A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

516 A Source Book for Ancient Church Historyconcluding chapters, or a summary taking the place of thebook. In the first book he lays down the general principle as tothe tests of Catholic truth. In doing so he is careful to point outseveral cases of very great teachers, renowned for learning,ability, and influence, who, nevertheless, erred against thetest of Catholic truth, and brought forward opinions which,on account of their novelty, were false. It is a working outin detail of the principles of the idea of Tertullian in his DePrœscriptione [v. supra, § 27]. The Augustinian doctrines ofpredestination and grace could not stand the test of the appealto antiquity. After laying down his test of truth it appears tohave been the author's intention to prove thereby the doctrineof Augustine false. The so-called “Vincentian rule” is oftenquoted without a thought that it was intended, primarily, as anattack upon Augustine. The Commonitorium may be foundtranslated in PNF, ser. II, vol. XI.[471]Ch. 2 [4]. I have often inquired earnestly and attentively ofvery many men eminent for sanctity and learning, how and bywhat sure and, so to speak, universal rule I might be able todistinguish the truth of the Catholic faith from the falsehood ofheretical pravity, and I have always, and from nearly all, receivedan answer to this effect: That whether I or any one else shouldwish to detect the frauds of heretics as they arise, or to avoidtheir snares, and to continue sound and complete in the faith, wemust, the Lord helping, fortify our faith in two ways: first, bythe authority of the divine Law, and then, by the tradition of theCatholic Church.But here some one, perhaps, will ask: Since the canon ofScripture is complete and sufficient for everything, and morethan sufficient, what need is there to add to it the authority ofthe Church's interpretation? For this reason: because, owing tothe depth of Holy Scripture, all do not accept it in one and thesame sense, but one understands its words one way, anotherin another way; so that almost as many opinions may be drawn