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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14435	A very Christian, learned, and briefe discourse, concerning the true, ancient, and Catholicke faith, against all wicked vp-start heresies seruing very profitably for a preseruatiue against the profane nouelties of papists, Anabaptists, Arrians, Brownists, and all other sectaries. First composed by Vincentius Lirinensis in Latine, about twelue hundreth yeares ago. And now faithfully translated into English, and illustrated with certaine marginall notes. By Thomas Tuke.; Pro catholicae fidei antiquitate libellus. English	Vincent, of Lérins, Saint, d. ca. 450.; Tuke, Thomas, d. 1657. aut	1611 (1611)	STC 24753; ESTC S102090	49,335	192

in the end of this second Aduertisement which haue ben spoken of in these two We haue sayd before that this hath euer bene and is also at this day the custome of Catholickes to proue the true saith these two wayes First by the authority of Gods word Secondly by the tradition of the Catholike Church not because the word alone is not sufficient of it selfe for all matters but because many whiles they expound the Scriptures as they list themselues they conceiue sundry opinions and errors And therefore that it is necessary that the interpretation of the heauenly Scripture should bee directed by the alone Rule of Ecclesiastical iudgement or vnderstanding especially in those questions at least on which the grounds of all the Catholicke doctrine are layed In like maner we haue sayd that we should againe haue regard in the Church her-selfe vnto the consent of All in generall and also of Antiquity least we should either bee broken off from the whole body of the Church being vnited and coupled together and so become Schismatickes or else be cast head-long from the antient religion into nouell heresies We haue also sayd that in the very antiquity of the Church two certaine things are earnestly and carefully to be obserued to which all that would not be Heretiques should throughly cleaue first if any thing hath bene of antient time decreed of all the Priests of the Catholicke Church by the authority of a generall Councell secondly if any strange question should arise when that in no wise might be found that recourse should be had to the iudgements of the holy Fathers of those onely which in their times and places conteining all of them in the vnity of fellowship and of the Faith were commendable Teachers And that whatsoeuer they should be found to haue held with one meaning and consent that it should without any scruple be iudged of the Church to be true and Catholicke CHAP. 42. VVHich-least we should seeme to set abroach through our owne presumption rather then by Ecclesiasticall authority we haue vsed the example of an holy Councell which was held almost three yeares since at Ephesus in Asia those most excellent men Bassus and Antiochus being Consuls Where when there was dispute about the confirming of the Rules of Faith least perhaps any profane noueltie should steale in there after the manner of the o Ariminian Councels vnfaithfull dealing this seemed to all the Priests which had come thither to the number almost of two hundreth to be a thing most Catholicke most commodious and best to be done that the iudgements of the holy Fathers should be brought foorth and shewed of whom it should be manifest that some were Martyrs others Confessors but that all had bene and had continued Catholicke Priests that so by their consent and decree the religion of the ancient doctrine might well and solemnly be confirmed and the blasphemy of wicked nouelty condemned Which when it was so done then was that foresaid Nestorius iudged contrary to Catholicke Antiquity but blessed Cyril to consent vnto it And that the truth of those things might in no wise be called into question we haue also shewed the names and number though we had forgotten the ranke of those Fathers according to whose order therein concording and vnanimous iudgement both the sentences of holy Writ were expounded and the rule of diuine doctrine established Whom for the strengthening of our memorie it is not superfluous here also to recite These therefore are the men whose writings either as of Iudges or as it were of Witnesses were in that Councell shewed and recited S. Peter of Alexandria a Bishop a most excellent Teacher and a most blessed Martyr S. Athanasius a Prelate of the same Citty a most faithfull Teacher and a most worthy Confessor Saint Theophilus a Bishop of the same Citie too a man very famous for his religion life and learning whom worthy Cyril did succeed who doth at this time make the Church of Alexandria famous And least it should perhaps be thought to be the doctrine of one City Prouince there were ioyned also those Lights of Cappadocia S. Gregory Bishop and Confessor of Nazianzum S. Basil Bishop and Confessor of Caesarea in Cappadocia as also the other S. Gregory Bishop of Nysse and for his faith conuersation vprightnesse and wisedome a man most worthy of his brother Basil But that it might be proued that not Greece alone or that the East onely but that the Weasterne and Latine world was alwayes also of that iudgement certaine Epistles also were there read written to certaine men by Saint Foelix a Martyr and S. Iulius Bishops of the City of Rome And that not only the head of the world but that the sides also might giue testimony to that iudgement there was taken from the South most blessed Cyprian Bishop of Carthage and a Martyr and