support of his doctrine. Educated in the Greek Church and trained in a monastery, all his prepossessions were adverse to Augustinianism. And when he transferred his residence to Marseilles in the south of France, and found himself in the midst of churches who bowed to the authority of Augustine, he set himself to modify and soften, but not directly to oppose the distinguishing doctrines of that father. ^ Vincent of Lerins was a man of a different spirit and of higher powers. His reliance was on tradition. He held the highest doctrine concerning the Church, and taught that communion with her in faith and ordinances was the one essential condition of salva- tion. He was the author of the celebrated formula as to the rule of faith, quod ubique, quod semper, quod ah omnibus creditum est. His principal work is entitled " Commonitorium," or Remembrancer, a collection mainly of extracts. This work was long considered a standard among Romanists, and has been held in higli repute by many Protestants for the ability which it displays. It was intended as a guard against heresy, by exhibiting what the leaders of the Church had taught against heretics, and to determine the principle on which the authority of the fathers was to be admitted. A single father, even though a bishop, confessor, or martyr, might err, and his teachings be properly disregarded, but when he concurred with the general drift of ecclesiastical teaching, i. e., with tradition, he was to be fully believed. 2
The ablest and most influential of the leaders of the Semi-Pelagian party was Faustus of Rliegium, who secured the condemnation of Lucidus, an extreme advocate of the Augustinian doctrine, in the Synod of Aries, 475, a. d. ; and who was called u]ion by the council to write the work " De gratia Dei et humanre mentis libero arbitrio," which attained great celebrity and authority. The Semi-Pelagians, however, were far from agreeing among themselves eitlier as to sin or as to grace. Cassian taught that the effects of Adnm's sin on his posterity were, (1.) That they became mortal, and subject to the physical infirmities of this life. (2.) That the knowledge of nature and of the divine law which Adam originally possessed, was in a great measure preserved until the sons of Seth intermarried with the daughters of Cain, when the race became greatly deteriorated. (3.) That the moral effects of the fall were to weaken the soul in all its power for good, so that men constantly need the assistance ^f divine grace. (4.) What that grace was, whether the supernat- ural influence of the Spirit, the providential efficiency of God, or his various gifts of faculties and of knowledge, he nowhere distinctly
1 See below, vol. iii. p. 449.
2 Sacr. Bibl. Sane. Pat., 2d edit. Paris, 1589, torn. iv. pp. 62-91.