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Cyprian of Carthage, Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews
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Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews.
2. Also because they did not believe the prophets, and put them to death.
5. That the Jews could understand nothing of the Scriptures unless they first believed in Christ.
6. That the Jews should lose Jerusalem, and should leave the land which they had received.
7. Also that they should lose the Light of the Lord.
9. That the former law which was given by Moses was to cease.
10. That a new law was to be given.
11. That another dispensation and a new covenant was to be given.
12. That the old baptism should cease, and a new one should begin.
13. That the old yoke should be made void, and a new yoke should be given.
14. That the old pastors should cease and new ones begin.
16. That the ancient sacrifice should be made void, and a new one should be celebrated.
17. That the old priesthood should cease, and a new priest should come, who should be for ever.
21. That the Gentiles should rather believe in Christ.
23. That the Gentiles rather than the Jews attain to the kingdom of heaven.
3. That the same Christ is the Word of God.
4. That Christ is the Hand and Arm of God.
5. That Christ is at once Angel and God.
7. That Christ our God should come, the Enlightener and Saviour of the human race.
11. That Christ was to be born of the seed of David, according to the flesh.
12. That Christ should be born in Bethlehem.
13. That Christ was to come in low estate in His first advent.
14. That He is the righteous One whom the Jews should put to death.
16. That Christ also is called a Stone.
17. That afterwards this Stone should become a mountain, and should fill the whole earth.
20. That the Jews would fasten Christ to the cross.
21. That in the passion and the sign of the cross is all virtue and power.
22. That in this sign of the Cross is salvation for all people who are marked on their foreheads.
23. That at mid-day in His passion there should be darkness.
24. That He was not to be overcome of death, nor should remain in Hades.
25. That He should rise again from the dead on the third day.
27. That it is impossible to attain to God the Father, except by His Son Jesus Christ.
28. That Jesus Christ shall come as a Judge.
29. That He will reign as a King for ever.
30. That He Himself is both Judge and King.
1. On the benefit of good works and mercy.
3. That charity and brotherly affection are to be religiously and stedfastly practised.
4. That we must boast in nothing, since nothing is our own.
5. That humility and quietness are to be maintained in all things.
6. That all good and righteous men suffer more, but ought to endure because they are proved.
7. That we must not grieve the Holy Spirit, whom we have received.
8. That anger must be overcome, lest it constrain us to sin.
9. That brethren ought to support one another.
10. That we must trust in God only, and in Him we must glory.
14. That we must never murmur, but bless God concerning all things that happen.
15. That men are tried by God for this purpose, that they may be proved.
16. Of the benefits of martyrdom.
17. That what we suffer in this world is of less account than is the reward which is promised.
18. That nothing is to be preferred to the love of God and Christ.
19. That we are not to obey our own will, but the will of God.
20. That the foundation and strength of hope and faith is fear.
21. That we must not rashly judge of another.
22. That when we have received a wrong, we must remit and forgive it.
23. That evil is not to be returned for evil.
24. That it is impossible to attain to the Father but by His Son Jesus Christ.
25. That unless a man have been baptized and born again, he cannot attain unto the kingdom of God.
27. That even a baptized person loses the grace that he has attained, unless he keep innocency.
29. That it was before predicted, concerning the hatred of the Name,
30. That what any one has vowed to God, he must quickly repay.
31. That he who does not believe is judged already.
32. Of the benefit of virginity and of continency.
34. That the believer ought not to live like the Gentile.
35. That God is patient for this end, that we may repent of our sin, and be reformed.
36. That a woman ought not to be adorned in a worldly fashion.
37. That the believer ought not to be punished for other offences, except for the name he bears.
38. That the servant of God ought to be innocent, lest he fall into secular punishment.
39. That there is given to us an example of living in Christ.
40. That we must not labour noisily nor boastfully.
41. That we must not speak foolishly and offensively.
42. That faith is of advantage altogether, and that we can do as much as we believe.
43. That he who believes can immediately obtain (i.e., pardon and peace).
44. That believers who differ among themselves ought not to refer to a Gentile judge.
46. That a woman ought to be silent in the church.
48. That we must not take usury.
49. That even our enemies must be loved.
50. That the sacrament of faith must not be profaned.
51. That no one should be uplifted in his labour.
52. That the liberty of believing or of not believing is placed in free choice.
