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Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews

Cyprian of Carthage

Book 3 · Introduction

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

In Isaiah: “Seek ye the Lord; and

‹ Book 3 · Section 10 Book 3 · Section 11 ›

when

ye

have

found

Him

,

call

upon

Him

.

But

when

He

hath

come

near

unto

you

,

let

the

wicked

forsake

his

ways

,

and

the

unrighteous

man

his

thoughts

:

and

let

him

be

turned

unto

the

Lord

,

and

he

shall

obtain

mercy

,

because

He

will

plentifully

pardon

your

sins

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

Solomon

:

“

I

have

seen

all

the

works

which

are

done

under

the

sun

;

and

,

lo

,

all

are

vanity

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

Exodus

:

“

But

thus

shall

ye

eat

it

;

your

loins

girt

,

and

your

shoes

on

your

feet

,

and

your

staves

in

your

hands

:

and

ye

shall

eat

it

in

haste

,

for

it

is

the

Lord’s

passover

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

the

Gospel

according

to

Matthew

:

“

Take

no

thought

,

saying

,

What

shall

we

eat

?

or

,

What

shall

we

drink

?

or

,

Wherewith

shall

we

be

clothed

?

for

these

things

the

nations

seek

after

.

But

your

Father

knoweth

that

ye

have

need

of

all

these

things

.

Seek

first

the

kingdom

of

God

,

and

His

righteousness

;

and

all

these

things

shall

be

added

unto

you

.

”

Likewise

in

the

same

place

:

“

Think

not

for

the

morrow

,

for

the

morrow

shall

take

thought

for

itself

.

Sufficient

unto

the

day

is

its

own

evil

.

”

Likewise

in

the

same

place

:

“

No

one

looking

back

,

and

putting

his

hands

to

the

plough

,

is

fit

for

the

kingdom

of

God

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

Behold

the

fowls

of

the

heaven

:

for

they

sow

not

,

nor

reap

,

nor

gather

into

barns

;

and

your

heavenly

Father

feedeth

them

.

Are

not

ye

of

more

value

than

they

?

”

Concerning

this

same

thing

,

according

to

Luke

:

“

Let

your

loins

be

girded

,

and

your

lamps

burning

;

and

ye

like

unto

men

that

wait

for

their

lord

,

when

he

cometh

from

the

wedding

;

that

,

when

he

cometh

and

knocketh

,

they

may

open

to

him

.

Blessed

are

those

servants

,

whom

their

lord

,

when

he

cometh

,

shall

find

watching

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

Matthew

:

“

The

foxes

have

holes

,

and

the

birds

of

the

heaven

have

nests

;

but

the

Son

of

man

hath

not

where

He

may

lay

His

head

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

Whoso

forsaketh

not

all

that

he

hath

,

cannot

be

my

disciple

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

the

first

to

the

Corinthians

:

“

Ye

are

not

your

own

,

for

ye

are

bought

with

a

great

price

.

Glorify

and

bear

God

in

your

body

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

The

time

is

limited

.

It

remaineth

,

therefore

,

that

both

they

who

have

wives

be

as

though

they

have

them

not

,

and

they

who

lament

as

they

that

lament

not

,

and

they

that

rejoice

as

they

that

rejoice

not

,

and

they

who

buy

as

they

that

buy

not

,

and

they

who

possess

as

they

who

possess

not

,

and

they

who

use

this

world

as

they

that

use

it

not

;

for

the

fashion

of

this

world

passeth

away

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

The

first

man

is

of

the

clay

of

the

earth

,

the

second

man

from

heaven

.

As

he

is

of

the

clay

,

such

also

are

they

who

are

of

the

clay

;

and

as

is

the

heavenly

,

such

also

are

the

heavenly

.

Even

as

we

have

borne

the

image

of

him

who

is

of

the

clay

,

let

us

bear

His

image

also

who

is

from

heaven

.

”

Of

this

same

matter

to

the

Philippians

:

“

All

seek

their

own

,

and

not

those

things

which

are

Christ’s

;

whose

end

is

destruction

,

whose

god

is

their

belly

,

and

their

glory

is

to

their

confusion

,

who

mind

earthly

things

.

