Lectio 2
Lecture 2
Insipientia manifesta
Manifestation of folly
3:5 Habentes speciem quidem pietatis, virtutem autem ejus abnegantes. Et hos devita:
3:5 Having an appearance indeed of godliness but denying the power thereof. Now these avoid.
3:6 ex his enim sunt qui penetrant domos, et captivas ducunt mulierculas oneratas peccatis, quae ducuntur variis desideriis: [n. 104]
3:6 For of these sort are they who creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins, who are led away with diverse desires: [n. 104]
3:7 semper discentes, et numquam ad scientiam veritatis pervenientes.
3:7 Ever learning, and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth.
3:8 Quemadmodum autem Jannes et Mambres restiterunt Moysi: ita et hi resistunt veritati, homines corrupti mente, reprobi circa fidem; [n. 108]
3:8 Now as Jannes and Mambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth, men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith. [n. 108]
3:9 sed ultra non proficient: insipientia enim eorum manifesta erit omnibus, sicut et illorum fuit. [n. 110]
3:9 But they shall proceed no farther: for their folly shall be manifest to all men, as theirs also was. [n. 110]
3:10 Tu autem assecutus es meam doctrinam, institutionem, propositum, fidem, longanimitatem, dilectionem, patientiam, [n. 113]
3:10 But you have fully known my doctrine, instruction, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience, [n. 113]
3:11 persecutiones, passiones: qualia mihi facta sunt Antiochiae, Iconii, et Lystris: quales persecutiones sustinui, et ex omnibus eripuit me Dominus.
3:11 Persecutions, afflictions: such as came upon me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra: what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord delivered me.
102. Supra Apostolus descripsit pericula novissimorum temporum, et causam assignavit, hic docet huiusmodi etiam in praesenti esse vitanda. Et
102. Above, the Apostle described the dangers to come in the last days, and the causes from which they shall arise; here he teaches that even in our own days they must be avoided:
primo praemittit monitionem de horum vitatione;
first, he advises him to avoid them;
secundo ostendit in quibus hominibus in praesenti appareant praedicta, ibi ex his enim.
second, he points out certain contemporaries who personify these dangers, at for of these sort.
103. Dicit ergo: dixi quod in novissimis temporibus erunt homines pessimi. Sed non credas te in praesenti esse tutum; sed etiam nunc hos, et tales homines devita, scilicet ne in similem errorem labaris. Tit. ult.: haereticum hominem post unam et secundam correptionem devita. Et licet quantum ad aliqua vitandi sint, sed non quantum ad sermonem exhortationis.
103. He says, therefore: I have warned you that in the last days will appear men of the worst sort; but do not suppose that you are safe today, because even now you must avoid such person, lest you slip into a like error: a man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition, avoid (Titus 3:10). And although you must avoid them under some aspects, you must not neglect to persuade them.
104. Et tunc ostendit quod etiam modo sunt aliqui tales. Et
104. Then he shows that even now such men are to be found:
primo ostendit nocumentum quod inferunt;
first, he describes the damage they do;
secundo defectum quem patiuntur, ibi homines reprobi;
second, the defects from which they suffer, at men corrupted in mind; reprobate concerning the faith;
tertio impedimentum quo arctantur, ibi sed ultra.
third, the impediment with which they are straitened: but they shall proceed no farther.
Circa primum duo facit, quia
In regard to the first he does two things:
primo ostendit impedimentum quod inferunt subditis;
first, he shows the impediment they cast before their subjects;
secundo impedimentum quod inferunt praelatis, ibi quemadmodum autem.
second, the hindrance they cast before prelates, at as Jannes and Mambres.
Iterum prima in duas; quia
In regard to the first he does two things:
primo ostendit eorum imprudentiam;
first, he discloses their imprudence;
secundo eorum astutiam, ibi et captivas.
second, their astuteness, at they lead captive.
105. Quantum ad primum dicit: devita hos, quia iam sunt aliqui tales, nam ex his enim, id est, eorum numero, sunt. I Io. c. II, 18: nunc antichristi multi sunt, et cetera. Nec debetis intelligere quod ex his fuerunt, sed sunt, scilicet scelesti et ingrati, etc., quia peccatores iam conversi non debent dici peccatores. Ps. XV, 4: nec memor ero nominum eorum per labia mea.
