Epistola Ad Vincentium Episcopum Ebositanae Insulae

From Licinianus, Bishop of Carthage, Epistle III, to Vincentius, Bishop of the Island of Ebusus. Against those who believed that letters had fallen from heaven in memory of Saint Peter of Rima. (Now first published from a manuscript of the Church of Toledo.) Amid various distresses of tribulations, we have not been reluctant, compelled by the love of Christ, to direct these words, such as they are, to Your Holiness, informing you that we have received your letter and rejoiced in the good of your well-being. But in that matter we were not a little saddened, that you received a certain person’s letters, which you sent to us, as your letter indicates, and that you had them announced to the peoples from the tribunal. For I received those sent to me by you, reading the beginning of those same letters in the presence of the bearer himself; and not bearing it patiently, nor deeming it worthy to read through those trifles, I immediately tore them up and threw them to the ground, marveling that you had been credulous toward them, and that after the prophecies of the prophets, and the Gospels of Christ, and the Epistles of his apostles, you believed the letters of some unknown man, made under the name of Christ, to be his; wherein neither elegant speech nor sound doctrine can be found.

At the beginning of that same epistle we read that the Lord's Day is to be observed. For what Christian does not hold it in the highest reverence, not on account of the day itself, but because of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, in that He rose from the dead on that day? But, as far as I perceive, this new preacher says this in order to compel us to Judaize, so that no one may prepare necessary sustenance for himself on that day, or travel on the road. But how evil this is, let Your Holiness consider. Would that the Christian people, if they do not attend church on that day, would do some work, and not dance. It would be better for a man to dig a garden, to go on a journey, for a woman to hold a distaff, than, as it is said, to dance, to leap, and to twist the limbs well made by God in lewd dancing, and to arouse lust with frivolous songs. Therefore, let it be far from Your Holiness to believe that letters are now sent to us from Christ. For it is enough that He spoke in the prophets through Himself, and through His apostles. For He did not send them letters from heaven, but filled their hearts with the Holy Spirit. Except for the Ten Commandments, which were miraculously given on stone tablets, no letters were sent from heaven to any of the prophets or apostles. Therefore, do not believe what is never read to have happened; and even if it had happened, after the preaching of the Gospel it would no longer be necessary.

And if perhaps the very name "novum" delighted you, because that epistle, as the pretender wrote, descended from heaven upon the altar of Christ in the memory of Saint Peter the apostle, know that it is a fabrication of the devil, and that every divine scripture, epistle, or epistles are heavenly, and were sent to us from heaven. Therefore, let your Holiness repent of what you have rashly believed, and in the presence of the people, if you have that epistle, tear it up; and let this grieve you, that you had it recited from the tribunal, following the teaching of the blessed apostle, who among other things wrote to the Galatians: "If anyone evangelizes to you beyond what you have received, let him be anathema." But also that Gospel: all law and prophets prophesied up to John. Henceforth, if any new or unusual things are published, your Holiness should know that they are altogether to be rejected and detested. Pray for us, holy lord and dearest brother in Christ.