Sunday, October 29, 2017

Luther Lost His Faith Because of His Heresies


Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches:

“A heretic who disbelieves even one article of faith does not have faith, either formed or unformed. The reason of this is that the species of every habit depends on the formal aspect of the object, without which the species of the habit cannot remain. Now the formal object of faith is the First Truth, as manifested in Sacred Scripture and the teaching of the Church. Consequently, whoever does not adhere, as to an infallible and Divine rule, to the teaching of the Church, which proceeds from the First Truth manifested in Sacred Scripture, has not the habit of faith, but holds the other articles of faith by a mode other than faith. Like someone who holds in his mind a conclusion without knowing how that conclusion is demonstrated; it is evident that he does not have scientific knowledge, but merely an opinion about it.

"So likewise, it is evident that he who adheres to the teachings of the Church, as to an infallible rule, assents to whatever the Church teaches; otherwise, if, of the things taught by the Church, he holds what he chooses to hold, and rejects what he chooses to reject, he no longer adheres to the teachings of the Church as to an infallible rule, but to his own will. Hence it is evident that a heretic who obstinately disbelieves even one article of faith, is not prepared to follow the teaching of the Church in all things (but if he is not obstinate, he is not a heretic but only erring). Therefore, it is clear that such a heretic with regard to one article has no faith in the other articles, but only a kind of opinion in accordance with his own will."