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truth_n	according_a	church_n	doctrine_n	2,019	5	6.0761	4	false

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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

be any of an vniuersall counsell vnto the rashnesse of one or of some very few Then secondly if that be not let them follow which is the next thing to it the iudgements of many great Teachers that are agreeable one vnto another the which being faithfully soberly and carefully obserued by the Lords assistance we shall easily perceiue all the hurtfull errours of the heretickes which rise vp CHAP. 39. HEre now I see it meete that I should shew by examples how the profane nouelties of Heretickes may bee both found out and condemned when the iudgements of ancient Teachers agreeing one with another are produced and compared Which ancient consent of the holy Fathers wee should with great labour search out and follow yet not in all the petty questions of Gods word but onely at the leastwise especially in the rule of faith But neither are heresies alwaies nor all of them thus to be impugned but those onely that are new and fresh namely when as they doe first arise before they falsifie the Rules of the ancient faith whiles they bee let with the straitnesse of the time it selfe and before that the poyson spreading it selfe farther about they do attempt to corrupt the writings of the Elders But heresies that haue gathered much ground and are waxen old must not this way be assailed because that by reason of long continuance of time they haue had opportunity offered them a great while to steale the truth And therefore it behooueth vs either to confute those more ancient wicked Schismes or Heresies by no meanes but by the sole authority of the Scriptures if neede be or else verily to auoid them being now of old confuted condemned by the generall Councels of Catholike Priests Therefore so soone as the rottennesse of euery wicked errour beginnes to breake out and to steale for the defence of it selfe certaine sentences of Gods word and to expound them falsely and deceitfully the sentences or iudgements of the Elders are presently to bee gathered together for to interpret the Canon by the which that nouell and therefore profane opinion whatsoeuer it be which shall start vp may without any coyle presently be descried without any retractation condemned But the iudgements of those Fathers onely are to be compared together which liuing teaching cōtinuing holily wisely cōstantly in the Catholike Faith and Fellowship obteined either to dye faithfully in Christ or to be slaine happily for Christ Whom to notwithstanding we must giue credit with this condition that that be accounted vndoubedly true certaine and sure whatsoeuer either all of them or the most haue manifestly commonly and constantly with one and the same meaning as in a certaine vnanimous Councell of Teachers confirmed and established by receiuing holding and deliuering it But whatsoeuer any man shall conceite or thinke otherwise then all men or else contrary to all men though he be o holy and learned though he be a Bishop though he bee a Confessour and Martyr let it be put apart from the authority of the commune publicke and generall iudgement amongst proper hidden and priuate opinions and let vs not with very great hazzard of our soules after the wicked fashion of Heretiques Schismatiques follow the nouell errour of one man forsaking the truth of Catholike doctrine CHAP. 40. THE holy and Catholicke consent of which blessed Fathers least any man should vnaduisedly it may be thinke for to contemne the Apostle saith in the first epistle to the Corinthians And God indeede hath ordeined some in the Church as first Apostles of which ranke he himselfe was one secondly Prophets as we reade in the Acts of the Apostles that Agabus was thirdly Teachers which are now called Treatizers Tractators which by this same Apostle are sometimes called Prophets because they open the mysteries of the Prophets to the people Whosoeuer therefore doth contemne these men being set by God in sundry ages and places in the Church of God whiles in the name of Christ they do determine or iudge some one thing according to the meaning of the Catholicke doctrine he doth not contemne Man but God And from whom that no man should dissent whiles with one consent they speake the truth the same Apostle doth very earnestly desire saying Now I beseech you Brethren that ye All speake one thing and that there be no Schismes or dissentions among you but be ye knit together in the same mind and in the same iudgement If so be that any man shall goe from their commune iudgement he shal heare what the same Apostle saith God is not the God of dissention but of peace that is to say he is not his God which departeth from them that doe ioyntly consent vnto the truth but theirs that continue peacably consenting with them as saith he I teach in all the Churches of the Saints that is of the Catholickes which Churches are therefore holy because they abide in the fellowship of the faith And least any perhaps the rest beeing vnregarded should arrogate to bee heard