no lesse grievous but the same words will serve to confute it If in the third it is no fault at all Go to then and hereafter consider the Scriptures themselves for what do they object against the books which are called the Old Testament do they say that they are good but that we do not well and rightly understand them but they themselves receive them not Do they say that they are neither good nor rightly understood by us but this is sufficiently convinced by the former defense or will they say that we rightly understand them but that the books be naught what is this but to acquit and absolve their living adversaries with whom they are in debate and to accuse those that are formerly dead with whom they have no contention nor strife Verily I do believe that all the works which those men left to posterity were profitably written and that they were great and very holy men and that that Law was made and published by Gods will and command and although my skill and knowledge be but very little in books of that kind yet this I can easily prove to be true unto one that bears an equall and an impartiall and not an obstinate and a refractory mind and I will do it when thou wilt afford me an attentive and a courteous hearing and mine own occasions will permit But now is it not sufficient for me howsoever that businesse goes not to have been beguiled nor deceived CHAP. VI. That the holy Scripture is first to be loved before it can be learned O Honoratus I call mine own conscience and God who inhabits pure fouls to witnesse that I judge and esteem nothing to be more wise nothing more chaste nothing more religious then all those Scriptures be which under the name of the Old Testament are held and embraced by the Catholick Church I know thou admirest to hear me talk thus for I cannot disguise nor dissemble the matter we have been exhorted and perswaded to believe far otherwise but truly a rasher act cannot be committed rashnesse being a fault unto which we were addicted being yet but children then to forsake the judgement of the Expositours of any kind of books who professe that they can receive them and can teach and deliver them to their disciples and to require their judgement and opinion of them who being constrained I know not for what cause have denounced a most sharp and bitter warre against their authours and compilers and that I may speak of those sciences wherein perhaps a Reader may erre without any heinous crime or offence who ever thought that the exposition of the profound and obscure books of Aristotle ought to be received from his enemy or who being desirous to learn the Geometry of Archimedes would take Epicurus to be his master against which he disputed very stiffely and eagerly and yet as I conceive he understood nothing thereof Are those Scriptures of the law most plain and easie against which they proceed with violence in vain and to no purpose as though they were exposed and lay open to the capacity of the common people I think these men are like to that woman which they themselves do laugh at and deride who being angry to hear the praises of the sunne and to have it recommended unto her by a certain Manichean woman to be worshipped as she was religiously simple starts up upon a sudden and stamping often upon the place which the sunne with his beams had enlightned thorough a window began to cry out Behold I contemn and tread under foot the sunne and thy God That this was done altogether foolishly and like unto a woman no man can deny but do not those men seem to resemble her who casting forth violent speeches and curses against the things they understand not neither why they were written nor what manner of things they be which seem as though they were low and contemptible but to them that understand them they are subtile and divine think to receive some benefit thereby because unskilfull men do countenance and applaud them believe me whatsoever is contained in those Scriptures is high and divine there is truth altogether in them and most fit instruction both for the amending and reforming mens minds and it is certainly so well digested and ordered that every one may receive from thence that which is sufficient for himself if he comes prepared to take it with such piety and devotion as true Religion doth require Should I go about to prove this unto thee I must alledge many reasons and entertain thee with a longer discourse for first I must perfwade thee not to hate the Authours themselves and then to love them and this I must effect by any other means rather then by expounding their opinions and their writings and therefore if we did hate Virgil yea if we did not love him upon the commendation of our Predecessours before we understood him we should never be satisfied in those innumerable questions touching him wherewith Grammarians are wont to be much perplexed and troubled nor should we give eare to any man that could resolve those questions to his honour and praise but we should give countenance and shew favour unto him who by those questions would endeavour to shew that he erred and doted but now when as many men do labour to expound them and that after divers manners and every one according to his skill and ability they receive the chiefest commendation and applause by whose expositions he is found to be a better Poet and he is conceived and believed even by those that understand him not not onely to have committed no fault nor errour but to have said nothing which doth not deserve much glory and praise and therefore if