On the Unity of the Catholic Church 16

This evil, most faithful brothers, began long ago; but now the hostile havoc of the same evil has grown, and the poisoned destruction of heretical perversity and schisms has begun to rise and sprout the more, because so it had to be at the ending of the world, as the Holy Spirit foretold and forewarned us through the apostle: "In the last days," he says, "troublesome times will come; men will be self-pleasing, proud, swollen, covetous, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, impious, without affection, without covenant, informers, incontinent, ungentle, not lovers of the good, traitors, insolent, puffed up with stupor, loving pleasures rather than God, having a deformed appearance of religion but denying its power. Of these are those who creep into houses and prey upon weak women laden with sins, who are led by various desires, always learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth. And as Jannes and Mambres withstood Moses, so these also withstand the truth; but they will not get very far, for their ignorance will be manifest to all, as theirs also was." Whatever was foretold is being fulfilled, and, as the end of the world now draws near, it has come for the testing both of men and of the times. More and more, as the adversary rages, error deceives, stupor lifts up, envy inflames, covetousness blinds, impiety depraves, pride puffs up, discord embitters, anger hurls headlong.