The Marks of a True Catholic

This being so, the true and genuine catholic is the one who loves the truth of God, who loves the church, who loves the body of Christ; who values divine religion and the catholic faith above everything, above the authority, the esteem, the genius, the eloquence, the philosophy of any man whatever. He thinks little of all these, and, staying steadfast and settled in the faith, he resolves to believe that, and only that, which he is sure the catholic church has held universally and from ancient times. But whatever new and unheard-of doctrine he finds slipped in secretly by someone or other, besides that of all the saints or contrary to it, he will understand does not belong to religion, but is permitted as a trial. He is taught this above all by the words of the blessed apostle Paul, who writes in his first letter to the Corinthians: “There must be heresies, so that those who are approved may be made known among you.” It is as if he said: This is the reason the authors of heresies are not rooted out at once by God, so that those who are approved may be made known; that is, so that it may be plain of each one how tenacious, faithful and steadfast he is in his love of the catholic faith. [a]

And in truth, as each novelty springs up, the difference between the weight of the wheat and the lightness of the chaff is seen at once. Then whatever had no weight to keep it on the threshing floor is blown away without difficulty. Some fly off entirely at once. Others, only shaken out, afraid of perishing, wounded, half alive and half dead, are ashamed to return. They have in fact swallowed a quantity of poison: not enough to kill, yet more than can be got rid of; it neither causes death nor lets them live. What a wretched condition! What surging, stormy cares toss them about! At one moment, once the error is set moving, they are carried wherever the wind drives them; at another, turning back on themselves like waves that flow back, they are dashed back again. At one moment, with rash presumption, they approve what seems uncertain; at another, with unreasoning fear, they are frightened out of their wits by what is certain, unsure where to go, where to return, what to seek, what to shun, what to keep, what to throw away.

This affliction of a hesitating and miserably wavering mind is, if they are wise, a medicine meant for them by God’s compassion. For this is the reason that outside the most secure harbor of the catholic faith they are tossed about, beaten and almost killed by various stormy thoughts: so that they may take in the sails of self-conceit, which they had foolishly spread to the blasts of novelty; and may make their way back to, and stay at anchor within, the most secure harbor of their calm and good mother; and may begin by vomiting up the bitter and muddy floods of error they had swallowed, so that from then on they can drink the streams of fresh and living water. Let them unlearn well what they learned badly. Let them receive as much of the whole teaching of the church as they can understand; what they cannot understand, let them believe.