THE COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE HELD UNDER CYPRIAN.
A.D. 257.

The remains of the Acts.

THE SYNOD HELD AT CARTHAGE OVER WHICH PRESIDED THE GREAT AND HOLY MARTYR
CYPRIAN, BISHOP OF CARTHAGE.

A.D. 257.

 (Found in Beveridge, Synodicon, Tom. I., p. 365, and in Labbe and Cossart,
Concilia, Tom. I., col. 786.)

 When very many bishops were met together at Carthage on the Calends of
September from the province of Africa, Numidia and Mauritania, with the
presbyters and deacons (the greater part of the people being likewise present)
and when the holy letters of Jubaianus to Cyprian had been read, and Cyprian's
answers to Jubaianus, concerning heretical baptisms, as well as what the same
Jubaianus afterwards wrote to Cyprian,

 Cyprian said: Ye have heard, my dearly beloved colleagues, what our fellow
bishop Jubaianus has written to me, taking counsel of my littleness concerning
the illicit and profane baptisms of heretics, and the answer which I made him;
being of the same opinion as we have been on former occasions, that heretics
coming to the Church should be baptized and sanctified with the Church's
baptism. Moreover there has been read to you also the other letter of
Jubaianus, in which answering for his sincere and pious devotion to our
letter, not only he agrees therewith but offered thanks that he has been so
instructed by it. It only remains therefore that we, each one of us, one by
one, say what our mind is in this matter, without condemning any one or
removing any one from the right of communion who does not agree with us.

 For no one [of us] has set himself up [to be] bishop [of bishops ],
or attempted with tyrannical dread to force his colleagues to obedience to
him, since every bishop has, for the license of liberty and power, his own
will, and as he cannot be judged by another, so neither can he judge another.
But we await the judgment of our universal Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ, who
one and alone hath the power, both of advancing us in the governance of his
Church, and of judging of our actions [in that position].

 [ The bishops then one by one declared against heretical baptism. Last
of all (col. 796)]:

 Cyprian, the Confessor and Martyr of Carthage, said: The letter (LXX) which was
written to Jubaianus, my colleague, most fully set forth my opinion, that
heretics who, according to the evangelical and apostolic witness, are called
adversaries of Christ's and anti-Christs, when they come to the Church, should
be baptized with the one (unico) baptism of the Church, that they may become
instead of adversaries friends, and Christians instead of Antichrists.