Catholica
S. Hellmann (ed.), Pseudo-Cyprianus: De XII abusivis saeculi, Texte und Untersuchungen 34.1 (Leipzig, 1910) — the celebrated Hiberno-Latin treatise, attributed in the manuscripts to St Cyprian; translated into modern British English. The German critical apparatus (manuscript sigla and variant readings) is omitted.
1 There are twelve abuses of the world, namely: the wise man without works, the old man without religion, the youth without obedience, the rich man without almsgiving, the woman without modesty, the lord without virtue, the contentious Christian, the proud poor man, the unjust king, the negligent bishop, the people without discipline, and the folk without law. By these justice is suffocated. These are the twelve abuses of the world through which, if they be found in it, the wheel of the world is deceived and rolled down to the darkness of hell by the just judgement of God, no help of justice hindering.
The First Degree of Abuse #
1 The first degree of abuse is if a man be wise and a preacher without good works — one who neglects to fulfil in deeds what he teaches in word. For the hearers of doctrine easily despise the sayings when they see the preacher’s works at variance with the words of his preaching; since the authority of a teacher never becomes effective unless he has fixed it in the hearer’s heart by the performance of the work — especially since the teacher himself, if he have slipped into the love of vices, thinks little of applying another teacher’s medicine to his own wounds. From where the Lord Himself in the Gospel, wishing to instruct His disciples alike in doctrine and in good work, admonished them what caution they should have in these things, saying: “But if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?” — that is, if the teacher has erred, by what other teacher shall he be corrected? “And if the light that is in you be darkness, how great shall the darkness itself be?” For if the eye cease from its office of seeing, who demands that ministry of the hand or foot or the rest of the body? Let teachers therefore take heed lest they lie under a heavier vengeance, if they furnish more abundantly the occasion of perdition to very many. For Solomon also, when he incurred transgression of the great wisdom given him, alone by his own desert presented the dispersion of the kingdom of all the people of Israel. To whom therefore many things are committed, they lose the greater things if they have not rightly administered the gifts of their ruler which they have received. For “to whomever much is given, of him shall much be required” [Lk. 12:48]; and “the servant who knew his lord’s will and did it not shall be beaten with many stripes” — with the keener and heavier vengeances [Lk. 12:47].
The Second Degree of Abuse #
1 The second degree of abuse is if an old man be found without religion — with whom, while the members of the outer man grow old, the powers of the soul, that is, the members of the inner man, take no increase of strength. For it befits old men above all others to give heed to religion, whom the flowering age of the present world has left behind. For as among trees that tree is counted worthless which after its flowers yields not the best fruits to its cultivator, so also among men he is worthless whom the flower of youth deserts and who yet, in the old age of his body, thinks it little to bring forth the ripe fruits of good works. For what more foolish can be done, if the mind does not strive to hasten to perfection, when the whole frame of the body, worn out with age, hastens to destruction? While the eyes grow dim, the ear hears heavily, the hairs fall away, the face is changed to pallor, the wearied teeth diminish in number, the skin dries up, the breath smells not sweetly, the chest is suffocated, the cough cackles, the knees tremble, swelling inflates the ankles and feet — even the inner man, who does not grow old, is weighed down by all these things; and all these things quickly proclaim that the house of the body is about to fall. What then remains, save that every old man, while the failing of this life draws near, should seek to think of nothing else than how the dwelling of the life to come may be happily laid hold of? For to the young, the end of this life stands uncertain; but to all the old, a ripe departure from this light briefly accords. There are two members, therefore, which a man must beware of — which grow not old in his flesh and drag the whole man to sin: namely the heart and the tongue. For the heart ceases not ever to devise new thoughts, and the tongue idly speaks whatever it perceives the heart devising. Let old age therefore beware lest those youthful members deceive the whole harmony of the body, and lest through unfitting things they mock the gravity of the rest of the body. For it behoves each one to consider what is worthy of his age and eminence, that he may do what makes neither his life nor his age nor his ministry vile.