a Master fails but in a small question and knows not what to answer we are rather angry and offended with him then we will conceive that by any fault committed by Maro he is silent and dumb but if a Master should in his own defence affirm that so great an Authour hath committed a fault he would loose so much credit and reputation thereby that his scholars would hardly continue with him even though he should hyre them with wages and rewards How great a matter were it for us to give so much credit to those Writers by whose mouthes the Holy Ghost hath spoken as Antiquity confirmed by a long continuance doth testifie and declare but we forsooth being very wise young men and wonderfull searchers of reasons not having so much as perused those books nor sought out Masters to expound them unto us nor somewhat accused our own slownesse herein nor held them to have any judgement or understanding who affirmed that those works had for a long time been read kept and expounded thorough the whole world though that no credit was to be given unto them being moved by their words who were their enemies and offended with them by whom we were enforced with a false promise of
the Preface Page 3. line 23. read thus S. Augustine who as D. Field lib. 3. de Eccles fol. 170. asserteth was c. p. 6. l. 9. for dere r. desire p. 12 l. 20. r. pure offering In the Book p. 13. l. 15. for when r. whom p. 50. l. 11. for one r. or p. 82. l. 24. r. adorning p. 85. l. 10. for reserue r. referre p. 89. l. 16. r. probable p. 98. l. 7. r. retractations p. 124. l. 14. r. virtue and power p. 125. l. 6. for divens r. divers p. 127. l. 11. r. bosome p. 128. l. 20. for the r. them p. 130. l. 9. r. too p. 133. l. 9. leave out a. This Golden Treatise is fitly divided into five Parts From the begnining to the fifth Chapter the Authour delivers a generall and a regular way to discern the true Faith from heresie by Vniversality and Antiquity and satisfies the objections to the contrary From the fifth to the eleventh he treats of the causes why God suffers heresies where he brings in the fall of Origen and Tertullian and of some hereticks Photinus Apollinaris and Nestorius and sets down their heresies and the Catholick doctrine opposite unto them From the eleventh to the fifteenth he shews the duty of atrne Catholick in keeping the depositum of faith and carefully avoiding all Novelties From the fifteenth to the Recapitulation he treats of the subtilty of hereticks in alledging the Scriptures The Recapitulation conteins the substance of the former discourse Vincentius Lirinensis FOR The Antiquity and Vniversality of the Catholick Faith against the prophane Novelties of all Heresies THe holy Scripture of God saying and warning us in this sort Ask thy Fathers and they shall tell thee thy elders and they shall report unto thee And again Accommodate thy ears to the words of wise men Likewise My sonne forget not these speeches but let thy heart keep my words Deut. 52. Prov. 22. 3. It seemeth unto me a stranger of this world and the least of Gods servants that it shall by his gracious help be a matter of no small profit to set down in writing what I have of holy Fathers faithfully received being a thing very necessary for mine own infirmitie having alwaies therby in readinesse how by daily reading thereof I may help my weak memory Vnto which labour not onely the profit to be reaped by the worke but also the very consideration of the time and opportunitie of the place moued and inuited me the time because reason it is that seeing it consumeth and bereaueth us of all humane and earthly things we should also take out of it something which may auaile us to life euerlasting especially seeing the terrible iudgment of God which we expect drawing neere upon us doth seriously inuite and prouoke us to increase our studies and exercises in religion and the fraudulent dealing of new Heretickes requireth much care and attention The place because having forsaken the company and troubled of the world and chosen a solitary Abbey in a little town for mine abiding where I may without any great distraction of mind put in practise that which is sung in the Psalm 45. Be vacant and see that I am God With which reasons also accordeth the purposed end and resolution of my whole state of life in that I have by the help of Christ after long and divers stormes induced in the watres showded my self in the harbour of a religious life a secure port for all states of men where contemning the blasts of varity and pride I may pacifie God with the sacrifice of humility and so escape not onely the shipwrack of this present life but also the fire of the next But now in the name of God will I set upon that which I have taken in hand that is to set down iâ— writing such things as our forefather have delivered and committed to our charge using herein rather the fidelity of a reporter then the presumption of an authour meaning yet to keep this rule in my writing not copiously to lay forth all but briefly to handle each necessary points neither that in fine and exact words but in easie and common speech in such sort that most things may seem rather touched then declared Let them write delicately and penne curiously which trust â—â— either upon witte or moved with respect of duty enterprise any 〈◊〉 action but for me it is sufficient the for helping my memory or rather forgetfulnesse I have gathered 〈◊〉 ther this Commonitory which â—â— withstanding by Gods grace I 〈◊〉 daily endevour by little and little calling to mind such things