On the Unity of the Catholic Church · §8 · Cyprian of Carthage

No one may tear the Church's unity

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Cyprian is addressing the faithful, arguing from Scripture that the Church is one and that no one can leave it and still live.

Who, then, is so wicked and faithless, who is so mad with the fury of discord, that he could believe the unity of God can be split, or dare to split it—the garment of the Lord, the Church of Christ? The Lord himself warns and teaches in his Gospel, saying: "And there will be one flock and one shepherd" (John 10:16). Does anyone think that in one place there can be either many shepherds or many flocks? The apostle Paul likewise, insinuating this same unity to us, entreats and urges, saying: "I entreat you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all say the same thing and that there be no schisms among you; but be composed in the same mind and in the same judgment" (1 Corinthians 1:10). And again he says: "Sustaining one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:2-3). Do you think you can stand and live while departing from the Church, building other seats and different dwellings for yourself? For it was said to Rahab, in whom the Church was prefigured: "You will gather your father and your mother and your brothers and the whole house of your father to yourself in your house, and everyone who goes out the door of your house outside will be guilty for himself" (Joshua 2:18-19). Likewise, the sacred sign of the Passover in the law of Exodus contains nothing other than that the lamb, which is killed as a figure of Christ, is eaten in one house. God speaks, saying: "It will be eaten in one house; you will not throw the flesh outside the house" (Exodus 12:46). The flesh of Christ and the holy thing of the Lord cannot be thrown outside, and there is no other house for believers except the one Church. This house, this lodging of unanimity, the Holy Spirit designates and declares in the Psalms, saying: "God, who makes the unanimous dwell in a house" (Psalm 68:6). In the house of God, in the Church of Christ, the unanimous dwell, and the harmonious and simple persevere.

Latin

Quis ergo sic sceleratus et perfidus, quis sic discordiae furore uesanus, ut aut credat scindi posse aut audeat scindere unitatem Dei, uestem Domini, ecclesiam Christi? monet ipse in euangelio suo et docet dicens: et erunt unus grex et unus pastor. et esse posse uno in loco aliquis existimat aut multos pastores aut greges plures? apostolus item Paulus hanc eandem nobis insinuans unitatem obsecrat et hortatur et dicit: obsecro, inquit, uos, fratres, per nomen Domini nostri Iesu Christi, ut id ipsum dicatis omnes et non sint in uobis schismata: sitis autem compositi in eodem sensu et in eadem sententia. et iterum dicit: sustinentes inuicem in dilectione, satis agentes seruare unitatem spiritus in coniunctione pacis. stare tu et uiuere putas posse de ecclesia recedentem, sedes sibi alias et diuersa domicilia condentem? cum dictum sit ad Rhaab, in qua praeformabatur ecclesia: patrem tuum et matrem tuam et fratres tuos et totam domum patris tui colliges ad te ipsam in domum tuam, et erit omnis qui exierit ostium domus tuae foras, reus sibi erit, item sacramentum Paschae nihil aliud in Exodi lege contineat quam ut agnus qui in figura Christi occiditur in domo una edatur. loquitur Deus dicens: in domo una comedetur, non eicietis de domo carnem foras. caro Christi et sanctum Domini eici foras non potest nec alia ulla credentibus praeter unam ecclesiam domus est. hanc domum, hoc unanimitatis hospitium designat et denuntiat Spiritus sanctus in psalmis dicens: Deus qui inhabitare facit unanimes in domo. in domo Dei, in ecclesia Christi unanimes habitant, concordes et simplices perseuerant.

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.