The Third Degree of Abuse #
1 The third degree of abuse is the youth found without obedience, whereby the world is depraved from the right order of reason. For how shall he hope to be ministered to in old age who in youth scorns to show obedience to his seniors? From where it is held also in a proverb among the ancients that he cannot be served who first refuses to render service to another. For which cause the Lord Jesus also, in the days of His flesh, while He had not yet come to the lawful age of a teacher, obediently rendered ministry to His parents [Lk. 2:51]. As therefore in old men sobriety and perfection of manners is required, so in the young observance and subjection and obedience are duly owed. Therefore also in the commandments of the law the honour of father and mother is commanded first among those things which pertain to men: because although one’s carnal father may not have survived or may have been unworthy, yet fatherly honour is shown to be owed by sons up to a fitting age to some worthy and living father. For fathers are spoken of in the divine scriptures in four ways — namely by nature, by race, by admonition, and by age. Of the natural father Jacob speaks to Laban: “Unless the fear of my father Isaac had been with me, you had taken away all that is mine” [Gen. 31:42]. A father by race he is called when the Lord spoke to Moses from the bush, saying: “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob” [Ex. 3:6]. By age and admonition alike a father is called when Moses speaks in the Song of Deuteronomy: “Ask your father, and he will show you” [Deut. 32:7]. If therefore one’s natural father has not survived or was unworthy, yet obedience must be rendered by the youth to one who admonishes or to an elder. For how shall he appear honoured in old age who has not sustained the labour of discipline in youth? For whatever a man has laboured at, that also shall he reap [Gal. 6:8]. For “no discipline in the present seems to be of joy but of sorrow; afterwards, however, it yields the most peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised by it” [Heb. 12:11]. As therefore fruit is not found on a tree on which first neither leaf nor flower has appeared, so also in old age he cannot attain lawful honour who in youth has not laboured in the exercises of some discipline. How then can there be discipline without obedience? A youth therefore without discipline is a youth without obedience — since obedience itself, which is the mother of all disciplines, has need of great exercise; whose norm it took care to draw from Christ the Lord, who “obedient to the Father even to death” willingly sustained the ignominy of the cross [Phil. 2:8].
The Fourth Degree of Abuse #
1 The fourth degree of abuse is the rich man without almsgiving — who does not distribute to the needy and those having nothing the superfluities of his living which he stores up to be kept for the future. Whereby it comes to pass that while with diligent care he guards the things he has gotten on earth, he loses the everlasting treasure of the heavenly country. To which treasure the Lord Jesus invited the rich youth who had asked Him about perfection, answering thus: “If you will be perfect, go and sell all that you have and give to the poor, and come, follow me, and you shall have treasure in heaven” [Mt. 19:21]. Which treasure no man can ever have unless he either gives comfort to the poor or is himself poor. Let not that therefore sleep in your treasures which suffers not the poor to sleep. For although a rich man has gathered much, he can by no means enjoy it alone, since one man’s nature is not sufficient for many things. What then is more foolish than to lose, for the food and clothing of one man, the whole everlasting joy of the heavenly kingdom, and to undergo the eternal torments of hell without expectation of consolation? What must therefore at some time be lost through necessity should be freely distributed for an eternal reward. For “all things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” [2 Cor. 4:18]. As long as we are temporal, temporal things serve the temporal; and when we pass hence, eternal things will furnish eternal consolations. Therefore we ought not to love those things which we shall not always have — especially since the covetous rich man is shown to be devoid of reason toward his treasures, his fields, and all that he has, who with the whole gaze of his heart loves those things which never love him back. For if a man loves gold and silver and fields and clothes and foods and metals and brute animals, the very nature of things shows that all these cannot repay him the return of love. What is further from reason than to love that which cannot love you, and to neglect Him who with love furnishes all things to your rule? For this cause, then, it is commanded by God that the world be not loved and that the neighbour be loved — because the neighbour can repay the return of his love, which the world, it is not doubted, least of all can. For the Lord commands that even an enemy be loved, that that love may make him a friend of an enemy. Whoever therefore is a covetous rich man, if he wishes to have eternal riches, let him by distributing to the needy meanwhile lose those that will not remain. For if he sells not what he loves, no one will be able to buy what he desires. For the covetous are therefore in the judgement named accursed by the most just Judge, because they who passed by their habitations said not: “The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we have blessed you in the name of the Lord” [Ps. 128:8]. Unhappy therefore are the covetous rich who for transitory things slip into eternal damnation; and contrariwise “blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” [Mt. 5:7]. Happy is the merciful man, for in this virtue God requires not substance but affection.