from the North Saint Ambrose Bishop of Millaine All these ten therefore were at Ephesus produced as Teachers Counsellers Witnesses and Iudges whose doctrine counsell witnesse and iudgemēt that blessed Synode mainteining following crediting and obeying did readily discreetly vnpartially giue sentence concerning the Rules of Faith Although a farre greater number of Elders might haue bene ioyned to these yet it was not needfull because it was not sitting that the time allotted for that businesse should be taken vp and spent with producing of a multitude of Witnesses and for that euery man is perswaded that those ten did differ nothing in a maner in iudgement from all their other fellowes After all which things we haue also annexed the holy iudgement of Cyril which things are conteined in the ecclesiasticall acts For after that the Epistle of S. Capreolus Bishop of Carthage was read who laboured and intreated no other thing but that Noueltie being conuinced Antiquity might be beleeued Bishop Cyril spake and defined to the same effect the which it seemeth not vnfitting for the matter in hand here also to interpose For hee saith in the end of the Acts And this Epistle which was read quoth he of the reuerend very religious Bishop of Carthage Capreolus shall bee faithfully recorded whose iudgement is manifest for hee would haue the doctrines of the ancient faith confirmed but nouell conceipts and such as are superfluously deuised and wickedly published to bee reiected and condemned All the Bishops cryed together in signe of approbation These are the words of vs all we do all affirme these things this is the wish of vs all And what I pray you were the words and the wishes of all but that That should bee embraced which was anciently deliuered and that That should be banished which was newly deuised After which things we wondred at told of the great humility and holinesse of that Councell and what a number of Priests there were the greater part welneere being Metropolitanes of such knowledge and so well learned as that almost all of them were able to dispute of

LONDON Printed for Leonard Becket and are to be sold at his Shop in the Temple neere the Church 1611. A VERY CHRISTIAN LEARNED and briefe Discourse concerning the true ancient and Catholicke Faith against all wicked vp-start Heresies Seruing very profitably for a Preseruatiue against the profane Nouelties of Papists Anabaptists Arrians Brownists and all other Sectaries First composed by Vincentius Lirinensis in Latine about twelue hundreth yeares ago And now faithfully translated into English and illustrated with certaine Marginall Notes By THOMAS TVKE Imprinted at London for Leonard Becket and are to be sold at his shop in the Inner Temple 1611. TO THE RIGHT worshipfull Sir IOHN LEVENTHORPE knight and to the right vertuous Lady Ioanna his wife all happinesse earthly and heauenly RIght Worshipfull great is the peruersenesse of Mans nature as may appeare by the multitude of errors and false religions of the which the world is now sicke euen vnto death For the Iewe hath his the Turke his the Indians theirs the Papist his yea and almost euery man is ready to turne his fansy into faith so common is this kind of Alchymie and to make doctrines of his owne deuises so fond we are by reason of selfe-loue and the blindnesse of our minds But as Eli sayd this is not well For there is but one true Religion and as Leo saith Faith is either One or None Now because there are so many religions in the world therefore some will be of none but stand as it were amazed not knowing what course to take like the fool that Salomon speakes of which knowes not the way into the Citty It behooues vs therefore seeing such variety of professions to looke before we leape to sound the waters before we hoyse vp our sailes for heauen is no harbor for heretickes no common Inne for all kinds of Trauellers I meane afore all to consult with the written word of God the oracle of truth the ground of faith a lanterne to our feet a light vnto our path is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and instruct in righteousnesse that the mā of God maybe absolute Heare saith S. Austin Thus saith the Lord not thus saith Donatus or Rogatus or Vincentius or Hilary or Austin but Thus saith the Lord. To the Law and to the Testimony saith Esay if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them By the Scripture God speaketh his whole will saith Gregory If therefore men would in the true feare of God and lowlinesse of spirit desire diuine direction and attend vnto the word vndoubtedly they should see their way before them and could not be so transported of Impostors as they vse to be For them that be meeke will he guide in iudgement and teach the humble his way What man is he that feareth the Lord Him will he teach the way which he shall chuse The secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding And as our Sauiour speaketh Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my Name he will giue it you So then if we will not giue eare vnto Man but vnto God if we will not trust vnto our owne wings but seeke for aide of him we may boldly expect assistance of him according to his word And because to begin a course well is nothing vnlesse a man continue constant in it therefore it behoues vs to cleaue fast vnto the faith auoiding all impostures of Heretickes whatsoeuer For the furtherance hereof this Treatise was first written in Latine aboue a thousand yeares agoe by a learned and godly Frenchman whose authority is nothing lesse to be respected for his Monasticke kinde of liuing considering that our moderne Monkes haue almost nothing of Antiquity besides their name And for the same purpose we haue turn'd it into English desiring the Almightie to bedew the same with the blessing of his grace My labour I account as due to the Church in generall and abundantly deserued of you both in particular if therefore you shall accept it I shall haue my full desire The God of heauen and earth preserue you by his grace that after this life on Earth ye may be presented to Iesus Christ to liue in heauen with him in eternall glory Amen London S. Clem. April 14. 