The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies 32
32 Chapter XXXII. The zeal of Celestine and Sixtus, bishops of Rome, in opposing Novelty PL 50, 683
[84.] The foregoing would be enough and very much more than enough, to crush and annihilate every profane novelty. But yet that nothing might be wanting to such completeness of proof, we added, at the close, the twofold authority of the Apostolic See, first, that of holy Pope Sixtus, the venerable prelate who now adorns the Roman Church; and secondly that of his predecessor, Pope Celestine of blessed memory, which same we think it necessary to insert here also.
Holy Pope Sixtus then says in an Epistle which he wrote on Nestorius’s matter to the bishop of Antioch, “Therefore, because, as the Apostle says, the faith is one,—evidently the faith which has obtained hitherto,—let us believe the things that are to be said, and say the things that are to be held.” What are the things that are to be believed and to be said? He goes on: “Let no license be allowed to novelty, because it is not fit that any addition should be made to antiquity. Let not the clear faith and belief of our forefathers be fouled by any muddy admixture.” A truly apostolic sentiment! He enhances the belief of the Fathers by the epithet of clearness; profane novelties he calls muddy.
[85.] Holy Pope Celestine also expresses himself in like manner and to the same effect. For in the Epistle which he wrote to the priests of Gaul, charging them with connivance with error, in that by their silence they failed in their duty to the ancient faith, and allowed profane novelties to spring up, he says: “We are deservedly to blame if we encourage error by silence. Therefore rebuke these people. Restrain their liberty of preaching.” But here some one may doubt who they are whose liberty to preach as they list he forbids,—the preachers of antiquity or the devisers of novelty. Let himself tell us; let himself resolve the reader’s doubt. For he goes on: “If the case be so (that is, if the case be so as certain persons complain to me touching your cities and provinces, that by your hurtful dissimulation you cause them to consent to certain novelties), if the case be so, let novelty cease to assail antiquity.” This, then, was the sentence of blessed Celestine, not that antiquity should cease to subvert novelty, but that novelty should cease to assail antiquity.
Quae omnia licet cumulate abundeque sufficerent ad profanas quasque novitates obruendas et exstinguendas, tamen ne quid deesse tantae plenitudini videretur, ad extremum adjecimus geminam Apostolicae Sedis auctoritatem, unam scilicet sancti Papae Sixti qui nunc Romanam Ecclesiam venerandus illustrat, alteram decessoris sui beatae memoriae Papae Coelestini, quam hìc quoque interponere necessarium judicavimus. Ait itaque sanctus Papa Xis tus in Epistola quam de causa Nestorii Antiocheno misit Episcopo: Ergo, inquit, quia, sicut ait Apostolus, fides una est, quae evidenter obtinuit, dicenda credamus et tenenda dicamus. Quae sunt tandem illa credenda et dicenda? Sequitur, et ait: Nihil ultra, inquit, liceat novitati, quia nihil addi convenit vetustati. Perspicua majorum fides et credulitas nulla coeni permixtione turbetur. Omnino apostolice: ut majorum credulitatem perspicuitatis lumine ornaret, novitias vero profanitates coeni permixtione describeret. Sed et sanctus Papa Coelestinus pari modo eademque sententia. Ait enim in Epistola quam Gallorum sacerdotibus misit, arguens eorum conniventiam quod antiquam fidem silentio destituentes, profanas novitates exsurgere paterentur: Merito, inquit, causa nos respicit, si silentio foveamus errorem. Ergo corripiantur hujusmodi; non sit his liberum habere pro voluntate sermonem. Hic aliquis fortasse addubitet quinam sint illi quos habere prohibeat liberum pro voluntate sermonem, vetustatis praedicatores, an novitatis adinventores. Ipse dicat, dubitationem legentium ipse dissolvat. Sequitur enim: Desinat, inquit, si ita res est (id est, si ita est ut apud me quidam urbes et provincias vestras criminantur, quod eas quibusdam novitatibus consentire noxia dissimulatione faciatis), desinat itaque, inquit, si ita res est, incessere novitas vetustatem. Ergo haec fuit beati Coelestini beata sententia, ut non vetustas cessaret obruere novitatem, sed potius novitas desineret incessere vetustatem.