1. Behold, beloved brethren, peace is restored to the Church and although it lately seemed to incredulous people difficult, and to traitors impossibl

 2. We look with glad countenances upon confessors illustrious with the heraldry of a good name, and glorious with the praises of virtue and of faith

 3. Let none, my beloved brethren, let none depreciate this glory let none by malignant dispraise detract from the uncorrupted stedfastness of those w

 4. One cause of grief saddens these heavenly crowns of martyrs, these glorious spiritual confessions, these very great and illustrious virtues of the

 5. Yet, beloved brethren, the cause of truth is to be had in view nor ought the gloomy darkness of the terrible persecution so to have blinded the mi

 6. Each one was desirous of increasing his estate and forgetful of what believers had either done before in the times of the apostles, or always ough

 7. These things were before declared to us, and predicted. But we, forgetful of the law and obedience required of us, have so acted by our sins, that

 8. From some—ah, misery!—all these things have fallen away, and have passed from memory. They indeed did not wait to be apprehended ere they ascended,

 9. But to many their own destruction was not sufficient. With mutual exhortations, people were urged to their ruin death was pledged by turns in the

 10. Nor is there, alas, any just and weighty reason which excuses such a crime. One’s country was to be left, and loss of one’s estate was to be suffe

 11. The truth, brethren, must not be disguised nor must the matter and cause of our wound be concealed. A blind love of one’s own property has deceiv

 12. But how can they follow Christ, who are held back by the chain of their wealth? Or how can they seek heaven, and climb to sublime and lofty height

 13. But (say they) subsequently tortures had come, and severe sufferings were threatening those who resisted. He may complain of tortures who has been

 14. But now, what wounds can those who are overcome show? what gashes of gaping entrails, what tortures of the limbs, in cases where it was not faith

 15. Moreover, beloved brethren, a new kind of devastation has appeared and, as if the storm of persecution had raged too little, there has been added

 16. All these warnings being scorned and contemned,—before their sin is expiated, before confession has been made of their crime, before their conscie

 17. Let no one cheat himself, let no one deceive himself. The Lord alone can have mercy. He alone can bestow pardon for sins which have been committed

 18. But if any one, by an overhurried haste, rashly thinks that he can give remission of sins to all, or dares to rescind the Lord’s precepts, not onl

 19. For Moses also besought for the sins of the people and yet, when he had sought pardon for these sinners, he did not receive it. “I pray Thee,” sa

 20. In the Gospel the Lord speaks, and says, “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father which is in heaven: but

 21. Unless, perchance, these things have been done without God’s knowledge, or all these things have happened without His permission although Holy Sc

 22. What good can you think of him, what fear can you suppose to have been with him, or what faith, whom neither fear could correct nor persecution it

 23. Receive rather, and admit what we say. Why do your deaf ears not hear the salutary precepts with which we warn you? Why do your blind eyes not see

 24. One of those who of his own will ascended the Capitol to make denial, after he had denied Christ, became dumb. The punishment began from that poin

 25. Learn what occurred when I myself was present and a witness. Some parents who by chance were escaping, being little careful

 26. This much about an infant, which was not yet of an age to speak of the crime committed by others in respect of herself. But the woman who in advan

 27. Nor let those persons flatter themselves that they need repent the less, who, although they have not polluted their hands with abominable sacrific

 28. Moreover, how much are they both greater in faith and better in their fear, who, although bound by no crime of sacrifice to idols or of certificat

 29. I entreat you, beloved brethren, that each one should confess his own sin, while he who has sinned is still in this world, while his confession ma

 30. Do we believe that a man is lamenting with his whole heart, that he is entreating the Lord with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, who

 31. Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, the illustrious and noble youths, even amid the flames and the ardours of a raging furnace, did not desist from maki

 32. These things were done by men, meek, simple, innocent, in deserving well of the majesty of God and now those who have denied the Lord refuse to m

 33. Neither let that imprudent error or vain stupor of some move you, who, although they are involved in so grave a crime, are struck with blindness o

 34. Flee from such men as much as you can avoid with a wholesome caution those who adhere to their mischievous contact. Their word doth eat as doth a

 35. But you, beloved brethren, whose fear is ready towards God, and whose mind, although it is placed in the midst of lapse, is mindful of its misery,

 36. If a man make prayer with his whole heart, if he groan with the true lamentations and tears of repentance, if he incline the Lord to pardon of his

6. Each one was desirous of increasing his estate; and forgetful of what believers had either done before in the times of the apostles, or always ought to do, they, with the insatiable ardour of covetousness, devoted themselves to the increase of their property. Among the priests there was no devotedness of religion; among the ministers6    A late version gives, “in the ministries.” there was no sound faith: in their works there was no mercy; in their manners there was no discipline. In men, their beards were defaced;7    [Vol. iv. p. 22. Here Cyprian’s “master” seems to speak again.] in women, their complexion was dyed: the eyes were falsified from what God’s hand had made them; their hair was stained with a falsehood. Crafty frauds were used to deceive the hearts of the simple, subtle meanings for circumventing the brethren. They united in the bond of marriage with unbelievers; they prostituted the members of Christ to the Gentiles. They would swear not only rashly, but even more, would swear falsely; would despise those set over them with haughty swelling, would speak evil of one another with envenomed tongue, would quarrel with one another with obstinate hatred. Not a few bishops8    [The state of things at Rome under Callistus and his predecessor is here very delicately reflected.] who ought to furnish both exhortation and example to others, despising their divine charge, became agents in secular business, forsook their throne, deserted their people, wandered about over foreign provinces, hunted the markets for gainful merchandise, while brethren were starving in the Church.9    Or, “brought no aid to starving brethren in the Church.” They sought to possess money in hoards, they seized estates by crafty deceits, they increased their gains by multiplying usuries. What do not such as we deserve to suffer for sins of this kind, when even already the divine rebuke has forewarned us, and said, “If they shall forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they shall profane my statutes, and shall not observe my precepts, I will visit their offences with a rod, and their sins with scourges?”10    Ps. lxxxix. 30.

VI. Studebant augendo patrimonio singuli, et, obliti quid credentes aut sub Apostolis ante fecissent aut semper facere deberent, insatiabili cupiditatis ardore ampliandis facultatibus incubabant. Non in sacerdotibus religio devota, non in ministris fides integra, non in operibus misericordia, non in moribus disciplina. Corrupta barba in viris, in feminis forma fucata, adulterati post Dei manus oculi, capilli mendacio 0470A colorati. Ad decipienda corda simplicium callidae fraudes, circumveniendis fratribus subdolae voluntates. Jungere cum infidelibus vinculum matrimonii, prostituere gentilibus membra Christi. Non jurare tantum temere, sed adhuc etiam pejerare: praepositos superbo tumore contemnere; venenato sibi ore maledicere, odiis pertinacibus invicem dissidere. Episcopi plurimi, quos et hortamento esse oportet caeteris et exemplo, divina procuratione contempta, procuratores rerum saecularium fieri, derelicta cathedra, plebe deserta, per alienas provincias oberrantes, negotiationis quaestuosae nundinas aucupari, esurientibus in Ecclesia fratribus, habere argentum largiter 0471A velle, fundos insidiosis fraudibus rapere, usuris multiplicantibus foenus augere. Quid non perpeti tales pro peccatis ejusmodi mereremur, cum jam pridem praemonuerit ac dixerit censura divina: Si dereliquerintlegem meam et in judiciis meis non ambulaverint, si justificationes meas profanaverint et praecepta mea non observaverint, visitabo in virga facinora eorum et in flagellis delicta eorum (Psal. LXXXVIII, 31-33).