장음표시 사용
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fore hands are imposed on them among us, that here may bereceived What there netther is nor can be given; it is plain, also, that remission os sins cannot be gi ven by those Who, itis certain, have not the Holy Spirit. And thereiore, in orderthat, according to the divine arrangement and the evangelicat truth, they may be able to obtain remission os sins, and to besanctified, and to become temples of God, they must ali abs tutely be baptiaed with tho baptism of the church who comefrom adversaries and antichrisis to tho church of Christ. 12. You have asked also, dearest son, What I thought of those who obtain Goaes grace in sichness and weahness, whether they are to be accounted legitimate Christians, forthat they are not Washed, but sprinkled, With the saving Water. In this potnt, my dissidence and modesty prejudges none, SO asto prevent any hom feeling What he thinis right, and Domdoing What he feeis to be right. As far as my poor unde standing conceives it, I thinh that the divine benefiis can in no respect be mutilated and weahened; nor can anything lesso cur in that case, Where, mith fuli and entire faith both of the giver and receiver, is accepted What is draWn hom thodivine gitis. For in the sacrament os salvation the contagionos sins is not in such wiso Washed aWay, as the filth of tho shin
merit of faith. In the sacraments of salvation, When nece
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prevatis equialy With the Washing of salvation; and that whenthis is done in the ehurct, Where tho fiath both of receiverand over is mund, ali things hold and may bo consummatinand perfected by the majesty of the Lord and by tho truthos faith. 13. But, momoVer, in respect of somo calling those Whohave obtained tho Mace of Christ by the saring Water andis legitimato faith, not Christians, but Clinies, I do not findWhenco they t e up this name, uniem perhus, haring madmore, and of a more recondito hiud, they have tinen in o
a Clinic in the Gospei, know that to that paralytic and i firm man, Who lay on his bed during the long co se of his lite, his infirmiu presented no obstacte in his attainment in the fullest degrae of heavenly strength. Nor Was he onlymised hom his bed by the divine indulgence, but he also took up his bod idioti With his restoria and increased strength. And thereiare, as far as it is allowed me is fiath in conceive and to think, this is my opinion, that any one should Mesteemed a legitimate Christian, who by the laW and right of
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tho sacrament celebrated in Exodus, When the manna flo eddown iram heaven, and, prefiguring the things in come,s .ed forin the nourishment of the heavenly bread and tho Aod of the eoming Christi For there, without distin
by each one. Whenm it appeared that the mercy of Christ, and tho heavenly gram that Would subsequently follo' Wasequialy divided among Hl; without differsnce of sex, Without distinction of years, Without accepting of persons, upon alline Moses of God tho gist os spiritual grace Was shed. Assuredly tho samo spiritual graco Whicli is equalty received in baptism is bellovers, is subsequently either increased ordiminishod in our conversation and conduci; as in the gospelthe Loraes med is equialy sown, but, according to the varietyes the soli, somo is Wasted, and wme is increased into a large Varie oi plentri With an exuberant fruit os either thir atau or a hundred sold. But, once more, When each Wasealled in receivo a penny, wherofore aliould what is distributed
equassy by God be diminished by human interpretation Τ
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who are baptized in sichnem are stili tempted by unclean spiriis, let him know that tho obstinato michednem of tho devii prevatis even up to the inving Water, but that in baptismit loses ali the polson os his wichodness. An instance of this
we' see in the hing Pharaoh, Who, having strumled long, and delayed in his perfidy, could resist and prevali untii hocame to the water; but when ho had come thither, he was both conquered and destroyed. And that that sea Was a sacrament of baptism, the blessed Apostle Paul declares, saying, Brethren, I Would not have Fou ignorant hoW thatali our fathera were under the cloud, and ali passed throughthe sea, and were ali baptiged unio Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ' and he added, saying, NoW ali these thingswere our examples.' And this also is done in the presentdu, in that tho devit is scourged, and burned, and tortured by exorcisis, by the human voice, and by divine pomer; andalthough he osten says that he is going out, and will leave thomen os God, yet in that Which he says he deceives, and pulsin practice What Was before done by Pharain mith the fame
obstinate and fraudulent deceit. When, hoWeVer, they comoto the water of salvation and to the sanctification os baptim, We ought to knoW and to trust that there tho devit is beatendoWn, and the man, dedicated to God, is set laee by the divino
mercy. For as scorpions and serpents, Whicli prevail on thedry ground, When cast into mater, cannot prevad nor retaintheir Venom; so also the wiched spirita, Which aro called scorpions and serpenta, and yet are trodden under soot byus, by the pomer oven by the Lord, cannot remain any longerin tho bob os a man in Whom, baptized and sanctified, the
16. This, finalty, in very fact also me experience, statthose Who are baptiged by urgent necessib in sichness, and obtain grace, are free from tho unclean spirit whorowith in Mero previousty moved, and live in the church in presse and honour, and day by day mahe more and more advance in the increase of heavenly grace by the oowth of their faith.