53. That the secrets of God cannot be seen through, and therefore that our faith ought to be simple.
54. That no one is without filth and without sin.
55. That we must not please men, but God.
56. That nothing that is done is hidden from God.
57. That the believer is amended and reserved.
59. Of the idols which the Gentiles think to be gods.
60. That too great lust of food is not to be desired.
61. That the lust of possessing, and money, are not to be sought for.
62. That marriage is not to be contracted with Gentiles.
63. That the sin of fornication is grievous.
65. That all sins are put away in baptism.
66. That the discipline of God is to be observed in Church precepts.
67. That it was foretold that men should despise sound discipline.
68. That we must depart from him who lives irregularly and contrary to discipline.
70. That we must obey parents.
71. And that fathers also should not be harsh in respect of their children.
72. That servants, when they have believed, ought to serve their carnal masters the better.
73. Moreover, that masters should be the more gentle.
74. That all widows that are approved are to be held in honour.
75. That every person ought to have care rather of his own people, and especially of believers.
76. That an elder must not be rashly accused.
77. That the sinner must be publicly reproved.
78. That we must not speak with heretics.
79. That innocency asks with confidence, and obtains.
80. That the devil has no power against man unless God have allowed it.
81. That wages be quickly paid to the hireling.
82. That divination must not be used.
83. That a tuft of hair is not to be worn on the head.
84. That the beard must not be plucked.
85. That we must rise when a bishop or a presbyter comes.
87. That believers ought to be simple, with prudence.
88. That a brother must not be deceived.
89. That the end of the world comes suddenly.
90. That a wife must not depart from her husband or if she should depart, she must remain unmarried.
91. That every one is tempted so much as he is able to bear.
92. That not everything is to be done which is lawful.
93. That it was foretold that heresies would arise.
94. That the Eucharist is to be received with fear and honour.
95. That we are to live with the good, but to avoid the evil.
96. That we must labour not with words, but with deeds.
97. That we must hasten to faith and to attainment.
98. That the catechumen ought now no longer to sin.
100. That the grace of God ought to be without price.
101. That the Holy Spirit has frequently appeared in fire.
102. That all good men ought willingly to hear rebuke.
103. That we must abstain from much speaking.
105. That they are frequently to be corrected who do wrong in domestic duty.
106. That when a wrong is received, patience is to be maintained, and vengeance to be left to God.
107. That we must not use detraction.
108. That we must not lay snares against our neighbour.
109. That the sick are to be visited.
110. That tale-bearers are accursed.
111. That the sacrifices of the wicked are not acceptable.
112. That those are more severely judged, who in this world have had more power.
113. That the widow and orphans ought to be protected.
114. That one ought to make confession while he is in the flesh.
115. That flattery is pernicious.
116. That God is more loved by him who has had many sins forgiven in baptism.
59. Of the idols which the Gentiles think to be gods.
In the Wisdom of Solomon: “All the idols of the nations they counted gods, which neither have the use of their eyes for seeing, nor their nostrils to receive breath, nor their ears for hearing, nor the fingers on their hands for handling; but their feet also are slow to walk. For man made them; and he who has borrowed his breath, he fashioned them. But no man will be able to fashion a god like to himself. For since he is mortal, he fashioneth a dead thing with wicked hands. But he himself is better than they whom he worships, since he indeed lived, but they never.”670 Wisd. xv. 15–17. On this same matter: “Neither have they who have regarded the works known who was the artificer, but have thought that either fire, or wind, or the rapid air, or the circle of the stars, or the abundant water, or the sun and moon, were the gods that rule over the world; and if, on account of the beauty of these, they have thought thus, let them know how much more beautiful than these is the Lord; or if they have admired their powers and operations, let them perceive from these very things that He who has established these mighty things is stronger than they.”671 Wisd. xiii. 1–4. Also in the cxxxivth Psalm: “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have a mouth, and speak not; they have eyes, and see not; they have ears, and hear not; and neither is there any breath in their mouth. Let them who make them become like unto them, and all those who trust in them.”672 Ps. cxxxv. 