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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14430	The golden treatise of the auncient and learned father Vincentius 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 infectio[n] of false doctrine as in the preface more at large is declared; Pro catholicae fidei antiquitate libellus. English	Vincent, of Lérins, Saint, d. ca. 450.; A. P., fl. 1596.	1596 (1596)	STC 24748; ESTC S119131	43,517	126

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

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

and receaue what a gods name I shake to speake for they are so proud and presumptuous that as they can not be maintained with-out sin so neither impngned without some blotte of offence CHAP. V. BVT some man will say why then doth god very often permit certaine notable and excellent men in the Church to preach vnto Catholicks a new religion A very good question and such as deserueth a more diligent and ample discourse vnto which notwithstāding I. will answer out of mine owne head but with the authoritie of sacred scripture and the doctrine of a notable master in Gods Church let vs then heare holy Moises let him giue vs the reason why learned men and such as for their great gift of knowledge are called of the Apostle Prophets be some times permitted to preach new doctrine which the olde testament allegorically calleth strange gods because there opinions are so obserued honored of heretickes as the gods were of the gentels thus thē writeth blessed Moyses in Deuteronomie If there shall arise quoth he in the middest Deut. 13 of thee a prophet or one which sayth he hath seene a dreame that is some master in the Church whose disciples or followers suppose to teach by some reuelation from god what then shall fortell quoth he some signe or miracle that shall happen which he hath sayed some greate master is here surely ment and one of so deepe knowledge whom his folowers imagin not only to know things humane but also to foresee future such as shall happē which is far aboue mans reach as the scholers for the most part of Valentinus Donatus Photinus Apollinaris such like did bragge that their masters were What foloweth And shall quoth he say vnto thee let vs go and folow strange Gods which thou knowest not and let vs serue them What is ment by strange Gods but forraine errors which thou knowest not that is new and neuer heard of before and let vs serue them that is beleeue them folow them What thē Thou shalt not quoth he heare the wordes of that Prophet or Dreamer And why I pray you is not that forbidden by GOD to bee taught which is by God forbidden to be heard Because quoth he the Lord your God doth tempt you that it may appeare whether you loue him or no in your wholle heart and in your wholle soule The reason thē is more cleare then day why the prouidence of God doth some time suffer certaine teachers and masters of the Church to preach certaine new opiniōs that your Lord God quoth he may tempt you And surely a great tentation it is when as he whom you thinke a Prophet a disciple of the Prophetes whom you esteeme a Doctor and maintainer of the truth whom you haue highly reuerenced and most intierly loued when he sodenly priuily bringeth in pernicious errors which neither you can quickly spie lead away with preiudice of your old teacher nor easelie condemne hindered with loue to your old master CHAP. VI. HERE some man haply doth earnestly desire to see that proued by some ecclesiasticall examples which by the authoritie of Moises hath already bene auouched The demaund is reasonable and therfore of reason not long to be differred Wherfore to beginne with those which are yet fresh in memorie to the world best knowne What kinde of tentation thincke you was that of late daies when that vngratious and cursed Nestorius sodenly frō a sheepe transformed into a wolfe began to deuour the flocke of Christ at such time as those which were spoiled commonly tooke him for a sheepe and therfore were more subiect to his crueltie For who would haue easely imagined him to haue erred whom euery man knew to haue bene chosen with such iudgement of the Empire who was so highly in grace with the Cleargie so much beloued of all holy men so greatly in fauour with the people who openly expounded the scriptures and also confuted the pestiferous error of the Iewes why could not this man by such meanes easelie perswade any that he taught aright preched aright beleeued aright who to smooth the way make entrance for his owne heresie persecuted preached against the blasphemies of all others But this was that which Moises saith The Lord your God doth tempt you if you loue him or no. And to passeouer Nestorius in whom was alwaies more admiration then profite more fame thē experience whom for some time humane fauour had made greater then Gods grace exalted Lett vs rather speake of them which endowed with many giftes and men of greate industrie haue bene no small tentation to Catholickes as amongst the Pauonians in our Fathers memorie Photinus is recorded to haue tempted the Church of Sirminum in which being preferred with the liking of all men vnto the dignitie of Priesthood for sometime he behaued him selfe very Catholikely but sodenly like that naughtie Prophet or Dreamer of whom Moises speaketh he beganne to perswade the people of God committed to his charge to folow other gods that is strange and vnknowen errors which before they were not acquainted with But as this is vsuall so that was verie pernitiouse that he had so great helpes and furtherance for the aduancing of so great wickednes For he was both of an excelent witte and singulerly well learned and passing eloquent as he which both in disputation and writing was copious graue in either language as appeareth by the bookes which he wrote partly in greek and partly in the latin tong But in hapned well that Christes sheepe committed to his charge very vigilāt and carefull in keeping the Catholike faith did speedely remember Moises warning and therfore albeit they admired much the eloquence of their Prophet and Pastor yet were they not ignorant of the temptation And therefore whom before they folowed as the cheefe leader of the flocke the same very man afterward they auoided as a rauening wolfe Neither do we learne only by Photinus but also by the example of Apollinaris the daunger of this ecclesiasticall tentation and therby also be admonished diligently to keepe retaine our faith and religion For this Apollinaris procured his auditors great trouble anguish of mind whilest the authoritie of the Church drew them one way and the acquaintance of their master haled them another so that wauering tottering betwixt both they were vncertaine whether parte was best to be folowed But haply he was such a one as easely deserued to be contemned Nay he was so famous and worthie a man that in very may thinges he wone credite too fast For who surpassed him in sharpnes of witt in exercise in learning how many heresies in many and greate bookes hath he ouerthrowne how many errors against the faith hath he cōfuted That most notable great worke of thirtie bookes in which with great waight of reason he confounded the franticke cauills of Porphirius doth giue credit to my report and testifie the truth of my relation

