For of this sort are they who creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with various lusts,
Read Chapter 3
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Of this sort Here St. Paul gives a true description of heretics, and evil men; such as they have existed in every age. For there never existed a time, either under the Old or New Testaments, in which such have not appeared. Even in the apostle's time, we behold heresies and disorders in the Church. We see them increase rapidly after their decease. Simon, the magician, seems to have been dead when St. Paul wrote this epistle, which was but a short time before his martyrdom. But he had left a great number of disciples behind him, known by the numerous sects, the Gnostics, the Simonians, the Encratians into which, after the death of their master, they were split. (Calmet)
Who creep women That is the custom of almost all heretics. See St. Jerome to Ctesiphon, tom. iv. part 2. p. 477. Nov. edit., where he brings a number of instances, from Simon Magus to his time. (Witham)
For there are many wolves that appear worthy of credit, who, by means of a pernicious pleasure, carry captive.
who, by means of a pernicious pleasure, carry captive
Some of the disciples of Marcus wandered about among the faithful, deceived many silly women and defiled them. They boasted of being so perfect that no one was able to come up to the greatness of their knowledge. No one, not even Peter or Paul, or any other of the apostles. They imagined that they knew more than all others and alone imbibed the greatness of the knowledge and the unspeakable Power. They thought of themselves as on a height above all Power, and so they felt free to do all things without fear of anyone in regard to anything. .
Such are the words and deeds by which, in our own district of the Rhone, they have deluded many women, who have their consciences seared as with a hot iron.
Avoid men, also, when you see them loaded with chains and wearing their hair long like women, contrary to the apostle’s precept, not to speak of beards like those of goats, black cloaks and bare feet braving the cold. All these things are tokens of the devil. Such a one was Antimus, who Rome groaned over some time ago. And Sophronius is a still more recent instance. Such persons, when they have once gained admission to the houses of the highborn, and have deceived “silly women laden with sins, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,” feign a sad face and pretend to make long fasts while at night they would feast in secret.
