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CHAP. CXXXVI.

VINCENTIUS LIRINENSIS.

I. His work, called a Memoir or Commonitorium, and his time. II. III. The first and second chapters of that work. IV. Remarks upon those two chapters. V. The third chapter of that Memoir. VI. The meaning of it examined and settled. VII. Remarks upon it." VIII. Books of the New Testament received by him. IX. Select passages. X. Remarks upon one of those passages, for showing the authority of scripture, as the rule of faith.

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I. VINCENTIUS LIRINENSIS, or VINCENT, monk and presbyter in the monastery of Lerins, an island on the south coast of France, wrote a Memoir, or Commonitorium for the Catholic Faith, against the profane novelties of all heretics, as it is now entitled. It was written in the year of our Lord 434, as we learn from himself, who speaks of its being then three years since the council of Ephesus, which was held in 431. The work, as first composed by him, consisted of two books; but the second book having been lost by some accident, he contented himself with making a recapitulation of the whole which we still have, together with the first book. It may be also observed that, for some reasons, he did not put his name to his work; but published it under the borrowed name of Peregrinus, or, The Pilgrim against Heretics. As most of these particulars are mentioned by Gennadius, in his book of Illustrious Men, I have transcribed the chapter below. It is supposed that Vincent died about the year 450.

Vincent is generally called a Semi-Pelagian, and reckoned

Vid. Cav. H. L. P. i. Pagi Ann. 434. n. 15-20. S. Basnag. Ann. 434. n. 10-12. J. Basnag. Hist. de l'Eglise, 1. 9. ch. 7. n. 4. Du Pin, Bib. T. iii. P. 2. p. 170. Tillem. Mem. T. xv.

b Vincentius, natione Gallus, apud monasterium Lirinensis insulæ presbyter, vir in scripturis sanctis doctus, et notitià ecclesiasticorum dogmatum sufficienter instructus, composuit ad evitanda hæreticorum collegia nitido satis et aperto sermone validissimam disputationem, quam, absconso nomine suo, titulavit Peregrini adversus hæreticos.' Cujus operis, quia secundi libri maximam in schedulis partem a quibusdam furatam perdidit, recapitulato ejus paucis sermonibus sensu pristino compegit, et uno in libro edidit. Moritur, Theodosio et Valentiniano regnantibus. Gennad. c. 64.

an adversary of the Augustinian doctrine; nevertheless, as he is severe against all heresy in general, so particularly against Pelagianism.

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II. After the preface, he says: Having, with much care and diligence, inquired of great numbers of learned and pious men, for a sure and general rule, whereby to discern the true catholic doctrine from the errors of heretics, I received from almost all this answer: That he who would escape the deceits and snares of heretics, and be preserved sound and entire in the right faith, should secure himself by this twofold method; first, by the authority of the divine law, and then by the tradition of the catholic church.'

III. That is the first chapter. The second is to this purpose: Bute here, perhaps, some may ask; since the canon of scripture is perfect, and abundantly sufficient, what need can there be to join with it the authority of the church's interpretation? The reason is this: Such is the sublimity of the sacred scripture, that all do not understand it alike; but there are many very different interpretations of it: Novatus understands it in one sense: Donatus, in another; Sabellius, in another: and, in the like manner, Arius, Photinus, Priscillian, Pelagius, Nestorius: insomuch, that there are almost as many opinions formed upon it, as there are men in the world. It is therefore necessary, upon account of those numerous and various deviations of error, that the line of the prophetical and apostolical interpretation, should be guided according to the rule of the ecclesiastical and catholic sense.

Et contra reclamant ranæ quædam, et ciniphes, et muscæ morituræ, quales sunt Pelagiani. Comm. cap. 14. Vid. et cap. 40.

d Sæpe igitur magno studio et summâ attentione perquirens a quamplurimis sanctitate et doctrinâ præstantibus viris, quonam modo possim certâ quâdam, et quasi generali, ac regulari viâ catholicæ fidei veritatem ab hereticæ pravitatis falsitate discernere, hujusmodi semper responsum ab omnibus fere retuli: quod, sive ego, sive quis alius vellet exsurgentium hæreticorum fraudes deprehendere, laqueosque vitare, et in fide sanà sanus atque integer permanere, duplici modo munire fidem suam, Domino adjuvante, debere: primum scilicet divinæ legis auctoritate, tum deinde ecclesiæ catholicæ traditione. Comm. cap. 1. e Hic forsitan requirat aliquis: Cum sit perfectus scripturæ canon, sibique ad omnia satis superque sufficiat ; quid opus est, ut ei ecclesiasticæ intelligentiæ jungatur auctoritas? Quia videlicet scripturam sacram, pro ipsâ suâ altitudine, non uno eodemque sensu universi accipiunt, sed ejusdem eloquia aliter alius atque alius interpretatur, ut pene quot homines sunt, tot illinc sententiæ erui posse videantur. Aliter namque flam Novatianus, aliter Sabellius, aliter Donatus exponit, aliter Arius,-aliter Photinus, Apollinaris, Priscillianus,—Pelagius, aliter postremo Nestorius. Atqui idcirco multum necesse est, propter tantos tam varii erroris anfractus, ut propheticæ et apostolicæ interpretationis linea secundum ecclesiastici et catholici sensûs normam dirigatur. Ib. c. 2,

IV. We cannot avoid making remarks upon these two chapters.

1. Vincent says, that having inquired of many, how he might discern the catholic doctrine from heresy, he received from almost all of them this answer: That it might be done in a twofold method; by the authority of the divine law, and the tradition of the catholic church.' We must not charge Vincent with falsehood; or deny, that he had received this answer from some, and even from many: nevertheless, I cannot say that this direction has appeared in any of the writers whom we have hitherto examined. They do all in general say, that the scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the rule of the christian belief and practice; that there are no other writings from which any doctrine of religion may be proved; that they build their faith upon the prophets and apostles, who alone are infallible; and that they are far from paying the like regard to Cyprian, or Hilary, or their writings. This has been the concurrent declaration of the primitive christians, and of all other christian writers to this time: and we perceive that Vincent had met with some who were of the same opinion; though, as he says, many were for joining ecclesiastical tradition with the divine law.

