On the Unity of the Catholic Church · §24 · Cyprian of Carthage

The children of peace must seek peace

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Cyprian is exhorting the faithful to hold fast to peace and love, and he now cites the Holy Spirit and the Lord's own words to show that peace is the inheritance of God's children.

The Holy Spirit warns us and says: “Who is the person who wants life and loves to see good days? Keep your tongue from evil, and do not let your lips speak deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:12–14). A child of peace ought to seek and pursue peace. Whoever knows and loves the bond of love ought to keep his tongue from the evil of dissension. Among his divine commands and saving teachings, the Lord, already near to his passion, added these words: “I leave you peace; I give you my peace” (John 14:27). He gave us this inheritance. He promised all the gifts of his pledge and all his rewards in the preservation of peace. If we are heirs of Christ, let us remain in Christ’s peace. If we are children of God, we ought to be peacemakers. “Blessed,” he says, “are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). God’s children ought to be peacemakers, gentle in heart, simple in speech, harmonious in affection, faithfully clinging to one another by the bonds of unanimity.

Latin

Monet nos Spiritus sanctus et dicit: quis est homo qui uult uitam et amat uidere dies optimos? contine linguam tuam a malo et labia tua ne loquantur insidiose. declina a malo et fac bonum, quaere pacem et sequere eam. pacem quaerere debet et sequi filius pacis, a dissensionis malo continere linguam suam debet qui nouit et diligit uinculum caritatis. inter sua diuina mandata et magisteria salutaria passioni iam proximus Dominus addidit dicens: pacem nobis dimitto, pacem meam do uobis. hanc nobis hereditatem dedit, dona omnia suae pollicitationis et praemia in pacis conseruatione promisit. si heredes Christi sumus, in Christi pace maneamus: si filii Dei sumus, pacifici esse debemus. beati, inquit, pacifici, quoniam ipsi filii Dei uocabuntur. pacificos esse oportet Dei filios, corde mites, sermone simplices, adfectione concordes, fideliter sibi unanimitatis nexibus cohaerentes.

About this text

Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, writes in 251 against the Novatian schism: the Church Christ founded is one and cannot be divided.

Cyprian of Carthage (c. 200–258) wrote this treatise as bishop of Carthage, addressing the faithful brethren and especially the bishops who preside in the Church. He composed it in 251 to warn Christians against schism and heresy, which he regarded as a subtler and more dangerous attack by the devil than open persecution, and to defend the unity of the Church against those who had broken away from it.

The immediate occasion was the schism of Novatian, which had been stirred up in part by Novatus and other presbyters of Cyprian's own church. Cyprian wrote to keep the Carthaginians from following the breakaway movement. He argues that the Church is one and indivisible, founded by Christ upon Peter as the single source of its unity, and that this unity is preserved through the one episcopate. Schismatics and heretics, even if they claim the name of Christian and suffer death, are cut off from the Church and cannot be saved.

A reader will meet Peter, the apostle upon whom Christ founded the Church, and Paul and John, whose letters and Gospel are quoted on unity, love, and those who went out from the Church. Old Testament figures such as Korah, Dathan, Abiram, Uzziah, Aaron, Ahijah, Rahab, Solomon, and Judas appear as examples of rebellion, division, or prefigurations of the Church. The Lord, Paul, John, the Holy Spirit, Ahijah the prophet, and Scripture all speak in the treatise.

New English from the Latin base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from CSEL 3.1 (1868) (Latin)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.