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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

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

he was passing olde But yet perchaunce vnfortunate in his schollers What man euer more happie hauing trained vp and bene master to infinite Doctors to Preistes without number to Confessors and Martirs Now who is able to prosecute with wordes in what admiration he was with all men in what glory in what credite grace Who more zealous in religion repaired not to him from the furthest partes of the world What Christian did not almost worship him as a Prophet what Philosopher did not honour him as a master and how greatly he was reuerenced not only of priuate men but also of the Empire it selfe histories doe speake which reporte that he was sent for of Alexander the Emperors mother to weet for his merit of heauenly wisdome with the grace and loue wherof he was inflamed His epistles also testifie the same thing which with authoritie of a Christian master he wrote vnto Phillip the Emperor the first Christian amongest all the Romane Princes And if any man vpon our report admitteth not the testimonie of a Christian touching his wonderfull knowledge and learning at least let him receaue the confession of an heathen Philosopher For that impious Porphirie saith that him selfe being but yet as it were a boy moued with his fame trauailed vnto Alexandria where he did see him being then olde but yet such a one so learned as he that had attained to the perfection of all knowledge Day would sooner faile me then I coulde touch though breiflye those notable gifts which were in that man all which notwithstanding pertained not only to the glorie of religion but also to the greatnes of the temptation For who is he that would willingly haue forsaken a man of such wit of so deepe learning of so rare grace and would not sooner haue vsed that saying that he had rather erre with Origen then beleeue aright with others And what should I say more the matter came to that issue that as the end shewed not an vsuall commō but a passing dangerous tentation of so worthie a man so famous a Doctor so notable a Prophet caried very many from the true and sound faith of the Church For this Origen so rare and singuler a man abusing the grace of God to insolently flattering him selfe to much in his own witte beleeuing him selfe more then reason would litle esteeming the olde simplicitie of Christian religion presuming to be wiser then all other contemning the traditions of the Church and the olde Fathers documents waded so far in expounding cartaine chapters of the scripture after a new fashiō vntill he deserued that the Church of God should also say of him Yf there arise vp in the middest of thee a Prophet a litle after thou shalt not heare quoth he the wordes of that Prophet And againe because quoth he your Lorde God doth tempt you whether you loue him or no. And surely it is not only a tentation but also a great tentation when a man carieth away secretly and by litle and litle the Church depending vpon him admiring his witt knowledge eloquence conuersation grace nothing suspecting him nothing fearing him sodenly from the olde religion to a prophane new doctrine But some will say that Origens bookes be corrupted I will not gaine say it but rather it were so for that hath both bene said written of some not only Catholickes but also Hereticks But this is now the point we haue to cōsider that althogh not he yet the bookes passing abrode vnder his name are a greate tentation which stuffed with many horrible blasphemies are read and vsed loued and liked not as the bookes of others but as his owne workes so that although Origen gaue no cause of erroneous doctrine yet his authoritie hath bene the occasion why the error hath bene liked and folowed The case also of Tertullian is the very same with the former for as Origen is to be thought the best amongest the Greeke Doctors so Tertullian without controuersie the cheefe of all the latin For who was more learned then hee Who in Diuinitie or Humanitie more practised for by his great and wonderfull capacitie of witt he attained to imbraced all Philosophie all the sectes of Philosophers all their authors and patrons all their learning all sortes of histories and studies And for his witt was he not so excellent so graue so sharpe that he almost vndertooke the ouerthrow of nothing which either by quicknes of witt or waight of reason he crushed not in peeces Now who is able to set downe the commendacion and praise which his stile and phrase of speach deserued which was so fraught I know not how with that force of reason that such as could not be perswaded were cōpelled whose almost so many wordes so many sentences so many sences so many victories This is well knowne to Marcion and Appelles well knowne to Praxeas and Hermogenes the Iewes vnderstād this the Gentiles haue tried it the Gnostikcs haue proued it and diuers others haue felt it whose blasphemouse opinions he hath ouerthrowne with his many great volumes as it had bene with thūder and lightning And yet this man after all this this Tertullian I say not holding the Catholicke religion that is the vniuersall and olde faith being far more eloquent then fortunate chāging afterwarde his minde did at last that which the blessed Confessor Hillarie in a certaine place writeth of him He discredited quoth he with his latter error his probable writings and therfore he was also a greate tentation in the Church But hereof I will saye no more only this I add that by his defending against the precept of Moises for true prophecies the new madnesse of Mōtanus springing vp in the church and these mad dreames of a new doctrine of the franticke woman he deserued that we should also say of him and his writinges Yf a Prophete shall rise vp in the midest of thee and straight after thou shalt not heare the wordes of that Prophet Why so Because qnoth he your Lord God doth tempt you whether you loue him or no. We ought therfore euidently to note by these so many so great diuers others such waightie examples and by the law of Deuteronomie most cleerely to vnderstand that if at any time any ecclesiasticall teacher straieth frō the faith that gods prouidence doth suffer that for our triall whether we loue him or no in our wholle hart and in our wholle soule CHAP. XI VVHICH being so he is a true and perfect sincere Catholicke that loueth Gods truth that loueth his body the Church that preferreth nothing beefore the religion of God nothinge before the Catholicke faith not any mans authority not loue not will not eloquēce not philosophie but contemning all these things setled in faith stable permanēt whatsoeuer he knoweth the Catholicke Church vniuersally in old time to haue holden purposeth with him selfe only to hold and beleeue and therfore whatsoeuer new doctrine and not before heard

