Explore full early church libraryExplore library

Library
St. Cyprian of Carthage
The Treatises of Cyprian

EcclesiologyPrayerVirtue

The Treatises of Cyprian

St. Cyprian of Carthage · c. 249–258 AD

14h 11m read

Ante-Nicene

Cyprian's pastoral and theological treatises on church unity, almsgiving, the Lord's Prayer, and steadfastness in persecution.

Table of Contents

1On the Unity of the Church 2On the Dress of Virgins 3On the Lapsed 4On the Lord's Prayer 5An Address to Demetrianus 6On the Vanity of Idols: Showing that the Idols are Not Gods, and that God is One, and that Through Christ Salvation is Given to Believers 7On the Mortality 8On Works and Alms 9On the Advantage of Patience 10On Jealousy and Envy 11Heads of the Following Book 12That idols are not gods, and that the elements are not to be worshipped in the place of gods 13That God alone must be worshipped 14What is God's threatening against those who sacrifice to idols?15That God does not easily pardon idolaters 16That God is so angry against idolatry, that He has even enjoined those to be slain who persuade others to sacrifice and serve idols 17That, being redeemed and quickened by the blood of Christ, we ought to prefer nothing to Christ 18That 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 they should lose the advantage of their withdrawal therefrom 19That 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 crown 20That afflictions and persecutions arise for the sake of our being proved 21That injuries and penalties of persecutions are not to be feared by us, because greater is the Lord to protect than the devil to assault 22That 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 is happening to the Christians, since from the beginning of the world the good have suffered, and the righteous have been oppressed and slain by the unrighteous 23What hope and reward remains for the righteous and for martyrs after the conflicts and sufferings of this present time 24That we receive more as the reward of our suffering than what we endure here in the suffering itself 1Book I 1Heads 2That the Jews have fallen under the heavy wrath of God because they have forsaken the Lord, and have followed idols 3Also because they did not believe the prophets, and put them to death 4That it was previously foretold that they would neither know the Lord, nor understand, nor receive Him 5That the Jews would not understand the Holy Scriptures, but that they would be intelligible in the last times, after that Christ had come 6That the Jews could understand nothing of the Scriptures unless they first believed in Christ 7That the Jews should lose Jerusalem, and should leave the land which they had received 8Also that they should lose the Light of the Lord 9That the first circumcision of the flesh is made void, and the second circumcision of the spirit is promised instead 10That the former law which was given by Moses was to cease 11That a new law was to be given 12That another dispensation and a new covenant was to be given 13That the old baptism should cease, and a new one should begin 14That the old yoke should be made void, and a new yoke should be given 15That the old pastors should cease and new ones begin 16That Christ should be the house and temple of God, and that the old temple should cease, and the new one should begin 17That the ancient sacrifice should be made void, and a new one should be celebrated 18That the old priesthood should cease, and a new priest should come, who should be for ever 19That another Prophet such as Moses was promised, to wit, one who should give a new testament, and who rather ought to be heard 20That two peoples were foretold, the elder and the younger; that is, the old people of the Jews, and the new one which should consist of us 21That the Church which before had been barren should have more children from among the Gentiles than what the synagogue had had before 22That the Gentiles should rather believe in Christ 23That the Jews would lose while we should receive the bread and the cup of Christ and all His grace, and that the new name of Christians should be blessed in the earth 24That the Gentiles rather than the Jews attain to the kingdom of heaven 25That by this alone the Jews can receive pardon of their sins, if they wash away the blood of Christ slain, in His baptism, and, passing over into His Church, obey His precepts 2Book II 1Heads 2That Christ is the First-born, and that He is the Wisdom of God, by whom all things were made 3That Christ is the Wisdom of God; and concerning the sacrament of His incarnation and of His passion, and cup and altar; and of the apostles who were sent, and preached 4That the same Christ is the Word of God 5That Christ is the Hand and Arm of God 6That Christ is at once Angel and God 7That Christ is God 8That Christ our God should come, the Enlightener and Saviour of the human race 9That although from the beginning He had been the Son of God, yet He had to be begotten again according to the flesh 10That this should be the sign of His nativity, that He should be born of a virgin--man and God--a son of man and a Son of God 11That Christ is both man and God, compounded of both natures, that He might be a Mediator between us and the Father 12That Christ was to be born of the seed of David, according to the flesh 13That Christ should be born in Bethlehem 14That Christ was to come in low estate in His first advent 15That He is the righteous One whom the Jews should put to death 16That Christ is called a sheep and a lamb who was to be slain, and concerning the sacrament (mystery) of the passion 17That Christ also is called a Stone 18That afterwards this Stone should become a mountain, and should fill the whole earth 19That in the last times the same mountain should be manifested, and upon it the Gentiles should come, and on it all the righteous should go up 20That Christ is the Bridegroom, having the Church as His bride, from which spiritual children were to be born 21That the Jews would fasten Christ to the cross 22That in the passion and the sign of the cross is all virtue and power 23That in this sign of the Cross is salvation for all people who are marked on their foreheads 24That at mid-day in His passion there should be darkness 25That He was not to be overcome of death, nor should remain in Hades 26That He should rise again from the dead on the third day 27That after He had risen again He should receive from His Father all power, and His power should be everlasting 28That it is impossible to attain to God the Father, except by His Son Jesus Christ 29That Jesus Christ shall come as a Judge 30That He will reign as a King for ever 31That He Himself is both Judge and King 3Book III 1Heads 2Of the benefit of good works and mercy 3In works and alms, even if by smallness of power less be done, that the will itself is sufficient 4That charity and brotherly affection are to be religiously and stedfastly practised 5That we must boast in nothing, since nothing is our own 6That humility and quietness are to be maintained in all things 7That all good and righteous men suffer more, but ought to endure because they are proved 8That we must not grieve the Holy Spirit, whom we have received 9That anger must be overcome, lest it