§16Malum.
This is an evil.
hoc, fidelissimi fratres, iam pridem coeperat, sed nunc creuit eiusdem mali infesta clades et surgere ac pullulare plus coepit haereticae peruersitatis et schismatum uenenata pernicies, quia et sic in occasu mundi oportebat praenuntiante per apostolum nobis et praemonente Spiritu sancto: in nouissimis, inquit, diebus aderunt tempora molesta, erunt homines sibi placentes, superbi, tumidi, cupidi, blasphemi. parentibus in dicto non audientes, ingrati, impii, sine adfectu, sine foedere, delatores, incontinentes, inmites, bonum non amantes, proditores, procaces, stupore inflati, uoluptates magis quam Deum diligentes, habentes deformationem religionis, uirtutem autem eius abnegantes.
This, most faithful brothers, had indeed already begun long ago, but now the infested plague of the same evil has grown, and the poisoned destruction of heretical perversity and of schisms has begun to rise and sprout more, because it was indeed necessary to be so at the end of the world, as the Holy Spirit foretold to us and warned through the apostle: "In the last days," he says, "troublesome times will come, men will be lovers of themselves, proud, puffed up, covetous, scammers, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, impious, without affection, without peace-treaty, slanderers, incontinent, unmerciful, not loving the good, traitors, headstrong, puffed up with stupidity, loving pleasures more than God, having a form of religion, but denying its power.
ex his sunt qui repunt in domos et praedantur mulierculas oneratas peccatis quae ducuntur uariis desideriis, semper discentes et numquam ad scientiam ueritatis peruenientes.
Of these are they who creep into houses and make captive silly women laden with sins, who are led away with various desires, always learning and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth.
et quomodo Iannes et Mambres restiterunt Moysi, sic et hi resistunt ueritati, sed non proficient plurimum.
And just as Jannes and Mambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth, but they shall not proceed very far.
imperitia enim eorum manifesta erit omnibus, sicut et illorum fuit. adimplentur quaecumque praedicta sunt et adpropinquante iam saeculi fine hominum pariter ac temporum probatione uenerunt.
For their folly shall be manifest to all, as theirs also was." Whatever things were foretold are being fulfilled, and as the end of the world is now approaching, they have come with the testing of men and times alike.
magis ac magis aduersario saeuiente error fallit, extollit stupor, liuor incendit, cupiditas excaecat, deprauat inpietas, superbia inflat, discordia exasperat, ira praecipitat.
As the adversary rages more and more, error deceives, stupidity extols, jealousy inflames, cupidity blinds, impiety depraves, pride puffs up, discord exasperates, anger precipitates.
§17Non tamen nos moueat aut turbet multorum nimia et abrupta perfidia, sed potius fidem nostram praenuntiatae rei ueritate corroboret.
However, let not the excessive and sudden faithlessness of many move or disturb us, but rather let it corroborate our faith by the truth of the foretold event.
ut quidam tales esse coeperunt, quia haec ante praedicta sunt, ita ceteri fratres ab eiusmodi caueant, quia et haec ante praedicta sunt instruente Domino et dicente: uos autem cauete, ecce praedixi uobis omnia. uitate quaeso uos eiusmodi homines et a latere adque auribus uestris perniciosa conloquia uelut contagium mortis arcete, sicut scriptum est: saepi aures tuas spinis et noli audire linguam nequam. et iterum: conrumpunt ingenia bona confabulationes. pessimae. docet Dominus et admonet a talibus recedendum: caeci sunt, inquit, duces caecorum.
As certain individuals have begun to be such because these things were foretold beforehand, so let the rest of the brothers beware of such people, because these things also were foretold beforehand by the instruction of the Lord, who said: "But take you heed; behold, I have foretold you all things." Avoid, I beseech you, such men, and keep away from your side and from your ears their pernicious conversations as if they were a deadly contagion, as it is written: "Hedge your ears with thorns, and do not listen to a wicked tongue." And again: "Evil communications corrupt good manners." The Lord teaches and warns that one must withdraw from such: "They are," He says, "blind leaders of the blind.
caecus autem caecum ducens simul in foueam cadent. auersandus. est talis adque fugiendus quisque fuerit ab ecclesia separatus.