1611. Your VVorships in Christ Iesus to be commanded Thomas Tuke To The Reader THERE are three sorts of men for whō I haue translated this little booke The first are they that heare their fathers instruction and despise not the gouernement of their mother whom I desire God vpon my knees to keepe free from the poyson and peruersnesse of all Heretickes and Schismatickes whatsoeuer The second are they that are mis-led by Romish Impostors into many grosse and nouell errours such as the Scriptures and antient Doctors vtterly condemne as may easily be seene by viewing sundry workes of diuers learned men amongst vs either written or turned into English The chiefest cause of of whose erring partly consists in an incredible credit which they giue vnto their Teachers and partly in their owne wonderfull ignorance of the holy Scriptures which might inlighten their eies and informe their iudgements It is written of Naash that he would make a couenant with the men of Iabesh Gilead vpon condition that he might thrust out all their right eies euen so surely the Diuell delights in nothing more then in putting out mens eyes and in captiuating their vnderstanding which is as the right eye of the soule that being blinded he may leade them at his pleasure But if it would please them to search the Scriptures as Christ exhorteth and to consider of the Catholicke doctrine of the antient Church euen to the times wherein this our Author liued I doubt not but that the scales of ignorance would fall from their eyes and that those mists would be soone dispersed which Satan casts before them The third are such as are not much offended at the doctrines of the Church but condemne her gouernment and stumble at her Ceremonies which yet are neither vndecent nor superstitious or numerous and such as neither Gods word forbiddeth nor any approued Church in the Christian world condemneth as they are commanded by this Church entertained Now see heere what strange conceipts and doctrines are deuised and defended of them such as haue no foot-step in the Scripture no fellowship with Antiquity 1. It is affirmed that The true and right gouernment of the Christian Churches is a certaine Democratie 2. That a prouinciall Church is Contrary to the testament of Christ Hereupon Henry Iacob in an Epistle prefixed to a booke lately printed at Leyden labours for a Separation 3. That humane ceremonies being once abused cannot bee purged but by vtter abolishion 4. That it is out of all doubt that Christ sate or lay at his last Supper or thus that it is not

seeme to bee pointed at rather then vnfolded Let them write delicately and with accuratenesse that are led thereunto through confidence of their wit or by reason of their office but for me it shall be sufficient that I haue prepared a Remembrancer for my selfe to helpe my memory or rather to preuent my forgetfulnesse the which yet I will endeauour through the Lords assistance to mend and perfite dayly by reuoluing and calling to mind the things that I haue learned And this I haue said before hand that if happily ought of ours shall come into the hands of the Saints they would reprehend nothing therein rashly which they may see by promise yet to be amended CHAP. 1. INquiring therefore oftentimes with great care and very singular diligence of very many excellent men both for holinesse and learning how I might by some certaine and as it were generall and regular way discerne the truth of the Catholicke faith from the falsehood of wicked heresies I receiued this answere alwaies from them all almost That if either I or any other would finde out the wiles of vpstart Hereticks and escape their snares and continue sound and whole in a sound faith he must fortifie his faith through the Lords assistance with a two-fold fence namely first with the authority of Gods word and then also with the tradition of the Catholicke Church CHAP. 2. HEre it may be some man will aske Seeing the Canon of the Scriptures is perfect and that it is aboundantly sufficient of it selfe to all things what need is there that the authority of the Churches vnderstanding should be ioyned therunto Surely because al mē do not after one manner vnderstand the holy Scripture according to the height thereof but diuers men interpret the sentences thereof diuersly that there may seeme to be as many meanings thereof almost as men For Nouatian expounds it one way Photinus another way Sabellius thus Donatus otherwise Arrius Eunomius Macedonius other waies Appollinaris Priscillianus by themselues Iouinianus Pelagius Celestius another way and finally Nestorius hath a sence by himselfe And therefore by reason of so great deceipts and windings of so different errours it is very necessary that a man should interpret the Prophets and Apostles according as the Catholicke Church doth vnderstand them CHAP. 3. IN like manner euen in the Catholike Church