
The Treatises of Cyprian
Classic translation
3rd c. · Treatises & Other · English translation, 1890
Source edition: The Ante-Nicene Fathers (ed. Roberts & Donaldson, 1885)
Cover art: The Colosseum in a Moonlit Night — Franz Ludwig Catel (German, 1778–1856) (Statens Museum for Kunst (via Wikimedia Commons), Public domain)
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Contents
- On the Unity of the Church
- On the Dress of Virgins
- On the Lapsed
- On the Lord's Prayer
- An Address to Demetrianus
- On the Vanity of Idols: Showing That the Idols Are Not Gods, and That God is…
- On the Mortality
- On Works and Alms
- On the Advantage of Patience
- On Jealousy and Envy
- Exhortation to Martyrdom, Addressed to Fortunatus.
- Preface
- Heads of the Following Book
- That Idols Are Not Gods, and That the Elements Are Not to Be Worshipped in the…
- That God Alone Must Be Worshipped
- What is God's Threatening Against Those Who Sacrifice to Idols?
- That God Does Not Easily Pardon Idolaters
- That God is So Angry Against Idolatry, That He Has Even Enjoined Those to Be…
- That, Being Redeemed and Quickened by the Blood of Christ, We Ought to Prefer…
- That Those Who Are Snatched From the Jaws of the Devil, and Delivered From the…
- That We Must Press on and Persevere in Faith and Virtue, and in Completion of…
- That Afflictions and Persecutions Arise for the Sake of Our Being Proved
- That Injuries and Penalties of Persecutions Are Not to Be Feared by Us, Because…
- That it Was Before Predicted That the World Would Hold Us in Abhorrence, and…
- What Hope and Reward Remains for the Righteous and for Martyrs After the…
- That We Receive More as the Reward of Our Suffering Than What We Endure Here in…
- Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews.
- Book 1.
- Heads
- That the Jews Have Fallen Under the Heavy Wrath of God Because They Have…
- Also Because They Did Not Believe the Prophets, and Put Them to Death
- That it Was Previously Foretold That They Would Neither Know the Lord, nor…
- That the Jews Would Not Understand the Holy Scriptures, but That They Would Be…
- That the Jews Could Understand Nothing of the Scriptures Unless They First…
- That the Jews Should Lose Jerusalem, and Should Leave the Land Which They Had…
- Also That They Should Lose the Light of the Lord
- That the First Circumcision of the Flesh is Made Void, and the Second…
- That the Former Law Which Was Given by Moses Was to Cease
- That a New Law Was to Be Given
- That Another Dispensation and a New Covenant Was to Be Given
- That the Old Baptism Should Cease, and a New One Should Begin
- That the Old Yoke Should Be Made Void, and a New Yoke Should Be Given
- That the Old Pastors Should Cease and New Ones Begin
- That Christ Should Be the House and Temple of God, and That the Old Temple…
- That the Ancient Sacrifice Should Be Made Void, and a New One Should Be…
- That the Old Priesthood Should Cease, and a New Priest Should Come, Who Should…
- That Another Prophet Such as Moses Was Promised, to Wit, One Who Should Give a…
- That Two Peoples Were Foretold, the Elder and the Younger; That is, the Old…
- That the Church Which Before Had Been Barren Should Have More Children From…
- That the Gentiles Should Rather Believe in Christ
- That the Jews Would Lose While We Should Receive the Bread and the Cup of…
- That the Gentiles Rather Than the Jews Attain to the Kingdom of Heaven
- That by This Alone the Jews Can Receive Pardon of Their Sins, if They Wash Away…
- Book 2.
