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On the Unity of the Church

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 7

About this work

A pastoral argument for the visible unity of the church around its bishops, written amid schism and persecution and framed through biblical images of one people and one household.

Author: Cyprian of Carthage
Date: c. AD 251
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Theological Treatise

7. This sacrament of unity, this bond of

‹ Section 6 Section 8 ›

a

concord

inseparably

cohering

,

is

set

forth

where

in

the

Gospel

the

coat

of

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

is

not

at

all

divided

nor

cut

,

but

is

received

as

an

entire

garment

,

and

is

possessed

as

an

uninjured

and

undivided

robe

by

those

who

cast

lots

concerning

Christ’s

garment

,

who

should

rather

put

on

Christ

.

Holy

Scripture

speaks

,

saying

,

“

But

of

the

coat

,

because

it

was

not

sewed

,

but

woven

from

the

top

throughout

,

they

said

one

to

another

,

Let

us

not

rend

it

,

but

cast

lots

whose

it

shall

be

.

”

That

coat

bore

with

it

an

unity

that

came

down

from

the

top

,

that

is

,

that

came

from

heaven

and

the

Father

,

which

was

not

to

be

at

all

rent

by

the

receiver

and

the

possessor

,

but

without

separation

we

obtain

a

whole

and

substantial

entireness

.

He

cannot

possess

the

garment

of

Christ

who

parts

and

divides

the

Church

of

Christ

.

On

the

other

hand

,

again

,

when

at

Solomon’s

death

his

kingdom

and

people

were

divided

,

Abijah

the

prophet

,

meeting

Jeroboam

the

king

in

the

field

,

divided

his

garment

into

twelve

sections

,

saying

,

“

Take

thee

ten

pieces

;

for

thus

saith

the

Lord

,

Behold

,

I

will

rend

the

kingdom

out

of

the

hand

of

Solomon

,

and

I

will

give

ten

sceptres

unto

thee

;

and

two

sceptres

shall

be

unto

him

for

my

servant

David’s

sake

,

and

for

Jerusalem

,

the

city

which

I

have

chosen

to

place

my

name

there

.

”

As

the

twelve

tribes

of

Israel

were

divided

,

the

prophet

Abijah

rent

his

garment

.

But

because

Christ’s

people

cannot

be

rent

,

His

robe

,

woven

and

united

throughout

,

is

not

divided

by

those

who

possess

it

;

undivided

,

united

,

connected

,

it

shows

the

coherent

concord

of

our

people

who

put

on

Christ

.

By

the

sacrament

and

sign

of

His

garment

,

He

has

declared

the

unity

of

the

Church

.

Notes

23
The above reading of this passage seems hopelessly obscure; and it is not much mended apparently by substituting “ipsam” for Christum, unless “potius” be omitted, as in some editions, in which case we should read, “who should put it on.”
24
John xix. 23, 24.
25
1 Kings xi. 31.