wee must haue a speciall regard that we hold that which is Euery where beleeued alwaies of all for this is truly and properly Catholike as the very force reason of the name declareth which comprehendeth al things truly vniuersally Now this we shall doe if we follow Vniuersality Antiquity and Consent And wee shall follow Vniuersality thus namely if we do confesse this one faith to be true which the whole Church through out the world confesseth We shall follow Antiquity if by no meanes we reiect those interpretations which we know to haue bene vsed and esteemed of our holy Elders and Forefathers And Consent in like sort also if euer in Antiquity we follow the determinations and iudgements of all or surely of almost all Priests and Doctors CHAP. 4. VVHat then shal a Christian Catholicke do if some few members of the Church shall cut themselues from the fellowship of the Catholicke Faith Surely what else but preferre the soundnesse of the whole body before a noysom and corrupt member And what if some new contagion shall indeuour the corruption not of some small part of the Church onely but euen of the whole body thereof also In like manner then he shall bee carefull to cleaue fast vnto Antiquity which cannot now wholly be seduced by any nouell deceipt And what if euen in Antiquity it selfe the errour of two or three or of a Citty or of some Prouince be found out Then his whole care shall be to prefer the decrees of the Vniuersal Church vniuersally of old maintained to the rashnesse or ignorance if any such be of some few persons But what if some such thing breake out where nothing of that nature may be found Then shall hee compare the sentences and opinions of the Fathers together and take Counsell of them of those Fathers or Elders I meane onely which though they liued not in one age and place did yet continue in the fellowship and faith of one Catholicke Church were laudable Teachers and whatsoeuer he shall perceiue that not one or two alone but that all alike with one and the same consent did openly commonly and constantly hold write and teach let him know that the same of him also is without any scruple to bee beleeued But that those things which wee say may be made more plaine they are each of them to be cleered by examples and to be a little more enlarged least through affectation of too much breuity the weight of things bee not perceiued by reason of passing so swiftly ouer them in our speech CHAP. 5. IN the time of Donatus from whom sprang the Donatists when as a great part of Aphrica had throwne themselues headlong into his furious errours and when vnmindfull of their honour religion and profession they did preferre the sacrilegious headines of one man to the Church of Christ then those Africans could of them all alone be safe within the sanctuaries of the Catholicke faith which hauing that wicked Schisme in detestation adioyned themselues to all the Churches of the world leauing in truth a notable paterne to them that should come after namely how and that also well the soundnesse of all might be preferred before the fury of one or but a few CHAP. 6. IN like manner when as the poyson of the Arrians had now corrupted not some fewe but almost all the world so as that well neere all the Latine Bishops being deceiued partly by force and partly by fraude knew not well by reason of a certaine kinde of blindnesse which had inuaded their vnderstandings what course they were best to follow when things were so confused then whosoeuer was a true Louer worshipper of Christ the same by making more accoūt of the ancient-faith thē of nouel-falshood was preserued from all infections of that contagious doctrine The danger in truth of which time hath aboundantly shewed what great calamity the bringing in of that vpstart doctrine caused For then were shaken not small things onely but euen the greatest also For not onely alliances kindreds friendships and houses were dissolued but also Cities People Prouinces Nations yea and the whole Romane Empire was vtterly shaken and put out of order For when that profane noueltie of the Arrians as a certaine Bellona or Furia had first captiuated the Emperour and then brought all the chiefest about him vnder new lawes it ceased not afterwards to trouble disorder all things priuat and publicke facred and profane and to haue no regard of that which was good and true but whomsoeuer

well qualified whiles he doth insolently abuse the grace of God whiles he makes too much of his own wit and thinks so well of himself whiles he contēneth the ancient simplicity of Christian religion whiles he presumes he is wiser then all men and whiles that contemning the traditions of the Church and the maisterships of the Elders he doth after a new manner expound certaine places of the Scriptures he hath deserued that it should be sayd vnto the Church of God concerning him also If there arise among you a Prophet And a little after Thou shalt not quoth he listen to the words of that Prophet And againe Because the Lord your God saith he tryeth you whether ye will loue him or no. It was indeed not onely a temptation but euen a great temptation to remoue the Church being giuen vnto him and depending vpon him and through wondring at his wit learning eloquence conuersation and reputation suspecting him not nor fearing him to remoue the Church I say all vpon the sudden by little and little from the ancient Religion to nouell profanenesse But some man will say that the bookes of Origen are corrupted I gain say it not but had rather