16–18. Also in the ninety-fifth Psalm: “All the gods of the nations are demons, but the Lord made the heavens.”673 Ps. xcvi. 5. Also in Exodus: “Ye shall not make unto yourselves gods of silver nor of gold.”674 Ex. xx. 23. And again: “Thou shalt not make to thyself an idol, nor the likeness of any thing.”675 Ex. xx. 4. This section closes here, according to the Oxford text. The Leipzic edition continues as in the above reading. Also in Jeremiah: “Thus saith the Lord, Walk not according to the ways of the heathen; for they fear those things in their own persons, because the lawful things of the heathen are vain. Wood cut out from the forest is made the work of the carpenter, and melted silver and gold are beautifully arranged: they strengthen them with hammers and nails, and they shall not be moved, for they are fixed. The silver is brought from Tharsis, the gold comes from Moab. All things are the works of the artificers; they will clothe it with blue and purple; lifting them, they will carry them, because they will not go forward. Be not afraid of them, because they do no evil, neither is there good in them. Say thus, The gods that have not made the heaven and the earth perish from the earth, and from under this heaven. The heaven hath trembled at this, and hath shuddered much more vehemently, saith the Lord. These evil things hath my people done. They have forsaken the fountain of living water, and have dug out for themselves worn-out wells, which could not hold water. Thy love hath smitten thee, and thy wickedness shall accuse thee. And know and see that it shall be a bitter thing for thee that thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord thy God, and thou hast not hoped in me, saith thy Lord. Because of old time thou hast resented my yoke, and hast broken thy bonds, and hast said, I will not serve, but I will go upon every lofty mountain, and upon every high hill, and upon every shady tree: there I will be confounded with fornication. To the wood and to the stone they have said, Thou art my father; and to the stone, Thou hast begotten me: and they turned to me their back, and not their face.”676 Jer. x. 2–5, 9, 11; ii. 12, 13, 19, 20, 27. In Isaiah: “The dragon hath fallen or is dissolved; their carved works have become as beasts and cattle. Labouring and hungry, and without strength, ye shall bear them bound upon your neck as a heavy burden.”677 Isa. xlvi. 1, 2, 5. And again: “Gathered together, they shall not be able to be saved from war; but they themselves have been led captive with thee.”678 Migne refers this to Jer. li. 15–18, but there is nothing corresponding to it in the passage. And again: “To whom have ye likened me? See and understand that ye err in your heart, who lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, bringing it up to the weight. The workmen have made with their hand the things made; and, bowing themselves, they have adored it, and have raised it on their shoulders: and thus they walked. But if they should place them down, they will abide in their place, and will not be moved; and they will not hear those who cry unto them: they will not save them from evils.”679 Isa. xlvi. 6, 7. Also in Jeremiah: “The Lord, who made heaven and earth, in strength hath ordered the world, in His wisdom hath stretched forth the heaven, and the multitude of the waters in the heaven. He hath brought out the clouds from the end of the earth, the lightnings in the clouds; and He hath brought forth the winds from His treasures. Every man is made foolish by his knowledge, every artificer is confounded by his graven images; because he hath molten a falsehood: there is no breath in them. The works shut up in them are made vain; in the time of their consideration they shall perish.”680 Jer. li. 16–19. And in the Apocalypse: “And the sixth angel sounded with his trumpet. And I heard one of the four corners of the golden ark, which is in the presence of God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound upon the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, to slay the third part of men; and the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred thousand of thousand: I heard the number of them. And then I saw the horses in the vision, and those that sate upon them, having breastplates of fire, and of hyacinth, and of sulphur: and the heads of the horses (as the heads of lions); and out of their mouth went fire, and smoke, and sulphur. By these three plagues the third part of men was slain, by the fire, and the smoke, and the sulphur which went forth from their mouth, and is in their tails: for their tails were like unto eels; for they had heads, and with them they do mischief. And the rest of the men who were not slain by these plagues, nor repented of the works of the deeds of their hands, that they should not worship demons and idols, that is, images of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood, which can neither see nor walk, repented not also of their murders.”681 Rev. ix. 1, 13–21. Also in the same place: “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and hath received his mark in his forehead or upon his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of His wrath, and shall be punished with fire and sulphur, under the eyes of the holy angels, and under the eyes of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torments shall ascend up for ever and ever.”682 Rev. xiv. 9–11.
