The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies 27
27 Chapter XXVII. What Rule is to be observed in the Interpretation of Scripture PL 50, 674
[70.] But it will be said, If the words, the sentiments, the promises of Scripture, are appealed to by the Devil and his disciples, of whom some are false apostles, some false prophets and false teachers, and all without exception heretics, what are Catholics and the sons of Mother Church to do? How are they to distinguish truth from falsehood in the sacred Scriptures? They must be very careful to pursue that course which, in the beginning of this Commonitory, we said that holy and learned men had commended to us, that is to say, they must interpret the sacred Canon according to the traditions of the Universal Church and in keeping with the rules of Catholic doctrine, in which Catholic and Universal Church, moreover, they must follow universality, antiquity, consent. And if at any time a part opposes itself to the whole, novelty to antiquity, the dissent of one or a few who are in error to the consent of all or at all events of the great majority of Catholics, then they must prefer the soundness of the whole to the corruption of a part; in which same whole they must prefer the religion of antiquity to the profaneness of novelty; and in antiquity itself in like manner, to the temerity of one or of a very few they must prefer, first of all, the general decrees, if such there be, of a Universal Council, or if there be no such, then, what is next best, they must follow the consentient belief of many and great masters. Which rule having been faithfully, soberly, and scrupulously observed, we shall with little difficulty detect the noxious errors of heretics as they arise.
Sed dicet aliquis: Si divinis eloquiis, sententiis, promissionibus et Diabolus et discipuli ejus utuntur, quorum alii sunt pseudoapostoli, alii pseudoprophetae et pseudomagistri, et omnes ex toto Haeretici, quid facient Catholici homines et matris Ecclesiae filii? Quonam modo in Scripturis sanctis veritatem a falsitate discernent? Hoc scilicet facere magnopere curabunt, quod in principio Commonitorii istius sanctos et doctos viros nobis tradidisse scripsimus, ut divinum Canonem secundum universalis Ecclesiae traditiones et juxtà Catholici dogmatis regulas interpretentur; in qua item Catholica et apostolica Ecclesia sequantur necesse est universitatem, antiquitatem, consensionem. Et si quando pars contra universitatem, novitas contra vetustatem, unius vel paucorum errantium dissensio contra omnium vel certè multo plurium Catholicorum consensionem rebellaverit, praeferant partis corruptioni universitatis integritatem: in qua eadem universitate, novitatis profanitati antiquitatis religionem, itemque in ipsa vetustate, unius sive paucissimorum temeritati primum omnium generalia, si qua sunt, universalis Concilii decreta praeponant; tunc deinde, si id minus est, sequantur quod proximum est, multorum atque magnorum consentientes sibi sententias magistrorum. Quibus, adjuvante Domino, fideliter, sobriè, sollicite observatis, non magna difficultate noxios quosque exsurgentium Haereticorum deprehendemus errores.