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This he has already shown by saying that some have already made shipwreck concerning the faith. And now he says: But the Spirit says expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits. Concerning the Manichaeans, and Encratites, and Marcionites, and all their workshop, he says such things, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith. Do you see that the cause of all the evils that come after this is departing from the faith? And what is, Expressly? Manifestly, clearly, confessedly, so as not to doubt. Do not marvel, he says, if now some who have departed from the faith still Judaize; there will be a time when those who have partaken of the faith will themselves do this more grievously, introducing their destructive counsel not only in matters of food, but also of marriage, and all such things 62.558. He does not say these things about Jews; for how could, In the latter times, and, Some shall depart from the faith, have a place? but about the Manichaeans, and their leaders. And he called them spirits of error, reasonably so; for being energized by them, they uttered these things. What is, In the hypocrisy of liars? The very things they lie about, they lie not in ignorance nor without knowing, but in hypocrisy, knowing the truth, but having their conscience seared, that is, being of a wicked life. Why then does he speak only of these heretics? Christ foretold others also, saying, It is necessary that offenses come. Besides, through the sowing of the wheat and the growth of the tares he foretold these very ones. But you, marvel at the prophecy of Paul; for before the times in which it was to happen, he indicated the time itself. Do not marvel, therefore, if now, when matters of faith are at their beginning, some attempt to introduce these destructive doctrines, that, when it is established after a long time, some will depart from the faith. Forbidding, he says, to marry, to abstain from foods. Why did he not also mention the other heresies? He alluded to them also by saying, To deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. For he did not wish to sow these things already into the souls of men; but what had already begun, this he pointed out, that concerning foods. Which God, he says, created to be received by the faithful, and those who have come to know the truth. Why does he not say, And to the unbelievers? How to the unbelievers, when by laws they keep themselves from these things? What then? Is luxury not forbidden? Very much so. Why, if it is created to be received? Because he also created bread, and 62.559 immoderation is forbidden, and he created wine, and immoderation is forbidden. He does not now command us to abstain from luxury as if it were unclean, but as enfeebling the soul through immoderation. For every creature of God is good, he says, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. If it is a creature of God, it is good; For all things are very good. By saying, A creature of God, he alluded to all edible things; and he already pulls down the heresy of those who introduce uncreated matter, and say that these things are of it. Therefore, if it is good, what does he mean by, It is sanctified by the word and prayer? For it is clear that being unclean, it is sanctified. Not that, but here he speaks to those who consider some of them to be common. He lays down two points, therefore: one, that no creature is common; and second, that even if it should become common, you have the remedy: make the sign of the cross, give thanks, glorify God, and all impurity has flown away. Can we therefore, he says, also cleanse what is sacrificed to idols in this way? If you did not know that it was sacrificed to idols; but if you know and then partake, you will be unclean, not because it is sacrificed to idols, but because, having been commanded not to have fellowship with demons, you had fellowship through it. So that it is not such by nature, but becomes so from your choice and disobedience. What then? Is pork unclean? By no means, when it is received with thanksgiving, when with the sign of the cross, nor anything else. The choice that does not give thanks to God is unclean.

