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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 cxth Psalm: “The fear of the

‹ Book 3 · Section 19 Book 3 · Section 20 ›

Lord

is

the

beginning

of

wisdom

.

”

Of

the

same

thing

in

the

Wisdom

of

Solomon

:

“

The

beginning

of

wisdom

is

to

fear

God

.

”

Also

in

the

Proverbs

of

the

same

:

“

Blessed

is

the

man

who

reverences

all

things

with

fear

.

”

Of

the

same

thing

in

Isaiah

:

“

And

upon

whom

else

will

I

look

,

except

upon

him

that

is

lowly

and

peaceful

,

and

that

trembleth

at

my

words

?

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

Genesis

:

“

And

the

angel

of

the

Lord

called

him

from

heaven

,

and

said

unto

him

,

Abraham

,

Abraham

:

and

he

said

,

Here

am

I

.

And

he

said

,

Lay

not

thine

hand

upon

the

lad

,

neither

do

anything

unto

him

:

for

now

I

know

that

thou

fearest

thy

God

,

and

hast

not

spared

thy

beloved

son

for

my

sake

.

”

Also

in

the

second

Psalm

:

“

Serve

the

Lord

in

fear

,

and

rejoice

unto

Him

in

trembling

.

”

Also

in

Deuteronomy

,

the

word

of

God

to

Moses

:

“

Call

the

people

together

to

me

,

and

let

them

hear

my

words

,

that

they

may

learn

to

fear

me

all

the

days

that

they

themselves

shall

live

upon

the

earth

.

”

Also

in

Jeremiah

:

“

Behold

,

the

days

come

,

saith

the

Lord

,

that

I

will

perfect

upon

the

house

of

Israel

,

and

in

the

house

of

Judah

,

a

new

covenant

:

not

according

to

the

covenant

that

I

had

ordered

with

their

fathers

in

the

day

when

I

laid

hold

of

their

hand

to

bring

them

out

of

the

land

of

Egypt

;

because

they

have

not

abode

in

my

covenant

,

and

I

have

been

unmindful

of

them

,

saith

the

Lord

;

because

this

is

the

covenant

which

I

will

ordain

for

the

house

of

Israel

;

After

those

days

,

saith

the

Lord

,

I

will

give

my

law

,

and

will

write

it

in

their

mind

and

I

will

be

to

them

for

a

God

,

and

they

shall

be

to

me

for

a

people

.

And

they

shall

not

teach

every

man

his

brother

,

saying

,

Know

the

Lord

:

because

all

shall

know

me

,

from

the

least

even

to

the

greatest

of

them

:

because

I

will

be

favourable

to

their

iniquities

,

and

their

sins

I

will

not

remember

any

more

.

If

the

heaven

should

be

lifted

up

on

high

,

saith

the

Lord

,

and

if

the

earth

should

be

made

low

from

beneath

,

yet

I

will

not

cast

away

the

people

of

Israel

,

saith

the

Lord

,

for

all

the

things

which

they

have

done

.

Behold

,

I

will

gather

them

together

from

every

land

in

which

I

have

scattered

them

in

anger

,

and

in

my

fury

,

and

in

great

indignation

;

and

I

will

grind

them

down

into

that

place

,

and

I

will

leave

them

in

fear

;

and

they

shall

be

to

me

for

a

people

,

and

I

will

be

to

them

for

a

God

:

and

I

will

give

them

another

way

,

and

another

heart

,

that

they

may

fear

me

all

their

days

in

prosperity

with

their

children

:

and

I

will

perfect

for

them

an

everlasting

covenant

,

which

I

will

not

turn

away

after

them

;

and

I

will

put

my

fear

into

their

heart

,

that

they

may

not

depart

from

me

:

and

I

will

visit

upon

them

to

do

them

good

,

and

to

plant

them

in

their

land

in

faith

,

and

with

all

the

heart

,

and

with

all

the

mind

.

”

Also

in

the

Apocalypse

:

“

And

the

four

and

twenty

elders

which

sit

on

their

thrones

in

the

sight

(

of

God

)

,

fell

upon

their

faces

,

and

worshipped

God

,

saying

,

We

give

Thee

thanks

,

O

Lord

God

omnipotent

,

which

art

and

which

wast

;

because

Thou

hast

taken

Thy

great

power

,

and

hast

reigned

.

