Letter 32

Isidore of PelusiumUnknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An inquirer
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore explains the heresy of Montanus and warns against false prophecy.

Even if the heresy of Montanus was unknown to you until now, as you write, it has long been known to the Church — and condemned. Montanus [a 2nd-century Phrygian who claimed direct prophetic inspiration from the Holy Spirit] did not add to the faith; he replaced it with his own ravings. He claimed the Spirit spoke through him, but the Spirit does not contradict Scripture, and Montanus constantly did. The test of any prophecy is simple: does it agree with what has already been revealed? If not, it is not from God, no matter how dramatic the prophet. Beware of anyone who claims a private revelation that overrides the public teaching of the Church. The Spirit speaks through Scripture and the gathered wisdom of the faithful — not through individual ecstasy.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.