Judgment SAint Jerom said Whatsoever he did he still thought that that Voice was still in his Ears Arise ye Dead and come to Judgment St. Jerom used this excellent saying If my Father stood Weeping on his Knees before me and my Mother hanging on my Neck behind me and all my Brothers Sisters Children and Friends howling on every side to retain me in a sinful Life I would run over my Father fling my Mother to the Ground despise my Kindred and fling them under my Feet that I may run to CHRIST Here 's Love and Fortitude CHrisostom says God had rather Men should love him than fear him to be called Father rather than Master He wins by Mercy that he 〈◊〉 not perish by Justice O 〈◊〉 Godly Man knows how to make 〈◊〉 of Mercies It was St. Hierom's saying Dead Flesh is to be cut off for fear of Gangrene Arias at first was but a Spark but being not suppressed betimes proved the Incendary of the whole Church St. Austin saith Love is strong as Death as Death killeth the Body so Love of Eternal Life kills Worldly Desires and Affections The Love of Christ being predominant in the Soul deadens the Affections to any thing else Christ asked Peter Three Times Lovest thou me not for his own Information but that by his Threefold Profession he might help his Threefold Negation of him Nicephorus Good and Wicked Men and Hypocrites THey are like True and Counterfeit Money the one seems to be good and is not the other both seems and is good Ignatius Chrysostom saith As a Rock tho' the Winds blow and the Waves beat against it is Immovable so Faith grounded on the Rock Christ holds out in all Temptations and Spiritual Combats Chrysologus saith Neither in the Steel alone nor in the Flint alone any Fire can be seen nor Extracted but by Conjunction and Collision so nor by Faith alone nor by Works alone is Salvation to be attained but by ioyning both together Alexander of Hales saith What the Eye is to the Body Faith is to the Soul it 's good for direction if it be kept well And as Flies hurt the Eyes so little Sins and Ill-Thoughts do the Soul Divine Love says Basil is a never failing Treasure he that hath it is Rich and he that wanteth it is Poor Chrisostom saith A Bulwark of Adamant is not more impregnable than the Love of Brethren THE GOLDEN TREATISE OF THE AVNCIENT AND LEARNED FAther VINCENTIVS Lirinensis For the antiquitie and vniuersalitie of the Catholicke Religion against the prophane nouelties of all Heresies Newly translated into English by A. P. Verie profitable for all such as desire in these dangerous times to imbrace the true Gospell of Iesus Christ and to remaine free from all infectiō of false doctrine as in the Preface more at large is declared ✚ With Priuiledge ⸪ TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader zelous of truth and desirous of Saluation A. P. wisheth the knowledge of the one in this life and the fruition of the other in the life to come IPRESENT thee heere gentle Reader the auncient french Father Vincentius Lirinensis attired after the English cutt a booke as learned as litle and no lesse profitable then pleasant of smalle volume if thou respect the quantitie but of rare prise if thon consider the qualitie It intreateth not of gathering scraping togither the pelf of this world which choaketh vp the Mat. 13. V. 22 Mat. 19. V. 24 heauenly seed of Gods word and putteth man in a dangerous state if we credite him who being rich for our sake became poore it disputeth not of ambitious and gallant attire nor of the art of pampering this corruptible carcase which brought that braue belligod of Luc. 16 whome we read in the Gospell to the furious flames and endlesse tormentes of Hell fire it prosecuteth not wicked and wanton discourses which corrupt good manners being in very deed the bellowes to kindle the coles of carnalitie the nources of vnchaste thoughts and the very baite with which the Deuill doth daily angle and catch the vnfortunate soules of mortall men But it handleth that which redoūdeth to the benefite of our soule created to the image of God and sheweth vs the way how we may so gouerne this fraile vessell of ours in the tempestious Sea of this wicked world that at last we may safely arriue at the porte and harbour of celestiall felicitie For if the first step to Heauen is to beleeue aright and the foundation and ground of all saluation be faith as I thinke no man can doubt that beleeueth that there is any God or truth at all then can not this golden treatise but be acceptable to all such as loue Iesus Christ and tender the saluation of their owne soules beeing as it were the heauenlye piller of fire that Exod. 13 may guide vs through the deserte of this world vnto the land of promise and the glittering starre to leade vs vnto Mat. 2 the new borne King of the Iewes Sauiour of mankind But to the end that thou maist more plainly particulerly view the excellencie