2. Here is mentioned, by Vincent, that allowed maxim, admitted by all christians in general, that the canon of scripture is perfect, and in itself abundantly sufficient for all the purposes of a rule;' and, I think, this must have been a general maxim in Vincent's age, as well as in former times.

3. There is no good reason to say, that the scriptures are too sublime to be understood.' It is certain, and has been generally allowed by all christians of the early ages, that the scriptures are clear in all matters of importance; and that, if read with care, and an honest mind, men of ordinary capacities may gain from thence instruction in all things necessary to be known and understood by them, in order to their being saved.

4. The sacred scripture is the only proper rule of christian belief and practice; because it is admitted, by christians of all sects and denominations, to contain a true and infallible account of the revealed will of God. To this all appeal: Sabellians, Novatians, Donatists, Arians, Priscillianists, as well as catholics; by this they are willing to be determined. But how can men of different sentiments be convinced and satisfied by catholic tradition, when they do not admit its authority?

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5. To say that the scripture is a perfect and sufficient rule,' and that tradition must be joined with it,' in order to our knowing the right faith, is a contradiction in terms; though some, as it seems, do not perceive it, through prejudice, or want of due attention.

6. To make tradition the rule of interpretation, is to advance it above the scriptures, and to render them of no effect: which, certainly, could not be the design of any of the numerous christian writers whom we have hitherto consulted; for they do all express a very high regard for the sacred scriptures, and sincerely, so far as we are able to judge.

V. We now proceed to the third chapter of Vincent's Memoir.

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And, in the catholic church itself, great care must be taken, that we hold that which has been believed every where, always, and by all; for that is catholic, as the word itself shows. We are, therefore, to confess that one true faith, which the whole church confesseth, throughout the whole world; nor are we to depart from that faith, which our ancestors and holy fathers have maintained. We are also to follow the determinations which have been made by all, or almost all, the bishops, and eminent men of the church; so shall we obtain universality, antiquity, and consent.'

VI. Upon this chapter, likewise, we are led to make remarks; but before we do so, some inquiries are needful for settling this rule.

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First of all. Are the apostles here included, or excluded? If,' says Ja. Basnage, in order to our receiving any thing as true, it ought to have been believed by all teach'ers, and in all times, we must place the apostles in the " rank of teachers; for why should they be excluded? Are 'not they as venerable, and as judicious, as the bishops that have succeeded them; the greatest honour of some of whom is, that they had conversed with the apostles? If we in

' In ipsâ item catholicâ ecclesiâ, magnopere curandum est, ut id teneamus, quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est. Hoc est enim vere proprieque catholicum, (quod ipsa vis nominis ratioque declarat,) quod omnia fere universaliter comprehendit. Sed hoc ita demum fiet, si sequamur universitatem, antiquitatem, consensionem. Sequemur autem universitatem hoc modo, si hanc unam fidem veram esse fateamur, quam tota per orbem terrarum confitetur ecclesia. Antiquitatem vero ita, si ab iis sensibus nullàtenus recedamus, quos sanctos majores ac patres nostros celebrâsse manifestum est. Consensionem quoque itidem, si in ipsà vetustate omnium, vel certe pene omnium, sacerdotum et magistrorum definitiones sententiasque sectemur. Ibid. c. 3. 8 Histoire de l'Eglise, 1. 9. c. 7. n. 4.

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'clude the apostles in the class of teachers, we must have recourse to their writings, and consult them; if they are excluded, Vincent's rule is badly expressed for in that way we must at once, and first of all, retrench a quarter part of the time that had passed between Jesus Christ and himself; that is, the first age, and the purest period of the 'church. We also, in this way, set aside those teachers which are most to be relied upon, and have had the greatest ' authority.'

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So that learned and diligent author. Nevertheless, it seems to me, that the inspired writers of the Old and New Testament are here excluded; for, at the conclusion of the preceding chapter, he said, It is necessary, that the line of prophetical and apostolical interpretation should be guided by the rule of the ecclesiastical and catholic 'sense.' That rule,' or norma,' is here distinctly specified. The prophets and apostles, therefore, are excluded. Vincent here speaks of quite other persons: he mentions, not them, but only bishops, and masters,' or eminent men." I think, he intends the immediate successors of the apostles; and also all succeeding catholics, all in every part of the world to his own time, but especially bishops, and other eminent men.

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In the second place. Another question may be put: Whether Vincent speaks of catholics only, or of all christians in general, catholics and heretics, since the time of the apostles? Then the rule will be thus: Whatever has been believed every where, always, and by all, with one consent, may be depended upon as certainly the right faith.' This might be reckoned a true, or very probable proposition; for there are some generals, not denied or tradicted by heretics, in which they and catholics agree; but these would make out but a short and defective creed. Moreover, this cannot be Vincent's meaning: for he is laying down a rule to distinguish those catholic doctrines which are different from those of the heretics; not those in which catholics and heretics agree. We must not consider. this observation concerning universality, antiquity, and consent, as an independent proposition, but as in connexion with what precedes and follows; which is the only way to know a writer's meaning.

VII. If we have rightly explained this passage, we may now make some remarks.

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1. This way of arguing is a plain petitio principii,' a mean begging the question: that is assumed, which ought to be proved; it is determined, who are catholics, or which

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