not space of time, nor the patronage of persons, nor the privilege of countries. From these things, indeed, custom, having gotten a beginning, by ignorance or simplicity, and being grown strong by succession, pleads against the truth. But our Lord Christ calls himself the Truth, not custom. Nor does novelty so much confute heresy as does truth. Whatsoever is against truth, that will be heresy-even old custom."1 1"..Hoc exigere veritatem, cui nemo præscribere potest, non spatium temporum, non patrocinia personarum, non privilegium regionum. Ex his enim fere consuetudo initium ab aliquâ ignorantiâ vel simpliciate sortita, in usum per successionem corroboratur, et ita adversus veritatem vindicatur. Sed dominus noster Christus veritatem se, non consuetudinem, cognominavit. Si semper Christus, et prior omnibus æque veritas sempiterna et antiqua res. Viderint ergo quibus novum est quod sibi vetus est. Hæreseis non tam novitas quam veritas revincit. Quodcunque adversus veritatem sapit, hoo erit hæresis, etiam vetus consuetudo." Tertullian de Virginibus velandis. cap. i. in init. pp. 1, 2, vol. iii. Hale Magd. 1770. : APPENDIX A. EXTRACT FROM THE TREATISE OF BERTRAM' OF CORBY. Quod in Ecclesia ore fidelium sumitur corpus et sanguis Christi, quærit vestræ magnitudinis excellentia, in mysterio fiat, an in veritate. Id est: Utrum aliquid secreti contineat, quod oculis fidei solummodo pateat! An, sine cujuscunque velatione mysterii, hoc aspectus, intueatur corporis exterius, quod mentis visus inspiciat interius, ut totum, quod agitur in manifestationis luce clarescat; et utrum ipsum corpus sit, quod de Maria natum est et passum, mortuum et sepultum, quodque resurgens et cælos ascendens ad dextram Patris consideat. The Excellency of your Highness asks me whether the body and blood of Christ, which, in the church, is received by the mouth of the faithful, is produced, only in a mystery or in reality. In other words, you ask me whether it contains somewhat secret, which is manifest to the eye of faith exclusively; or whether, without the veil of any mystery, the corporeal eye beholds that externally which the mental eye beholds internally, so that to the broad light of day the whole transaction is clear and open; whether, in short, it be the identical body, which was born from Mary and suffered, and died and was buried, and which, rising again, and ascending to heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father. 1 Bertram. Presbyt. de Corp. et Sanguin. Domin., pp. 180, 222. Edit. Colon. 1551, or p. v.-lxxxix. Oxon. 1838. This work was addressed to Charles the Bald; but the Cologne Editors erroneously state that it was to Charlemagne. Bertram relies throughout on the great Fathers of the Church, Ambrose, bishop of Milan, and Augustine, bishop of Hippo. He flourished in the 9th century. |