great necessitie of this rare booke and as it were with Moises from the toppe of Mount Nebo Deut. 34. contemplate the land of Canaan flowing with milke honie I will briefly set downe such motiues as inuited me to the labour of the translation for the selfe same as I verily thinke cannot but inflame thee to the diligēt reading of the same Three principall reasons then especiallye moued me The first was because it is very auncient being written aboue an eleuē hundred yeres past for it was composed three yeeres after the generall Councell of Ephesus as appeareth in the conclusion of the booke And as the Author him selfe is of greate antiquitie so is his doctrine more auncient beeing the selfe same which florished in his time and came from the Apostles of CHRIST which thing as it was neuer of any good man doubted of so is it also most apparant First by sound reason grounded in gods word because when any man writeth ought concerning faith and religion and the same is not controld of any of that time it is an euidēt argument that it was consonant to the doctrine then generally taught and receaued otherwise those Pastors and Doctors which God as S. Paul saieth hath giuen that we be not litle ones wauering and be caried about with euery blast of doctrine Ephes 4 could neuer haue held their peace but would as the Prophete admonisheth Haue cried out exalted their voice like Esa 58. a trumpet as we finde in like case the licentious Nicholaits noted by S. Iohn for their false doctrine Himineus and Apoc. 2 Philetus reproued by S. PAVL for an error about the resurrection Secondly 2. Tim. 2. because the author him selfe doth not only confesse the same in setting down the answere of many excellent holy learned men which liued in his daies nor only because he
if we folow vniuersalitie antiquitie consent Vniuersalitie shall we folow thus if we professe that one faith to be true which the Church throughout the world acknowledgeth and confesseth Antiquitie shall we follow if we disagree not any whit in opinion from them whom all know that our holy elders and Fathers reuerenced and had in great estimation Consent shall we likewise folowe if amongest our forefathers we hold the definitions and opinions of all or almost of all the Priests and Doctors together CHAP. II. VVHAT then shall a Christian Chatholicke doe if some small part of the Church cut it selfe off from the communion of the vniuersall faith What else but preferre the helth of the wholle body before the pestiferous and corrupt member what if some new infection goeth about to currupt not onlye a litle parte but the Wholle CHVRCH Then likewise shall hee regarde and be sure to cleaue vnto antiquitie which cannot possibly be seduced by any craftye noueltye What if in antiquitye it selfe and amongest the auncient fathers be founde some error of two or three men or haplie of some one citie or Prouince Then shall he diligently take heed that he preferr the decrees and determinations of the vniuersall auncient Church before the temerity or folly of a few What if some such case happen where no such thing can be founde Then shall be labour by conferring and laying together amongest them selues the auncient Fathers opinions not of all but of those only which liuing at diuers times and sundry places yet remaining in the cōmunion and faith of one Catholicke Church were probable masters and guides to be folowed and whatsoeuer he perceiueth not one or two but all iointly with one full consent plainly vsually cōstantly to haue holden written taught let him know that without all scruple or doubt he ought to beleeue hold professe that faith that doctrine that religion But for more perspicuitie light of that which hath bene said ech part is to be made cleere with seuerall examples and somewhat more at large to be amplified least to much breuity breed obscurity ouermuch haste in spech take away the substance and waight of the matter When in th time of Donatus of whō came the Donatistes a great part of Africke fell headlong into his furious error and vnmindfull of her name religion and profession preferred the sacriligious temeritie of one man before the Church of Christ then all those of Africke which detested that prophane Schisme and vnited them selues to the vniuersall Churches of the world they only amongst them all remaining with in the bosome of the catholick Church could be saued leauing certainly a notable example to their posteritie how euer after by good custome the sound doctrine of all men ought to be preferred before the madnesse of one or a few Likewise when the heresie of the Arians had neere corrupted not a litle parte but well nigh the wholle world in such sort that almost all the Bishops of the latin Church deceaued partly by force partly by fraud mens minds were couered as it were with a mist what especially in so great a cōfusiō