Take a lap, you lapsed

During the persecution, there were varying positions on whether the lapsed Christians should be allowed back into the church. Cyprian held the belief that the lapsed should be allowed back in, but only after the persecution was over because God was calling them to repentance for not being unified as a church. So once, the church was unified, then those lapsed Christians could be reconsidered for reentry. He also allowed re-admittance to the church when someone was on their deathbed because it gave them a chance to be judged before God without sacrificing the purity and unity of the church. The other positions, such as the laxists, wanted to let the lapsed in because only God can give salvation, the church no longer has the power to guarantee salvation. The rigorists held the position that no lapsed Christians should be allowed back into the church because they will taint their perfect unity and purity.