et us see how Vincent treats such individual teachers, however
highly gifted. He is speaking in the opening sentence of the Judaizers
of the time of St. Paul:--

"When, therefore, such kind of men, wandering up and down through
provinces and cities to set their errors to sale, came also unto
the Galatians, and these, after they had heard them, were delighted
with the filthy drugs of heretical novelty, loathing the truth, and
casting up again the heavenly manna of the Apostolic and Catholic
doctrine: the authority of his Apostolic office so puts itself
forth as to decree very severely in this sort. 'But although (quoth
he) we or an Angel from heaven evangelize unto you beside that
which we have evangelized, be he Anathema.'[369] What meaneth this
that he saith, 'But although we?' why did he not rather say, 'But
although I?' that is to say, Although Peter, although Andrew,
although John, yea, finally, although the whole company of the
Apostles, evangelize unto you otherwise than we have evangelized,
be he accursed. A terrible censure, in that for maintaining the
possession of the first faith, he spared not himself, nor any other
of the Apostles! But this is a small matter: 'Although an Angel
from heaven (quoth he) evangelize unto you, beside that which I
have evangelized, be he Anathema,' he was not contented for keeping
the faith once delivered to make mention of man's weak nature,
unless also he included those excellent creatures the Angels....
But peradventure he uttered those words slightly, and cast them
forth rather of human affection than decreed them by divine
direction. God forbid: for it followeth, and that urged with great
earnestness of repeated inculcation, 'As I have foretold you (quoth
he), and now again I tell you, If anybody evangelize unto you
beside that which you have received, be he Anathema.' He said not,
If any man preach unto you beside that which you have received, let
him be blessed, let him be commended, let him be received, but let
him be _Anathema_, that is, separated, thrust out, excluded, lest
the cruel infection of one sheep with his poisoned company corrupt
the sound flock of Christ."--_Ch._ 12 and 13.

5.

Here, then, is a point of doctrine which must be carefully insisted on.
The Fathers are primarily to be considered as _witnesses