was to be folowed then whosoeuer was a louer and a folower of Christ and preferred auncient faith before new errour was not touched with any spott of that infection The daunger of which time doth aboundantly shew what calamitie entereth in when a new doctrine is admitted For at that time not onely small matters but thinges of great importāce were ouerthrowē for not only alliance kinred frends families but also cities cōmon wealthes coūtries Prouinces yea at length the wholle Romane Empire was shaken ouerturned For whē the prophane noueltie of the Arrians like a certaine Bellona or furie had first taken captiue the Emperour afterward subduing all pallaces to her new lawes neuer ceased after that to trouble and confound all things priuate and publicke holy and not holy putting no differēce betwixt good and truth but as it were from an high place did strike all at her pleasure Then maried women were defiled widowes spoiled virgins violated Abbeis suppressed Cleargie men vexed Deacons beaten Preistes banished Dungeons Prisons Mines filled with holy men of which the greater part banished the citie like exuls pined and consumed away amongest desertes dennes and wilde beastes with nakednes thirst and hunger And all this miserie had it any other begining but because humane superstitiō was admitted for heauenly doctrine well grounded antiquitie subuerted by wicked noueltie whilest our Superiours decrees were violated our Fathers ordinances broken the Cannons of our auncestors abrogated and whilest the licentious libertie of prophane and new curiositie kept not it selfe within the chaste limittes of sacred and sound antiquitie But perhaps we deuise all this of hatred to Noueltie affection to Antiquitie Who so thinketh at least let him geue credit to blessed Ambrose who in his second booke to Gratian the Emperour bewailinge the sharpe persecution of that time saith thus But now O God quoth he we haue sufficiently washed and purged with our ruine and blood the death of the Confessors the banishment of Preistes and the wickednes of so great impiety it hath manifestly appeared that they cannot be safe which haue violated and forsaken their faith Likewise in his third booke of the same worke Lett vs therfore quoth he keepe the precepts of our elders not with temerity of rude presumptiō violate those seales descēding to vs by inheritance None durst opē that propheticall booke close sealed not the elders not the powers not the Angells not the Archangelles to explicate and interpret that hooke was a prerogatiue only reserued to Christ The Preistlike booke sealed by the Confessors and consecrated with the death of many Martirs which of vs dare presume to open which booke such as were compelled to vnseale notwithstanding afterward when the fraud was condemned they sealed againe they which durst not violate or touch it becam Martirs how can we deny their faith whose victorie we so praise commend We commend them I say O venerable Ambrose we surely commend them and with praises admire thē For who is so senselesse that although he cannot ariue to their perfection desireth not yet to imitate them whō no force coulde remoue from defending theire auncestors faith not threatnings not flatterings not life not death not the King not the Emperor not the Empire not men not Deuills those I say whome for maintenance of religiouse antiquitie our Lord vouchsafed of so highlye and so greate a grace that by them he would repaire the ouerthrowē Churches geue life to the dead spiritualtie restore the ouerthrowne glory of Preistes blotte out wash away with a fountaine of heauenly teares which God put into the harts of the Bishops those wicked not bookes but blottes blurres of new impiety finally to restore almost the wholle world shaken with the cruell tempest of vpstart heresie to the aunciēt faith frō new error to olde
acknoledgeth that what he hath here written that he receaued it from his auncestors and forefathers both which he doth in the very first entrance and generally throughout the wholle booke but especially for that towardes the latter end he so highly cōmendeth the generall Councell of Ephesus that is the Parlamēt of the world which surely he neuer wold haue done had he not ioined with thē in opinion concerning faith and religion and what their opinion was him selfe recordeth for he saith that those Fathers inspired by God decreed that nothing was to be beleeued but that which the sacred antiquitie of our fore fathers agreeing togither in Christ had holden and beleeued Which surely is a notable argument that what faith was by Christ planted and his Disciples preached was by them carefully kept and maintained which thing is especially of vs English men to be noted because the first foure generall Coūcells amongst which this of Ephesus is one and the third in order are worthely allowed by acte of