Friday, May 13, 2005
WHAT THE CHURCH HAS TAUGHT
Speaking of the Montanist Heresy, Irenaeus says:
There is, it appears, a village near the Phrygian border of Mysia called Ardabau. There it is said that a recent convert named Montanus, while Gratus was proconsul of Syria, in his unbridled ambition to reach the top laid himself open to the adversary, was filled with spiritual excitement and suddenly fell into a kind of trance and unnatural ecstasy. He raved, and began to chatter and talk monsense, prophesying in a way that conflicted with the practice of the Church handed down generation by generation from the beginning. Of those who listened at that time to his sham utterances some were annoyed regarding him as possessed, a demoniac in the grip of a spirit of error, a disturber of the masses. They rebuked him and tried to stop his chatter, remembering the distinction drawn by the Lord, and His warning to guard vigilantly against the coming of false prophets. Others were elated as if by the Holy Spirit or a prophetic gift, were filled with conceit, and forgot the Lord’s distinction. They welcomed a spirit that injured and deluded the mind and led the people astray: they were beguiled and deceived by it, so that it could not now be reduced to silence.
[The spiritual man] shall judge false prophets, who, without having received the gift of prophecy from God…pretend to utter prophecies, while all the time they lie against God. He shall also judge those who give rise to schisms, who are destitute of the love of God, and who look to their own special advantage rather than to any kind of reason which occurs to them, cut in pieces and divide the great and glorious body of Christ, and so far as in them lies, destroy it,--men who prate of peace while they give rise to war, and do in truth strain out a gnat, but swallow a camel. For no reformation of so great importance can be effected by them, as will compensate for the mischief arising from their schism.
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (it it were possible) even the elect. Behold, I have told it to you before hand. (Matt. 24:24-25)
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