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τοῦτο ἤδη μὲν ἐδήλωσεν εἰπὼν, ὅτι ἤδη ἐναυάγησάν τινες περὶ τὴν πίστιν. Καὶ νῦν δέ φησι· Τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα ῥητῶς λέγει, ὅτι ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς πίστεως, προσέχοντες πνεύμασι πλάνοις. Περὶ Μανιχαίων, καὶ Ἐγκρατιτῶν, καὶ Μαρκιωνιστῶν, καὶ παντὸς αὐτῶν τοῦ ἐργαστηρίου τὰ τοιαῦτά φησιν, ὅτι ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς πίστεως. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι πάντων αἴτιον τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα κακῶν τὸ τῆς πίστεως ἀποστῆναι; Τί δέ ἐστι, Ῥητῶς; Φανερῶς, σαφῶς, ὁμολογουμένως, ὡς μὴ ἀμφιβάλλειν. Μὴ θαυμάσῃς, φησὶν, εἰ νῦν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεώς τινες ἀποστάντες ἔτι Ἰουδαΐζουσιν· ἔσται καιρὸς ὅτε χαλεπώτερον αὐτοὶ οἱ τῆς πίστεως μετεσχηκότες τοῦτο ἐργάσονται, οὐ μέχρι βρωμάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρι γάμων, καὶ πάντων τῶν τοιούτων τὴν ὀλέθριον συμβουλὴν εἰσάγον 62.558 τες. Οὐ περὶ Ἰουδαίων λέγει ταῦτα· πῶς γὰρ τὸ, Ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς, καὶ τὸ, Ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς πίστεως, ἔχει χώραν; ἀλλὰ περὶ Μανιχαίων, καὶ τῶν ἀρχηγετῶν τούτων. Πνεύματα δὲ πλάνης ἐκάλεσεν αὐτοὺς, εἰκότως· ὑπὸ γὰρ ἐκείνων ἐνεργούμενοι, ταῦτα ἐφθέγξαντο. Τί ἐστιν, Ἐν ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων; Αὐτὰ ἃ ψεύδονται, οὐ κατὰ ἄγνοιαν οὐδὲ οὐκ εἰδότες, ἀλλ' ὑποκρινόμενοι ψεύδονται, εἰδότες μὲν τὸ ἀληθὲς, τὸ δὲ συνειδὸς κεκαυτηριασμένοι, τουτέστι, πονηροῦ ὄντες βίου. Τί δήποτε δὲ μόνους τούτους τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς λέγει; Προεῖπεν ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ ἑτέρους λέγων, Ἀνάγκη ἐστὶν ἐλθεῖν τὰ σκάνδαλα. Ἄλλως τε διὰ τῆς τοῦ σίτου σπορᾶς καὶ τῶν ζιζανίων τῆς βλάστης τούτους αὐτοὺς προεμήνυσε. Σὺ δέ μοι θαύμασον τοῦ Παύλου τὴν προφητείαν· πρὸ γὰρ τῶν χρόνων, ὧν ἔμελλεν ἔσεσθαι, ἐδήλου καὶ τὸν χρόνον αὐτόν. Μὴ θαυμάσῃς τοίνυν, εἰ νῦν, ὅτε τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχει τὰ τῆς πίστεως, ταῦτά τινες ἐπιχειροῦσι παρεισφέρειν τὰ ὀλέθρια δόγματα, ὅτι, ὅταν παγῇ μετὰ χρόνον πολὺν, ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς πίστεως. Κωλυόντων, φησὶ, γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων. Τί δήποτε καὶ τὰς ἄλλας αἱρέσεις οὐκ εἶπεν; Ἠνίξατο καὶ αὐτὰς εἰπὼν, Πνεύμασι πλάνοις καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων. Οὐ γὰρ ἐβούλετο ἤδη κατασπεῖραι εἰς τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχὰς ταῦτα· ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἀρχὴν εἰλήφει, τοῦτο ἤδη παρέδειξε, τὸ τῶν βρωμάτων. Ἃ ὁ Θεὸς, φησὶν, ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάληψιν τοῖς πιστοῖς, καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν. ∆ιὰ τί μή φησι, Καὶ τοῖς ἀπίστοις; Πῶς τοῖς ἀπίστοις, ὁπότε νόμοις ἑαυτοὺς τούτων ἀπείργουσι; Τί οὖν; οὐ κεκώλυται ἡ τρυφή; Καὶ σφόδρα. ∆ιὰ τί, εἰ εἰς μετάληψιν ἔκτισται; Ὅτι καὶ ἄρτον ἔκτισε, καὶ κεκώλυται 62.559 ἡ ἀμετρία, καὶ οἶνον ἔκτισε, καὶ κεκώλυται ἡ ἀμετρία. Οὐχ ὡς ἀκάθαρτον νῦν τὴν τρυφὴν παραιτεῖσθαι κελεύει, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐκλύουσαν διὰ τῆς ἀμετρίας τὴν ψυχήν. Ὅτι πᾶν κτίσμα Θεοῦ καλὸν, φησὶ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπόβλητον μετ' εὐχαριστίας λαμβανόμενον. Εἰ κτίσμα Θεοῦ, καλόν· Πάντα γὰρ καλὰ λίαν. Τῷ εἰπεῖν, Κτίσμα Θεοῦ, περὶ τῶν ἐδωδίμων ἁπάντων ᾐνίξατο· καὶ ἤδη προκατασπᾷ τὴν αἵρεσιν τὴν τῶν ἀγέννητον τὴν ὕλην εἰσαγόντων, καὶ ἐκείνης ταῦτα λεγόντων εἶναι. Οὐκοῦν εἰ καλὸν, τί ἐστιν ὅ φησι, τὸ, Ἁγιάζεται διὰ λόγου καὶ ἐντεύξεως; δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι ἀκάθαρτον ὂν ἁγιάζεται. Οὐ τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα πρὸς ἐκείνους φησὶ, τοὺς κοινά τινα νομίζοντας ἐξ αὐτῶν εἶναι. ∆ύο τοίνυν τίθησι κεφάλαια, ἓν μὲν, ὅτι οὐδὲν κτίσμα κοινόν· δεύτερον δὲ, ὅτι εἰ καὶ γένοιτο κοινὸν, ἀλλ' ἔχεις τὸ φάρμακον· σφράγισον, εὐχαρίστησον, δόξασον τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ πᾶσα ἀκαθαρσία ἀπέπτη. Οὐκοῦν καὶ τὸ εἰδωλόθυτον, φησὶν, οὕτω δυνάμεθα καθαίρειν; Ἐὰν μὴ ᾔδεις, ὅτι εἰδωλόθυτόν ἐστιν· ἐὰν δὲ εἰδῇς λοιπὸν καὶ μεταλάβῃς, ἀκάθαρτος ἔσῃ, οὐχ ὅτι εἰδωλόθυτόν ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι προσταχθεὶς μὴ κοινωνεῖν δαίμοσιν, ἐκοινώνησας δι' ἐκείνου. Ὥστε οὔτε ἐκεῖνό ἐστι φύσει τοιοῦτον, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς προαιρέσεως γίνεται τῆς σῆς καὶ τῆς παρακοῆς. Τί δαί; οὐκ ἀκάθαρτον τὸ ὕειον; Οὐδαμῶς, ὅταν μετὰ εὐχαριστίας λαμβάνηται, ὅταν μετὰ σφραγῖδος, οὐδὲ ἄλλο οὐδέν. Ἀκάθαρτος ἡ προαίρεσις ἡ μὴ εὐχαριστοῦσα τῷ Θεῷ.