- Heads
- That Christ is the First-born, and That He is the Wisdom of God, by Whom All…
- That Christ is the Wisdom of God; and Concerning the Sacrament of His…
- That the Same Christ is the Word of God
- That Christ is the Hand and Arm of God
- That Christ is at Once Angel and God
- That Christ is God
- That Christ Our God Should Come, the Enlightener and Saviour of the Human Race
- That Although From the Beginning He Had Been the Son of God, Yet He Had to Be…
- That This Should Be the Sign of His Nativity, That He Should Be Born of a…
- That Christ is Both Man and God, Compounded of Both Natures, That He Might Be a…
- That Christ Was to Be Born of the Seed of David, According to the Flesh
- That Christ Should Be Born in Bethlehem
- That Christ Was to Come in Low Estate in His First Advent
- That He is the Righteous One Whom the Jews Should Put to Death
- That Christ is Called a Sheep and a Lamb Who Was to Be Slain, and Concerning…
- That Christ Also is Called a Stone
- That Afterwards This Stone Should Become a Mountain, and Should Fill the Whole…
- That in the Last Times the Same Mountain Should Be Manifested, and Upon it the…
- That Christ is the Bridegroom, Having the Church as His Bride, From Which…
- That the Jews Would Fasten Christ to the Cross
- That in the Passion and the Sign of the Cross is All Virtue and Power
- That in This Sign of the Cross is Salvation for All People Who Are Marked on…
- That at Mid-day in His Passion There Should Be Darkness
- That He Was Not to Be Overcome of Death, nor Should Remain in Hades
- That He Should Rise Again From the Dead on the Third Day
- That After He Had Risen Again He Should Receive From His Father All Power, and…
- That it is Impossible to Attain to God the Father, Except by His Son Jesus…
- That Jesus Christ Shall Come as a Judge
- That He Will Reign as a King for Ever
- That He Himself is Both Judge and King
- Book 3.
- Preface
- Heads
- Of the Benefit of Good Works and Mercy
- In Works and Alms, Even if by Smallness of Power Less Be Done, That the Will…
- That Charity and Brotherly Affection Are to Be Religiously and Stedfastly…
- That We Must Boast in Nothing, Since Nothing is Our Own
- That Humility and Quietness Are to Be Maintained in All Things
- That All Good and Righteous Men Suffer More, but Ought to Endure Because They…
- That We Must Not Grieve the Holy Spirit, Whom We Have Received
- That Anger Must Be Overcome, Lest it Constrain Us to Sin
- That Brethren Ought to Support One Another
- That We Must Trust in God Only, and in Him We Must Glory
- That He Who Has Attained to Trust, Having Put Off the Former Man, Ought to…
- That We Must Not Swear
- That We Must Not Curse
- That We Must Never Murmur, but Bless God Concerning All Things That Happen
- That Men Are Tried by God for This Purpose, That They May Be Proved
- Of the Benefits of Martyrdom
- That What We Suffer in This World is of Less Account Than is the Reward Which…
- That Nothing is to Be Preferred to the Love of God and Christ
- That We Are Not to Obey Our Own Will, but the Will of God
- That the Foundation and Strength of Hope and Faith is Fear
- That We Must Not Rashly Judge of Another
- That When We Have Received a Wrong, We Must Remit and Forgive It
- That Evil is Not to Be Returned for Evil
- That it is Impossible to Attain to the Father but by His Son Jesus Christ
- That Unless a Man Have Been Baptized and Born Again, He Cannot Attain Unto the…
- That it is of Small Account to Be Baptized and to Receive the Eucharist, Unless…
- That Even a Baptized Person Loses the Grace That He Has Attained, Unless He…
- That Remission Cannot in the Church Be Granted Unto Him Who Has Sinned Against…
- That it Was Before Predicted, Concerning the Hatred of the Name
- That What Any One Has Vowed to God, He Must Quickly Repay
- That He Who Does Not Believe is Judged Already
- Of the Benefit of Virginity and of Continency
- That the Father Judgeth Nothing, but the Son; and That the Father is Not…
- That the Believer Ought Not to Live Like the Gentile
- That God is Patient for This End, That We May Repent of Our Sin, and Be Reformed
- That a Woman Ought Not to Be Adorned in a Worldly Fashion
- That the Believer Ought Not to Be Punished for Other Offences, Except for the…
- That the Servant of God Ought to Be Innocent, Lest He Fall Into Secular…
- That There is Given to Us an Example of Living in Christ
- That We Must Not Labour Noisily nor Boastfully
- That We Must Not Speak Foolishly and Offensively