too it were so For that is both deliuered and written of some not onely Catholikes but also Heretiques But that is it which now we are to marke that although he himselfe bee not yet the bookes which are publiked vnder his name are a great temptation which being pestered with many wounds of blasphemies are both read embraced not as other mens but as his owne so that although Origen did not conceiue the error yet Origens authority may seeme powerfull to perswade the error CHAP. 24. BVt Tertullians cōdition also is euen the same For as he among the Greekes so this man among the Latines is without doubt to bee reputed the chiefest of all our men For who more learned then this man who more exercised in diuinity and in humanity For verily he did with a certaine admirable capacity of vnderstanding vnderstand compasse al Philosophy and all the sects of the Phylosophers the authors abettours of the sects and all their doctrines and all manner of stories and studies And did hee not excell for a wit so graue and vehement as that he propounded almost nothing to himselfe to vanquish which he did not either breake into with acutenesse or strike out with weightinesse Moreouer who can expresse the praises of his speech which was replenished with such I wot not what vrgent arguments as that whom he could not perswade he forced to consent vnto him whose sentences were almost as many as words and as many victories as reasons This knew the Martionists Apelles the Praxeans Hermogenes the Iewes Gentiles Gnostickes and the rest whose blasphemies he ouerthrew with his manifold great volumes as with certaine lightenings And yet this man also I say this Tertullian being vnmindfull of the Catholicke doctrine that is the vniuersall and ancient faith and much more eloquent thē happy changing his iudgment afterwards wrought that at last which the blessed Confessour Hilarie writeth of him in a certaine place By the error quoth he which he fell afterwards into he made the workes which he wrote well to loose their reputation And hee himselfe was also a great temptation in the Church But of him I will say no more This thing I will onely mention that because hee did against the commandement of Moses affirme that the new braine-sicke doctrines of Montanus arising in the Church and that those madde conceits of mad women euen the dreames of an vpstart doctrine were true prophecies he did deserue that it should be said of him also and of his writings If a Prophet shall arise among you And againe Thou shalt not heare the words of that Prophet Why so Because saith he the Lord your God tryeth you whether you will loue him or not By these therfore so many and so great examples in the Church and by the rest of that nature we ought euidently to marke and to know more clearely then the light that if euer any teacher in the Church shall wander from the faith the prouidence of God doth suffer it to be done for our tryall to proue whether we loue the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soule or no. CHAP. 25. VVHich things seeing they so stand he is a true and right Catholicke who loueth the truth of God the Church the body of Christ and who preferres nothing to Gods Religion nothing to the Catholicke faith not the authority not the loue not the wit not the eloquence nor the philosophy of any man but contemning all these things and abiding firme and stedfast in the faith doth iudge that whatsoeuer he shall vnderstand to bee vniuersally held of old of the Catholicke Church himselfe should hold and beleeue alone but whatsoeuer nouell and strange doctrine hee shall perceiue to bee priuily brought in after by any one besides or against the iudgement of all the Saints hee knowes that it belongs not to religion but rather to tentation And is also especially by the speeches of the blessed Apostle Paul instructed for this is that which hee writeth in his first Epistle to the Corinthes There must bee saith he heresies euen among you that they which are approued among you might be knowen As if hee should say for this cause the Authors of heresies are not presently rooted out by God that they which are approued might be seene that is that it might appeare how sure faithful and constant a louer of the Catholick faith euery mā is And in truth when euery nouelty cometh vp the weightinesse of the Corne and the lightnesse of the Chaffe is presently perceiued at which time that is easily shaken frō the Floore which was held with no weight within the Floore For some doe forthwith flye quite away but others being onely driuen out doe both feare to perish and blush to returne being wounded halfe dead and halfe aliue as haiung drunke such a quantity of poyson as neither kild them nor was digested as would neither make them dye nor suffer them to liue Oh miserable condition with what waues of care with what whirlwinds are they tossed For somtimes which way the wind shal driue thē they are carried with a violent error sometimes returning to themselues they are beatē back like cōtrary waues somtimes by rash presumptiō they allow of those things which seeme vncertaine sometimes also through a reasonlesse feare they are afraid of those things that are certaine being vncertaine which way to go which way to returne what to follow what to fly what to hold what to let go Which afflictiō verily of a doubting wauering hart is the medicine of Gods mercy towards them if they would be wise For therefore are they tossed beaten and almost killed with sundry tempests of thoughts out of the most quiet