The
Pentecostal, or Charismatic, movement has been a fast-growing one across the
South. We have written before about its
departure from the Orthodox way, and some of the dangers this poses:
What
also needs to be brought to light is that the Charismatic movement is not
new: Variations of it have appeared
before in Church history, only to be fought against strenuously by various
Church Fathers and saints. St Irenaeus
of Lyons (martyred about 202), a disciple of St Polycarp who was a disciple of
the holy Apostle John, gives us one of the earliest references to this
deception in his book Against the
Heresies (Book I, Ch. XIII):
I. But there is another
among these heretics, Marcus by name, who boasts himself as having improved
upon his master. He is a perfect adept in magical impostures, and by this means
drawing away a great number of men, and not a few women, he has induced them to
join themselves to him, as to one who is possessed of the greatest knowledge
and perfection, and who has received the highest power from the invisible and
ineffable regions above. Thus it appears as if he really were the precursor of
Antichrist. For, joining the buffooneries of Anaxilaus to the craftiness of the
magi, as they are called, he is regarded by his senseless and
cracked-brain followers as working miracles by these means.
. . .
3. It appears probable
enough that this man possesses a demon as his familiar spirit, by means of whom
he seems able to prophesy, and also enables as many as he counts worthy to be
partakers of his Charis themselves to prophesy. He devotes himself especially
to women, and those such as are well-bred, and elegantly attired, and of great
wealth, whom he frequently seeks to draw after him, by addressing them in such
seductive words as these: "I am eager to make thee a partaker of my
Charis, since the Father of all doth continually behold thy angel before His
face. Now the place of thy angel is among us: it behoves us to become one.
Receive first from me and by me [the gift of] Charis. Adorn thyself as a bride
who is expecting her bridegroom, that thou mayest be what I am, and I what thou
art. Establish the germ of light in thy nuptial chamber. Receive from me a
spouse, and become receptive of him, while thou art received by him. Behold
Charis has descended upon thee; open thy mouth and prophesy." On the woman
replying," I have never at any time prophesied, nor do I know how to
prophesy; "then engaging, for the second time, in certain invocations, so
as to astound his deluded victim, he says to her," Open thy mouth, speak
whatsoever occurs to thee, and thou shalt prophesy." She then, vainly
puffed up and elated by these words, and greatly excited in soul by the
expectation that it is herself who is to prophesy, her heart beating violently
[from emotion], reaches the requisite pitch of audacity, and idly as well as
impudently utters some nonsense as it happens. to occur to her, such as might
be expected from one heated by an empty spirit. (Referring to this, one
superior to me has observed, that the soul is both audacious and impudent when
heated with empty air.) Henceforth she reckons herself a prophetess, and
expresses her thanks to Marcus for having imparted to her of his own Charis. . . .
4. . . . But such spirits as are commanded by
these men, and speak when they desire it, are earthly and weak, audacious and
impudent, sent forth by Satan for the seduction and perdition of those who do
not hold fast that well-compacted faith which they received at first through
the Church.
. . .
Source: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/irenaeus-book1.html,
opened 29 Sept. 2017
Holy
Irenaeus of Lyons, deliver the South from all heresies, unworthy though we are.
***
Catalonia,
the South stands with you:
--
Holy
Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!
Anathema
to the Union!
No comments:
Post a Comment