For

our

conversation

is

in

heaven

,

whence

also

we

expect

the

Saviour

,

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

who

shall

transform

the

body

of

our

humiliation

conformed

to

the

body

of

His

glory

.

”

Of

this

very

matter

to

Galatians

:

“

But

be

it

far

from

me

to

boast

,

except

in

the

cross

of

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

by

whom

the

world

is

crucified

unto

me

,

and

I

unto

the

world

.

”

Concerning

this

same

thing

to

Timothy

:

“

No

man

that

warreth

for

God

bindeth

himself

with

worldly

annoyances

,

that

he

may

please

Him

to

whom

he

hath

approved

himself

.

But

and

if

a

man

should

contend

,

he

will

not

be

crowned

unless

he

fight

lawfully

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

to

the

Colossians

:

“

If

ye

be

dead

with

Christ

from

the

elements

of

the

world

,

why

still

,

as

if

living

in

the

world

,

do

ye

follow

vain

things

?

”

Also

concerning

this

same

thing

:

“

If

ye

have

risen

together

with

Christ

,

seek

those

things

which

are

above

,

where

Christ

is

sitting

on

the

right

hand

of

God

.

Give

heed

to

the

things

that

are

above

,

not

to

those

things

which

are

on

the

earth

;

for

ye

are

dead

,

and

your

life

is

hidden

with

Christ

in

God

.

But

when

Christ

your

life

shall

appear

,

then

shall

ye

also

appear

with

Him

in

glory

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

to

the

Ephesians

:

Put

off

the

old

man

of

the

former

conversation

,

who

is

corrupted

,

according

to

the

lusts

of

deceit

.

But

be

ye

renewed

in

the

spirit

of

your

mind

,

and

put

on

the

new

man

,

him

who

according

to

God

is

ordained

in

righteousness

,

and

holiness

,

and

truth

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

the

Epistle

of

Peter

:

“

As

strangers

and

pilgrims

,

abstain

from

fleshly

lusts

,

which

war

against

the

soul

;

but

having

a

good

conversation

among

the

Gentiles

,

that

while

they

detract

from

you

as

if

from

evildoers

,

yet

,

beholding

your

good

works

,

they

may

magnify

God

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

the

Epistle

of

John

:

“

He

who

saith

he

abideth

in

Christ

,

ought

himself

also

to

walk

even

as

He

walked

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

Love

not

the

world

,

neither

the

things

that

are

in

the

world

.

If

any

man

loveth

the

world

,

the

love

of

the

Father

is

not

in

him

.

Because

everything

which

is

in

the

world

is

lust

of

the

flesh

,

and

lust

of

the

eyes

,

and

the

ambition

of

this

world

,

which

is

not

of

the

Father

,

but

of

the

lust

of

this

world

.

And

the

world

shall

pass

away

with

its

lust

.

But

he

that

doeth

the

will

of

God

abideth

for

ever

,

even

as

God

abideth

for

ever

.

”

Also

in

the

first

Epistle

of

Paul

to

the

Corinthians

:

“

Purge

out

the

old

leaven

,

that

ye

may

be

a

new

dough

,

as

ye

are

unleavened

.

For

also

Christ

our

passover

is

sacrificed

.

Therefore

let

us

celebrate

the

feast

,

not

in

the

old

leaven

,

nor

in

the

leaven

of

malice

and

wickedness

,

but

in

the

unleavened

bread

of

sincerity

and

truth

.

”

Notes

1
Isa. lv. 6, 7.
2
Eccles. i. 14.
3
Ex. xii. 11.
4
Matt. vi. 31–33.
5
Matt. vi. 34.
6
Luke ix. 62.
7
Matt. vi. 26.
8
Luke xii. 35–37.
9
Matt. viii. 20.
10
Luke xiv. 33.
11
1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.
12
1 Cor. vii. 29–31.
13
1 Cor. xv. 47–49.
14
Phil. ii. 21; iii. 19–21.
15
Gal. vi. 14.
16
2 Tim. ii. 4, 5.
17
Col. ii. 20.
18
Col. iii. 1–4.
19
Eph. iv. 22–24.
20
2 Pet. ii. 11, 12.
21
1 John ii. 6.
22
1 John ii. 15–17.
23
1 Cor. v. 7, 8.