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of sin they promise, only if someone, having practiced their much-talked-of prayer among them, becomes an impromptu initiate of their trickery, so as also to lead some such persons to the ordinations of clerics before the release from their sins, deceitfully persuading the bishops to lay hands on them, being enticed by the testimony of those considered ascetics among them. And they are eager for this not because they judge the ranks of the clergy to be honorable, since they even despise the bishops themselves, whenever they wish, but are contriving a certain power and authority for themselves. Some of them say that they never partake of the mysteries, unless they have a sensible perception of the presence of the Spirit occurring at that hour. And some of them permit those who wish to cut off their own natural members. And they easily despise excommunications. And they swear fearlessly and perjure themselves, and they deceitfully anathematize their own heresy. Further concerning the aforementioned heresy of the Massalians, who are found especially in monasteries, from the history of Theodoret. In the times of Valentinian and Valens the heresy of the Massalians sprang up; those who translate the name into Greek call them Euchites. But they also have another name arising from their practice; they are called Enthusiasts, because they receive the energy of some demon and suppose this to be of the Holy Spirit. Those who have perfectly received the disease turn away from manual labor as evil, and giving themselves over to sleep, they call the fantasies of their dreams "enthusiasm." The leaders of this heresy were Dadoes and Sabas and Adelphius and Hermas and Symeon and others in addition to these, who withdrew from ecclesiastical communion, saying that the divine food neither benefits nor harms, concerning which the Lord says: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever." And trying to hide, even after being refuted they shamelessly deny and renounce those who hold these beliefs, which they carry in their own souls. Letoius, however, who governed the church of the Melitenes, adorned with divine zeal, having seen many monasteries, or rather, robbers' caves, that had contracted this disease, burned them and drove the wolves from the flock. And Amphilochius, the all-praised, who was likewise entrusted with the metropolis of the Lycaonians and governed the whole nation, learning that this pestilence had assailed the place, rose up again and freed the flocks pastured by him from that contagion. And Flavian, the much-talked-of archbishop of the Antiochenes, learning that these men were living in Edessa, pouring out their own poison on those who approached, sent a company of monks and brought them to Antioch and, as they were denying the disease, he refuted them in this manner. For he said that the accusers were random people and the witnesses were lying; and having gently ordered Adelphius, who was very old, to be seated near him: "We," he said, "O elder, having lived the greater part of our life, have learned more accurately both human nature and have come to know the machinations of the opposing demons, and by experience have been taught the provision of grace. But these men, being young and knowing nothing of these things accurately, cannot bear to hear a more spiritual discourse. Therefore tell me, how do you say that the contrary spirit withdraws and the grace of the all-holy Spirit comes upon one?" Beguiled by these words, that elder vomited forth all the hidden poison and says that no benefit from baptism comes to those who are deemed worthy of it, but only earnest prayer the indwelling demon