The Fifth Degree of Abuse #
1 The fifth degree of abuse is the woman without modesty. For as prudence procures and guards all good morals in men, so in women modesty nourishes and fosters and guards all honourable acts. For modesty guards chastity, restrains avarice, avoids strifes, mitigates angers, curbs lust, tempers desire, chastises wantonness, shuns drunkenness, multiplies not words, combats the cravings of the gullet, and condemns theft utterly — what more, it restrains all vices and nourishes all virtues and whatever is laudable before God and good men. For an unchaste life expects neither praise from men in the present age nor reward from God in the future; but a chaste life possesses a good fame among men and rejoices in the hope of future blessedness — makes herself imitable to those present, leaves a lovely memory to posterity, delights and consents ever in good morals, fixes her mind on assiduous meditations and discourses of the scriptures, keeps the examples of the good who went before, and knits inseparable companionships with the perfect. The exercise of true modesty therefore consists in two ways — namely in the habit and outward appearance of the body, and in the inner affection of the soul. By the outer way we provide examples before men according to the apostle; by the inner, good works before God. For the modesty of the body is: not to covet others’ goods, to avoid all uncleanness, not to wish to taste before the fitting hour, not to provoke laughter, not to speak vain and false words, to keep one’s dress in all respects ordered and suited to one’s calling both as to hair and garments as is fitting, not to enter fellowship with the unworthy, to look at no one with haughty glance, not to suffer the eyes to wander, not to walk with a pompous and alluring gait, to appear inferior to none in undertaking good work, to cast contumely or shame on no one, to blaspheme none, not to mock the old, not to strive against one’s better, not to treat of things you know not, and not to utter even all the things you know. These things render a man lovable to his neighbours and acceptable to God. And the modesty of the soul is: to do all good things more for God’s eyes than for men’s; to restrain the desires of base thoughts; to esteem all others better than oneself; to envy none; to have no confidence in oneself; to commit all things ever to God’s help; to set oneself ever before God’s eyes; not to stain the mind with heretical depravity; to consent in all things with catholics; to cleave to God alone; to offer the chastity of the inner mind to the Lord Christ; to bring all undertakings of good works to completion only with the boundary of death; to think little of present tribulations with fortitude of soul; to love nothing on earth save one’s neighbours; to lay up the treasure of all love in heaven; and to hope for a reward in the heavens from God for every good act. Modesty is the ornament of the noble, the exaltation of the lowly, the nobility of the base-born, the beauty of the common, the prosperity of the labouring, the solace of the sorrowing, the increase of all beauty, the honour of religion, the defence of faults, the multiplication of merits, the friendship of God the creator of all.