as in times past I have learned to correct and make more perfect And this have I thought good to forewarn that if happily this work of mine passing forth fall into the hands of Censurers they do not over hastily reprehend in it that which they understand present promise to undertake with future correction better to polish and mend CAHP. I. INquiring therefore often with great desire and atâ—â—â—ion of very many excellent holy and learned men how and by what means I might assuredly and as it were by some generall and ordinary way discern the true Catholick faith from false and wicked Heresie To this question I had usually this answer of them all that whether I or any other desired to find out the fraud of Hereticks daily springing up and to escape their snares and willingly would continue safe and sound in religion that he ought two manner of wayes by Gods assistance to defend and preserve his faith that is first by the authority of the law of God secondly by the tradition of the Catholick Church Here some man perhaps may ask that seing the Canon of the scripture is perfect and most aboundantly of it self sufficient for all things what need we joyne unto it the authority of the Church her understanding and interpretation The reason is this because the scripture being of it self so deep and profound all men do not understand it in one and the same sense but diverse men diversly this man and that man this way and that way expound and interpret the sayings thereof so that to ones thinking so many men so many opinions almost may be gathered out of them for Novatus expoundeth it one way Photinus another Sabellius after this sort Donatus after that Arius Eunomius Macedonius will have this exposition Appolinarius and Priscillian will have that Iovinian Pelagius Colestius gather this sence and to conclude Nestorius findeth out that and therfore necessary it is for the avoiding of so great windings and turnings of divers errours that the line of expounding the Prophets and Aposties be directed and drawn according to the rule of the ecclesiasticall and Catholick sense Again in the Catholick Church we are greatly to consider that we hold that which hath been beleeved every where alwayes and of all men for that is truly and properly Catholick as the very force and nature of the word doth declare which
of the Apostle St. Paul For this is that which he writeth in his first epistle to the Corinthians There must quoth he be heresies also that they which are approved may be made manifest amongst you As though he should say This is the cause why the authors of heresies are not straight rooted out by God that the approved may be made manifest that is every one may appear how steadfastly faithfully and constantly he loveth the Catholick faith And certaine it is that straigh upon the springing up of any Noveltie the weighty corne is discerned from the light chaffe then is that easily blown out of the floore which before lightly remained in the floore for some by and by fly away others onely shaken are both afraid to perish and ashamed to returne remaining wounded half dead half alive like unto those which have drunk so much poison as neither killeth nor well digesteth neither bringeth death nor yet permitteth to live O the miserable state of such persons with what seas of cares with what storms are they tossed for some time as the wind driveth them they are caried away headlong into errour another time coming again to themselves they are shaken and beaten like contrary waves striving together sometime with rash presumption they allow such things as seem uncertain an 〈…〉 time of pusillanimitie they fear those things which are certaine doubtfull which way to take which way to return what to desire what to avoid what to hold what to let go which miserie and affliction of a wavering and unsetled heart were they wise is as a plaister of Gods mercy towards them For this is the reason why being out of the safe port of the Catholick faith they are shaken tossed almost killed with stormes and troubles to the end they should take down the sails of their proud mind which they vainly hoised up to the winds of novelties and so retire and keep themselves within the most sure port of their calme and good mother and first cast up those bitter turbulent waters of errours that afterward they may drink of the flowing rivers of lively and pure water Let them learn to forget that well which well they never learned and those articles which the Church teacheth and by reason are to be attained to let them in Gods name endeavour to understand and those which surpasse reason let them by faith beleeve CHAP. XII WHich being so often times calling to mind and remembring the self same thing I cannot sufficiently marvel at the great madnesse of some men at so great impietie of their blinded hearts to conclude at so great a licentious desire to errour that they be not content with the rule of faith once delivered us and received from our ancestors but do every day search seek for new doctrine ever desirous to add to change and to take away somthing from Religion as though that were not the doctrine of God which was once sufficiently revealed but rather mans institution which cannot but by continuall correction or rather corruption come to perfection Whereas the divine scriptures cry out Do not translate the bounds which thy fathers have set down and Do not judge over thy judge and the Serpent will bite him that cutteth the hedge and that saying of the Apostle by which all wicked