of man, sometimes, from self-love, depart from the right road, and from true belief, yet almost always does it feel oppression, fearing to charge its thoughts with absurdity. But to form itself is easy, if it will but carefully examine what the Fathers have written, whom all esteem for the truth and rectitude of their opinions: and thus will be discovered what true faith is. For men, whose hearts are upright, wish to follow them. They, having stored their minds with the doctrines delivered by the Apostles, and treated the points of belief in a manner void of all blame, became the lights of the world.”- Apol. adv. Oriental. anathem. viii. T. vi. p. 177. Edit. Paris, 1638.
CAPREOLUS OF CARTHAGE,[1] L. C.-“ Though the authority of the Universal Church be amply sufficient, yet that I may not seem to refuse an answer to your request, I will say: we profess that to be the one and true doctrine, which Evangelical Antiquity holds and delivers.”—Ep. ad Vitalem et Constant. Labbe Conc. Gen. T.ü. p. 1691. Ed. Paris. 1671.
VINCENT OF LERINS,[2] L. C.-But, in this Catholic Church, we must be particularly careful to hold fast that doctrine, which has been believed in all places, at all times, and by all." For as the word itself plainly denotes, there
- ↑ He succeeded Aurelius in the See of Carthage, and in 431 sent his deputies to the Council of Ephesus, with a letter, which is extant in the Acts of that Council.
- ↑ He acquired the name of Lerinensis from the Isle of Lerins, in the south of France, where was a celebrated monastery, in which he was a monk. The only work which he has left, is a small unfinished treatise, entitled Commonitorium ; but though small, it is replete with excellent matter, not inelegantly expressed. The principles which he establishes, and the rules which he lays down, whereby Christian truth may be securely ascertained, and the plausible artifices of heretics may be detected, are admirable. The reader shall himself judge. Vincent died about the year 445. The best edition of his treatise is that of Baluze, in 1684.
