The Spice Of Catholic Life

Preamble:

"Let us therefore use even heretics , not to approve their errors, but to assert the Catholic discipline against their wiles , and become more vigilant and cautious, even if we cannot recall them to salvation" St. Augustine.

The axiom "variety is the spice of life" is a very familiar one. On a face value it seems a self evident fact. As true as it is, its application has limits. 

God , the author of nature, has given us a host of varieties to spice up our earthly pilgrimage. But we know very well how base men have dared to introduce diversity where God has not willed it to be. For instance, though in the beginning "God made them male and female", today we are told that besides these there are 72 other genders. Also, the same axiom has been used as an excuse for marital infidelity, among other things, including religious pluralism, where God has willed absolute unity. 

 Referencing St. Paul's first letter to the Corrinthians,  (Ch. 11:19) the utility of heresies in the life of the One True Church have always been acknowledged.  Thus it would hold true an axiom that "heresies is the spice of Catholic Life". 

In this entry, we are particularly interested in St. Augustine's take on the matter. 

Identifying The True Religion

While many today, being victims of Protestant and Modernist indifferentism, seem to be doubtful as to which religion to accept and hold fast, St. Augustine, writing "Of True Religion" insists that 

...in Christian times there can be no doubt at all as to which religion is to be received and held fast, and as to where is the way that leads to truth and beatitude (St. Augustine, Of True Religion, 3)

After citing for his evidence salutary Christian doctrines and disciplines, and the witness of Martyrs and Confessors, he goes on to say that:

 ... religion is to be sought neither in the confusion of the pagans, nor in the offscourings of heretics, nor in the insipidity of schismatics, nor in the blindness of the Jews, but only among those who are called Catholic or orthodox Christians, that is, guardians of truth and followers of right. (St. Augustine, Of True Religion, 9)

A Binding Duty

St. Augustine says the following as a binding duty to anyone who is of good will: 

... Repudiating all who do not carry philosophy into religious observance or philosophize in a religious spirit; those also who wax proud in wicked opinions or some other cause of dissension and so deviate from the Rule of Faith and from the communion of the Catholic Church; and those who refuse the light of the Holy Scripture and the grace of the  spiritual people of God, which we call the New Testament... We must hold fast the Christian religion and the communion of the Church which is called Catholic, and is called Catholic not only by its own members but also by all it's enemies. Whether they will or no, heretics and schismatics use no other name for it than the name of Catholic, when they speak of it not among themselves but with outsiders. They cannot make themselves understood unless they designate it by this name which is in universal use.  (St. Augustine, Of True Religion, 12)

Here it should be quickly noted that St. Augustine wrote this when historical Protestantism  was still about ten centuries away... 

Now, there is a prevailing irony today. Many   who gladly admire St. Augustine and revere him as a "Father of the Church" are wont to accuse uncompromising Catholics of fanaticism even though they are urged on by the same zeal for God's glory which consumed St. Augustine in his defense of the True Religion, and simply condemn heresies and heretics and schismatics in defense of the True Religion as St. Augustine did in his time. Where should we look for the cause of this disoriented fragmentation in estimation of similar facts? The spirit of Modernism would be a good bet, for, the sevenfold personality through which Modernism is manifested allows for the contrary estimation of one and the same reality depending on the personality mode active at the different moments. As a philosopher, the Modernist denies what he affirms as a believer, just like he affirms as an historian what he would deny as a believer or apologist... 

The chief Concern of a Catholic

What is the chief concern of one who follows the Catholic religion? And what merit accrues to him? St. Augustine has this to say:

In following this religion our chief concern is with the prophetic history of the dispensation of divine Providence in time - what God has done for the salvation of the human race, renewing and restoring in unto eternal life. When once this is believed, a way of life agreeable to the divine commandments will purge the mind and make it fit to perceive spiritual things which are neither past not future but abide ever the same, liable to no change... (St. Augustine, Of True Religion, 13)

It is easy here to see why many today do not perceive spiritual things liable to no change: things like the divine institution of the Catholic Church, the mutual exclusivity of teaching heresy and the papacy, the eternal enmity between Catholicity and Modernism - the synthesis of all heresies: contrary to their claims, they do not posses that faith which purges the mind to make it fit for such spiritual perception. 

