

,

is

an

imitator

of

God

the

Father

.

Notes

63
Acts iv. 32.
64
This appears to be the less usual reading, the ordinary one being “equity.”