2
TRACTS FOR THE TIMES.
Photinus, Sabellius, Donatus, Arius, Eunomius, and Macedonius, Apollinaris, and Priscillian, Jovianus, Pelagius, and Celestiiis, lastly Nestorius, each of these heretics has his own distinct interpretation of it. This is why it is so necessary, viz. in order to avoid the serious labyrinths of such various errors, to direct the line of interpretation, both as to Prophets and Apostles, according to the sense of the Church, and Catholic world.
[To apply this to the present day. Supposing a private and unlearned Christian is made anxious, by witnessing the number of persuasions, as they are called, among us. First let him not be alarmed at the difficulty of choosing; there were as many such in the early Church. Suppose he falls in with a Socinian, or (as such a one will call himself) a Unitarian; he will probably find, on talking with him, that such a man does not admit the Scriptures to be divine; rejects some books or parts of books, speaks disparagingly of the Old Testament, perhaps explains away the inspiration of the whole Bible. Here then Vincent's rule at once detects the heretic: he will not submit to have his opinions tried "by the authority of Scripture," much less "by the teaching of the Church Catholic." Escaping this snare, our inquirer next falls in the way of a Baptist, or Independent, each of whom professes to go by Scripture,—but adopts his own private interpretation of it. Here the second test applies; the man in question rejects the Church's interpretation of Scripture, for nothing can be more certain than that infant baptism and the Episcopal succession have been received from the first all through the Church Catholic. This rule then, provided by Vincent, greatly simplifies the difficulty of deciding between parties; indeed it reduces our choice to an alternative between two—the Church established among us, and to the Latin or Roman Catholic communion. And, when we attain to this point, we shall soon see our way quite clear.
If it be asked why should we go by this rule of primitive authority? it may be replied, first, that, on the very face of it, it is a very sensible rule; all of us admit the authority of Scripture; again, all of us know that there are various interpretations of Scripture, and, if so, which is so likely to be right as that which was received, taught, and handed down in the early Church? But again St. Paul expressly calls the Church "the pillar and ground of the truth;" it was intended then to maintain and teach the truth, and when is it to be listened to, if not in the times following immediately on the Apostles? And it may be observed, that Vincentius says he had received the rule from the teachers and religious men of his time; they not only maintained one certain interpretation of Scripture, but did not allow that any other interpretation could be put upon it—Of course: for the Divine Word can have but one sense.]