himselfe alone and that he alone should be beleeued he saith a little after Came the word of God out from you either came it vnto you onely And least this should as it were for fashion sake be receiued he hath added saying If any man thinke himselfe to be a Prophet or Spirituall that is a teacher of spirituall things let him be with all diligence a louer of equality and vnitie that in truth he do neither preferre his own opinions to the rest and that he go not from the iudgements of all The commaundements of which things he which knowes not saith he that is hee which either learnes them not beeing vnknowne or which contemnes them being knowne he shall not be knowne that is he shal be counted vnworthie to be by God respected among them that are knit together in the faith and made equall by humilitie then which euill I wot not whether any cā be thought to be more grieuous Which yet we see to haue befallen as the Apostle threatned that Pelagian Iulianus who either neglected to agree in iudgement with his Fellows or else presumed to diuide himselfe from them But it is now time that we should produce that example promised wherein and after what manner the iudgements of the Fathers are gathered together that by them the Rule of ecclesiasticall faith might be established by the decree and authority of a Councel Which that it may be done more handsomely let this be the end now of this Aduertisement that we may begin the rest of the things that follow with another beginning The second Aduertisement hath fallen betweene neither hath any thing more thereof remained then the last parcell that is onely a briefe rehearsall of that which hath bene more largely handled which is also added after CHAP. 41. THe which things seeing they thus stand it is nowe time that we should rehearse the summe of those things

that goes about to prohibite that But yet let it be so that it may be indeed a proceeding not a changing of the Faith For that is to profite that euery thing bee increased in it selfe but that is changing when a thing is altered from one thing to another It behoueth therefore that the vnderstanding knowledge and wisedome as well of each as of all as well of one man as of the whole Church should by the degrees of ages and times increase and profite much and greatly but yet in their owne kind onely to wit in the same doctrine in the same sense and in the same iudgement CHAP. 29. LEt the religion of soules resemble the state and nature of bodies which although in the processe of yeares they declare and finish their proportions and degrees yet do they continue still the same which they were at first There is much difference betwixt the flower of Child-hood and the ripenesse of Old-age but yet the very self-same men become old which had bene yong that albeit the very state and quality of one and the same man bee altered yet is he neuerthelesse one and the same nature one and the selfe-same person The members of sucking children are small but of young men great yet are they the very selfe-same As many as are the ioynts of little ones so many are there of men and if those be any which come forth in riper yeares they be now already planted in the nature of the seede so that no new thing comes out in old men after which did not now before lye within them hid in their childhood Whence it is manifest that this is the lawful and right Rule of profiting that this is the certaine and most excellent order of increasing if so be that the number and degrees of age do alway discouer those parts and formes when wee are greater or elder which the wisedome of our Creator did forme before when wee were little If that the shape of man should afterwards be changed into the shape of another kinde or if at the least wise the number of the members should be increased or decreased the whole body must of necessity either perish or become monstrous or at the least be weakened So also it is fitting that the doctrine of Christian religion should follow these rules or fashions of increasing namely that it should bee strengthened by yeares inlarged by time extolled with age but yet remain incorrupted and pure and bee compleat and perfect in all the measures of her parts and in al her owne members as it were and senses as which more ouer admitteth no change no losse of property nor indureth any variety of definition CHAP. 30. FOr examhle sake our Elders sowed of old the Wheaten seedes of the faith in this Corne field of the Church it is vniust and vnbeseeming that wee their Posterity instead of the naturall and true Wheate should make choice of the Cockle of errour put into the roome thereof But this rather is right and agreeable that the beginnings and the endings being correspondent to each other we should reape and enioy of the increasings of a wheaten institution the fruit or graine also of wheaten doctrine that whenas somthing out of those beginnings of the seeds is by processe of time shot vp it may now both flourish and be trimmed vp by husbanding yet so as that nothing of the property of the sprout bee changed though forme shape and distinction bee added that yet the nature of euery kinde abide the same