Pope Innocent III

“ Certainly just as heretical depravity should not be tolerated, so religious simplicity should not be considered a weakness; lest either our patience makes heretics bold, or lest great impatience confuses simple men, so that when we are in disagreement, they are turned into a crooked bow [4] , and they are transformed from simple men into heretics. ”

“ Laymen should not preach, nor organize secret assemblies, nor find fault with priests. (Issued at the Lateran.)
Since, according to the duty of apostleship assigned to us, we have become, as the Apostle says, debtors "to the wise and to the unwise" [1] , we are required to be concerned for the salvation of everyone, so that we may both lead back evil men from their vices, and foster good men in their virtues. There is, then, need for greater discretion, when vices enter secretly under the guise of virtues, and the angel of Satan deceitfully transforms himself into an angel of the light. ”

“ Just as it is incumbent upon prelates of the church to seize young foxes, who try to destroy the Lord's vineyard [2] , it is incumbent upon them to listen prudently and diligently: thus they should guard very strongly against collecting the cockle before the harvest, lest perhaps, God forbid, the wheat is also taken up with it. ”

“ In cutting away and also in curing the bodies of the sick, the diligence of the eye should thus precede the duty of the hand, and the finger should come before the sword, so that, if the branding iron is used incautiously, it does not both leave the weak parts uncured and also weaken the healthy parts: because the more it should be preserved more diligently in weaker minds, the more we know that the mind is more worthy than the body and spiritual things should be put before worldly things. ”

“ John the Baptist also offered a special testimony of his mission from Scripture, responding to the priests and Levites who had been sent to interrogate him about who he was and why he had taken the duty of baptizing upon himself: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaias." [24]
Therefore he who says that he is sent by God should not be believed, since he has not been sent by man, unless he personally offers special testimony from Scripture, or he shows an obvious miracle. ”

“ The mysteries of the sacraments of faith should not be explained everywhere to everyone, since they cannot be understood everywhere by everyone, but only to those who can conceive of them by their faithful intellect. Because of this the Apostle said to the simpler people: "As unto little ones in Christ I gave you milk to drink, not meat." [11] For "strong meat is for the perfect" [12] , as he said to others: "we speak wisdom among the perfect;" ”