Cyprian of Carthage, Exhortation to Martyrdom

7. That those who are snatched from the jaws of the devil, and delivered from the snares of this world, ought not again to return to the world, lest t

8. That we must press on and persevere in faith and virtue, and in completion of heavenly and spiritual grace, that we may attain to the palm and the

9. That afflictions and persecutions arise for the sake of our being proved.

10. That injuries and penalties of persecutions are not to be feared by us, because greater is the Lord to protect than the devil to assault.

11. That it was before predicted that the world would hold us in abhorrence, and that it would stir up persecutions against us, and that no new thing

12. What hope and reward remains for the righteous and for martyrs after the conflicts and sufferings of this present time,

13. That we receive more as the reward of our suffering than what we endure here in the suffering itself,

4. That God does not easily pardon idolaters.

Moses in Exodus prays for the people, and does not obtain his prayer, saying: “I pray, O Lord, this people hath sinned a great sin. They have made them gods of gold. And now, if Thou forgivest them their sin, forgive it; but if not, blot me out of the book which Thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, If any one hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.”28 Ex. xxxii. 31–33. Moreover, when Jeremiah besought for the people, the Lord speaks to him, saying: “And pray not thou for this people, and entreat not for them in prayer and supplication; because I will not hear in the time wherein they shall call upon me in the time of their affliction.”29 Jer. vii. 16. Ezekiel also denounces this same anger of God upon those who sin against God, and says: “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, whatsoever land sinneth against me, by committing an offence, I will stretch forth mine hand upon it, and will crush the support of the bread thereof; and I will send into it famine, and I will take away from it man and beast. And though these three men were in the midst of it, Noah, Daniel, and Job, they shall not deliver sons nor daughters; they themselves only shall be delivered.”30 Ezek. xiv. 12–14. Likewise in the first book of Kings: “If a man sin by offending against another, they shall beseech the Lord for him; but if a man sin against God, who shall entreat for him?”31 1 Sam. ii. 25.

CAP. IV.---NON FACILE IGNOSCERE DEUM IDOLOLATRIS.

Moyses in Exodo pro populo rogat, nec impetrat. Precor, ait, Domine, deliquit populus hic delictum grande. Fecerunt sibi deos aureos . Et nunc si dimittis illis delictum, dimitte. Sin autem, dele me de libro quem scripsisti. Et dixit Dominus ad Moysen: Si quis deliquit ante me, deleam eum de libro meo (Exod. XXXII, 31-33). Item cum Hieremias pro populo deprecaretur, Dominus ad eum loquitur dicens: Et tu 0658Bnoli orare pro populo hoc, et noli postulare pro ipsis in prece et oratione, quia non exaudiam in tempore quo invocabunt me, in tempore afflictionis suae (Hier. XI, 14). Ezechiel quoque hanc eamdem denuntiat indignationem Dei his qui in Deum delinquunt : Et fuit, inquit, verbum Domini ad me dicens: Fili hominis, terra quaecumque peccaverit mihi ut delinquat delictum, extendam manum meam super eam, et obteram stabilimentum panis , et immittam in eam famem, et auferam de ea hominem et pecora. Et si fuerint tres viri hi in medio ejus, Noe, Daniel et Job, non liberabunt filios neque filias, ipsi soli salvi erunt (Ezech. XIV, 12, 14, 16). Item in libro Regnorum primo: Si delinquendo peccet vir adversus virum, orabunt pro eo Dominum. Si autem in Deum peccet homo, quis orabit pro 0658Ceo (I Reg. II, 25)?