For God forbid that those rosy plants of Catholicke iudgment should bee turned into Thistles Thornes Farre be it I say that in this spirituall Paradise Darnell and Woolfe-bane should all vpon the sudden come from the sets and shootes of Cynnamon and Balme Whatsoeuer therefore is faithfully sowen of the Fathers in the Church which is Gods Husbandry it behooueth that by the labour of the children the very same should be husbanded and lookt vnto it is fitting that the very same should flourish and ripen that the same should grow come to perfectiō For it is lawfull that those ancient doctrines of heauenly Philosophy should in processe of time bee exactly handled trimmed and polished but it is vnlawful that they should be changed it is vnlawfull to mangle and to maime them They may lawfully receiue clearenesse light and distinction but it is needfull that they should reteine fulnesse soundnesse and property CHAP. 31. FOr if this licentiousnesse of wicked deceit be once permitted I tremble to vtter what great danger may ensue of rooting out and abolishing of religion For when any part of the Catholicke doctrine shall be reiected others also and others after them one after another will now as it were by custome and lawe be reiected and done away Moreouer also when the parts are each of them seuerely reiected what will follow at the last but that the whole should in like manner be refused Yea and contrariwise if nouelties shall begin to be mingled with antient doctrines and forreine with domesticall and profane with sacred it cannot be but that this fashion will spread it selfe ouer all that nothing in the Church wil hereafter bee left vntouched nothing sound nothing vncorrupted but that the Stewes of wicked and filthy errours should afterwards be there where there was aforetime the Sanctuary of the chast and vndefiled truth But let godly deuotion driue this wickednesse from mens minds and let this rather bee the fury of the wicked CHAP. 32. BVt the Church of Christ being a diligent and wary Keeper of the Doctrines that are cōmitted to her doth alter nothing in them at any time diminisheth nothing addeth nothing shee cuts not off things that are necessary she ads not things superfluous she looseth not her owne she vsurps not strangers but this one thing she studies with all diligence namely that by handling the antient doctrines faithfully and discreetly she might perfit and polish those if any that haue bene shaped and begun of old and if any be already perfectly declared and made manifest that she might confirme strengthen them and that if any be now confirmed and defined she might conserue and keepe them To conclude what else did she euer labour by the Decrees of Councels then that the selfe-same thing which was simply beleeued afore might more carefully bee beleeued after that the very same thing which was more slackly preached before might be more diligently preached after that the very same thing which was more carelesly kept before might more carefully be husbanded after This thing I say she hath aimed at alwayes and at nothing else being stirred vp with the nouelties of Heretiques The Catholicke Church be the decrees of her Councells hath done nothing but that what she had receiued before of the Elders onely by tradition she might moreouer set the same thing downe in hand-writing for those also that shold come after comprehending a

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

indeede after a new and naughty manner vnderstood that me thought all that conspiracy could by no meanes be destroyed vnlesse that selfe same vndertaken defended commended profession of nouelty had forsaken the alone cause of so great an enterprise To conclude what force had that Affrican Councell or Decree Truly none through the gift of God but all things were abolished made void and troden vnder foot as dreames as fables as things superfluous CHAP. 11. AND ô the wonderfull change of things The Authors of the same opinion are accounted Catholickes but the Followers are iudged Heretickes The Maisters are absolued the Schollers are condemned The writers of the bookes shall bee the children of the Kingdome but Hell shall receiue the Defenders For who would doubt that most blessed Cyprian the Light of all the Saints both Bishops and Martyrs together with the rest of his fellowes shall reigne eternally with Christ Or who on the contrary is so sacrilegious as to deny that the Donatists those other pestilent wretches which doe bragge that they rebaptize by the authority of that Councell shall burne for euer with the Diuell Which iudgement truly to me seemeth to bee promulged of God for their craftinesse especially who when they go about to forge an heresie vnder another bodies name do commonly lay hold of the writings of some ancient man something too couertly set out which in respect of their darknesse doe as it were serue for their owne opinion that that which I know not what they doe bring forth they may seeme to thinke neither first nor all-alone Whose wickednesse I iudge worthy double hatred either therfore because they are not afraid to proffer the poyson of heresie vnto others or