In Sapientia Salomonis: Omnia idola nationum aestimaverunt deos, quibus neque oculorum usus est ad videndum, 0763Dneque nares ad percipiendumspiritum, neque aures ad audiendum, neque digiti in manibus ad contrectandum , sed et pedes eorum pigri ad ambulandum. 0764AHomo enim fecit illos, et qui spiritummutuatus est, is finxit illos. Nemo autem sibi similem homo poterit deum fingere. Cum sit enim mortalis, mortuum fingitmanibus iniquis. Melior est autem ipse iis quos colit; quoniam ipse quidem vixit, illi numquam (Sap. XV, 15-17). De hoc ipso: Neque opera attendentes cognoverunt quis esset artifex, sed aut ignem, aut spiritum, aut citatum aerem, aut gyrum stellarum, aut nimiam aquam, aut solem et lunam, rectores orbis terrae deos putaverunt: quorum si propter speciem hoc aestimaverunt, sciant quanto his Dominus sit speciosior: aut si virtutes et opera eorum mirati sunt, intelligant ab ipsis quoniam qui haec constituit fortia fortior est illis (Sap. XIII, 1-4). Item in Psalmo CXXXIV: Idola gentium argentum et aurum, 0764Bopus manuum hominum. Os habent, et non loquuntur, oculos habent, et non vident, aures habent, et non audiunt . Neque enim est spiritus in ore eorum. Similes fiantillis qui faciunt eaet omnes qui confidunt in illis (Ps. CXXXIV, 15-18). Item in Psalmo XCV: Omnes dii gentium daemonia, Dominus autem coelos fecit (Ps. XCV, 5). Item in Exodo: Non facietis vobis deos argenteos neque aureos (Exod. XX, 23). Et iterum: Non facies tibi idolum nec cujusquam similitudinem (Ibid. XX, 4). Item in Hieremia: Haec dicit Dominus: Secundum vias gentium nolite incedere, quia timent illa in personis suis, quia legitima gentium vacua sunt. Lignum de saltu excisum opus fabri, et conflatum aurum et argentum speciose composita sunt, in martulis et in clavis confirmaverunt illa, et non movebuntur, quia 0764Cconfixibilia sunt. Argentum appositum est a Tharsis. Venit aurum Moab. Opera artificum omnia. Hyacinthum et purpura vestient eam. Tollentes tollent ea, quia non prodient. Nolite timere ea, quia malum non faciunt, et bonum non est in illis. Sic dicite: Dii qui coelum et terram non fecerunt intereunt a terra et de sub coelo isto. Exhorruit coelum in hoc et abhorruit multum magis vehementer, dicit Dominus. Haec maligna fecit plebs mea. Dereliquerunt fontem aquae vivae, et effoderunt sibi laqueos detritos qui non poterant aquam continere. Verberavit te dilectio tua, et nequitia tua accusabit te. Et scito et vide quia amarum tibi erit quod dereliqueris me, dicit Dominus Deus tuus, et non speraveris 0764Din me, dicit Dominus Deus tuus, quia in saeculum contribulasti jugum meum et dirupisti vincula tua, et 0765Adixisti: Non serviam, sed ibo super omnem montem excelsum et super omnem collem altum et super omne lignum umbrosum. Ibi confundar in fornicatione. Ligno et lapidi dixerunt quia pater meus es tu, et lapidi, Tu genuisti me. Et converterunt ad me dorsum, et non faciem suam (Hier. X, 2-5, 9, 11; II, 12, 13, 19 20, 27). In Esaia: Cecidit vel dissolutus est draco. Facta sunt sculptilia eorum ut bestiae et pecora. Auferetis illa collo ligata quasi sarcinam laborantes et esurientes et non valentes (Isai. XLVI, 1, 2, 5). Et iterum: Collecti simul non poterunt salvari de bello. Ipsi autem captivi ducti sunt tecum (Hier. LI, 15-18). Et iterum: Cui me assimilastis? Videte et intelligite quia erratis corde, qui committitis aurum de sacculo et argentum in statera ponderatis in pondera conducentes. Artifices 0765Bfecerunt manu facta, et inclinantes se adoraverunt illud et levaverunt in humeris, et sic ambulabant. Si autem posuerint illa, loco manebunt, et non movebuntur; et qui clamaverint ad illa non audient, a malis non salvabunt eos. Item in Hieremia: Dominus, qui fecit coelum et terram, in virtute correxit orbem terrae, in sua prudentia extendit coelum, et multitudinem aquarum in coelo, perduxit nubes ab extremo terrae, fulgura in nubibus. Et ejecit ventos de thesauris suis. Infatuatus est omnis homo ab scientia sua, confusus est omnis artifex in sculptilibus suis, quia falsum conflavit. Non est spiritus in illis. Vacuata sunt opera inclusa, in tempore conspectionis illorum peribunt. Et in Apocalypsi: Et sextus Angelus tuba cecinit. Et audivi unum ex quatuor angulis arcae aureae quae est in conspectu Dei dicentem 0765Csexto Angelo qui habebat tubam: Solve quatuor Angelos ligatos super flumen magnum Euphratem. Et soluti sunt quatuor Angeli qui erant parati in horam et diem et mensem et annum, ut occiderent tertiam partem hominum, et numerus exercituum equestrium dismiriades myriadon. Audivi numerum eorum. Et sic vidi equos in visu et sedentes super eos habentes loricas igneas et hyacinthinas et sulphureas, et capita equorum, et ex ore eorum exiit ignis et fumus et sulphur. A tribus plagis istis occisa est tertia pars hominum ex igne et fumo et sulphure quod exiit de ore eorum, est et in caudis eorum. Caudae enim eorum similes anguillis, habentes enim capita, et in eis nocent. Et reliqui hominum qui non sunt occisi in istis plagis, nec poenitentiam egerunt opera factorum manuum suarum, ut non adorent daemonia 0765Det idola, id est simulacra aurea et argentea et aerea et lapidea et lignea, quae neque videre possunt neque ambulare, et non egerunt poenitentiam homicidiorum 0766Asuorum. Item illic: Et tertius Angelus secutus est eos dicens in voce magna: Si quis adorat bestiam et simulacrum ejus, et accepit inscriptionem in fronte sua aut super manum suam, hic bibet de vino irae ejus et punietur igne et sulphure sub oculis Angelorum sanctorum et sub oculis Agni, et fumus tormentorum eorum in saecula saeculorum ascendet (Apoc. IX, 1, 13-21; XIV, 9-14).