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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 Genesis: “Multiplying I will multiply thy sorrows

‹ Book 3 · Section 31 Book 3 · Section 32 ›

and

thy

groanings

,

and

in

sorrow

shalt

thou

bring

forth

children

;

and

thy

turning

shall

be

to

thy

husband

,

and

he

shall

rule

over

thee

.

”

Of

this

same

thing

in

the

Gospel

according

to

Matthew

:

“

All

men

do

not

receive

the

word

,

but

they

to

whom

it

is

given

:

for

there

are

some

eunuchs

who

were

born

so

from

their

mother’s

womb

,

and

there

are

eunuchs

who

have

been

constrained

by

men

,

and

there

are

eunuchs

who

have

made

themselves

eunuchs

for

the

kingdom

of

heaven’s

sake

.

He

who

can

receive

it

,

let

him

receive

it

.

”

Also

according

to

Luke

:

“

The

children

of

this

world

beget

,

and

are

begotten

.

But

they

who

have

been

considered

worthy

of

that

world

,

and

the

resurrection

from

the

dead

,

do

not

marry

,

nor

are

married

:

for

neither

shall

they

begin

to

die

:

for

they

are

equal

to

the

angels

of

God

,

since

they

are

the

children

of

the

resurrection

.

But

,

that

the

dead

rise

again

,

Moses

intimates

when

he

says

in

the

bush

,

The

Lord

,

the

God

of

Abraham

,

and

the

God

of

Isaac

,

and

the

God

of

Jacob

.

He

is

not

the

God

of

the

dead

,

but

of

the

living

:

for

all

live

unto

Him

.

”

Also

in

the

first

Epistle

of

Paul

to

the

Corinthians

:

“

It

is

good

for

a

man

not

to

touch

a

woman

.

But

,

on

account

of

fornication

,

let

every

man

have

his

own

wife

,

and

every

woman

have

her

own

husband

.

Let

the

husband

render

what

is

due

to

the

wife

,

and

similarly

the

wife

to

the

husband

.

The

wife

hath

not

power

over

her

own

body

,

but

the

husband

.

And

in

like

manner

,

the

husband

hath

not

power

over

his

own

body

,

but

the

wife

.

Defraud

not

one

the

other

,

except

by

agreement

for

a

time

,

that

ye

may

have

leisure

for

prayer

;

and

again

return

to

the

same

point

,

lest

Satan

tempt

you

on

account

of

your

incontinency

.

This

I

say

by

way

of

allowance

,

not

by

way

of

command

.

But

I

wish

that

all

men

should

be

even

as

I

am

.

But

every

one

has

his

proper

gift

from

God

;

one

in

one

way

,

but

another

in

another

way

.

”

Also

in

the

same

place

:

“

An

unmarried

man

thinks

of

those

things

which

are

the

Lord’s

,

in

what

way

he

may

please

God

;

but

he

who

has

contracted

marriage

thinks

of

those

things

that

are

of

this

world

,

in

what

way

he

may

please

his

wife

.

Thus

also

,

both

the

woman

and

the

unmarried

virgin

thinketh

of

those

things

which

are

the

Lord’s

,

that

she

may

be

holy

both

in

body

and

in

spirit

;

but

she

that

hath

married

thinks

of

those

things

which

are

of

this

world

,

in

what

way

she

may

please

her

husband

.

”

Also

in

Exodus

,

when

the

Lord

had

commanded

Moses

that

he

should

sanctify

the

people

for

the

third

day

,

he

sanctified

them

,

and

added

:

“

Be

ye

ready

,

for

three

days

ye

shall

not

approach

to

women

.

”

Also

in

the

first

book

of

Kings

:

“

And

the

priest

answered

to

David

,

and

said

,

There

are

no

profane

loaves

in

my

hand

,

except

one

sacred

loaf

.

If

the

young

men

have

been

kept

back

from

women

,

they

shall

eat

.

”

Also

in

the

Apocalypse

:

“

These

are

they

who

have

not

defiled

themselves

with

women

,

for

they

have

continued

virgins

;

these

are

they

who

follow

the

Lamb

whithersoever

He

shall

go

.

”

Notes

2
Gen. iii. 16.
3
Matt. xix. 11, 12.
4
Luke xx. 34–38.
5
1 Cor. vii. 1–7.
6
1 Cor. vii. 32–34.
7
Ex. xix. 15.
8
1 Sam. xxi. 4.
9
Rev. xiv. 4.