The Sixth Degree of Abuse #
1 The sixth degree of abuse is the lord without virtue — since it profits nothing to have the power of ruling if the lord himself have not also the rigour of virtue. But this rigour of virtue must be exercised not so much in outward strength — which is indeed necessary to secular lords — as in the inner fortitude of the soul through good morals. For often the power of ruling is lost through negligence of the soul, as is proved to have been done in the priest Eli: who, while he did not correct his sinning sons with the severity of a judge, the Lord in vengeance for their sins fiercely spared him not, as one consenting. Three things therefore those who rule must have: namely terror and ordinance and love; for unless a lord be loved and feared alike, his ordinance can least of all stand firm. By benefits therefore and affability let him procure that he be loved, and by just vengeances — not for his own injury but for God’s law — let him strive to be feared. For this cause also, while many hang upon him, he himself ought to cleave to God who set him in leadership, who established him as the stronger for bearing the burdens of many. For unless a peg well fixed cleave firmly to something stronger, all that hangs on it quickly slips down, and itself, loosed from the rigour of its firmness, falls to the ground with its burdens. So also a prince, unless he cleave tenaciously to his creator, quickly perishes — he and all who consent to him. For some through the office of ruling draw nearer to God; some, the honour of dignity being laid on them, become worse. For Moses, having received the leadership of the people, used God’s utterances more familiarly; but Saul son of Kish, after he received the sceptre of the kingdom, offended God through the pride of disobedience. King Solomon, after he obtained his father David’s seat — God gave him the gift of wisdom beyond all mortals for the governance of a numerous people; contrariwise Jeroboam the servant of Solomon, after he occupied part of the kingdom of the house of David, turned aside the ten tribes of Israel which were in the part of Samaria to the worship of idols. By which examples it is clearly shown that some in a higher estate grow to greater perfection, but others flow down to worse through the haughtiness of dominion. Whereby both are understood: that they who mount to better things can do it through virtue of soul and the Lord’s help; and that they who turn aside to worse err through feebleness of mind and negligence alike. From where also a lord ought not to exist without virtue — which virtue he can in no wise have without God’s help. For he who guards many things, if he have not fortitude, cannot do it, since great things are accustomed to labour under great infestations and adversities. Let everyone therefore who is set over others first of all procure this with his soul’s whole intent: that through all things he doubt not at all of God’s help. And when he shall have begun to have in his acts the Lord of lords as helper, no man will be able to hold his dominion in contempt. For “there is no power but of God” [Rom. 13:1]. For “He raises up the poor out of the dust and makes him sit with the princes of His people” [1 Sam. 2:8]; and “He puts down the mighty from their seat and exalts the humble” [Lk. 1:52], that all the world may be made subject to God and need God’s glory.
The Seventh Degree of Abuse #
1 The seventh degree of abuse is the contentious Christian — who, while he receives the sharing of Christ’s name through faith and baptism, loves the perishable delights of the world against Christ’s sayings and purpose. For everything that is contended for is either sought for its own sake, for the love of the thing in question, or for the love of another thing which lies hid under a hateful aspect. For example: war, though it be a hateful thing in the fierce conflict of the combatants, is waged for the love of victory and liberty; and many other beloved appearances are sought quite contentiously under hateful toil or dread. From where it is plainly understood that nothing can be contended for save for the love of a hoped-for and subsequently pleasant reward. Whoever therefore contends for the present world for whatever cause, it is clearly shown that he loves it — which world the words of the Holy Spirit through John forbid to be loved, saying: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” [1 Jn. 2:15]. For the love of the world and of God cannot dwell together in one heart, even as the same eyes can by no means see heaven and earth together. But it must be inquired whether there is truly anything in the world that ought to be loved, and what that world is which the divine utterances forbid to be loved. For the earth, with the things born of it — its metals and living creatures, the beauty of garments, the delights of foods, and the things pertaining to these — is commanded not to be loved; but the neighbour, for whom all these things were made, is commanded to be loved. For all these aforementioned things, as things that will not remain, cannot accompany those journeying to the heavenly country; but neighbours, as future co-heirs of the King, rightly love one another. What therefore ever remains in the world and will fail together with the world — even the world itself — is commanded not to be loved; but the neighbour, who is part of the heavenly kingdom, is not unfittingly loved meanwhile on earth by those seeking the kingdom of heaven, since in that highest country he will be held as co-heir for ever. For this cause the present world is commanded not to be loved, lest anyone become a lover of the world, alien from the love of God.