And

the

nations

were

angry

,

and

Thy

wrath

is

come

,

and

the

time

in

which

it

should

be

judged

concerning

the

dead

,

and

the

reward

should

be

given

to

Thy

servants

the

prophets

,

and

the

saints

that

fear

Thy

name

,

small

and

great

;

and

to

disperse

those

who

have

corrupted

the

earth

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

And

I

saw

another

angel

flying

through

the

midst

of

the

heaven

,

having

the

everlasting

Gospel

to

preach

to

those

who

dwell

upon

the

earth

,

and

to

all

the

nations

,

and

tribes

,

and

tongues

,

and

peoples

,

saying

with

a

loud

voice

,

Fear

God

,

and

give

Him

honour

,

because

the

hour

of

His

judgment

is

come

;

and

adore

Him

who

made

the

heaven

,

and

the

earth

,

and

the

sea

,

and

the

fountains

of

waters

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

And

I

saw

as

it

were

a

sea

of

glass

mingled

with

fire

;

and

the

beasts

were

feeding

with

His

lambs

;

and

the

number

of

His

name

a

hundred

and

forty

and

four

,

standing

upon

the

sea

of

glass

,

having

the

harps

of

God

;

and

they

sing

the

song

of

Moses

,

the

servant

of

God

,

and

the

song

of

the

Lamb

,

saying

,

Great

and

marvellous

are

Thy

works

,

O

Lord

God

Almighty

;

just

and

true

are

Thy

ways

,

Thou

King

of

the

nations

.

Who

would

not

fear

Thee

,

and

give

honour

to

Thy

name

?

for

Thou

only

art

holy

:

and

because

all

nations

shall

come

and

worship

in

Thy

sight

,

because

Thy

righteousnesses

have

been

made

manifest

.

”

Also

in

Daniel

:

“

There

was

a

man

dwelling

in

Babylon

whose

name

was

Joachim

;

and

he

took

a

wife

by

name

Susanna

,

the

daughter

of

Helchias

,

a

very

beautiful

woman

,

and

one

that

feared

the

Lord

.

And

her

parents

were

righteous

,

and

taught

their

daughter

according

to

the

law

of

Moses

.

”

Moreover

,

in

Daniel

:

“

And

we

are

lowly

this

day

in

all

the

earth

because

of

our

sins

,

and

there

is

not

at

this

time

any

prince

,

or

prophet

,

or

leader

,

or

burnt

-

offering

,

or

oblation

,

or

sacrifice

,

or

incense

,

or

place

to

sacrifice

before

Thee

,

and

to

find

mercy

from

Thee

.

And

yet

in

the

soul

and

spirit

of

lowliness

let

us

be

accepted

as

the

burnt

-

offerings

of

rams

and

bulls

,

and

as

it

were

many

thousands

of

lambs

which

are

fattest

.

If

our

offering

may

be

made

in

Thy

presence

this

day

,

their

power

shall

be

consumed

,

for

they

shall

not

be

ashamed

who

put

their

trust

in

Thee

.

And

now

we

follow

with

our

whole

heart

,

and

we

fear

and

seek

Thy

face

.

Give

us

not

over

unto

reproach

,

but

do

with

us

according

to

Thy

tranquillity

,

and

according

to

the

multitude

of

Thy

mercy

deliver

us

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

And

the

king

exceedingly

rejoiced

,

and

commanded

Daniel

to

be

taken

up

out

of

the

den

of

lions

;

and

the

lions

had

done

him

no

hurt

,

because

he

trusted

and

had

believed

in

his

God

.

And

the

king

commanded

,

and

they

brought

those

men

who

had

accused

Daniel

;

and

they

cast

them

in

the

den

of

lions

,

and

their

wives

and

their

children

.

And

before

they

had

reached

the

pavement

of

the

den

they

were

seized

by

the

lions

,

and

they

brake

all

their

bones

in

pieces

.

Then

Darius

the

king

wrote

,

To

all

peoples

,

tribes

,

and

languages

which

are

in

my

kingdom

,

peace

be

unto

you

from

my

face

.

I

decree

and

ordain

that

all

those

who

are

in

my

kingdom

shall

fear

and

tremble

before

the

most

high

God

whom

Daniel

serves

,

because

He

is

the

God

who

liveth

and

abideth

for

ever

,

and

His

kingdom

shall

not

pass

away

,

and

His

dominion

goeth

on

for

ever

;

and

He

alone

doeth

signs

,

and

prodigies

,

and

marvellous

things

in

the

heaven

and

the

earth

,

who

snatched

Daniel

from

the

den

of

lions

.