novelties of all hereticks have often been cut in pieces as it were with a spirituall sword and alwayes hereafter shall be O Timothy keep the depositum avoiding the prophane novelties of voyces and oppositions of falsly called knowledge which certain promising have erred about the faith And yet for all this some there be so shameles so impudent so obstinate as not to yield to such force of divine scripture not to be moved with such weight of reason nor yet shaken with such heavenly hammers to conclude which will not be beaten in pieces with such celestiall lightning Avoid saith he the profane novelties of voices He saith not avoid antiquities he saith not avoid antientness nay rather sheweth what contrariwise should follow For if novelty is to be avoided antiquity is to be retained if novelty be profane antiquity is sacred And oppositions quoth he of falsly called knowledge Verily the name of knowledg in the Schools of Hereticks is false where ignorance is called knowledge mist reputed clearnesse and darknesse termed by the name of light Which certain quoth he promising have erred about the faith What promised they when they erred about the faith What else but I know not what new and unknown doctrine For you may hear some of them say O ye unwise and silly souls which commonly are called Catholicks come and learn the true faith which no creature understandeth besides us which hath been hidden many hundred of years past but of late hath been revealed and laid open but learn it privily learn it secretly for it will delight you And again when you have learned it teach it secretly that the world may not understand it that the Church may not know it for it is granted to few to understand the secret of so great a mystery Are not these think you the words of that Harlot which in the Proverbs of Solomon calleth unto her the passengers Who is quoth she most fool amongst you let him turn unto me Proverbs 9. And such as be of small judgement she exhorteth saying Touch willingly secret bread and drink sweet water privily What followeth But he knoweth not quoth he how in her company earthly men do perish Who be these earthly men Let the Apostle declare Those quoth he which have erred about the faith But it is worth the labour more diligently to examine the Apostle his whole Chapter O Timothy quoth he keep the depositum avoiding profane novelties of voices This exclamation O both sheweth foresight and also argueth charity for he foresaw certain errours which before-hand he was sorry for Who at this day hath the place of Timothy but either the whole Church or especially the whole body of Prelates who ought themselves to have the whole knowledge of divine religion and also to instruct others what is meant by keep the depositum Keep it quoth he for fear of thieves for danger of enemies lest when men be a sleep they oversowe Cockell amongst the Wheat which the sonne of man hath sowed in his field Keep quoth he the depositum What is meant by this depositum that is that which is committed to thee not that which is invented of thee that which thou hast received not that which thou hast devised a thing not of wit but of learning not of private usurpation but of publick tradition a thing brought to thee not brought forth of thee wherein thou must not be an authour but a keeper not a beginner but a follower not a leader but an observer Keep the deposttum Preserve the talent of the Catholick faith pure and sincere that which is committed to thee let that remain with thee and that deliver unto the
should be ignorant how that all our Pathers were under the cloud Exod. 13.21 Num. 14.14 Deut. 1.33 Psal 78.14 and all passed through the sea Exod. 14.22 Josh 4 23. Psal 78.13 and were all Baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eat the same spirituall meat and did all drink the same spirituall drink for they drank of the spirituall Rock that followed them and the Rock was Christ but with many of them God was not well pleased Num. 24.28 and 26.65 for they were overthrown in the wildernesse Now these things were our figures or examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted Psalm 106.14 Neither let us worship Idols as some of them did as it is written Exod. 32.6 The people sate down to eat and drink and rose up to play Neither let us commit fornication as some of them did and there fell in one day three and twenty thousand men Num. 25.9 Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them tempted him and were destroyed by serpents Numb 21.6 Neither let us murmure as some of them murmured and they perished by the destroyer Numb 14.37 And all these things happened to them in a figure or for an example but they were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come The same Apostle useth also a certain Allegory which is much to our purpose because the Manichees are wont to alledge it in their disputations and boast of it when writing to the Galathians he saith Gal. 4.22 23 24 25 26. For it is written that Abraham had two sonnes the one by a bond-maid Gen. 16.15 the other by a free-woman Gen. 21.2 but he that was by the bond-maid was born according to the flesh but he that was by the free-woman was born according to promise which things are said by an Allegory for these are the two Testaments the one from the mount Sina which gendreth to bondage which is Agar for Sina is a mountain in Arabia adjoyning to Hierusalem that now is and is in bondage with her children But Hierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all Here