1. I observe that it has been asked among the brethren what course ought specially to be adopted towards the persons of those who, although baptized in heresy, have yet been baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,4    [“In the name,” etc., implies as Jesus Christ commanded, St. Matt. xxviii. 19.] and subsequently departing from their heresy, and fleeing as supplicants to the Church of God, should repent with their whole hearts, and only now perceiving the condemnation of their error, implore from the Church the help of salvation. The point is whether, according to the most ancient custom and ecclesiastical tradition, it would suffice, after that baptism which they have received outside the Church indeed, but still in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, that only hands should be laid upon them by the bishop for their reception of the Holy Spirit, and this imposition of hands would afford them the renewed and perfected seal of faith; or whether, indeed, a repetition of baptism would be necessary for them, as if they should receive nothing if they had not obtained baptism afresh, just as if they were never baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. And therefore some things were talked about as having been written and replied on this new question, wherein both sides endeavoured with the greatest eagerness to demolish what had been written by their antagonists. In which kind of debate, as it appears to me, no controversy or discussion could have arisen at all if each one of us had been content with the venerable authority of all the churches,5    [This was assumed by the Westerns to be the general rule, whereas it was only local. See p. 408, note 7, supra.] and with becoming humility had desired to innovate nothing, as observing no kind of room for contradiction. For everything which is both doubtful and ambiguous, and is established in opinions differing among those of prudent and faithful men, if it is judged to be against the ancient and memorable and most solemn observance of all those holy and faithful men who have deserved well, ought assuredly to be condemned; since in a matter once arranged and ordained, whatever that is which is brought forward against the quiet and peace of the Church, will result in nothing but discords, and strifes, and schisms.  And in this no other fruit can be found but this alone; that one man, whoever he is, should be vain-gloriously declared among certain fickle men to be of great prudence and constancy: and, being gifted with the arrogance of heretics, whose only consolation in destruction is the not appearing to sin alone, should be renowned among those that are most similar and agreeable to himself, as having corrected the errors and vices of all the churches. For this is the desire and purpose of all heretics, to frame as many calumnies of this kind as possible against our most holy mother the Church, and to deem it a great glory to have discovered anything that can be imputed to her as a crime, or even as a folly. And since it becomes no faithful man of sound mind to dare to hold such a view, especially no one who is ordained in any clerical office at all, and much more in the episcopal order, it is like a prodigy for bishops themselves to devise such scandals, and not to fear to unfold too irreverently against the precept of the law and of all the Scriptures, with their own disgrace and risk, the disgrace of their mother the Church—if they think that there is any disgrace in this matter; although the Church has no disgrace in this instance, save in the error of such men as these themselves.  Therefore it is the more grievous sin in men of this kind, if that which is blamed by them in the most ancient observance, as if it were not rightly done, is manifestly and forcibly shown as well to have been rightly observed by those who were before us, as to be rightly observed also by us; so that even if we should engage in the controversy with equal arguments on both sides, yet, since that which was innovated could not be established without dissension among the brethren and mischief to the Church, assuredly it ought not,—right or wrong, as they say, that is, contrary to what is good and proper—rashly to be flung like a stain upon our mother the Church; and the ignominy of this audacity and impiety ought with reason to be attached to those who should attempt this. But since it is not in our power, according to the apostle’s precept, “to speak the same thing, that there be not schisms among us;”6    1 Cor. i. 10. yet, as far as we can, we strive to demonstrate the true condition of this argument, and to persuade turbulent men, even now, to mind their own business, as we shall even attain a great deal if they will at length acquiesce in this sound advice.7    [The bitterness with which Vincent follows up the assumption, that there was a general custom of all the churches, shows how sadly this controversy became envenomed in the West. Cap. vi. is a blemish on his Commonitory.] And therefore we shall, as is needful, collect into one mass whatever passages of the Holy Scriptures are pertinent to this subject. And we shall manifestly harmonize, as far as possible, those which seem to be differing or of various meaning; and we shall to the extent of our poor ability examine both the utility and advantage of each method, that we may recommend to all the brethren, that the most wholesome form and peaceful custom be adopted in the Church.

