The Catholic Controversy: St. Francis de Sales' Defense of the Faith by Francis de Sales

Author:Francis de Sales [de Sales, Francis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: TAN Books
Published: 2011-08-01T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER VIII

SANCTITY OF THE CHURCH (CONTINUED) THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY OUGHT TO BE IN THE TRUE CHURCH. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY; THE PRETENDED HAS IT NOT.

Prophecy is a very great miracle, which consists in the certain knowledge which the human understanding has of things, without any experience or any natural reasoning, by supernatural inspiration, and therefore all that I have said of miracles in general ought to be predicated of this. The prophet Joel foretold (2:28–29 & 3:1) that in the last days, that is, in the time of the Gospel Church, as S. Peter interprets (Acts ii), Our Lord would pour out his holy Spirit upon his servants, and that they should prophesy; as Our Lord had said, These signs shall follow them that believe. Prophecy then is to be ever in the Church, where the servants of God are, and where he ever pours out his Holy Spirit.

The angel says in the apocalypse (xix. 10) that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Now this testimony of the assurance of Our Lord is not only given for unbelievers, but principally for believers, St. Paul says (1 Cor. xiv. 22). How then do you say that Our Lord having given it once to the Church has taken it away afterward? The chief reason for which it was granted remaining still, the concession therefore also remains. Add, as I said of miracles, that at all times the Church has had prophets; we cannot therefore say that this is not one of her qualities and properties and a good portion of her dowry.

Jesus Christ, ascending on high, led captivity captive, he gave gifts to men … And some indeed he gave to be apostles, and some prophets, and others evangelists, and others pastors and teachers (Eph. iv). The apostolic, evangelic, pastoral and teaching spirit is always in the Church, and why shall the spirit of prophecy also not be left in her? It is a perfume of the garments of this spouse.

There have been scarcely any saints in the Church who have not prophesied. I will only name these more recent ones: S. Bernard, S. Francis, S. Dominic, S. Anthony of Padua, S. Bridget, S. Catherine of Siena, who were most sound Catholics. The saints of whom I spoke above are of the number, and in our age Gaspar Berzée and Francis Xavier. You would find no one of the older generation who did not repeat with full belief some prophecy of Jean Bourg; many of them had seen and heard him: The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

And now bring forward some one of yours who has prophesied in your church. We know that the sybils were in some sort the prophetesses of the Gentiles, and almost all the Ancients speak of them. Balaam also prophesied, but it was for the true Church, and hence their prophecies did not give credit to the church in which they were made, but to the

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