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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 the Proverbs of Solomon: “The faithful martyr

‹ Book 3 · Section 15 Book 3 · Section 16 ›

delivers

his

soul

from

evils

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

Then

shall

the

righteous

stand

in

great

boldness

against

them

who

have

afflicted

them

,

and

who

took

away

their

labours

.

When

they

see

them

,

they

shall

be

disturbed

with

a

horrible

fear

;

and

they

shall

wonder

at

the

suddenness

of

their

unhoped

-

for

salvation

,

saying

among

themselves

,

repenting

and

groaning

with

distress

of

spirit

,

These

are

they

whom

some

time

we

had

in

derision

,

and

in

the

likeness

of

a

proverb

;

we

fools

counted

their

life

madness

,

and

their

end

without

honour

.

How

are

they

reckoned

among

the

children

of

God

,

and

their

lot

among

the

saints

!

Therefore

we

have

wandered

from

the

way

of

truth

,

and

the

light

of

righteousness

has

not

shined

upon

us

,

and

the

sun

has

not

risen

upon

us

.

We

have

been

wearied

in

the

way

of

iniquity

and

of

perdition

,

and

we

have

walked

through

difficult

solitudes

;

but

we

have

not

known

the

way

of

the

Lord

.

What

hath

pride

profited

us

?

or

what

hath

the

boasting

of

riches

brought

to

us

?

All

these

things

have

passed

away

as

a

shadow

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

the

cxvth

Psalm

:

“

Precious

in

the

sight

of

the

Lord

is

the

death

of

His

saints

.

”

Also

in

the

cxxvth

Psalm

:

“

They

who

sow

in

tears

shall

reap

in

joy

.

Walking

they

walked

,

and

wept

as

they

cast

their

seeds

;

but

coming

they

shall

come

in

joy

,

raising

up

their

laps

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

the

Gospel

according

to

John

:

“

He

who

loveth

his

life

shall

lose

it

;

and

he

that

hateth

his

life

in

this

world

shall

find

it

to

life

eternal

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

But

when

they

shall

deliver

you

up

,

take

no

thought

what

ye

shall

speak

;

for

it

is

not

ye

who

speak

,

but

the

Spirit

of

your

Father

which

speaketh

in

you

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

The

hour

shall

come

,

that

every

one

that

killeth

you

shall

think

he

doeth

service

to

God

;

but

they

shall

do

this

also

because

they

have

not

known

the

Father

nor

me

.

”

Of

this

same

matter

,

according

to

Matthew

:

“

Blessed

are

they

which

shall

suffer

persecution

for

righteousness

’

sake

;

for

theirs

is

the

kingdom

of

heaven

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

Fear

not

them

which

kill

the

body

,

but

are

not

able

to

kill

the

soul

;

but

rather

fear

Him

which

is

able

to

kill

the

soul

and

body

in

Gehenna

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

Whosoever

shall

confess

me

before

men

,

him

also

will

I

confess

before

my

Father

which

is

in

heaven

;

but

he

who

shall

deny

me

before

men

,

him

also

will

I

deny

before

my

Father

which

is

in

heaven

.

And

he

that

shall

endure

to

the

end

,

the

same

shall

be

saved

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

,

according

to

Luke

:

“

Blessed

shall

ye

be

when

men

shall

hate

you

,

and

shall

separate

you

(

from

their

company

)

,

and

shall

drive

you

out

,

and

shall

speak

evil

of

your

name

,

as

wicked

,

for

the

Son

of

man’s

sake

.

Rejoice

in

that

day

,

and

exult

;

for

,

lo

,

your

reward

is

great

in

heaven

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

Verily

I

say

unto

you

,

There

is

no

man

that

leaveth

house

,

or

parents

,

or

brethren

,

or

wife

,

or

children

,

for

the

sake

of

the

kingdom

of

God

,

and

does

not

receive

seven

times

as

much

in

this

present

time

,

but

in

the

world

to

come

life

everlasting

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

the

Apocalypse

:

“

And

when

he

had

opened

the

fifth

seal

,

I

saw

under

the

altar

of

God

the

souls

of

them

that

were

slain

on

account

of

the

word

of

God

and

His

testimony

.

