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Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews

Cyprian of Carthage

Book 2 · Introduction

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

Testimonies.

In Solomon in the Proverbs: “The

‹ Book 1 · Section 24 Book 2 · Section 1 ›

Lord

established

me

in

the

beginning

of

His

ways

,

into

His

works

:

before

the

world

He

founded

me

.

In

the

beginning

,

before

He

made

the

earth

,

and

before

He

appointed

the

abysses

,

before

the

fountains

of

waters

gushed

forth

,

before

the

mountains

were

settled

,

before

all

the

hills

,

the

Lord

begot

me

.

He

made

the

countries

,

and

the

uninhabitable

places

,

and

the

uninhabitable

bounds

under

heaven

.

When

He

prepared

the

heaven

,

I

was

present

with

Him

;

and

when

He

set

apart

His

seat

.

When

He

made

the

strong

clouds

above

the

winds

,

and

when

He

placed

the

strengthened

fountains

under

heaven

,

when

He

made

the

mighty

foundations

of

the

earth

,

I

was

by

His

side

,

ordering

them

:

I

was

He

in

whom

He

delighted

:

moreover

,

I

daily

rejoiced

before

His

face

in

all

time

,

when

He

rejoiced

in

the

perfected

earth

.

”

Also

in

the

same

in

Ecclesiasticus

:

“

I

went

forth

out

of

the

mouth

of

the

Most

High

,

first

-

born

before

every

creature

:

I

made

the

unwearying

light

to

rise

in

the

heavens

,

and

I

covered

the

whole

earth

with

a

cloud

:

I

dwelt

in

the

high

places

,

and

my

throne

in

the

pillar

of

the

cloud

:

I

compassed

the

circle

of

heaven

,

and

I

penetrated

into

the

depth

of

the

abyss

,

and

I

walked

on

the

waves

of

the

sea

,

and

I

stood

in

all

the

earth

;

and

in

every

people

and

in

every

nation

I

had

the

pre

-

eminence

,

and

by

my

own

strength

I

have

trodden

the

hearts

of

all

the

excellent

and

the

humble

:

in

me

is

all

hope

of

life

and

virtue

:

pass

over

to

me

,

all

ye

who

desire

me

.

”

Also

in

the

eighty

-

eighth

Psalm

:

“

And

I

will

establish

Him

as

my

first

-

born

,

the

highest

among

the

kings

of

the

earth

.

I

will

keep

my

mercy

for

Him

for

ever

,

and

my

faithful

covenant

for

Him

;

and

I

will

establish

his

seed

for

ever

and

ever

.

If

his

children

forsake

my

law

,

and

walk

not

in

my

judgments

;

if

they

profane

my

judgments

,

and

do

not

observe

my

precepts

,

I

will

visit

their

wickednesses

with

a

rod

,

and

their

sins

with

scourges

;

but

my

mercy

will

I

not

scatter

away

from

them

.

”

Also

in

the

Gospel

according

to

John

,

the

Lord

says

:

“

And

this

is

life

eternal

,

that

they

should

know

Thee

,

the

only

and

true

God

,

and

Jesus

Christ

,

whom

Thou

hast

sent

.

I

have

glorified

Thee

on

the

earth

:

I

have

finished

the

work

which

Thou

gavest

me

to

do

.

And

now

,

do

Thou

glorify

me

with

Thyself

,

with

the

glory

which

I

had

with

Thee

before

the

world

was

made

.

”

Also

Paul

to

the

Colossians

:

“

Who

is

the

image

of

the

invisible

God

,

and

the

first

-

born

of

every

creature

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

The

first

-

born

from

the

dead

,

that

He

might

in

all

things

become

the

holder

of

the

pre

-

eminence

.

”

In

the

Apocalypse

too

:

“

I

am

Alpha

and

Omega

,

the

beginning

and

the

end

.

I

will

give

unto

Him

that

is

thirsting

from

the

fountain

of

the

water

of

life

freely

.

”

That

He

also

is

both

the

wisdom

and

the

power

of

God

,

Paul

proves

in

his

first

Epistle

to

the

Corinthians

.

“

Because

the

Jews

require

a

sign

,

and

the

Greeks

seek

after

wisdom

:

but

we

preach

Christ

crucified

,

to

the

Jews

indeed

a

stumbling

-

block

,

and

to

the

Gentiles

foolishness

;

but

to

them

that

are

called

,

both

Jews

and

Greeks

,

Christ

the

power

of

God

and

the

wisdom

of

God

.

”

Notes

1
[Condidit. Bull, Opp., v. p. 515. ἐκτήσατο, Jerome; ἔκτισε, alii. See Justin, vol. i. p. 264; Athenagoras, vol. ii. p. 133; Clement, ib., p. 194; and see note, Oxford translation. See Irenæus, vol. i. p. 488.]
2
Prov. viii. 22–31.
3
Ecclus. xxiv. 3–7.
4
Ps. lxxxix. 27–33.
5
John xvii. 3–5.
6
Col. i. 15.
7
Col. i. 18.
8
Rev. xxi. 6.
9
1 Cor. i. 22–24.