Parlament Wherfore moued with such reasons we may Anno. 1. Elizabe without all scruple or doubt not only read this booke but also imbrace and intertaine it as the common doctrine of that time as the religion practised reuerenced in the primatiue Church as the faith and beleefe of the Ephesin Councell and so consequently as the true doctrine of Iesus Christ Now thē seeing we liue in those daies in which so many new sectes and doctrines such strange and monstrous opinions such superstitious and new-fangled deuises flie vp and downe the world and seing wee are fallen into the latter times in which Men shall heape vp to them selues masters according to their owne desires 2. Tim. 4 and shall not indure soūd doctrine but auert their eares frō truth be conuerted to fables In which they shall loue pleasures 2. Tim. 3. more then God haue a shew of godlines but yet denying the vertue therof In which many scoffers shall come walking Ep. Iud. according to their owne desires who deuide them selues sensuall not hauing the spirit In which many false Christs and many false Prophets shall arise and seduce Mat. 24 many Very necessary it is being thus fore-warned of God that before all thinges we take great heed not to be peruerted and seduced by erroneous teachers or false Prophetes but on the contrarie doe diligentlye preserue our faith the light of our soules the roote and foundation of all goodnes with out which it is impossible to please God as S. PAVL saith Wherin we can take no Heb. 11 better course no way more surer then to repaire to the time of the primatiue Church when the blood of Christ was yet fresh bleeding in mens harts when the Gospell was instātly preached firmly beleeued sincerely practised confirmed by miracles established by the death of so many thousands of Martirs especially being exhorted hereunto by the holy scriptures for as by thē we are admonished of the daungers and troubles of the latter daies so are we for a preseruatiue against them sent to auncient times to conduct vs to gods true religion Stand saith the Prophet Ieremie Cap. 6. vpon the way and inquire of the auncient pathes which is a good way and walke in that and you shall finde rest for your selues Salomon likewise in his prouerbes admonisheth vs in this sort Do not passe the auncient boundes which thy Cap. 22. Fathers haue set downe And in Ecclesiasticus Do not set light by the report of thy elders for they haue learned of the Cap. 8. forefathers because of them shalt thou learne vnderstanding and in the time of necessitie shalt thou giue answere To the end therfore gentle Reader that thou be not caried away with the sweet benedictions of those licentious masters with which the latter times according to the predictiō of the Apostles should be much pestered nor seduced with the erroneous doctrine of those false Prophetes and false Christes of which the sonne of God the true Prophet true Christ hath forewarned vs. And that thou maist find out a good way to walke in and keepe thee within the ancient boundes set downe by our forefathers and by their report learne wisdome and vnderstanding I am to request thee to vouchsafe the reading of this olde Father newly translated and I nothing doubt but thou wilt geue that censure which Queene Saba gaue of 3. Reg. 10. the wisdome of Salomon The second reason which set me for ward was for that I finde this booke not written against some one or a few perticuler false teachers as S. Augustine and diuers auncient learned Doctors did against the Arians Pelagians and such like but against any heresie or erroneous doctrine whatsoeuer which is a thing of so great importāce as I knowe not what can be deuised more What golde were to much or what treasures to deare for that medicine which had vertue to cure all disseases False doctrine and heresie is a greate soare a canker more pestilent then any corporall infirmitie whatsoeuer seing this worketh only the temporall distruction of our carcase but that causeth death both of bodie and soule euerlasting In other bookes we find the cōfutatiō of some speciall fase point of doctrine in many the ouerthrow of diuerse but to destroy all at one blow and those each so contrary to them selues so distinct for time so diuerse for place so many for number is a propertie peculiar only to this most excellent treatise and therfore it may fitly be compared to that miraculous pond wherof we read in the Gospell Ioan. 5 which cured all diseases for as that water moued by the Angell cured whatsoeuer infirmity of him that first entred in so this booke writtē no dout by the motion of the holy Ghost hath force to cure any such as is corrupted with erroneous doctrine or to preserue him from all infection if he voutsafe to enter in that is to read it to ponder it and to waigh diligently what is said an discoursed of The reason why this booke hath this rare