what desired they all surely nothing else but that which was of olde time deliuered might be still retained and that which was newlie inuented might speedelie be reiected After all which we maruailed at and highly commended the greate humilitie and holines of that Councell in which were so many Bishopes the greater part of whom were almost Metropolitanes of such eruditiō of such learning that they were almost all sufficient to haue disputed of matters of faith Which greate assemblie and meeting together although it might in some mans opinion haue imboldened them to presume and determine somwhat of thēselues yet they deliuered nothing presumed nothing arrogated nothing to themselues but before all thinges they were very carefull not to leaue any thing to posteritie which before they had not receiued of their forefathers not thinking it sufficient to dispose well of the businesse then present but also to leaue an example to their posteritie how they in like manner should reuerence the religion of sacred antiquitie and vtterly condemne the inuentions of prophane noueltie We inuaighed also against the wicked presumption of Nestorius who boasted that he was the first and the only man which vnderstood the scriptures and that all others which before his daies preached and taught all that interpreted and expounded the word of God were ignorant and vnskilfull that is all Preistes all Confessors and Martirs of whom some had expoūded Gods lawe others allowed and beleeued them To conclude he maintained that the Church both now did erre and alwaies had erred because as he thought it had and did folow vnlearned and erronious Doctors All which albeit they were abundantly sufficient for the ouerturning extinguishing of all prophane nouelties Yet least that ought shold in such plētie of proofes be wanting we added for a conclusion a doble authoritie of the Sea Apostolique the one of holy Pope Xistus which venerable father nowe honoureth the Church of Rome the other of Pope Celestinus of blessed memorie his predicessor which I haue thought good also here to sett downe Pope Xistus then in his epistle which he wrot to the Bishope of Antioch towching the cause of Nestorius saieth thus Therfore quoth he because as the Apostle saieth the faith is one which euidently hath obtained to be so called let vs beleeue and such thinges as are to bee holden lett vs beleeue Afterward he prosecuteth and explicateth what those thinges be which are to be beleeued what they be which are to be kept saying thus Nothing quoth he is further lawefull for Noueltie because it is cōuenient that nothing be added to Antiquitie The faith beleefe of our forefathers is cleare perspicuous let it not be troubled or defiled with any permixtion of filthie mire Apostolically spoken in commendation of our forefathers faith to compare it to light and perspicuitie and in likening nouell prophanes to the admixtion of filth and mire Pope Celestinus likewise is of the same opinion for in his epistle which he sent to the Preistes of France wherin he reprehendeth their dissimulation in that they left by their silence the old faith destitute and suffered prophane Nouelties to spring vp thus he writeth Worthelie quoth hee the cause doth touch vs if with silence we foster errour therfore let such men be corrected let them haue no libertie to speake at their pleasure Some happely doubteth who they be whom he forbiddeth to haue their libertie in speaking whether the preachers of antiquitie or the inuentors of nouelties Let him speake and discharge the Reader of this doubt for it foloweth Let nouelty cease of quoth he if the matter be so that is if that be true which diuers accuse vnto me your Cities Prouinces that through your pernitious dissimulation you cause thē to yeeld vnto certaine new doctrine Therfore quoth he if the matter be so let noueltie cease of to prouoke Antiquity This then was the blessed opiniō of holy Celestinus not that antiquity should cease to ouerthrow Noueltie but rather that Noueltie should giue ouer to prouoke antiquitie Which Apostolicke and Catholicke decrees whosoeuer resisteth first of necessitie he must proudly contemne the memorie of S. Celestinus who defined that noueltie should giue ouer to prouoke antiquitie Againe he mustiest scoffe at the decree of holy Xistus whose iudgemēt is that nothing is lawfull for noueltie because it is not conuenient that ought be added to antiquitie Againe he must contemne the determinatiō of blessed Cirill who highlie commended the zeale of venerable Capreolus in that he desired that the old articles of faith should be confirmed new inuētions vtterly condemned Likewise he must reiect the Councell of Ephesus that is the iudgement almost of all the holy Bishopes of the East who inspired by God would not decree that posteritie should beleeue ought but that which the sacred antiquitie of our forefathers agreeing togither in Christ had holden beleeued who with their vniforme allowing acclamation testified that they all decreed all wished all gaue iudgemēt that is all heretickes almost before Nestorius contemning antiquitie and defending Noueltie were condēned So likewise Nestorius him selfe the author of noueltie and impugner of antiquitie should bee condemned Whose sacred consent and agreement proceding frō Gods goodnes if any dislike what remaineth but that he maintaine that Nestorius prophane opinion was vniustly condemned Finally hee must also sett light by and contemne the vniuersall Church of Christ and her masters the Apostles and Prophetes and especially the Apostle S. PAVL as dreggs drosse The vniuersal Church beecause shee hath alwaies religiously kepte and maintained that faith which was once deliuered S. PAVL because he hath written thus O Timothy keepe the depositum auoiding prophane Nouelties of voices And againe Yf any preach vnto you otherwise then you haue receiued bee he accursed And if neither the Apostle his definition nor the Ecclesiasticall canōs ought to be violated by which according to the sacred consent of vniuersalitie and antiquitie alwaies all heretickes and lastlie Pelagius Celestius and Nestorius were iustly and worthelie condemned surelie necessarie it is that hereafter all Catholickes which desire to shew thēselues true childrē of their mother the church doe cleaue ioine and sticke vnto the holy faith of their holy Fathers detesting and abhorring pursueing prosecuting the prophane nouelties of all prophane misereantes This almost is the summe of that which in these two commonitorie bookes we haue more amplie discoursed of now after the maner of recapitulatiō in fewer words gathered togither that my memorie for helpinge whereof I haue wrote this Treatise may both with dailye admonition be repaired and yet not ouerlaid with fastidious prolixitie