2 One ought not therefore to contend for what it is not lawful to love. A Christian therefore, who holds the likeness of Christ’s name, ought also to have the likeness of His manners. For no one is rightly called a Christian unless he is made equal to Christ in manners. But of Christ it is written through the prophet: “See my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased; I will put my spirit upon him. He shall not strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets” [Is. 42:1–2; Mt. 12:18–19]. See, Christ did not strive — and you, if you wish to keep the likeness of Christ’s manners, do not strive, lest you stand forth a Christian abusively in the Church. For to His followers Christ gave command: “Be not you called Rabbi: for one is your Master, Christ; and call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. All you are brethren” [Mt. 23:8–10] — to whom for supplication He commanded to say: “Our Father who are in heaven, hallowed be your name” [Mt. 6:9]. In vain therefore does he contend for a father on earth who professes to have a father and a fatherland in heaven — of which fatherland no one becomes a possessor save he who is secure from the contention of the earthly fatherland.
The Eighth Degree of Abuse #
1 The eighth degree of abuse is the proud poor man — who, having nothing, is lifted up into pride, when contrariwise it is commanded through the apostle Paul that the rich of this world be not high-minded [1 Tim. 6:17]. What then more foolish can be done than that he who through uttermost misery, as it were cast down to earth and last and lowly, ought to walk and be saddened, should raise up a mind swollen with the prideful tumour of haughtiness against God? Through which vice they fell headlong who were established in the highest summit of heaven. What then does he will to be proud in the earth as it were mighty, who before all men ought to have appeared humble? But lest they should have sadness on account of their poverty, let the poor attend to what they are to receive from God. For He Himself says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” [Mt. 5:3]. For by a right dispensation the merciful Judge commits the kingdom of heaven to those to whom He has taken away participation in the kingdoms of the earth among mortals — that he may appear rich in heaven’s seat who on earth procures nothing at all. But the poor must beware lest, while through necessity they pass by the kingdom of earth, through imprudence of mind they also lose the kingdom of heaven. For since they have received necessary poverty by God’s dispensation, it hangs on their own choice whether they are poor in spirit. For the kingdoms of heaven are not promised to any poor men whatever, but only to those whose poverty of riches is accompanied by humility of soul. For the humble poor man is called poor in spirit — who, though seen needy outwardly, is never lifted up into pride; since for seeking the kingdoms of heaven humility of mind avails more than temporal poverty of present riches. For even the humble who possess riches well can be called poor in spirit; and the proud who have nothing, there is no doubt, are deprived of the blessedness of poverty. Of both of whom the holy scripture thus speaks: “There is that makes himself rich, yet has nothing; and there is that makes himself poor, yet has great riches” [Prov. 13:7]. A poor man in many riches therefore is a rich man humble in spirit; and one as it were rich having nothing is a poor man proud in the affection of mind. Noble therefore is the poverty of humility of mind, and the enormity of souls are unfitting riches. It must therefore be foreseen by the poor that they understand what they themselves are, and cease to swell with proud tumour of mind over what they cannot attain in goods.
The Ninth Degree of Abuse #
1 The ninth degree of abuse is the unjust king — who, although it behoved him to be the corrector of the unrighteous, does not keep in himself the dignity of his name. For the name of “king” intellectually retains this: that he procure for all his subjects the office of a ruler. But how will he be able to correct others who does not correct his own manners lest they be unjust? For “in the justice of the king is the throne exalted, and in truth are the governances of peoples made firm” [Prov. 16:12]. The justice of a king is: to oppress no man unjustly through power; to judge without respect of persons between a man and his neighbour; to be a defender of strangers and orphans and widows; to restrain thefts; to punish adulteries; not to exalt the wicked; not to nourish the unchaste and sorcerers; to destroy the impious from the earth; not to suffer parricides and perjurers to live; to defend the churches; to feed the poor with alms; to set the just over the affairs of the kingdom; to have old men and wise and sober counsellors; not to attend to the superstitions of magicians and soothsayers and pythonesses; to defer anger; to defend the fatherland bravely and justly against adversaries; to trust in God through all things; not to lift up his soul in prosperities; to bear all adverse things patiently; to have the catholic faith in God; not to suffer his sons to act impiously; to insist on prayers at fixed hours; not to taste food before the fitting hours. For “woe to the land whose king is a child, and whose princes eat in the morning” [Eccl. 10:16]. These things make the kingdom’s prosperity in the present and lead the king on to the better heavenly kingdoms. But whoever does not administer the kingdom according to this law doubtless suffers many adversities of rule. For on this account the peace of peoples is often broken, and stumbling-blocks are raised up also against the kingdom; the fruits of the lands are diminished and the services of peoples hindered; many and various griefs infect the prosperity of the kingdom; the deaths of friends and children bring sadness; the inroads of enemies lay waste the provinces everywhere; beasts tear the herds of cattle and flocks; the tempests of the air and the turmoil of wintriness forbid the fecundity of the land and the ministries of the sea; and sometimes the strokes of lightnings burn the grain-crops and the flowers and tendrils of the trees. Above all, the king’s injustice not only darkens the face of the present rule but also darkens his sons and grandsons, lest they hold the inheritance of the kingdom after him. For on account of Solomon’s sin the Lord scattered the kingdom of the house of Israel out of the hands of his sons; and for the justice of king David He ever left a lamp of his seed in Jerusalem [1 Kgs. 11:36]. See, how greatly the king’s justice avails the world is manifestly plain to those who look.