It were too long to rehearse vp all his workes for which he might haue bene compared to the cheefe pillors of Gods Church had not the prophane licentiousnesse of hereticall curiositie by inuenting I know not what new opinion spotted and discredited all his former labours whereby his doctrine was accounted not so much an edification as an ecclesiasticall tentation CHAP. VII HEREsome man perhaps requireth to know what heresies these men aboue named taught that is Nestorius Appollinaris Photinus This pertaineth not to the matter whereof we now intreat for it is not out purpose to dispute against each mans particuler error but only by a few exāples plainly and clerely to proue that to be most true which Moyses saith that if at any time any ecclesiasticall master yea a Prophet for interpreting the misteries of the prophetical visions goeth about to bring in any new opinion into the Church that the prouidence of god doth permitt it for our proofe triall But because it will be profitable I will by a litle disgression breefely set downe what the forenamed heretickes Photinus Appollinaris Nestorius taught This then is the heresie of Photinus he affirmeth that God is as the Iewes beleeue singuler and solitary denyning the fulnesse of the Trinitie not beleuing that there is any person of the word of God or of the holy ghost he affirmeth also that Christ was onlye man who had his begining of the virgin MARY teaching verie earnestly that we ought to worshipe only the person of god the father to honor Christ only for man This then was Photinus opinion now Appollinaris vaunteth much as though he beleeued the vnitie of Trinitie with full sound faith but yet blasphemeth he manifestly against our Lordes incarnation For he saith that our Sauiour either had not mans soule at all or at least such a one as was neither indued with mind or reason furthermore he affirmeth that Christs body was not takē of the flesh of the holy virgin MARY but descended from heauen into the wōbe of the Virgin holding yet doutfully and inconstantly some time that it was coeternall to the word of God some time that it was made of the diuinitie of the word for he would not admit two maner of substances in Christ the one diuine the other humane the one of his Father the other of his Mother but did thinke that the verie nature of the word was deuided into two partes as though the one remained in God and the other was turned into flesh that whereas the truth saith that Christ is one consisting of two substances he contrary to the truth affirmeth of the one diuinitie of Christ to be two substances and these be the assertions of Apollinaris But Nestorius sicke of a contrarie disease whilest he faineth a distinction of two substances in Christ sodenly bringeth in two persons and with monstrous wickednes will needs haue two sonnes of God two Christes one that was God and another that was man one begotten of the Father another begotten of his Mother And therfore he saieth that the holy Virgin MARY is not to be called the mother of God but the mother of Christ because that Christ which was borne of her was not God but man And if any man thinke that in his bookes he saith there was one Christ and that he preached one person of Christ I must needs confesse that he lacketh not ground to say so for that he did either of craftie pollicie the rather to deceaue that by some good thinges he might the more easely perswade nought as the Apostle saith By the good thing he hath wrought Rom. 7 me death Wherfore either craftely as I said in certaine places of his writings he vaunteth to beleeue one person in Christ or else surely he did hold that after our Ladies deliuerie two persons became in such sort sort one Christ that yet in the time of our Ladies cōception or deliuerie for some time after there were two Christes and that Christ was borne first like vnto another man and only was man and not yet ioined in vnitie with the person of God the word and that afterwarde the person of the word descended downe assuming and ioininge him selfe to that man in vnitie of person although he now remaine in glorie assūpted for some time yet there seemeth to haue bene no difference betwixte him and other men Thus then Nestorius Apollinaris Photinus like mad dogges barked against the Catholicke Church Photinus not cōfessing the Trinity Apollinaris main taining the nature of the Word conuertible not confessing two substances in Christ denying also either the whol soule of Christ or at least that it was indued with mind and reason beleeuing for his pleasure what he liked of the second person in Trinitie Nestorius by defending either alwaies or for some time two Christes But the Catholicke Church beleeuing aright both of God and of our Sauiour neither blasphemeth against the misterie of the Trinitie nor against the incarnatiō of Christ for it worshipeth one Diuinitie in Trinitie and reuerenceth the equalitie of the Trinitie in one and the same maiestie cōfessing one Christ not two and the selfe same both God and man beleeuing in him one person yet acknowledging two substances but yet beleeuing one person two substances because the word of God is not mutable that it can be turned into flesh one person least professing two sonnes it may seeme to worship a quaternitie not to adore the Trinitie CHAP. VIII BVT it is worth the labor to declare this matter more plainely more substantially more distintly In God is one substance and three persons in Christ be two substances but one persone In the Trinitie there is an other and an other but not another and an other thing In our Sauiour is not an other another but an other other thing How is there in the Trinitie an other and an other but not another an other thing Marry because there is an other person of the father an other of the sonne and an other of the holy ghost But yet not an other another nature but one the selfe same How is there in our Sauiour another and another thinge not another and another because there is another substance of the diuinitie and another substance of the humanitie but yet the deitie the humanitie is not another and another but one and the selfe same Christ one and the selfe same sonne of God and one and the selfe same person of the selfe same Christ and sonne of God As in a man the body is one thing and the soule is another thing but yet the body and the soule are but one and the selfe same man In Peter Paule the soule is one thing the body is another thing yet the body the soule are not two Peters nor the soule is not one Paul and the body an other Paul but one the selfe same Peter one and the selfe