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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 Solomon: “A man that sweareth much shall

‹ Book 3 · Section 11 Book 3 · Section 12 ›

be

filled

with

iniquity

,

and

the

plague

shall

not

depart

from

his

house

;

and

if

he

swear

vainly

,

he

shall

not

be

justified

.

”

Of

this

same

matter

,

according

to

Matthew

:

“

(

Again

,

ye

have

heard

that

it

was

said

to

them

of

old

,

Thou

shalt

not

swear

falsely

,

but

shalt

perform

unto

the

Lord

thine

oaths

.

)

I

say

unto

you

,

Swear

not

at

all

:

(

neither

by

heaven

,

because

it

is

God’s

throne

;

nor

by

the

earth

,

because

it

is

His

footstool

;

nor

by

Jerusalem

,

because

it

is

the

city

of

the

great

King

;

neither

shalt

thou

swear

by

thy

head

,

because

thou

canst

not

make

one

hair

white

or

black

.

)

But

let

your

discourse

be

,

Yea

,

yea

;

Nay

,

nay

:

(

for

whatever

is

fuller

than

these

is

of

evil

.

”

)

Of

this

same

thing

in

Exodus

:

“

Thou

shalt

not

take

the

name

of

the

Lord

thy

God

in

vain

.

”

Notes

1
Ecclus. xxiii. 11. From some ancient text the Oxford edition adds here, “Et si frustra juraverit dupliciter punietur”—“and if he swear with no purpose, he shall be punished doubly.”
2
Matt. v. 34–37. All these passages are wanting in the Oxford text; [also in ed. Paris, 1574].
3
Ex. xx. 7. [Compare old Paris ed. on this section.]