qualitie in my opinion is because it sheweth the right way of expownding Gods diuine scripture in which so many to the great daunger of mens soules doe so greatly go a stray and therfore as Dauid ouerthrowing Golias the cheefe chāpion of the camp 1. Reg. 17. put all the Philistians to flight so no maruell though this auncient Author discouering the false expositions and gloses of sacred scripture the principall piller of all poisoned doctrine ouer throweth also all wicked heresie The third and last motiue which incouraged me to this labour and ought partly to moue thee to the reading is the breuitie of the worke the finenes of the methode the eloquence of the stile and therfore if long and large volumes do litle please this is short which can not cause dislike if confusion be ingratfull a methodicall order can not but like thee if a stile
sobernes from new madnesse to auncient light from new darkenesse But in this diuine vertew which they shewed in the confession of their faith this thing is especially of vs to be noted that in that antiquitie of the church they tooke vpon them not the defence of any one part but of the wholle For it was not lawfull that such excelent famous men should maintaine and defend with so great might maine the erroneous suspitions and those contrary each to other of one or two men or should stand in contention for the temararious conspiracie of some small Prouince but they did those by folowing the Canons and decrees of the Catholicke and Apostolicke veritie of all the Preistes of holy Church rather to betray them selues then the vniuersall auncient faith For which fact of theirs they merited so great glorie that they are accounted not only Confessors but also iustly and worthely the Princes of all Confessors Great therfore surely diuine was the example of these blessed Confessors and of euery true Catholicke continually to be remembred who like the seuenfold Candlesticke shining with the seuenfold giftes of the holy Ghost deliuered vnto all posteritie a most notable example how afterward in each foolish and vaine error the boldnes of prophane noueltie was to be repressed with authoritie of sacred Antiquitie CHAP. III. NEITHER is this any new thing but alway vsuall in the Church of God that the more religious a man hath bene the more ready hath he allwayes resisted nouell inuentions examples wherof many might be brought but for breuity sake I will only make choyce of some one which shall be taken from the Apostolique sea by which al men may see most plainly with what force alwayes what zeale what indeuour the blessed succession of the blessed Apostles haue defended the integrity of that religion which they once receaued Therfore in times past Agrippinus of venerable memory Bishope of Carthage the first of all mortall men maintained this assertion against the deuine scripture against the of the vniuersall Church against the minde of all the preistes of his time against the custome and traditiō of his forefathers that rebaptization was to be admitted and put in practise Which presumptiō of his procured so great domage and hurte to the Church that not only it gaue all heriticks a paterne of sacrilege but also ministred occasion of errour to some Catholickes When therfore euery where al men exclaimed against the nouelty of the doctrine and all priestes in all places each one according to his zeale did repugne then Pope Steuē of blessed memory bishop of the Apostolique sea resisted in deed with the rest of his felow byshopes but yet more then the rest thinking it as I suppose reason so much to excell all other in deuotion towardes the faith as he was superiour to them in authoritie of place To conclude in his Epistle which then was sent to Afrike he decreed the same in these wordes That nothing was to bee innouated but that which came by tradition ought to be obserued For that holy and prudent man knew well that the nature of pietie could admitt nothing else but only to deliuer and teach our children that religion and that faith which we receaued and learned of our forefathers and that we ought to folow religion whither it doth lead vs and not to lead religion whither it please vs and that nothing is more proper to Christian modestie and grauitie then not to leaue vnto posteritie our owne inuentions but to preserue and keepe that which our Predecessors left vs. What therfore was thē the end of that wholle busines What else but common and vsuall to wecte antiquitie was retained noueltie abandoned But perhaps that new inuention lacked patrons and defenders To which I say on the contrary that it had such pregnant wittes such eloquent tonges such number of defendants such shew of truth such testimonies of scripture but glosed after a new and naughtie fashion that all that conspiracie and schisme shoulde haue semed vnto me inuincible had not the very