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Of the Discipline and Advantage of Chastity

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 1

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

1. I do not conceive that I have exceeded

‹ Salutation / Introduction Section 2 ›

any

portions

of

my

duty

,

in

always

striving

as

much

as

possible

,

by

daily

discussions

of

the

Gospels

,

to

afford

to

you

from

time

to

time

the

means

of

growth

,

by

the

Lord’s

help

,

in

faith

and

knowledge

.

For

what

else

can

be

effected

in

the

Lord’s

Church

with

greater

advantage

,

what

can

be

found

more

suitable

to

the

office

of

a

bishop

,

than

that

,

by

the

teaching

of

the

divine

words

,

recommended

and

commented

on

by

Him

,

believers

should

be

enabled

to

attain

to

the

promised

kingdom

of

heaven

?

This

assuredly

,

as

the

desired

result

day

by

day

of

my

work

as

well

as

of

my

office

,

I

endeavour

,

notwithstanding

my

absence

,

to

accomplish

;

and

by

my

letters

I

try

to

make

myself

present

to

you

,

addressing

you

in

faith

,

in

my

usual

manner

,

by

the

exhortations

that

I

send

you

.

I

call

upon

you

,

therefore

,

to

be

established

in

the

power

of

the

Root

of

the

Gospel

,

and

to

stand

always

armed

against

all

the

assaults

of

the

devil

.

I

shall

not

believe

myself

to

be

absent

from

you

,

if

I

shall

be

sure

of

you

.

Nevertheless

,

everything

which

is

advantageously

set

forth

,

and

which

either

defines

or

promises

the

condition

of

eternal

life

to

those

who

are

investigating

it

,

is

then

only

profitable

,

if

it

be

aided

in

attaining

the

reward

of

the

effort

by

the

power

of

the

divine

mercy

.

We

not

only

set

forth

words

which

come

from

the

sacred

fountains

of

the

Scriptures

,

but

with

these

very

words

we

associate

prayers

to

the

Lord

,

and

wishes

,

that

,

as

well

to

us

as

to

you

,

He

would

not

only

unfold

the

treasures

of

His

sacraments

,

but

would

bestow

strength

for

the

carrying

into

act

of

what

we

know

.

For

the

danger

is

all

the

greater

if

we

know

the

Lord’s

will

,

and

loiter

in

the

work

of

the

will

of

God

.

Notes

2
[This illustrates pp. 322 and 389, note 7.]