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The Catechism of the Council of Trent

"The more learned the person is, who is the author of error, the greater are the people's temptations.

He only is a true, genuine Catholic, who loves the word of God and his Church, the mystical body of Christ, above all other considerations in the world; who values neither the authority, nor love, nor wit, nor eloquence, nor philosophy of any man breathing, in comparison of his divine Religion and the faith of the Catholic Church; upon all these things he looks down with contempt, and fixed and immovable in the faith, resolves to believe nothing upon the authority of one single man, but what he finds anciently and universally to have been believed by the Catholic Church; and whatever upstart, unheard of doctrine he finds to be secretly introduced, in opposition to all the faithful, let him look upon that as matter of temptation, rather than an article of faith: and this advice of mine will then especially, appear more reasonable, when he reflects upon that of St. Paul, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, where he declares, That there must be also heresies: that they who are approved, may be made manifest among you 1 Cor. xi. 19. As if he should have said, this is the reason why God does not interpose miraculously, and destroy heresies in a moment, that the approved may be made manifest, that is, that every firm, faithful, and constant lover of the Catholic faith, under such a temptation, might be a more shining example to the world, of the true power of godliness.

And in truth, when any new born heresy first shews its head in the Church, the good grain is then soon discovered by its weight, and the chaff by its lightness: and then upon the sifting temptation, that chaff submits to the first wind, which had no solidity to secure it on the floor. For some fly off immediately, others are shocked only, and turn occasionalists, being afraid of perishing out of the Church, and yet, at the same tie, ashamed of returning perfectly into it, wounded, half dead, and half alive, and just in the condition of those men, who have taken such a dose of poison, as will neither destroy nor be digested, neither let them die or live.

Pitiable condition? For with what whirlwinds, what tides of restless passion are such wretches agitated! One while, they are transported with every wind of doctrine; another while, they return and fall foul upon themselves, and, like conflicting waves, are dashed to pieces by their own contrary motions; this moment, they are confident in uncertainties, and the moment after as irrationally fearful, where no fear exists; unknowing where to go, where to return, what to desire, what to deprecate; what to receive, and what to relinquish.

Nevertheless, this unhappy vibration and instability of mind, points to its own cure, if men would but wisely consider the merciful design of Providence, in this very affliction. For therefore, whilst without the haven of the Catholic faith, are they thus afflicted, thus tossed and shattered almost to pieces with inward storms of clashing thoughts, that by this restless posture of mind, being made sensible of the danger they are in, and their distance from salvation, they might take down those sails of pride and vanity, which they have unhappily spread before every gust of heresy, and make all the sale they can into the safe and peaceable harbour of their holy mother, the Catholic Church; and there, being sea sick, as it were, with errors, discharge these foul and bitter waters, to make room for the pure waters of life. There they may unlearn well, all they have learned ill, and get a right notion of all those doctrines of the church they are capable of understanding, and believe those that surpass all understanding."

Source: Grounds of Catholic Doctrine: by Bishop Challoner: as contained in the Profession of Faith, published by Pope Pius IV

"The persecutions which the evil enemy has stirred up at various times against the most holy sacrifice of the Mass are a proof how sacred a thing it must be, and how obnoxious to the devil; otherwise he would not attack it with such violence. "

Source: Explanation of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, by Rev. Cochem

"The oftener I reflect upon these things, the more I am astonished at the extravagance of some men, at that complication of impiety and blindness; in a word, at that strange insatiable lust after novelty in religion, that they cannot rest contented with the old rule of faith, once delivered and deposited in the Primitive Church, but must be, every day, upon new researches, and are never well but when they are aiding altering, or curtailing Christianity; as if the doctrine was not from heaven, nor one Revelation sufficient, but only a human institution, which could not possibly be perfected, but by mending it every day; or to speak more truly, by picking holes in it every day.

And yet the divine oracles, both in the Old and New Testament, loudly remonstrate against all such alterations. Pass not beyond the bounds, which thy fathers have set, Prov. xxiii. 28. And judge not against a judge, Eccles. viii. 17. He, that breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him, Eccles. x.8. And so likewise that severe charge of the apostle, which has often been, and always will be, as it were the Spiritual Sword, to lop off the sprouting heresies of every age. The charge is this, 1 Tim. vi. 20,21. O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trusts, avoiding the profane novelties of words, and oppositions of knowledge falsely so culled, which some promising, have erred concerning the faith.

And yet, after all this, there are some such hardy veterans in wickedness, of that barren effrontery, and irrefragable obstinacy, as to stand proof against all this powerful impression of scripture; men, who will capitulate upon no terms of reason, nor be touched by the most shocking  arguments, nor be dismayed, to say no more, by the most terrible menaces from heaven. But to proceed: Avoid, says St. Paul, the profane novelties of words; he did not say, avoid the primitive doctrines, but just the contrary; for if novelty is to be avoided, antiquity is to be retained; if novelty is profane, antiquity is sacred. But the apostle goes on and adds, oppositions of knowledge falsely so called. A most true character of the doctrine of heretics, who set a gloss upon their ignorance, with the title of science, and call darkness light, and light darkness. Which some, says he, promising have erred concerning the faith. Promising what? Why some new, strange, unheard of doctrines; for this is the cant of these promisers to the Catholics: Come hither, O ye unwise and simple wretches, come to our meetings, O ye that love to go by the name of Catholics, and here learn the true and saving faith, which none are gifted to understand, but those of our way only; a mystery, that has been hidden from the world for many ages, and graciously revealed, but of late, to the Lord's people; but you must be content to learn this faith privily, and by stealth, and then you will find it wondrous sweet and edifying.

And moreover, I must advise you to teach it with the same privity as you learned it, and be sure, that it comes not to the ears of the world, not that the Church knows one syllable of the mystery: for it is given but to few to know the secrets of the Lord. But is not this the very invitation of the courtesan in the Proverbs of Solomon, calling them that pass by the way, and go on their journey: he that is a little one, let him turn to me, and to the fool she said: Stolen waters are sweeter, and hidden bread is more pleasant. But what are the words following? Why, he knoweth not that giants are there, and that her guests are in the depths of hell. Prov. ix. 15,16,17,18. And who are the giants, but those whom the apostles says, have erred concerning the faith?"

Source: Grounds of Catholic Doctrine: by Bishop Challoner: as contained in the Profession of Faith, published by Pope Pius IV,