profession of noueltie it selfe so taken in hand vnder that name defended with that title recōmended ouerthrowen the very ground of so great a schisme To conclude what force had the Councell or decree of Africke By Gods prouidence none but all things there agreed vpon were abolished disanulled abrogated as dreames as fables as superfluous And O strange change of the worlde the authours of that opinion are iudged and thought Catholickes the folowers accounted reputed Heretickes the masters discharged the schollers condemned the writers of those bookes shall be children of the kingdome of Heauen the maintainers of those books shall burne in Hell For who donbteth but holy S. Ciprian that light of all Saintes that lanterne of Bishops and spectacle of Martirs with the rest of his companions shall raigne with Christ for-euer And contrariwise who is so wicked to deny that the Donatists and such other pestilent Heretickes which by the authority of that Coūcell vaunt that they do practise rebaptization shall burne for euer with the Deuill his Angells Which iudgemēt in mine opinion seemeth to haue come frō God for their fraudulent dealing especially which endeuoring vnder the cloake of an other mans name coningly to frame an heresie commonly laye holde of some darke sayings of one auncient Father or other which by reason of the obscuritie may seeme to make for theire opinion to th end they may be thought that whatsoeuer I know not what they bring forth to the worlde neither to haue bene the first that so taught neither alone of that opinion whose wicked deuice in mine opinion is worthie of dubble hatred both for that they feare not to sow their poisoned seed of heresie amongest others and also because they blemishe the memorie of some holy man as it were with prophane handes cast his dead ashes into the wind bringing infamously that to light which rather with silence were to be buried folowing therin the steps of their father Chā who not only neglected to couer the nakednes of venerable Noë but also shewed it to others to laugh at by which fact of his he incurred so great a crime of impietie that Gen. 9 his posteritie was subiect to the malediction of his sinne his blessed brethrē doing farr otherwise who neither with their owne eies would violate the nakednesse of their reuerend father nor yet permit it to remaine vncouered for other to behold but going backward as the holy text saith they couerd him which is as much to say that they neither approued with harte nor blased with tong the holy mans fault and therfore they their posterity were rewarded with their fathers blessing But to returne to our purpose CHAP. IIII. VVE haue therfore much to feare the sacrilege of a changed faith of a violated religion from which fault not only the discipline of the ecclesiasticall decree doth restraine vs but the authoritie also of the
the iudgement and opinions of holy Fathers were gathered togither that according to thē by the decree and authority of a Councell the rule of faith might be set down which to the end that I may more commodiously do I will here make an end of this commonitorie and so take a nother beginning for declaring of those thinges which do folow and ensew A RECAPITVLATION of all that hath bene said in the former two bookes WHICH being so it is now time that in the ende of this second booke we recapitulate touch in few wordes the Summe of all that which in these two commonitorie bookes hath bene spoken We saied in the premisses that this alwaies hath bene and at this day is the custome of Catholickes to try and examine true faith two manner of waies First by the authoritie of the deuine scripture secondly by the tradition of the Catholicke Church not because the Canonicall scripture is not of it selfe sufficient for all thinges but because verie many expounding Gods word at there owne pleasure doe thereby bring forth and hatch vp diuers opiniōs errors And for that cause it is necessarie that the interpretatiō of the diuine scripture be directed according to the one onely rule of the Churches vnderstāding especially in those questiōs vpon which the foundatiō of the whole Catholicke religion doth depēd Likewise we said that in the Church we had to consider the consent both of vniuersalitie and antiquitie so that we be neither caried a way from sound vnitie to schisme nor yet cast headlong frō antiquitie of religion into the daungerous gulfe of hereticall nouelties We said also that in antiquity we had diligently to obserue and seriously to consider two thinges vnto which all those that will not bee heretickes must of necessitie stand The first is that which hath in oulde time bene determined by all the bishopes of the Catholicke Church by authority of a generall Councell The second is that if any new question did arise in which the determination of a Councell were not to be found