Brilliance!

And how can they preach unless they are sent? (Romans 10:15)

I am amazed to be living in an age when I have access to the writings of ancient literature on my Kindle.  On this small device, I carry the libraries of the world -- and I can immediately read precious documents and books on which people once spent fortunes to purchase or gain access to.

There is no substitute for reading original works by the fathers of the church or by the saints.  For some reason, their writing is so clear, so reasonable, that what they proclaim seems obvious -- and yet, later, or modern, writers rarely seem to reach the same level of clarity.  When I read them, I understand the words "Proclaim the Gospel."  For example, for years, I have read many books and treatises on the Incarnation and why Christ had to die for our sins.  Yet, it was only St. Athanasius' On the Incarnation that unfolded for me the absolute reasonableness of Christ's necessary death on the cross.

In the same way, reading St. Francis de Sales' The Catholic Controversy has brought to light an amazing understanding of the error of the Protestant Reformation.  Born in 1567, Francis became Bishop of Geneva, the city of Calvin's spread of heresy.  One would expect Francis to write caustically about the Protestant Reformation, particularly in light of its accusations against the corruption of the Catholic church.  And yet, Francis writes his explanations with such humility and gentleness that it is estimated his writings re-converted 72,000 people who had left the church to follow Calvinism at the time, illustrating one of his sayings, "Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength."

In Part I of his treatise, entitled Mission, Francis points out that the office claimed by Luther, Calvin, and the other ministers of the Reformation was that of "ambassadors of Jesus Christ Our Lord."  And yet, the message they proclaimed was the declaration of "a formal divorce between Our Lord and the ancient church His spouse, and to arrange, as lawful procurators, a second and new marriage with this young madam, of better grace, said they, and more seemly than the other."

According to Francis, to say that the whole church has failed and all truth disappeared is to say that Jesus has abandoned His church and has broken the sacred tie of marriage He had contracted with her.  To put forward a new church is to thrust upon Jesus a new and second wife.  How interesting that I have never read before such a perspective!

Moreover, Francis goes on to question who "sent" these messengers, because as the Scripture says, "How can they preach unless they are sent?"  In fact, this issue of "sending" has always been one of the strongest marks of the true church: one, holy, catholic, apostolic.  Christ gave the sacred commission to his apostles; they have laid hands on and ordained others -- sending them forth from the Source of Truth to proclaim the Truth.  "We say mission is given mediately when we are sent by one who has from God the power of sending, according to the order which he has appointed in his church....as was the sending of Timothy by St. Paul."

If the mission is directly from God, as was that of Moses, then it is always verified by signs and wonders.  Mission is not given without blessings---and no one should allege an extraordinary mission unless he prove it by miracles.  Even Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, so I also send you;  My teaching is not my own, but of Him that sent me."  "Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?  Otherwise, believe for the works themselves."  Anyone who claims an extraordinary mission without miracles should be taken for an imposter.  Even the messages given by Our Lady to her visionaries are supported by miracles.

I had never looked upon the Protestant reformers the way Francis de Sales does.  In fact, I had thought that maybe in the beginning they were indeed reformers, but that their message had gotten out of hand.  Now, however, I am seeing how critical it is that all teachers and preachers remain wholly united to the church itself, teaching only what the church teaches in unity with all the bishops.
I am so grateful to be able to go directly to the sources to find what St. Vincent of Lerins said "has been believed from the beginning."