Sophia Scriptura

On the Lapsed 23

Cyprian of Carthage · On the Lapsed · 251 · Carthage · Read in context

Summary: If the lapsed do not fear future judgment, let them fear the present punishments that have already struck some who denied Christ.

Textual problem in this passage: the printed text is uncertain or disputed here. See the notes.

Latin text · CSEL 3.1:254

Accipe potius et admitte quae loquimur. quid surdae aures salutaria praecepta non audiunt quae monemus? quid caeci oculi paenitentiae iter non uident quod obtendimus? quid praeclusa et alienata mens remedia uitalia non conspicit quae de scripturis caelestibus et discimus et docemus? aut si incredulis quibusdam minor fides est futurorum, uel praesentibus terreantur. ecce eorum qui negauerunt quae supplicia conspicimus, quos eorum tristes exitus flemus! nec hic esse sine poena possunt, quamuis necdum [poenae] dies uenerit. plectuntur interim quidam, quo ceteri dirigantur. exempla sunt omnium tormenta paucorum.

English · Claude translation

Accept rather and admit what we say. Why do deaf ears not hear the saving precepts we urge? Why do blind eyes not see the road of penance which we point out? Why does a shut and estranged mind not perceive the life-giving remedies which we both learn and teach from the heavenly Scriptures? Or if some unbelievers have little faith in things to come, let them at least be terrified by things present. See what punishments we behold on those who have denied, what sad ends of theirs we weep over! Not even here can they be without punishment, although the day has not yet come. Some are punished meanwhile, so that the rest may be set right. The torments of a few are examples for all.

About this passage

Source
CSEL 3.1:254 · Wilhelm von Hartel, ed., S. Thasci Caecili Cypriani Opera omnia, Pars 1, CSEL 3.1 (Vienna: Gerold, 1868), 235–264 · Latin text: W. von Hartel (CSEL 3.1, 1868), digitized by Open Greek and Latin, University of Leipzig (csel-dev), CC BY-SA 4.0
Text
As printed in CSEL 3.1. Manuscript variants and the editor's apparatus are not reproduced; the problem in this passage is discussed in the notes.
Translation
Claude translation (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 · Translated by Claude from the Latin text of CSEL 3.1; made independently of existing English translations.
Compare
Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5 (1886) (an older public-domain English translation, whole volume at CCEL; checked against ours only after ours was made)
Topics
Persecution, Eschatology

Notes

Translation notes

  • The editor deletes “poenae” (“of punishment”) after “day” (in square brackets).

Cite this passage

Cyprian, Laps. 23 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/cyprian-lapsis/23/).

Plain text
Cyprian, Laps. 23 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/cyprian-lapsis/23/).

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