therefore those too too wicked men whilest they endeavour to frustrate the Law do enforce us to allow and approve of those Scriptures for they diligently observe that it is said that they are in bondage that are under the Law and they often alledge that last above the rest Galath 5.4 Christ is become of no effect unto you that are justified by the Law ye are falne from Grace We grant all these things to be true neither do we say that that Law is necessary but onely for â—ose unto whom bondage is yet profiâ—able and expedient and therefore thaâ—t it was fitly and commodiously ordained that such men as could not be reclaimd and withdrawn from sinning by reason ought to be constrained by sucha law namely by the threats and terrours of those punishments which even fools themselves can perceive and apprehend from which when the grace of Christ doth free us it doth not condemn that Law but it invites us for the time to come to obey his charity and not to serve and be subject to the terrour of the Law For that is a Grace that is to say a Benefit which they that yet desire to be under the bonds of the Law do not understand that the Divine Majesty hath imparted unto them whom Paul the Apostle doth deservedly reprove as though they were Infidels because they did not believe that they are now freed by our Lord Jesus Christ from that servitude and bondage whereunto they were subject for a certain time by Gods most just order and disposing Hereupon it is that the same Apostle saith Gal. 3.24 The law was our Pedagogue or usher in Christ he therefore gave unto men a Pedagogue whom they should fear who gave them afterwards a master whom they should love and yet neverthelesse in those precepts and Commandments of the Law which it is not lawfull for Christians now to use such as are either the Sabbath or Circumcision or the Sacrifices and whatsoever is of that sort so great mysteries are contained and comprehended that every godly man may understand that there is nothing more pernicious and hurtfull then that whatsoever is comprised therein should be understood according to the letter that is to the native sense of the words and nothing more wholesome and profitable then to have it expounded according to the spirit or spirituall sense and understanding hence it is that the letter killeth but the spirit quickeneth or giveth life 2 Cor. 3.6 hence it is that in the reading of the Old Testament the self same veil remaineth untaken away because in Christ it is made void vers 14. for not the Old Testament but the veile thereof is made void in Christ to the end that may be understood and made manifest by him which without him is hidden and obscure and therefore the same Apostle immediately after saith But when thou shalt turn to Christ the veil shall be taken away vers 16. but he doth not say that the Law or the Old Testament shall be taken away they are not therefore taken away by our Lords grace as though unprofitable things lay hidden and were covered there but rather the veil or cover is taken away wherewith wholesome and profitable things were covered and kept close This is the benefit which they reap and receive who with a studious and a devout mind and not with a troubled and wicked spirit do seek after the sense of those Scriptures and both the order of things and the causes of what is said and done and so great an accord of the Old Testament with the New even to the last tittle and so great mysteries and secrets of figures are clearly and plainly demonstrated and shewn that all the things that are found out by interpreting them may enforce men to confesse and grant that they are miserable and wretched that will condemn these things before they have attained to the knowledge of them Touching those words of the Apostle The letter killeth but the spirit quickneth as they are here expounded by S. Augustine he passeth this judgement that he did more conveniently in his opinion expound them in his book De Spiritu Litera though this sense is not to be rejected Lib. 1. Retract c. 14. CHAP. IV. Of three wayes whereby men fall into errour THat for the present the depth and profoundneste of knowledge and science being set aside I may so treat with thee as I think I ought to treat with my familiar friend that is as well as I can but not so well as I have admired to see very learned men been able to do there be three kinds of errout into which men may fall when they reade any thing I will speak of every one of them The first kind is when that is thought to be true which indeed
be well conceived and understood Thou shouldst do well to seek out a man both pious and learned or one that is esteemed and reputed so to be by the approbation and consent of many by whose instructions thou mightest become better and more expert and skilfull by his learning Such an one saist thou was not easie to be found it would be some labour and trouble to seek him There was none such in the land wherein thou didst dwell If so what cause could more profitably enforce thee to travell if he lay hid in the continent or firm land or were not there at all thou shouldst sail beyond sea if he were not there to be found by the shore thou shouldest make a voyage even unto those lands wherein the things which are contained in those books are said and reported to have been done O Honoratus have we done any such thing and yet when we were but most wretched and silly boyes we did at our own pleasure and in our own judgement condemn a Religion and that perhaps a most holy one for I speak as yet