- That Faith is of Advantage Altogether, and That We Can Do as Much as We Believe
- That He Who Believes Can Immediately Obtain (I.e., Pardon and Peace)
- That Believers Who Differ Among Themselves Ought Not to Refer to a Gentile Judge
- That Hope is of Future Things, and Therefore That Our Faith Concerning Those…
- That a Woman Ought to Be Silent in the Church
- That it Arises From Our Fault and Our Desert That We Suffer, and Do Not…
- That We Must Not Take Usury
- That Even Our Enemies Must Be Loved
- That the Sacrament of Faith Must Not Be Profaned
- That No One Should Be Uplifted in His Labour
- That the Liberty of Believing or of Not Believing is Placed in Free Choice
- That the Secrets of God Cannot Be Seen Through, and Therefore That Our Faith…
- That No One is Without Filth and Without Sin
- That We Must Not Please Men, but God
- That Nothing That is Done is Hidden From God
- That the Believer is Amended and Reserved
- That No One Should Be Made Sad by Death; Since in Living is Labour and Peril…
- Of the Idols Which the Gentiles Think to Be Gods
- That Too Great Lust of Food is Not to Be Desired
- That the Lust of Possessing, and Money, Are Not to Be Sought For
- That Marriage is Not to Be Contracted With Gentiles
- That the Sin of Fornication is Grievous
- What Are Those Carnal Things Which Beget Death, and What Are the Spiritual…
- That All Sins Are Put Away in Baptism
- That the Discipline of God is to Be Observed in Church Precepts
- That it Was Foretold That Men Should Despise Sound Discipline
- That We Must Depart From Him Who Lives Irregularly and Contrary to Discipline
- That the Kingdom of God is Not in the Wisdom of the World, nor in Eloquence…
- That We Must Obey Parents
- And That Fathers Also Should Not Be Harsh in Respect of Their Children
- That Servants, When They Have Believed, Ought to Serve Their Carnal Masters the…
- Moreover, That Masters Should Be the More Gentle
- That All Widows That Are Approved Are to Be Held in Honour
- That Every Person Ought to Have Care Rather of His Own People, and Especially…
- That an Elder Must Not Be Rashly Accused
- That the Sinner Must Be Publicly Reproved
- That We Must Not Speak With Heretics
- That Innocency Asks With Confidence, and Obtains
- That the Devil Has No Power Against Man Unless God Have Allowed It
- That Wages Be Quickly Paid to the Hireling
- That Divination Must Not Be Used
- That a Tuft of Hair is Not to Be Worn on the Head
- That the Beard Must Not Be Plucked
- That We Must Rise When a Bishop or a Presbyter Comes
- That a Schism Must Not Be Made, Even Although He Who Withdraws Should Remain in…
- That Believers Ought to Be Simple, With Prudence
- That a Brother Must Not Be Deceived
- That the End of the World Comes Suddenly
- That a Wife Must Not Depart From Her Husband; or if She Should Depart, She Must…
- That Every One is Tempted So Much as He is Able to Bear
- That Not Everything is to Be Done Which is Lawful
- That it Was Foretold That Heresies Would Arise
- That the Eucharist is to Be Received With Fear and Honour
- That We Are to Live With the Good, but to Avoid the Evil
- That We Must Labour Not With Words, but With Deeds
- That We Must Hasten to Faith and to Attainment
- That the Catechumen Ought Now No Longer to Sin
- That Judgment Will Be According to the Times, Either of Equity Before the Law…
- That the Grace of God Ought to Be Without Price
- That the Holy Spirit Has Frequently Appeared in Fire
- That All Good Men Ought Willingly to Hear Rebuke
- That We Must Abstain From Much Speaking
- That We Must Not Lie
- That They Are Frequently to Be Corrected Who Do Wrong in Domestic Duty
- That When a Wrong is Received, Patience is to Be Maintained, and Vengeance to…
- That We Must Not Use Detraction
- That We Must Not Lay Snares Against Our Neighbour
- That the Sick Are to Be Visited
- That Tale-bearers Are Accursed
- That the Sacrifices of the Wicked Are Not Acceptable
- That Those Are More Severely Judged, Who in This World Have Had More Power
- That the Widow and Orphans Ought to Be Protected
- That One Ought to Make Confession While He is in the Flesh
- That Flattery is Pernicious
- That God is More Loved by Him Who Has Had Many Sins Forgiven in Baptism
- That There is a Strong Conflict to Be Waged Against the Devil, and That…
- Also of Antichrist, That He Will Come as a Man
- That the Yoke of the Law Was Heavy, Which is Cast Off by Us, and That the…
- That We Are to Be Urgent in Prayers
- Elucidations