105. Regarding the first he says, now these avoid, because there are such even today: for of these sort, i.e., of their number, are they: even now there are become many antichrists (1 John 2:18). Nor should you suppose that of these were, but of these are, the wicked and the ungrateful, because sinners so converted should not be called sinners: nor will I be mindful of their names by my lips (Ps 15:4).
106. Deinde cum dicit qui penetrant domos, ostendit eorum malitiam. Et ad litteram potest exponi, quasi inordinate ingerentes se, et circumeuntes propter lucrum. Contra quod Eccli. XXI, 25: pes fatui facilis in domum proximi. Sed propter hoc non prohibentur aliqui visitare afflictos in domibus. Iac. I, 27: religio munda et immaculata apud Deum et Patrem, haec est, visitare pupillos et viduas in tribulatione eorum, et cetera.
106. Then when he says, who creep into houses, he unmasks their wickedness. His words can be taken literally to mean those who force themselves unreasonably and rove about for gain. Against such Sirach says: the foot of a fool is soon in his neighbor’s house (Sir 21:25). But this is no reason for not visiting the afflicted in their hovels: religion clean and undefiled, before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation (Jas 1:27).
Vel metaphorice potest exponi domus, id est, conscientia. Sap. VIII, 16: intrans in domum meam, conquiescam, et cetera. Illi ergo penetrant domos, qui cum astutia volunt scire secreta conscientiae, ut decipiant alios. Eccli. c. XIII, 14: ex multa loquela tentabit te, et subridens interrogabit te. Nihilominus tamen illis qui curam habent, licet inquirere statum conscientiae. Prov. XXVII, 23: diligenter agnosce vultum pecoris tui, tuosque greges considera.
Or house can be explained metaphorically as meaning conscience: when I go into my house, I shall repose myself with her (Wis 8:16). They, therefore, creep into houses who with astuteness desire to know the secrets of conscience in order to deceive others: by much talk I will sift you, and smiling will examine you concerning your secrets (Sir 13:14). Nevertheless, those who have the care of souls are allowed to inquire into the state of their conscience: be diligent to know the countenance of your cattle, and consider your own flocks (Prov 27:23).
107. Deinde cum dicit et captivas ducunt, ostendit eorum astutiam. Et primo tangitur eorum malitia, quia abducunt a libertate et statu gratiae. Iac. I, 25: qui autem prospexerit in lege perfectae libertatis, et cetera. Et ducunt in statum servitutis, qui est status peccati. Ps. CXXV, 1: in convertendo Dominus captivitatem Sion, et cetera. Hoc enim nomen captivitatis importat. Is. V, 13: propterea captivus ductus est populus meus, quia non habuit scientiam.
107. Then when he says, and lead captive silly women, he shows their cleverness. First, he remarks on their wickedness, because they withdraw them from the freedom of the state of grace: he that has looked into the perfect law of liberty and has continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work: this man shall be blessed in his deed (Jas 1:25) and will lead into a state of servitude, which is the state of sin: when the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we became like men comforted (Ps 125:1). For the name ‘captivity’ suggests this: therefore is my people led away captive, because they had not knowledge (Isa 5:13).
Secundo ostendit in quas personas exercent malitiam, quas describit primo a fragilitate sexus; secundo ex malitia conversationis; tertio ex vanitate affectionis; quarto ex defectu discretionis.
Second, he discloses the persons upon whom they will exercise their malice, describing them: first, from the wickedness of their sex; second, from the wickedness of their manner of life; third, from the vanity of their affection; fourth, from their lack of discretion.
Quantum ad primum dicit mulierculas, quae sunt minoris discretionis et sexus fragilioris. Et dicit mulierculas, quia magnae dominae habent aliquos consiliarios, unde non possunt seduci. Sed hae sunt tali auxilio destitutae. Matth. XXIII, 14: comeditis domos viduarum. I Mach. I, 34: captivas duxerunt mulieres, et cetera.
