Golden Age
Commonitorium
Vincent of Lérins · c. 434
Historical Context
A monk of the island monastery of Lérins in southern Gaul, writing under the pen name 'Peregrinus' in the wake of the Nestorian and Pelagian controversies.
Summary
Vincent's Commonitorium offers the classical rule for discerning catholic tradition: 'that which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all' (quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus). He also allows for genuine development of doctrine — growth in understanding without change of substance.
Major Themes
- Rule of tradition (Vincentian canon)
- Development of doctrine
- Catholicity
- Consensus of the Fathers
Important Quotations
“In the Catholic Church itself we take the greatest care to hold that which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all.”— Commonitorium 2
Primary Sources
Further Reading
- Thomas G. Guarino, Vincent of Lérins and the Development of Christian Doctrine