that then we ought to haue recourse to the sayings of the holy fathers but yet of these only who in theire time and place were probable maisters being such as liued and died in the vnitie of the communion and faith And whatsoeuer we knew that they beleeued taught with one mind and consente to iudge and take that without all scruple to be the true and Catholicke Religion of the Church And least any man might think that we saied this rather of presumption thē of any authoritie of the Church we gaue an example of the holy Councell holden almost three yeeres sithence at Ephesus a Citie in Asia in the time of the right honorable Councels Bassus Antiochus in which disputation was had of constituting and setting downe rules of faith and least there might by chance some prophane Noueltie creep in as happened at that persidious meeting in Ariminum this was reputed and thought the most Catholicke holy best course to be taken by the iudgement of all the Bishops there present which were almost two hundred in number that the opinions of these Fathers should be brought forth of whō it was certaine that some of them had bene Martirs diuerse Confessors and all to haue liued and died Catholicke Preists that by their authoritie consent and verdict the old religion might be rightlie and solemnely confirmed and blasphemous prophane nouelties condemned which being so done worthely and iustlie Nestorius was iudged to haue taught contrary to the old Catholicke religiō and blessed Cirill to haue maintained holy and sacred antiquitie And to the end nothing might be wanting which procureth credite we put downe also the names and number of these Fathers although not remēbring their order according to whose consent and vniforme doctrine both the textes of holy scripture were expounded and the rule of Gods word established Neither will it here be superfluous for memory sake to repeate them all once againe These then bee the names of them whose workes were cited in that Councell either as iudges or else as witnesses S. Peter Bishop of Alexandria a most excellent Doctor and blessed Martir S. Athanasius Bishope of the same sea a most faithfull teacher and famous Confessor S. Theophilus Bishope also of the same Citie a notable man for faith life and learning next after whom succeded venerable Cirill who at this present doth honour the Church of Alexandria And that no man happelie should suspecte that this was the doctrine of one Citie or of one Prouince to the former there were adioined those two lightes of Caperdocia Saint Gregory Bishoppe and Confessor of Nazianzene Saint Basill Bishope and Confessor of Cesurea also another Saint Gregory Nissen worthy for his merite of faith conuersation integritie and wisdome of such a brother as Basill was And for proofe that not onely the greeke and Easte Church but also the Latin and Weast were alwaies of the same opinion the letters of Saint Felix Martir and Saint Iulie both Bishops of Rome which they wrote vnto certaine men were there read And that not onely the head of the world but also the other partes should giue testimonie in that iudgement From the South they had blessed S. Ciprian from the North S. Ambrose Bishop of Millan These then be the holy Fathers agreeing with that sacred number of the tenne Commaundements which were alleadged in the Councell of Ephesus as Masters Councellors Witnesses and Iudges whose doctrine the blessed Synod holding following whose counsaile beleeuinge whose testimonie obeyinge whose iudgement without spite without presumption and without fauour pronounced gaue sentence concerning the rules of faith And albeit a farre greater number of Fathers might haue bene set downe yet was it not necessarie because it was not requisite that time should be spent with multitude of witnesses and further no man doubted but that those tenne did litle differ in opinion from all the rest of their fellow Bishopes After all this we sett downe the worthie sentence of Cirill which is to be found in the Ecclesiasticall actes of that Councell For when the epistle of S. Capreolus Bishop of Carthage was reade who intended nothing else nothing else desired but that noueltie might be ouer throwen antiquitie defended Bishope Cirill spake and gaue his definition in this sort for I haue thought good not to omitt it here these then be his wordes in the end of the actes of that Coūcell And this epistle quoth he of the venerable and religious man Capreolus Bishope of Carthage shall be adioyned to the faith of the Councels actes whose opinion is plaine and perspicuous for he desireth that the dostrine of the olde faith may be confirmed and new opinions superfluously inuented impiously spread a brode may be reproued and condemned To which all the Bishopes with one cōsent cried out This we spake all this we teach all this we desire all what I beseech you saied they all