”

Also

in

Micah

:

“

Wherewith

shall

I

approach

the

Lord

,

and

lay

hold

upon

Him

?

in

sacrifices

,

in

burnt

-

offerings

,

in

calves

of

a

year

old

?

Does

the

Lord

favour

and

receive

me

with

thousands

of

fat

goats

?

or

shall

I

give

my

first

-

fruits

of

unrighteousness

,

the

fruit

of

my

belly

,

the

sin

of

my

soul

?

It

is

told

thee

,

O

man

,

what

is

good

;

or

what

else

the

Lord

doth

require

,

save

that

thou

shouldst

do

judgment

and

justice

,

and

love

mercy

,

and

be

ready

to

go

with

the

Lord

thy

God

.

The

voice

of

the

Lord

shall

be

invoked

in

the

city

,

and

He

will

save

those

who

fear

His

name

.

”

Also

in

Micah

:

“

Feed

Thy

people

with

Thy

rod

,

the

sheep

of

Thine

inheritance

;

and

pluck

up

those

who

dwell

separately

in

the

midst

of

Carmel

.

They

shall

prepare

Bashan

and

Gilead

according

to

the

days

of

the

age

;

and

according

to

the

days

of

their

going

forth

from

the

land

of

Egypt

I

will

show

them

wonderful

things

.

The

nations

shall

see

,

and

be

confounded

at

all

their

might

;

and

they

shall

place

their

hand

upon

their

mouth

.

Their

ears

shall

be

deafened

,

and

they

shall

lick

the

dust

as

do

serpents

.

Dragging

the

earth

,

they

shall

be

disturbed

,

and

they

shall

lick

the

dust

:

in

their

end

they

shall

be

afraid

towards

the

Lord

their

God

,

and

they

shall

fear

because

of

Thee

.

Who

is

a

God

as

Thou

art

,

raising

up

unrighteousness

,

and

passing

over

impiety

?

”

And

in

Nahum

:

“

The

mountains

were

moved

at

Him

,

and

the

hills

trembled

;

and

the

earth

was

laid

bare

before

His

face

,

and

all

who

dwell

therein

.

From

the

face

of

His

anger

who

shall

bear

it

,

and

who

withstandeth

in

the

fury

of

His

soul

?

His

rage

causes

the

beginnings

to

flow

,

and

the

rocks

were

melted

by

Him

.

The

Lord

is

good

to

those

who

sustain

Him

in

the

day

of

affliction

,

and

knoweth

those

who

fear

Him

.

”

Also

in

Haggai

:

“

And

Zerubbabel

the

son

of

Salathiel

,

of

the

tribe

of

Judah

,

and

Jesus

the

son

of

Josedech

,

the

high

priest

,

and

all

who

remained

of

the

people

,

obeyed

the

voice

of

the

Lord

their

God

,

because

the

Lord

sent

him

to

them

,

and

the

people

feared

from

the

face

of

God

.

”

Also

in

Malachi

:

“

The

covenant

was

with

life

and

peace

;

and

I

gave

to

them

the

fear

to

fear

me

from

the

face

of

my

name

.

”

Also

in

the

thirty

-

third

Psalm

:

“

Fear

the

Lord

,

all

ye

His

saints

:

for

there

is

no

want

to

them

that

fear

Him

.

”

Also

in

the

eighteenth

Psalm

:

“

The

fear

of

the

Lord

is

chaste

,

abiding

for

ever

.

”

Notes

1
Ps. cxi. 10. [Tertull., vol. iii. 264.]
2
Ecclus. i. 14.
3
Prov. xxviii. 14.
4
Isa. lxvi. 2.
5
Gen. xxii. 11, 12.
6
Ps. ii. 11. The whole of the remainder of this section, except the two concluding quotations from the Psalms, is wanting in many editions.
7
Deut. iv. 10.
8
Jer. xxxi. 31–41.
9
Rev. xi. 16, 17.
10
Rev. xiv. 16, 17.
11
There is considerable departure here from the Apocalyptic text, for which it is not easy to account. [But this is an interesting fact as bearing upon the question of an original African version made from a family of mss. now extinct.]
12
Rev. xv. 2–4.
13
Hist. of Susannah 1–3.
14
Song of the Three Children 14–19.
15
Dan. vi. 24–28.
16
Mic. vi. 6–9.
17
Mic. vii. 14–18.
18
Nah. i. 5–7.
19
Hag. i. 12.
20
Mal. ii. 5.
21
Ps. xxxiv. 9.
22
Ps. xix. 9.