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ἁμαρτήματος ἐπαγγέλλονται, μόνον εἴ τις τὴν πολυθρύλλητον αὐτῶν προσευχὴν παρ' αὐτοῖς μελετήσας μύστης σχέδιος τῆς ἐκείνων κυβείας ἐγένετο, ὡς καί τινας τῶν τοιούτων πρὸ τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἄγειν αὐτοὺς εἰς κληρικῶν χειροτονίας δολερῶς πείθοντες τοὺς ἐπισκόπους ἐπιτιθέναι χεῖρας αὐτοῖς τῇ παρὰ τῶν νομιζομένων παρ' αὐτοῖς ἀσκητῶν μαρτυρίᾳ δελεαζομένους. Τοῦτο δὲ σπουδάζουσιν οὐχ ὡς τοὺς τῶν κληρικῶν βαθμοὺς τιμίους κρίνοντες οἵ γε καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἐπισκόπων καταφρονοῦντες, ὅταν ἐθέλωσι, ἀλλὰ δυναστείαν τινὰ καὶ αὐθεντίαν ἑαυτοῖς πραγματευόμενοι. Ἔνιοι δὲ αὐτῶν μήτε κοινωνῆσαί ποτε τῶν μυστηρίων λέγουσιν, εἰ μὴ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ πνεύματος αἰσθητῶς αἴσθονται, γενομένης κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ὥραν. Ἐπιτρέπουσι δέ τινες αὐτῶν τοῖς βουλομένοις ἀποτέμνειν τὰ ἑαυτῶν φυσικὰ μόρια. Καταφρονοῦσι δὲ ῥᾳδίως καὶ ἀφορισμῶν. Ὀμνύουσι δὲ ἀδεῶς καὶ ἐπιορκοῦσιν, ἀναθεματίζουσί τε ὑπούλως τὴν αἵρεσιν αὐτῶν. Ἔτι περὶ τῆς εἰρημένης αἱρέσεως τῶν Μασσαλιανῶν τῶν ἐν μοναστηρίοις μάλιστα εὑρισκομένων ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας Θεοδωρήτου. Κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους Οὐαλεντινιανοῦ καὶ Οὐάλεντος ἐβλάστησεν ἡ τῶν Μασσαλιανῶν αἵρεσις· Εὐχήτας αὐτοὺς προσαγορεύουσιν οἱ εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα τοὔνομα μεταβάλλοντες. Ἔχουσι δὲ καὶ ἑτέραν προσηγορίαν ἐκ τοῦ πράγματος γινομένην· Ἐνθουσιασταὶ καλοῦνται, δαίμονός τινος ἐνέργειαν εἰσδεχόμενοι καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου ταύτην ὑπολαμβάνοντες. Οἱ δὲ τέλειον τὴν νόσον εἰσδεδεγμένοι ἀποστρέφονται μὲν τὴν τῶν χειρῶν ἐργασίαν ὡς πονηράν, ὕπνῳ δὲ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐκδιδόντες ἐνθουσιασμὸν τὰς τῶν ὀνείρων φαντασίας ἀποκαλοῦσι. Ταύτης ἐγένοντο τῆς αἱρέσεως ἀρχηγοὶ ∆αδόης τε καὶ Σάβας καὶ Ἀδέλφιος καὶ Ἑρμᾶς καὶ Συμεὼν καὶ ἄλλοι πρὸςτούτοις, οἳ τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς κοινωνίας ἀπέστησαν, οὐδὲν οὔτε ὀνινάναι οὔτε λωβᾶσθαι φάσκοντες τὴν θείαν τροφήν, περὶ ἧς ὁ κύριός φησιν· «Ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ζήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.» Κρύπτειν δὲ πειρώμενοι καὶ μετ' ἐλέγχους ἀναιδῶς ἐξαρνοῦνται καὶ ἀποκηρύττουσι τοὺς ταῦτα φρονοῦντας, ἅπερ ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς περιφέρουσι. Λητώιος μέντοι, ὁ τὴν Μελιτηνῶν ἐκκλησίαν ἰθύνων, ζήλῳ θείῳ κοσμούμενος, πολλὰ τῆς νόσου ταύτης σπάσαντα θεασάμενος μοναστήρια, μᾶλλον δὲ σπήλαια λῃστρικά, ἐνέπρησεν ταῦτα καὶ τοὺς λύκους ἐκ τῆς ποίμνης ἐξήλασεν. Ἀμφιλόχιος δέ, ὁ πανεύφημος ὡσαύτως τὴν Λυκαόνων μητρόπολιν πεπιστευμένος καὶ ἅπαν ἰθύνων τὸ ἔθνος, ἐπισκήψασαν αὐτόθι τὴν λύμην ταύτην μαθὼν ἐξανέστη πάλιν καὶ τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ νεμόμενα τῆς λώβης ἐκείνης ἠλευθέρωσε ποίμνια. Φλαβιανὸς δέ, ὁ πολυθρύλλητος τῆς Ἀντιοχέων ἀρχιερεύς, ἐν Ἐδέσσῃ τούτους διάγειν μαθών, τὸν οἰκεῖον τοῖς πελάζουσιν ἐγχεῖν προιεμένους ἰόν, συμμορίαν μοναχῶν ἀποστείλας ἤγαγεν εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν καὶ τὴν νόσον ἐξαρνουμένους τόνδε τὸν τρόπον διήλεγξεν. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ κατηγόρους ἔφη τυγχάνειν καὶ τοὺς μάρτυρας ψεύδεσθαι· τὸν δὲ Ἀδέλφιον ἄγαν ὄντα πρεσβύτατον ἠπίως κελεύσας πλησίον καθεσθῆναι· Ἡμεῖς, ἔφη, ὦ πρεσβῦτα, τὸν πλείω βεβιωκότες βίον ἀκριβέστερον καὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν ἐμάθομεν φύσιν καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀντιπάλων δαιμόνων ἔγνωμεν μηχανήματα, πείρᾳ δὲ καὶ τὴν τῆς χάριτος ἐδιδάχθημεν χορηγίαν. Οὗτοι δὲ νέοι ὄντες καὶ τούτων οὐδὲν ἀκριβῶς ἐπιστάμενοι πνευματικώτερον ἀκοῦσαι λόγον οὐ φέρουσι. Τοιγάρτοι εἰπέ μοι, πῶς φατε καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐναντίον ὑποχωρεῖν καὶ τοῦ παναγίου πνεύματος τὴν χάριν ἐπιφοιτᾶν; Τούτοις ὁ πρεσβύτης ἐκεῖνος καταθελχθεὶς ἐξήμεσεν ἅπαντα τὸν κεκρυμμένον ἰὸν καί φησι, μηδεμίαν μὲν ἐκ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ὠφέλειαν τοῖς ἀξιουμένοις ἐγγίνεσθαι, μόνην δὲ τὴν σπουδαίαν εὐχὴν τὸν δαίμονα τὸν ἔνοικον