And

they

cried

with

a

loud

voice

,

saying

,

How

long

,

O

Lord

,

holy

and

true

,

dost

Thou

not

judge

and

avenge

our

blood

on

them

that

dwell

on

the

earth

?

And

unto

every

one

of

them

were

given

white

robes

;

and

it

was

said

to

them

,

that

they

should

rest

still

for

a

short

time

,

until

the

number

of

their

fellow

-

servants

,

and

of

their

brethren

,

should

be

fulfilled

,

and

they

who

shall

afterwards

be

slain

,

after

their

example

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

After

these

things

I

saw

a

great

crowd

,

which

no

one

among

them

could

number

,

from

every

nation

,

and

from

every

tribe

,

and

from

every

people

and

tongue

,

standing

before

the

throne

and

before

the

Lamb

;

and

they

were

clothed

with

white

robes

,

and

palms

were

in

their

hands

.

And

they

said

with

a

loud

voice

,

Salvation

to

our

God

,

that

sitteth

upon

the

throne

,

and

to

the

Lamb

.

And

one

of

the

elders

answered

and

said

to

me

,

What

are

these

which

are

clothed

with

white

robes

?

who

are

they

,

and

whence

have

they

come

?

And

I

said

unto

him

,

My

lord

,

thou

knowest

.

And

he

said

unto

me

,

These

are

they

who

have

come

out

of

great

tribulation

,

and

have

washed

their

robes

,

and

made

them

white

in

the

blood

of

the

Lamb

.

Therefore

they

are

before

the

throne

of

God

,

and

serve

Him

day

and

night

in

His

temple

;

and

He

who

sitteth

upon

the

throne

shall

dwell

among

them

.

They

shall

neither

hunger

nor

thirst

ever

;

and

neither

shall

the

sun

fall

upon

them

,

nor

shall

they

suffer

any

heat

:

for

the

Lamb

who

is

in

the

midst

of

the

throne

shall

protect

them

,

and

shall

lead

them

to

the

fountains

of

the

waters

of

life

;

and

God

shall

wipe

away

every

tear

from

their

eyes

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

He

who

shall

overcome

I

will

give

him

to

eat

of

the

tree

of

life

,

which

is

in

the

paradise

of

my

God

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

Be

thou

faithful

even

unto

death

,

and

I

will

give

thee

a

crown

of

life

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

Blessed

shall

they

be

who

shall

watch

,

and

shall

keep

their

garments

,

lest

they

walk

naked

,

and

they

see

their

shame

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

,

Paul

in

the

second

Epistle

to

Timothy

:

“

I

am

now

offered

up

,

and

the

time

of

my

assumption

is

at

hand

.

I

have

fought

a

good

fight

,

I

have

finished

my

course

,

I

have

kept

the

faith

.

There

now

remains

for

me

a

crown

of

righteousness

,

which

the

Lord

,

the

righteous

Judge

,

will

give

me

in

that

day

;

and

not

only

to

me

,

but

to

all

also

who

love

His

appearing

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

to

the

Romans

:

“

We

are

the

sons

of

God

:

but

if

sons

and

heirs

of

God

,

we

are

also

joint

-

heirs

with

Christ

;

if

we

suffer

together

,

that

we

may

also

be

magnified

together

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

the

cxviiith

Psalm

:

“

Blessed

are

they

who

are

undefiled

in

the

way

,

and

walk

in

the

law

of

the

Lord

.

Blessed

are

they

who

search

into

His

testimonies

.

”

Notes

1
Prov. xiv. 25.
2
Wisd. v. 1–9.
3
Ps. cxvi. 5.
4
Ps. cxxvi. 5, 6.
5
John xii. 25.
6
Matt. x. 19, 20.
7
John xvi. 2, 3.
8
Matt. v. 10.
9
Matt. x. 28.
10
Matt. x. 32, 33.
11
Luke vi. 22, 23.
12
Luke xviii. 29, 30.
13
Rev. vi. 9–11.
14
Rev. vii. 9–17.
15
Rev. ii. 7.
16
Rev. ii. 10.
17
Rev. xvi. 15.
18
2 Tim. iv. 6–8.
19
Rom. viii. 16, 17.
20
Ps. cxix. 1, 2.