1183C I. Animadverto quaesitum apud fratres quid potius observari oportet in personam eorum qui in haeresi quidem, sed in nomine Dei nostri Jesu Christi sint tincti; postmodum inde digressi, et suppliciter ad Ecclesiam Dei advolantes, totis praecordiis poenitentiam agerent; et erroris sui damnationem nunc demum intelligentes auxilium salutis ab ea implorarent; utrum vetustissima consuetudine ac traditione ecclesiastica, post illum quod foris quidem sed (2) in nomine Jesu Christi Domini nostri accceperuut Baptisma, tantummodo imponi eis manum ab episcopo ad accipiendum Spiritum sanctum sufficeret, et haec manus impositio signum fidei iteratum atque consummatum 1184C eis praestaret: an vero etiam iteratum Baptisma his necessarium esset, tamquam nihil habituris si hoc quoque adepti ex integro non fuissent, perinde ac si numquam baptizati in nomine Jesu Christi forent. Ideoque nonnulla super hac nova quaestione scripta aut rescripta esse jactabantur, quibus utraque pars ad destruenda aliena summo studio nitebatur. In quo genere quaestionis, ut mihi videtur, nulla omnino potuisset controversia aut disceptatio emergere, si unusquisque nostrum contentus venerabili Ecclesiarum omnium auctoritate et necessaria humilitate nihil innovare gestiret, cum locum contradictioni non quemlibet animadverteret. Namque 1185A omne quod et anceps et ambiguum et in diversis sententiis prudentium ac fidelium virorum constitutum est, si contra priscam et memorabilem cunctorum emeritorum sanctorum et fidelium solemnissimam observationem judicatur, damnari utique debet, cum in re olim composita et ordinata quodcumque est illud quod contra Ecclesiarum quietem atque pacem in medium producatur nihil (praeter) discordias et simultates et schismata allaturum: ubi nullus alius fructus reperiatur nisi hic solus, ut unus homo, quicumque ille est, magnae prudentiae et constantiae esse apud quosdam leves homines inani gloria praedicetur, et haereticorum stupore praeditus, quibus hoc unicum perditionis solatium est si non soli peccare videantur, errores et vitia universarum Ecclesiarum 1185B correxisse apud simillimos sui et compares celebretur. Haereticorum enim omnium hoc studium atque propositum est, sanctissimae matris nostrae Ecclesiae ejuscemodi et plurimas quantas calumnias nectere, et invenisse aliquid quod ei crimini vel etiam leviter dari posset summam gloriam ducere. Quod cum nullum sanae mentis fidelium tenere, vel maxime nullum omnino in quocumque clero constitutum, ac multo magis episcoporum, audere deceat; monstri simile est ipsos episcopos talia scandala cogitare et turpitudinem matris Ecclesiae, si quam putant in hoc negotio esse, contra praeceptum legis et omnium Scripturarum nimis irreverenter cum ipsa ipsorum turpitudine et periculo non vereri detegere, quamquam nulla sit in hoc nisi in errore ipsorum illorum turpitudo 1185C Ecclesiae. Itaque deterius delinquitur ab hominibus ejusmodi, si id quod in observatione antiquissima ab iis tamquam non recte fiat reprehenditur, et ab his qui ante nos fuerunt, tum etiam a nobis recte observatum esse et observari manifeste ac fortiter ostendatur; ita ut etsi paribus argumentis ex utraque parte congrederemur, tamen quia non poterat id quod innovabatur sine dissensione fratrum et damno ecclesiastico consistere, utique non debeat contra fas, quod aiunt, et nefas, id est contra bonum et aequum, Ecclesiae matri quasi macula temere infligi, eisque qui hoc attentarent audaciae hujus atque impietatis ignominia merito deberet adscribi. Sed quoniam non est in nostra potestate ut secundum praeceptum Apostoli (I Cor. I, 10) idipsum dicamus 1185D omnes, neve sint in nobis schismata; tamen in quantum possumus connitimur hujus tractatus statum demonstrare, et turbulentis hominibus ut vel nunc suum negotium agere incipiant persuadere, consecuturis plurimum etiam nobis, si hoc quoque consilio sano 1186A tandem voluerint adquiescere. Et ideo quaecumque sanctarum Scripturarum ad hanc partem pertinentia sunt capitula necessario in unum congeremus, et quae videntur esse diversa aut varia, quantum poterit, manifeste inter se conglutinabimus, et utilitatem ac commodum singulorum pro mediocritate nostra examinabimus, ut accendi in Ecclesia formam et consuetudinem saluberrimam atque pacificam universis fratribus insinuemus.