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THE EPISTLES OF CYPRIAM 315 And, on the oster hand, some of thoso who aro baptiZed in health, is subsequently they begin to sin, are shisen by thoreturn of the unclean spirit, so that it is manifest that thodevit is drivon out in baptism by tho faith of tho bellever,
CYPRIM TO NEMESIANUS AND OTHER MARTYRS IN THE
martyra in the mines, opposita, in a beauti ut antithesis, to the tortures of each, the consolation3 of each. Me gather that this was written in erile stom these worri, II the limits of the place appotnted me did not re8train me, banished as I am on account of the confes3ion of the name1. Cyprian in Nemesianus, Felix, Lucius, another Felix, Litteus, Polianus, Victor, Jader, and Dativus, his sellow-
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316 THE EPISTLES OF CYPRIAN.bishops, alio to his fesso -presbyters and deacon' and thorest os tho brethren in tho mines, martyrs of God the Father Misoty, and of Jesus Christ our Lord, and of Godour preserver, eVertasting greeting. glom, in deed, Would demand, most blassed and boloved brethron, that Imyself inould come in Me and to embrace Du, ii the limits of the place appotnted me did not restrian me, banished as Ιam for the salie of the confession os the name. Bul in What Way I can, I bring myself into Dur presence; and even thoughit is not permitted me to come is you in body and in move-ment, yet in love and in spirit Ι come pressing my mindiu in letior, in Which mind Ι joytalty exuit in those virium and presses of yοurs, counting myseli a partiser With Du, although not in bodily suffering, yet in community os love. Could I bo silent and restrain my voice in stiliness, when Iam made amare of so many and such glorious things con-
cerning my de est frienda, things With which tho divino condescension has honoured you, so that part of Du have Hready gone before by the consummation of their martyr dom in re ivo fram their Lord tho crown of their deseris; part stili abido in tho dungeons of tho prison, or in thomines and in chains, exhibiting by the very delus of their punishmenta, greater examples for the strengthening and arming of the brothren, advancing by ths tediousness of thoirtortures to more ample liues of merit, to receive as many paymenis in heavenly reWards, as days are noW counted in
always flourishod in His church, guarding the tenor of thesaith, keoping firmiy the Lord's commands; in simplicity, innocence ; in charity, concord; modesty in humili , diligencein administration, Walchsulness in helping those that suffer,mercy in cherishing the mor, constan in delending the truth, ju ment in severi of disciplino. And that nothingshould bo Wanting to the examplo Oi good de s in Jou,
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318 THE EPISTLES OF CYPRIAM labours lies prostrate on the ground, but it is no penalty tolio down missi Christ. Your limbs unbathed, are Des and disfigurod with filth and diri; but Mihin they are spirituallycleansed, although Without the flesh is defited. Thoro thobreta is scarce; but man liveth not by bread alone, but by the word os God. Shivering, you Want clothing; but he who pulson Christ is both abundantly clothed and adorned. The halaos your hal&shorn head seems repulsive; but since Christ istho head os the man, anything Wharaver must ne s becomethat head whicli is illustrious on account of Chrises name. Ali that deformity, detestabio and foul to Gentiles, with What splendour shali it be recompensedi This temporal and bries suffering, hoW shali it be excitanged for the roward os a brightand eternat honour, When, according to the word of the bl sed
3. But there cannot be felt any loss of either religion orsaith, most beloved brethren, in the faci that non inore is given no opportunity there in God's primis for offering and celebrating the divine sacrifices; yea, you celebrate and offera sacrifice to God equalty precious and glorious, and that will greatly profit you for the retribution os heavenly r Wards, since the sacred Scripture spealis, saying, e sacrufice of God is a brohen spirit; a contrito and humbled heari God doth nol dospise.' u offer this sacrifice to God; Ducelebrate this sacrifice mithout intermission day and ni being mado victims to God, and exhibiting yοurselves asholy and unspotted offerings, as the apostle exhoris and says, I beseech you theresore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present yοur bodies a living sacrifice, holy, accepi leunto God. d be not conformed to this World; but be Diransformed by the rene ing os yοur mind, that ye may prove
Wherein our Works With greater deseris are successsul in
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crom. In boys also a co age meater than their age hassurpassed their years in the pruise of their confession, sottat every sex and every age aliould adora the bl sed flochoi mur martyrdom. 7. What noW must be tho vigour, beloved brethren, Myour Victorious conscio nem, What the lollinem os your minH
to Withdraw hom the worid, Du are hanening to the reWatas of martyrdom, and to the divine homes, to behold after this darknom of the worid the purest light, and to receiis a glorymeater than ali sufferings and conflicis, as the apostle mi, nesses, and says, The sufferings of this present time are nes Worthy to be compared With the glory that shali be revealedin m. h And becauso noW your mota is more effectual in prayers, and supplication is more quich to obtain What lasought for in amictions, meh more eagerly, and ain that thedivine condescension Would consummate the confession os allos M; that from this darisess and these snares of the Worid God would set us also Dee With you, found and glorious; that we Who here are united in tho Mnd of chari and peace, and have stood together against the wrongs os heretics and the oppressions of the heathens, may rejoice together in the