therefore also because they do with a wicked hand blow vp and winnow the memory of euery holy man like ashes now raked vp and diffame those things with a reuiued opinion which ought in silence to be buried altogether following the foote-steps of their father Cham who not onely neglected to couer the nakednesse of venerable Noah but told it also to the rest that it might be mocked Whereby hee did so grieuously sinne against child-like piety as that his very posterity became obnoxious to the curses of his sin those brethren being blessed and farre vnlike who would neither distaine the nakednesse of their reuerend father with their owne eies nor haue it lye open vnto other mens but couered him as it is written with their faces backward which is neither to approue nor disclose the error of the holy man and therefore are they blessed in their posterity But let vs returne vnto our purpose CHAP. 12. WE should therefore greatly feare the grieuous sinne of changing the Faith and of stairing Religion from the which wickednesse wee are deterred not onely by the discipline of Ecclesiasticall Constitution but also by the censure of Apostolicall authority For all men know how grauely how seuerely and how earnestly the blessed Apostle Paul inueigheth against some that were too soone through their owne lightnesse translated from him who had called them to the grace of Christ vnto another Gospel which is not another who had heaped to themselues Teachers after their owne desires turning their eares from the truth and turning themselues to fables hauing damnation because they haue broken the first faith Who were by them deceiued of whom the same Apostle writeth to the Romane brethren Now I beseech you brethren marke them that cause dissentions offences otherwise then the doctrine which yee haue learned and auoyd them For such serue not the Lord Christ but their owne belly and by faire speeches and flattering seduce the hearts of the simple which enter into houses and lead captiue silly women laden with sinnes and led with sundry lusts euer learning and neuer coming to the knowledge of the truth Uaine-talkers and Seducers which subuert whole houses teaching things which they should not for filthy Lucre sake Men of corrupt mindes Reprobate concerning the faith proud and knowing nothing but doting about questions and strife of words destitute of the truth imagining that gaine is godlinesse Likewise also being idle they learne to goe about from house to house yea they are also bablers and busi-bodies speaking things they ought not Who repelling a good conscience as concerning faith haue made ship-wracke Whose prophane bablings further much vnto impiety and their word fretteth like a canker And it fitteth well which is also written of them But they shall preuaile no further for their madnesse shal be manifest vnto all as theirs also was When therefore some such wandring vp and downe Countries and Cities carrying about their Pedlary errors had come also to the Galatians and when as the Galatians hauing heard thē being now affected with a certaine loathing of the truth and casting vp the Manna of Apostolicke and Catholicke doctrine delighted themselues in the filthinesse of hereticall nouelty the Apostle did so exercise his Apostolicall authority as that with all seuerity he did decree But though either we saith hee or an Angel from Heauen preach vnto you otherwise then we haue preached let him bee accursed What is that which he saith But though wee Why does hee not rather say But though I The meaning hereof is this Though Peter though Andrew though Iohn Lastly though the whole cōpany of Apostles shold preach to you otherwise then we haue preached Let him bee accursed A terrible Curse that to maintaine the constant embracing of the first faith he neither spared himselfe nor the rest of his Fellow-apostles Yet this is but little Although saith hee an Angell should from heauen preach vnto you otherwise then wee haue preached let him be accursed It sufficed not for the keeping of the faith once deliuered to haue mentioned the nature of Man vnlesse hee had comprehended also the excellency of Angels Though We saith he or an Angell from heauen Not because the holy and heauenly Angels can now offend but this is his meaning If also saith hee that should bee which cannot be Whosoeuer hee be that shall assay to change the faith that was once deliuered let him bee accursed CHAP. 13. BVt hee spake it may bee these things without due regard and vttered them in an humane passion rather thē decreed them with Diuine reason Farre bee it from him for hee goes on and presseth this same point with a very earnest repetition As wee haue said before quoth he so say I now againe If any preach vnto you otherwise then that yee haue receiued let him be accursed He said not If any preach vnto you besides that which ye haue receiued let him bee blessed praised and entertained but let him be quoth he accursed that is separated put from the flock and excluded least the cursed contagion of one Sheep should corrupt the harmelesse flocke of Christ by a venemous mixture

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