And now, O you priests, this commandment is for you.
All Commentaries on Malachi 2:1 Go To Malachi 2
Cyprian of Carthage
AD 258
In this place, we must consider, dearly beloved brother, for the sake of the faith and religion of the sacerdotal office which we exercise, whether the account of a bishop of God who asserts and approves and considers acceptable the baptism of blasphemers can be satisfactory when the Lord threatens and says, “ ‘And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you do not hear and if you do not lay it to heart to give glory to my name,’ says the Lord God omnipotent, ‘I will send a curse upon you, and of your blessing I will make a curse.’ ” Does he who is in communion with the baptism of Marcion give glory to God? Does he who thinks that the remission of sins is granted among those who blaspheme against God give glory to God? Does he who asserts that sons of God are born of an adulterous and fornicating woman give glory to God? Does he who, not holding the unity and truth coming from the divine law, defends heresies against the church give glory to God? Does he who, as a friend of heretics and an enemy of Christians, thinks that bishops of God protecting the truth of Christ and the unity of the Christ ought to be excommunicated give glory to God? If glory is thus given to God, if the fear and discipline of God are thus preserved by his worshipers and bishops, let us cast aside our arms. Let us surrender into captivity. Let us hand over to the devil the ordination of the gospel, the decree of Christ, the majesty of God. Let the sacraments of the divine welfare be cast aside. Let the standards of the heavenly camp be given up. Let the church succumb and yield to heretics, light to darkness, faith to perfidy, hope to despair, reason to error, immortality to death, love to hatred, truth to lying, Christ to antichrist.
