treatises he gave shape to a doctrine of the church that would be very significant for later developments. Cyprian sees the church as the indispensable ark of salvation.39 Just as in the time of Noah no one who was not within the ark could be saved, now also only those who are within the church can be saved. "There is no salvation out of the Church,"40 and "he can no longer have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his mother."41 This is the reason why Cyprian adopts an uncompromising