2 The justice of a king is: the peace of peoples, the protection of the fatherland, the defence of the people, the fortress of the nation, the care of the weak, the joy of men, the temperateness of the air, the serenity of the sea, the fecundity of the earth, the solace of the poor, the inheritance of sons, and to himself the hope of future blessedness. Yet let the king know that as he is set first on the throne of men, so also in punishments he shall have the primacy if he do not justice. For whatever sinners he had under him in the present, he shall have above him in a scourging manner in that future punishment.
The Tenth Degree of Abuse #
1 The tenth degree of abuse is the negligent bishop — who requires the honour of his rank among men, but keeps not the dignity of his ministry before God, for whom he exercises his office. First it should be inquired of the bishop what the dignity of his name holds: since “bishop,” being a Greek word, is interpreted “watchman” [speculator]. Why a watchman is appointed and what is required of a watchman, the Lord Himself discloses when, under the person of the prophet Ezekiel, He declares to the bishop the account of his office, saying thus: “I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel. Hearing therefore the word from my mouth, you shall announce it to them from me. But if you see the sword coming and do not announce it so that the wicked man may turn from his way — that wicked man indeed shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you announce it and he turn not back, he indeed shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul” [Ezek. 3:17–19]. It befits the bishop therefore diligently to attend to the sins of all those over whom he is set in the watch-tower, and after he has attended, to correct them by word if he can and by act; and if he cannot, according to the Gospel’s rule, to shun the workers of crimes. For if, says the Lord in the Gospel, “your brother sin against you, rebuke him between you and him alone. If he hear you, you have gained your brother. If he hear you not, take with you yet one or two, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand; if he hear them not, tell the church; if he hear not the church, let him be to you as the heathen and the publican” [Mt. 18:15–17].
2 By such an order is he to be expelled whoever cleaves not to his teacher or bishop; and he who has been expelled by such an order ought not to be received by any other teacher or bishop. For of the priest it is written in the law: “a widow or a divorced woman he shall not take to wife” [Lev. 21:14]. Whoever therefore receives one excommunicated by a catholic, without his permission, transgresses the statutes of the scripture, exceeding the rights of the holy priesthood into which the race of Christians is chosen [1 Pet. 2:9].
3 In this manner the bishop must be toward those over whom he is set in the watch. But what manner of man he ought to be in himself, the apostle Paul sets forth: that he who comes to the rank of bishop should be sober, prudent, chaste, wise, modest, hospitable, having children subject with all chastity, having a good testimony from those that are without, holding forth the faithful word of doctrine, before his episcopate having had not more wives than one, no striker, not double-tongued, not given to wine, not a neophyte [1 Tim. 3:2–8; Tit. 1:6–9] — that through these things he himself may first show in work what he teaches others in the word of doctrine.