as though some doubt were to be made thereof whose fame and renown hath already possessed the whole world What if the things which seem in those Scriptures offensive to some that are ignorant and unskilfull be for this cause so written and set down that when such things are read as agree not with the sense of all sorts of men but much lesse with theirs that are holy and wise we may with more care and diligence seek out a secret and hidden meaning thereof doest thou not see how men labour to interpret the pastorall Catamite upon whom the rough shepherd poured out his affections and how they affirm that the boy Alexis upon whom Plato is also said to have made some love-verses signifies I know not what great and mysterious matter but that it surpasseth the judgement and understanding of unskilfull men when as indeed that Poet abounding in his inventions may without any detestable crime or offence be conceived to have published lascivious songs but were we indeed hindred and withdrawn from seeking out the true Religion either by the publishing of some law against it or by the power of them that oppose it or by the contemptible shew and appearance of men dedicated to the service of God or by any base or dishonest report or by the newnesse of the institution or by some hidden profession thereof No no none of these things did withdraw and hinder us all laws both divine and humane do permit men to seek out the Catholick faith and certainly it is lawfull according to humane law to hold embrace it if so long as we erre we be uncertain of the divine law We have no enemie that puts any fright or terrour into our weaknes although truth and the salvation of our souls if it be sought after where it is lawful to seek it with most safety and it cannot be found ought to be enquired for with any danger and hazard whatsoever the degrees of all powers dignities do most devoutly impart their service unto this sacred and divine worship and the very name of Religion is most honourable and hath a very great esteem and renown What hindereth us then at last to seek out carefully and to examine with a pious and diligent search whether here be that truth which though few do know and retain after the sincerest manner yet the favour and good will of all nations doth conspire therein All this being so imagine as I said that we now make our first enquiry what Religion we ought to embrace both for the cleansing and reforming of our souls Without doubt we must take our beginning from the Catholick Church for there are now more Christians then if the Jews were joyned with the worshippers of idols And whereas of the same Christians there be divers heresies and all would have themselves thought to be Catholicks and do call others besides themselves hereticks the Church is one as all do grant greater in multitude if thou considerest the whole world and as those that know do affirm more sincere in truth then all the rest but as for truth it is another question But that which is sufficient for those that seek it is that the Catholick Church is one upon which other heresies do impose divers names when as every one of them is called by its proper name which it dares not deny whereby we may understand by the judgement of Arbitratours not hindred by any favour unto whom the name Catholick which all seek after ought to be attributed But lest that any one should think that this thing ought to be debated with much babling or superfluous discourse there is one Church indeed wherein even the humane Laws are after a sort Christian Yet I will have no preocupation of judgement to be drawn from hence but I judge it to be a most fit beginning for the seeking out of the truth For there is no fear least the true worship of God relying upon no proper force of its own should seem to stand in need to be upheld and supported by them whom it ought to sustain and support but certainly it were a perfect happinesse if the Truth could there be found where with most fecurity it may be sought and retained but if it cannot it ought to be sought for in another place what danger and perill soever be incurred CHAP. VIII Of the way to the instruction of piety and of the wonderfull paint Saint Augustine took to find it out HAving thus resolved and determined these things which in my opinion are so right and just that I ought to prevail in that cause with thee whosoever were against it I will recount unto thee as well as I can what course I took to find out the true Religion when as I sought it with such a mind and resolution as I have now declared that it ought to be sought for When I was departed from thee beyond the Sea now staggering and doubting what I ought to embrace and what to reject which doubting daily encreased in me from the time that I gave ear unto that man whose coming unto us was as thou knowest promised as from heaven for the resolving of all the difficulties wherewith we were troubled and I knew him to be a man like other men but onely that he was eloquent I held a great debate and deliberation with my self being now in Italy not whether I should continue in that sect into which I was sorry and grieved that I had faln but by what means I might find out the truth for the love whereof thou canst bear me witnesse how I sighed and groaned I was often of an opinion that it could not be found out and the great waves of my thoughts and cogitations moved me to assent to the Academicks Oftentimes again when I considered as well as I could that the mind of man is endued with such vivacity and