te a
spirit of piety among the faithful. For the Church is only founded on
the word of Christ and on the revelations made to the Apostles.
Whatever may since have been revealed to certain saints possesses
purely a relative value, the reality of which may even be disputed--it
being one of the admirable characteristics of the Church, that, though
inflexibly one in dogma, she allows entire liberty to the human mind in
all besides. Thus, we may believe private revelations, above all, when
those persons to whom they were made have been raised by the Church to
the rank of Saints publicly honoured, invoked, and venerated; but, even
in these cases, we may, without ceasing to be perfectly orthodox,
dispute their authenticity and divine origin. It is the place of reason
to dispute and to select as it sees best.

With regard to the rule for discerning between the good and the evil
spirit, it is no other, according to all theologians, than that of the
Gospel. A fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos. By their fruits you shall
know them. It must be examined in the first place whether the person
who professes to have revelations mistrusts what passes within himself;
whether he would prefer a more common path; whether far from boasting
of the extraordinary graces which he receives, he seeks to hide them,
and only makes them known through obedience; and, finally, whether he
is continually advancing in humility, mortification, and charity. Next,
the revelations themselves must be very closely examined into; it must
be seen whether there is anything in them contrary to faith; whether
they are conformable to Scripture and Apostolic tradition; and whether
they are related in a headstrong spirit, or in a spirit of entire
submission to the Church.

Whoever reads the life of Anne Catherine Emmerich, and her book,
will be satisfied that no fault can be found in any of these respects
either with herself or with her revelations. Her book resembles in many
points the writings of a great number of saints, and her life also
bears the most striking similitude to theirs. To be convinced of this
fact, we need but study the writings or what is related of Saints
Francis of Assisi, Bernard, Bridget, Hildegard, Catherine of Genoa,
Catherine of Sienna, Ignatius, John of the Cross, Teresa, and an
immense number of other holy persons who are less known. So much being
conceded, it is clear that in considering Sister Emmerich to have been
inspired by God's Holy Spi