4 Let negligent bishops therefore beware what the Lord complains of in the time of vengeance through the prophet: “Many shepherds have destroyed my people, and the shepherds fed not my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves” [Jer. 12:10; Ezek. 34:8]; but rather let those whom the Lord has set over His household take care to give them food in its season, the measure of wheat — pure and proved doctrine, namely — that when the Lord comes they may deserve to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant; because you have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things; enter you into the joy of your Lord” [Mt. 25:23].
The Eleventh Degree of Abuse #
1 The eleventh degree of abuse is the people without discipline — which, while it serves not the exercises of discipline, binds itself in the common snare of perdition. For the wrath of the Lord is not escaped without the rigour of discipline; and therefore it is preached by the psalmist’s voices to the undisciplined people: “Take hold of discipline, lest the Lord be angry” [Ps. 2:12]. Discipline is the ordered correction of morals and the observance of the rules of the greater who went before. Of which discipline the apostle Paul thus speaks, saying: “Persevere in discipline; God offers Himself to you as to sons. But if you are without discipline, of which all are made partakers, then are you bastards and not sons” [Heb. 12:7–8]. Those therefore who are bastards without discipline obtain not the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom; but the sons bear the corrections of paternal discipline and despair not of being able sometime to receive the inheritance. Of which discipline also Isaiah preaches to the same undisciplined people, saying: “Cease to do perversely; learn to do well” [Is. 1:16–17]. And the same psalmist sings in accord, saying: “Turn from evil and do good” [Ps. 33:15]. Unhappy therefore is he who casts away discipline — for he dares something beyond the soldiers, who splits the discipline of Christ’s Church, while they who crucified the Lord did not split His tunic. For as the tunic covers the whole body save the head, so discipline covers and adorns the whole Church save Christ, who is the head of the Church and is not under discipline. And that tunic was woven from the top throughout, because the same discipline of the Church is bestowed and made whole by the Lord from heaven — of which the Lord, when He had ascended to the Father after He rose from the dead, spoke to His apostles: “But sit here in the city, until you be clothed with power from on high” [Lk. 24:49]. The tunic of Christ’s body therefore is the discipline of the Church; and whoever is without discipline is a stranger from the body of Christ. Let us not therefore split it, but cast lots for it — that is, let us not loose anything of Christ’s commandments, but let each one in the calling wherein he was called therein abide with God [1 Cor. 7:24].
The Twelfth Degree of Abuse #
1 The twelfth degree of abuse is the folk without law — which, while it despises God’s dictates and the statutes of laws, incurs the same snare of perdition through various ways of error. Of which ways the prophet thus laments under the person of the offending people, the human race: “We have all like sheep gone astray; every one of us has turned aside to his own way” [Is. 53:6]. Of which ways also the same Wisdom speaks through Solomon: “Many ways seem right to men, and the last of them lead to death” [Prov. 14:12]. Which manifold ways of perdition are then trodden when the one royal way — namely the law of God, which declines neither to the right hand nor to the left [Is. 30:21] — is deserted through negligence. Of which way the Lord Christ, who is the end of the law for righteousness to every believer [Rom. 10:4], declares: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me” [Jn. 14:6]. To which way He invites all men in common, saying: “Come to me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you” [Mt. 11:28] — “for there is no respect of persons with God” [Rom. 2:11]. Where there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, bond nor free, barbarian nor Scythian, but Christ is all and in all [Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11]; for “all are one in Christ Jesus.” Since therefore Christ is the end of the law, they who are without law become without Christ.
2 A people without law therefore is a people without Christ. It is an abuse, then, that in the times of the Gospel a people should become without Christ — when to the apostles the licence of preaching was given to all nations, when the thunder of the Gospel sounded through all parts of the world, when the nations which followed not after righteousness laid hold of righteousness [Rom. 9:30], when they who were far off were made near in the blood of Christ [Eph. 2:13] — who once were not a people but now are a holy people in Christ; when it is the acceptable time and the day of salvation and the times of refreshment in the sight of the Most High; when every nation has a witness of the resurrection; when the Lord Himself testifies: “See, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world” [Mt. 28:20]. Let us not then be without Christ in this transitory time, lest Christ begin to be without us in the future.