constrain us to sin 10That brethren ought to support one another 11That we must trust in God only, and in Him we must glory 12That he who has attained to trust, having put off the former man, ought to regard only celestial and spiritual things, and to give no heed to the world which he has already renounced 13That we must not swear 14That we must not curse 15That we must never murmur, but bless God concerning all things that happen 16That men are tried by God for this purpose, that they may be proved 17Of the benefits of martyrdom 18That what we suffer in this world is of less account than is the reward which is promised 19That nothing is to be preferred to the love of God and Christ 20That we are not to obey our own will, but the will of God 21That the foundation and strength of hope and faith is fear 22That we must not rashly judge of another 23That when we have received a wrong, we must remit and forgive it 24That evil is not to be returned for evil 25That it is impossible to attain to the Father but by His Son Jesus Christ 26That unless a man have been baptized and born again, he cannot attain unto the kingdom of God 27That it is of small account to be baptized and to receive the Eucharist, unless one profit by it both in deeds and works 28That even a baptized person loses the grace that he has attained, unless he keep innocency 29That remission cannot in the Church be granted unto him who has sinned against God (i.e., the Holy Ghost)30That it was before predicted, concerning the hatred of the Name 31That what any one has vowed to God, he must quickly repay 32That he who does not believe is judged already 33Of the benefit of virginity and of continency 34That the Father judgeth nothing, but the Son; and that the Father is not glorified by him by whom the Son is not glorified 35That the believer ought not to live like the Gentile 36That God is patient for this end, that we may repent of our sin, and be reformed 37That a woman ought not to be adorned in a worldly fashion 38That the believer ought not to be punished for other offences, except for the name he bears 39That the servant of God ought to be innocent, lest he fall into secular punishment 40That there is given to us an example of living in Christ 41That we must not labour noisily nor boastfully 42That we must not speak foolishly and offensively 43That faith is of advantage altogether, and that we can do as much as we believe 44That he who believes can immediately obtain (i.e., pardon and peace)45That believers who differ among themselves ought not to refer to a Gentile judge 46That hope is of future things, and therefore that our faith concerning those things which are promised ought to be patient 47That a woman ought to be silent in the church 48That it arises from our fault and our desert that we suffer, and do not perceive God's help in everything 49That we must not take usury 50That even our enemies must be loved 51That the sacrament of faith must not be profaned 52That no one should be uplifted in his labour 53That the liberty of believing or of not believing is placed in free choice 54That the secrets of God cannot be seen through, and therefore that our faith ought to be simple 55That no one is without filth and without sin 56That we must not please men, but God 57That nothing that is done is hidden from God 58That the believer is amended and reserved 59That no one should be made sad by death; since in living is labour and peril, in dying peace and the certainty of resurrection 60Of the idols which the Gentiles think to be gods 61That too great lust of food is not to be desired 62That the lust of possessing, and money, are not to be sought for 63That marriage is not to be contracted with Gentiles 64That the sin of fornication is grievous 65What are those carnal things which beget death, and what are the spiritual things which lead to life 66That all sins are put away in baptism 67That the discipline of God is to be observed in Church precepts 68That it was foretold that men should despise sound discipline 69That we must depart from him who lives irregularly and contrary to discipline 70That the kingdom of God is not in the wisdom of the world, nor in eloquence, but in the faith of the cross, and in virtue of conversation 71That we must obey parents 72And that fathers also should not be harsh in respect of their children 73That servants, when they have believed, ought to serve their carnal masters the better 74Moreover, that masters should be the more gentle 75That all widows that are approved are to be held in honour 76That every person ought to have care rather of his own people, and especially of believers 77That an elder must not be rashly accused 78That the sinner must be publicly reproved 79That we must not speak with heretics 80That innocency asks with confidence, and obtains 81That the devil has no power against man unless God have allowed it 82That wages be quickly paid to the hireling 83That divination must not be used 84That a tuft of hair is not to be worn on the head 85That the beard must not be plucked 86That we must rise when a bishop or a presbyter comes 87That a schism must not be made, even although he who withdraws should remain in one faith, and in the same tradition 88That believers ought to be simple, with prudence 89That a brother must not be deceived 90That the end of the world comes suddenly 91That a wife must not depart from her husband; or if she should depart, she must remain unmarried 92That every one is tempted so much as he is able to bear 93That not everything is to be done which is lawful 94That it was foretold that heresies would arise 95That the Eucharist is to be received with fear and honour 96That we are to live with the good, but to avoid the evil 97That we must labour not with words, but with deeds 98That we must hasten to faith and to attainment 99That the catechumen ought now no longer to sin 100That judgment will be according to the times, either of equity before the law, or of law after Moses 101That the grace of God ought to be without price 102That the Holy Spirit has frequently appeared in fire 103That all good men ought willingly to hear rebuke 104That we must abstain from much speaking 105That we must not lie 106That they are frequently to be corrected who do wrong in domestic duty 107That when a wrong is received, patience is to be maintained, and vengeance to be left to God 108That we must not use detraction 109That we must not lay snares against our neighbour 110That the sick are to be visited 111That tale-bearers are accursed 112That the sacrifices of the wicked are not acceptable 113That those are more severely judged, who in this world have had more power 114That the widow and orphans ought to be protected 115That one ought to make confession while he is in the flesh 116That flattery is pernicious 117That God is more loved by him who has had many sins forgiven in baptism 118That there is a strong conflict to be waged against the devil, and that therefore we ought to stand bravely, that we may be able to conquer 119Also of Antichrist, that he will come as a man 120That the yoke of the law was heavy, which is cast off by us, and that the Lord's yoke is easy, which is taken up by us 121That we are to be urgent in prayers