In regard to the first he says, silly women, who lack discernment and constitute the weaker sex. And he says, silly women, because great ladies have good advisers to prevent them from being seduced; but these women are destitute of such help: you devour the houses of widows (Matt 23:14); and they took the women captive (1 Macc 1:34).
Quantum ad secundum dicit oneratas peccatis. Peccatum est onus, quia non permittit libere incedere, nec erectum esse et stare, sed incurvat. Ps. XXXVII, 5: sicut onus grave, gravatae sunt super me. Et ideo istas specialiter decipiunt, quia peccatum parat viam seductioni. Item, quia malae sunt, timent resistere, ne perdantur.
In regard to the second he says, laden with sins. For sin is a load, because it prevents one from moving about freely, from being erect and standing; rather it bends one over: my iniquity as a heavy burden is become heavy upon me (Ps 37:5). Hence, it especially deceives them, because sin prepares the way for seduction. And because they are wicked, they fear to resist, lest they be betrayed.
Quantum ad tertium dicit quae ducuntur variis desideriis, id est, aptae sunt, ut seducantur propter varia desideria, quae habent. Iac. I, 8: vir duplex animo inconstans est in omnibus viis suis. Et ideo prima mulier fuit seducta quia non stetit constanter in verbis Domini, sed dixit: ne forte moriamur. Eccli. IX, 3: ne respicias mulierem multivolam.
In regard to the third he says, who are led away with diverse desires, i.e., are ready to be seduced because of the various desires they have: a double minded man is inconstant in all his ways (Jas 1:8). Hence, the first woman was seduced, because she did not remain constant in the Lord’s words, but said: lest perhaps we die (Gen 3:3); look not upon a woman that has a mind for many (Sir 9:3).
Quantum ad quartum dicit semper discentes, et numquam, et cetera. Curiositas semper nova nititur quaerere, et non vult insistere. Unde dicit semper discentes. Prov. IX, 13: mulier clamosa, et cetera.
In regard to the fourth he says, ever learning, and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth. For curiosity is ever on the alert for news, and refuses to concentrate; hence he says, ever learning: a foolish woman and clamorous and full of allurements and knowing nothing at all (Prov 9:13).
Tamen hoc quod dicit semper discentes, potest reduci ad penetrantes domos.
Yet his description, ever learning, can be applied to those who creep into houses.
108. Deinde cum dicit quemadmodum, ostendit nocumentum quod afferunt praelatis, et nocumentum resistendi eorum doctrinae. Et inducit exemplum de Exodo, ubi magi Pharaonis restiterunt Moysi, quia a principio mundi semper fuit pugna inter veritatem et falsitatem. II Petr. II, 1: fuerunt vero et pseudoprophetae in populo, sicut et in vobis, et cetera. Sed in Exodo isti magi non nominantur, sed hic sic, quod forte habuit ex aliquibus verbis Iudaeorum.
108. Then when he says, as Jannes and Mambre resisted Moses, he shows the harm they cause prelates, namely, the harm of resisting their doctrine. And he finds an example in Exodus, where the magicians resisted Moses; because from the beginning of time there has been a struggle between truth and falsity: but there were also false prophets among the people, even as there shall be among you, lying teachers (2 Pet 2:1). But in Exodus those magicians were not named, but here they are: and perhaps he obtained their names from certain Jewish writings.
Ita et resistunt veritati, scilicet quam nos praedicamus. Iob XXIV, 13: ipsi fuerunt rebelles lumini. Act. XVII: semper Spiritui Sancto restitistis.
So these also resist the truth which we preach: they have been rebellious to the light (Job 24:13); you always resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51).
109. Consequenter cum dicit homines, etc., ostendit eorum defectum in fide et in opere. In opere, homines reprobi. Glossa: in operibus, id est, qui per opera sua, se reprobos ostendunt. Ier. VI, 3: argentum reprobum vocate eos.
109. Then when he says, men corrupted in mind, he shows wherein they fail in faith and in works: they are reprobate in their works; a Gloss says: that is, they prove themselves reprobates by their works: call them reprobate silver (Jer 6:30).