Rules on testimony 1–4: Scripture vs Church phrase; authority ranks; Nicephorus

XV. And here too rules are to be noted. 1. Between the testimony and phrases of Scripture and between the testimony and phrases of the Church one must accurately and carefully distinguish — as: the bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16); and the bread is the body of Christ. The former is Scripture's phrase, the latter the Church's. Both indeed true: yet the former proper, the latter improper.

2. In public testimony, although there is one and the same truth, yet there is not always one and the same authority. For greater is the authority of the Apostolic Symbol, but lesser that of the Augsburg, Gallican, Helvetic, Belgian, Anglican confession and the like. 3. Public testimony, other things equal, is deservedly to be preferred to private. Thus the confession of the whole Church surpasses the confession of some one doctor — even if there as here there is one truth.

4. Of testimonies taken from the fathers the unique norm and touchstone is Sacred Scripture. Thus Augustine, On the Unity of the Church chapter 5: It is not to be heard in the Church, he says: I say this, you say this — but the LORD says this. Worthy of observation here too is the warning of Nicephorus Gregoras, Roman or Byzantine History book 10, page 235: Moreover, he says, it is also worth knowing that the writings of the holy fathers are not to be understood simply nor in one way. Of which some look to teaching and admonishing — are accommodated to teaching and admonishing, persons and times being considered, yet all religiously. For some contain decrees dogmatically; others praises encomiastically; others disputations combatively. Nor indeed are the ancients' disputations to be transferred elsewhere. For if someone fighting with enemies, and with whole mind intent on sword and shield, should strike down a fellow-soldier standing before his feet, neither is that to be thought a law, nor is he to be accused who did it, necessity drawing the thought from the struggle, by no means allowing that what was done should happen otherwise. Therefore neither is this to be so done, nor are praises to be used in place of laws. For art has given to those praising license to say anything. But those dogmas which they sanctioned and promulgated — in those alone it is right and safe to use them as canons and the plumbline of religion. Thus Nicephorus — which yet by our rule are always to be tested against Scripture's Lydian stone, as was demonstrated above.