In Cyprian’s thought there was a virtual equation of the church itself with the community of bishops. “For him, anyone who attempted to live, worship or teach as a Christian apart from the sanction of a duly ordained bishop in apostolic succession was inventing his or her own new schism and had left the church of Jesus Christ behind” (Olson, 114). It was he who originated the sayings: “Without the church as mother one cannot have God as father” and “Outside of the church there is no salvation.” It