Quod Semper
Quod semper, quod ubique, quod ab omnibus — what (is) always, what (is) everywhere, what (is) by everybody (believed). The faith handed down, once for all.
“…the faith that was once for all entrusted to GOD’s holy people.”
That rule comes from Vincent of Lérins, a fifth-century monk. It is called the Vincentian Canon: quod semper, quod ubique, quod ab omnibus creditum est, what has been believed always, everywhere, and by all.
The three tests belong together. Always asks about time: is it rooted in the apostolic faith, or did it just appear? Everywhere asks about place: is it held across the church in many lands and cultures, or only by one group? By all asks about people: has it been confessed in broad agreement by faithful Christians through the generations, or does it rest on one teacher or one experience?
That sustains orthodoxy. It keeps us from mistaking novelty for discovery, or private certainty for truth, and reminds us we receive the faith in a long line of witnesses rather than inventing it ourselves.
It also helps us discern new claims. Ask: Is this consistent with the faith once for all delivered to the saints? Is it recognized beyond my group and my generation? Scripture remains the standard, and the canon helps us read it with the church, not alone. True growth can deepen our understanding, but it clarifies what was received. It does not replace it.
Contending for the faith, then, is staying faithful to what GOD has already given, testing every new voice against it, and passing it on undamaged.
This post is part of a series about my beach encounters with GOD. Read from the Beginning >>