Heresies: The Spice of Catholic Life? 

Commenting on St. Paul's words that "...there must be also heresies: that they also, who are approved may be made manifest among you" (1 Cor. 11:19), St. Augustine has this to say about heretics:

Men become heretics who would have no less held wrong opinions even within the Church. Now that they are outside they do us more good, not by teaching the truth, for they do not know it, but by provoking carnal Catholics to seek the truth and spiritual Catholics to expound it. ...many are awakened from sleep by the heretics , so that they may see God's light and be glad. Let us therefore use even heretics , not to approve their errors, but to assert the Catholic discipline against their wiles , and become more vigilant and cautious, even if we cannot recall them to salvation. (Of True Religion, 15)

 It is the case today that those places where the Modernists are most true to their principles as modernists, Catholics who had been unsuspecting  have been better helped to recognize their robber council and robber church and reject it for what it is. On the contrary, in places under the occupation of rather conservative Modernists, the majority are still under the influence of the Modernist hypnosis-inducing hypocrisy. Indeed, radical progressive Apostate Bergolio has waken more men of goodwill from the deep sleep to which they unsuspectingly succumbed during the reign of conservative Apostate Ratzinger. 

The Modernists have the Catholic buildings, but have not Catholic Faith. We are without Catholic buildings, but we have the Catholic Faith, repudiating all heresies whatsoever, especially the synthesis of all heresies: modernism... 

Summing up: Using Heretics To-day

While the heretics of St. Augustine's time found it a thing of propriety to go out of the four walls of Catholic buildings, the heretics of our times in whose system is the synthesis of all heresies find it more appropriate to remain within the four walls of Catholic buildings so as to achieve their agenda of changing the Catholic Church from within inline with radical, non dogmatic Protestantism. 

Carnal Catholics are unable to perceive the imposture. They equate occupying Catholic buildings with possession of Catholic Faith. They are unable to discern the True Catholic religion from it's counterfeit. They are unable to identify those who are not just Catholic in name but are indeed Catholics, that is, the guardians and followers of right.

The chief concern of every Catholic even today, as it was in the 4th century, is with the prophetic history of the dispensation of divine Providence in time - what God has done for the salvation of the human race, renewing and restoring in unto eternal life. 

To this extent, the duty of those with informed Catholic common sense is to continue to assert the Catholic doctrines and disciplines against the wiles of Modernist lay-robed impostors perpetually signed up for the attainment of the Modernist revolution in permanence envisaged within the walls of Catholic buildings. 

The Modernists espouse false philosophy and wax strong in their wicked opinions and, spreading their poison of indiffrentism abroad, they have made many to deviate from the Catholic Rule of Faith and from Catholic communion though they are within the four walls of Catholic buildings. 

We are to repudiate them no less than our duty to the truth requires of us, even  though there may be no hope of recalling them from their chosen path of error and perdition. 

Yes, we are to use even the Modernists and all other false teachers of today, by seizing their false doctrines, fruits of their indifferentism and false philosophy, as opportunity to expound the objective Catholic Truth to people of good will, enjoining more vigilance so as not to fall victims of their insidious sophistry any longer. 

We must insist on spiritual things liable to no change: things like the divine institution of the Catholic Church, the mutual exclusivity of teaching heresy and the papacy, the mutual exclusivity of heresy and Catholic Faith in one's soul, the eternal enmity between Catholicity and Modernism - the synthesis of all heresies, the intrinsic odiousness of the fruits of Modernist indifferentism: ecumenism, false religious liberty, interreligious dialogue and worship, collegiality, so-called synodality, etc.

It has pleased divine Providence to make even heresies the spice of Catholic Life.  Blessed be His Holy Name, Who orders all things sweetly!