On the Lapsed 35
Summary: The lapsed must do long and earnest penance with prayer, fasting, mourning, and generous almsgiving, spending on the poor the property that caused their fall.
Latin text · CSEL 3.1:262–263
Vos uero, fratres, quorum timor Domini promptus est et in ruina licet animus constitutus mali sui memor est, paenitentes ac dolentes peccata uestra perspicite, grauissimum conscientiae crimen agnoscite, ad intellegentiam delicti uestri oculos cordis aperite, nec desperantes misericordiam Domini nec tamen iam ueniam uindicantes. Deus quantum patris pietate indulgens semper et bonus est, tantum iudicis maiestate metuendus est. quam magna deliquimus, tam granditer defleamus. alto uulneri diligens et longa medicina non desit, paenitentia crimine minor non sit. putasne tu Deum cito posse placari quem uerbis perfidis abnuisti, cui patrimonium praeponere maluisti, cuius templum sacrilega contagione uiolasti? putas facile eum misereri tui quem tuum non esse dixisti? orare oportet inpensius et rogare, diem luctu transigere, uigiliis noctes ac fletibus ducere, tempus omne lacrimosis lamentationibus occupare, stratos solo adhaerere cineri, in cilicio et sordibus uolutari, post indumentum Christi perditum nullum iam uelle uestimentum, post diaboli cibum malle ieiunium, iustis operibus incumbere quibus peccata purgantur, eleemosynis frequenter insistere quibus a morte animae liberantur. quod aduersarius auferebat Christus accipiat, nec teneri iam nec amari patrimonium debet quo quis et deceptus et uictus est. pro hoste uitanda res, pro latrone fugienda, pro gladio metuenda possidentibus et ueneno. ad hoc tantum profuerit quod remansit, ut inde crimen et culpa redimatur. incunctanter et largiter fiat operatio, census omnis in medellam uulneris erogetur, opibus et facultatibus nostris qui de nobis iudicaturus est Dominus faeneretur. sic sub apostolis fides uiguit, sic primus credentium populus Christi mandata seruauit: prompti erant, largi erant. distribuendum per apostolos totum dabant et non talia delicta redimebant.
English · Claude translation
But you, brothers, whose fear of the Lord is ready, and whose mind, though set in ruin, is mindful of its evil: in penitence and sorrow examine your sins, acknowledge the very grave crime of your conscience, open the eyes of your heart to understand your offense, neither despairing of the Lord's mercy nor yet claiming pardon as already yours. As much as God, with a father's love, is always indulgent and good, so much is he to be feared with a judge's majesty. As greatly as we have sinned, so greatly let us weep. For a deep wound let careful and long treatment not be lacking; let penance not be less than the crime. Do you think God can quickly be appeased, whom you disowned with faithless words, to whom you preferred your property, whose temple you violated with sacrilegious contagion? Do you think he will easily have mercy on you, whom you said was not yours? You must pray and ask more earnestly, spend the day in mourning, pass the nights in vigils and weeping, occupy all your time with tearful lamentations, lie stretched on the ground and cling to ashes, roll in sackcloth and filth; after losing the garment of Christ, want no clothing now; after the devil's food, prefer fasting; apply yourselves to just works, by which sins are purged; give yourselves frequently to almsgiving, by which souls are freed from death. What the adversary was taking away, let Christ receive; nor should property now be held or loved, by which one was both deceived and conquered. It is to be avoided by its possessors as an enemy, fled from as a robber, feared as a sword and poison. Let what has remained be useful only for this, that crime and guilt may be redeemed by it. Let the work of charity be done without hesitation and generously; let all wealth be spent for the healing of the wound; let us lend with our riches and means to the Lord, who is to judge us. So faith flourished under the apostles; so the first people of believers kept Christ's commands: they were ready, they were generous; they gave everything to be distributed by the apostles, and they were not redeeming such sins.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The digital text's “promis” is read as “promptus”. The teaching that almsgiving frees from death follows Tob 12:9 (4:10); “lend to the Lord” echoes Prov 19:17; the example of the first believers is Acts 4:34–35.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (garbled word in the digital text): promis est → promptus est.
Cite this passage
Cyprian, Laps. 35 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/cyprian-lapsis/35/).
Plain text
Cyprian, Laps. 35 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/cyprian-lapsis/35/).
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