The ' or ''Commonitory'' is a 5th-century Christian treatise written after the
council of Ephesus
The Council of Ephesus was a council of Christian bishops convened in Ephesus (near present-day Selçuk in Turkey) in AD 431 by the Roman Emperor Theodosius II. This third ecumenical council, an effort to attain consensus in the church th ...
under the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
"" and attributed to
Vincent of Lérins
Vincent of Lérins (; died ) was a Gallic monk and author of early Christian writings. One example was the '' Commonitorium'', c.434, which offers guidance in the orthodox teaching of Christianity. Suspected of semi-Pelagianism, he opposed ...
.
[ Has good notes.] It is known for Vincent's famous maxim: "Moreover, in the Catholic Church itself, all possible care must be taken, that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all."
Charles Heurtley introduced the ''Commonitory'', in his translation, as Vincent's personal reference to "distinguish Catholic truth from
heresy
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy.
Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...
" based on the authority of Holy Scripture by which "all questions must be tried in the first instance" and "supplemented by an appeal to that sense of Holy Scripture which is supported by universality, antiquity, and consent."
*by universality – of the whole Church
*by antiquity – held from the earliest times
*by consent – acknowledged belief of all, or of almost all, whose office and character gave authority to their decision
Thomas Guarino commented, in ''Vincent of Lérins and the Development of Christian Doctrine'', that Vincent of Lérins' theology "is often reduced to a memorable slogan: 'We hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, and by everyone.'"
Bernard Prusak explained in ''The Church Unfinished,'' that for Vincent, "the decrees of a universal council were to be preferred to the ignorance of a few" and the deposit of faith "did not exclude development or progress, as long as it was not an alteration" and accordingly, doctrines "could be taught in a new way."
Most of the work contains illustrations and applications of this principle. The work consisted originally of two tomes; but the second was lost or, according to
Gennadius of Massilia
Gennadius of Massilia (died c. 496), also known as Gennadius Scholasticus or Gennadius Massiliensis, was a 5th-century Christian priest, monk, and historian.
His best-known work is ''De Viris Illustribus'' ("Of Famous Men"), a biography of over 9 ...
, stolen while Vincent was still alive, and he wrote only a synopsis of the lost tome's contents but never rewrote it.
Further reading
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Notes
References
External links
''Commonitory''Newadvent.org
The Commonitory of Saint Vincent of Lerins translated by J. Shanahan. New York, 1833
The Commonitory of Vincent of Lerins 1847
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{{Authority control
5th-century Christian texts