And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Such a one is to be turned away and fled from, whoever has been separated from the church.
peruersus est huiusmodi et peccat et est a semet ipso damnatus.
Such a person is perverted and sins, and is condemned by himself.
an esse sibi cum Christo uidetur qui aduersum sacerdotes Christi facit, qui se a cleri eius et plebis societate secernit? arma ille contra ecclesiam portat, contra Dei dispositionem repugnat.
Does he seem to himself to be with Christ, who acts against the priests of Christ, who separates himself from the society of His clergy and people? He carries arms against the church, he fights against God's disposition.
hostis altaris, aduersus sacrificium Christi rebellis, pro fide perfidus, pro religione sacrilegus, inobsequens seruus, filius impius, frater inimicus contemptis episcopis et Dei sacerdotibus derelictis constituere audet aliud altare, precem alteram inlicitis uocibus facere, dominicae hostiae ueritatem per falsa sacrificia profanare, nec scire quoniam qui contra ordinationem Dei nititur ob temeritatis audaciam diuina animaduersione punitur.
An enemy of the altar, a rebel against Christ's sacrifice, faithless for faith, sacrilegious for religion, a disobedient servant, an impious son, a hostile brother, despising bishops and abandoning God's priests, he dares to set up another altar, to make another prayer with unlawful words, to profane the truth of the Lord's victim by false sacrifices, and not to know that he who strives against the ordinance of God is punished by divine judgment for the boldness of his temerity.
§18Sic Core et Dathan et Abiron qui sibi contra Moysen et Aaron sacerdotem sacrificandi licentiam uindicare conati sunt poenas statim pro suis conatibus pependerunt.
In this way, Core, Dathan, and Abiron, who attempted to claim for themselves the liberty of sacrificing against Moses and Aaron the priest, paid the penalty immediately for their attempts.
terra conpagibus ruptis in profundum sinus patuit, stantes adque uiuentes recedentis soli hiatus absorbuit, nec tantum eos qui auctores fuerant Dei indignantis ira percussit, sed et ceteros ducentos quinquaginta participes eiusdem furoris et comites qui coagulati cum isdem simul ad audaciam fuerant exiens a Domino ignis properata ultione consumpsit, admonens scilicet et ostendens contra Deum fieri quicquid inprobi fuerint ad destruendam ordinationem Dei humana uoluntate conati.
The earth, its joints being burst open, lay open into the depth of its gulf, and the chasm of the receding ground swallowed them up while standing and alive. Nor did the wrath of the indignant God strike only those who had been the authors, but also the other two hundred and fifty participants of the same madness and companions who had been joined together with them in the same boldness, a fire going out from the Lord consumed with a speedy vengeance, warning namely and showing that whatever wicked men attempted by human will for the destruction of the ordinance of God is done against God.
sic et Ozias rex cum turibulum ferens et contra legem Dei sacrificium sibi uiolenter adsumens resistente sibi Azaria sacerdote obtemperare nollet et cedere, diuina indignatione confusus et leprae uarietate in fronte maculatus est, ea parte corporis notatus offenso Domino ubi signantur qui Dominum promerentur.
Thus also king Ozias, when, carrying a censer and violently assuming to himself the sacrifice against the law of God, and with Azaria the priest resisting him, he would not obey and yield, was confounded by the divine indignation and was spotted on his forehead with the varicolored leprosy, being marked by the offended Lord in that part of the body where those who deserve well of the Lord are signed.
et filii Aaron, qui inposuerunt altari ignem alienum quem non praeceperat Dominus, in conspectu statim Domini uindicantis extincti sunt.
And the sons of Aaron, who placed on the altar a strange fire which the Lord had not commanded, were immediately extinguished in the sight of the avenging Lord.