St. John Damascene ca. 676-749
Listen to me, people of all nations, men, women, and children, all of you who bear the Christian name:
If any one preach to you something contrary to what the Catholic Church has received from the holy Apostles, Fathers and Councils, and has kept down to the present day, do not heed him. Do not receive the serpent’s counsel, as Eve did, to whom it was death. If an angel or emperor teaches you anything contrary to what you received, shut your ears. I have refrained so far from saying, as the holy Apostle said, “Let him be anathema,” (Gal. 1:8) in the hope of amendment. (Apologia Against Those Who Decry Holy Images, II)
