On the Unity of the Catholic Church · §3 · Cyprian of Carthage

The devil's new fraud: heresies and schisms under the name of Christ

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Cyprian is warning the faithful that the devil, defeated by Christ's coming, now deceives people under the very name of Christian through heresies and schisms.

But we must avoid not only what is open and obvious, but also what deceives through the subtlety of cunning fraud. What could be more cunning or more subtle than this? After the enemy was exposed and laid low by Christ's coming, after light came to the nations and the saving radiance shone forth to rescue humanity—so that the deaf might receive the hearing of spiritual grace, the blind might open their eyes to the Lord, the weak might grow strong with eternal health, the lame might run to the Church, and the mute might pray with clear voices and petitions—he saw the idols abandoned and his seats and temples deserted because of the great number of believers, and so he devised a new fraud: to deceive the unwary under the very title of the Christian name. He invented heresies and schisms, by which he might overthrow faith, corrupt truth, and split unity. Those whom he cannot hold in the blindness of the old way, he circumscribes and deceives with the error of a new journey. He snatches people from the Church itself, and while they seem to have already drawn near to the light and escaped the night of the world, he pours other darkness upon them unawares. So they do not stand with the gospel of Christ and with his observance and law, yet they call themselves Christians; they walk in darkness and think they possess light, because the adversary flatters and deceives them. According to the apostle's word, he transforms himself into an angel of light and equips his ministers as ministers of righteousness, asserting night for day, destruction for salvation, despair under the guise of hope, faithlessness under the pretext of faith, antichrist under the name of Christ—so that while he lies with plausible things, he frustrates truth by subtlety. This happens, most beloved brothers, as long as there is no return to the origin of truth, the head is not sought, and the teaching of the heavenly master is not kept.

Latin

Cauenda sunt autem non solum quae sunt aperta adque manifesta sed et astutae fraudis subtilitate fallentia. quid uero astutius quidue subtilius, quam ut Christi aduentu detectus ac prostratus inimicus, postquam lux gentibus uenit et sospitandis hominibus salutare lumen effulsit, ut surdi auditum gratiae spiritalis admitterent, aperirent ad Dominum oculos caeci, infirmi aeterna sanitate reualescerent, clodi ad ecclesiam currerent, muti claris uocibus et precibus orarent, uidens ille idola derelicta et per nimium credentium populum sedes suas et templa deserta excogitauerit nonam fraudem, ut sub ipso christiani nominis titulo fallat incautos? haereses inuenit et schismata, quibus subuerteret fidem, ueritatem corrumperet, scinderet unitatem. quos detinere non potest in uiae ueteris caecitate circumscribit et decipit noui itineris errore. rapit de ipsa ecclesia homines et, dum sibi adpropinquasse iam lumini adque euasisse saeculi noctem uidentur, alias nescientibus tenebras rursus infundit, ut cum euangelio Christi et cum obseruatione eius et lege non stantes christianos se uocent et ambulantes in tenebris habere se lumen existiment blandiente aduersario adque fallente, qui secundum apostoli uocem transfigurat se uelut angelum lucis et ministros subornat suos uelut ministros iustitiae adserentes noctem pro die, interitum pro salute, desperationem sub obtentu spei, perfidiam sub praetexto fidei, antichristum sub uocabulo Christi, ut dum uerisimilia mentiuntur, ueritatem subtilitate frustrentur. hoc eo fit, fratres dilectissimi, dum ad ueritatis originem non reditur nec caput quaeritur nec magisterii caelestis doctrina seruatur.

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.