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God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and have come to know the truth; for every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer." And to the Corinthians he commanded them to eat whatever is sold in the marketplace, asking no questions for conscience' sake. And he commanded one who is invited by an unbeliever to a feast to partake fearlessly of what is set before him, unless someone should point out that some of the dishes are things sacrificed to idols. So far was that divine man from forbidding the partaking of meats. And the Lord Himself said of Himself: "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'" And when He celebrated the Passover, He ate the lamb, clearly with His disciples; and being invited to the wedding, not only did He not forbid drinking, but He even miraculously created wine for the guests. Therefore, the divine doctrines brilliantly refute the error of the Encratites; and the Church of God opposes the myths of the heretics, but follows the divine doctrines. I urge, therefore, those who will read this treatise, to set the divine teachings against each of those wicked doctrines, and by the par 83.556 examination to learn how great is the distance between falsehood and truth. "For what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial?" For in reality, the former are inventions of diabolical malice; but the latter are the doctrines of the divine Spirit; which one ought to follow continually, and to keep their unswerving rule, and by it to direct one's own soul; in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father with the all-holy Spirit is due glory, honor, and majesty, now and always, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

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Θεὸς ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάληψιν μετ' εὐχαριστίας τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν· ὅτι πᾶν κτίσμα Θεοῦ καλὸν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπόβλητον μετ' εὐχαριστίας λαμβανόμενον· ἁγιάζεται γὰρ διὰ λόγου Θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξεως." Καὶ Κορινθίοις δὲ προσέταξε πᾶν τὸ ἐν μακέλλῳ πωλούμενον ἐσθίειν, μηδὲν ἀνακρίνοντας διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν. Καὶ τὸν ὑπό τινος τῶν ἀπίστων καλούμενον εἰς ἑστίασιν τῶν παρατιθεμένων ἀδεῶς μεταλαμβάνειν ἐκέλευσεν, εἰ μή τις ἄρα μηνύσῃ εἰδωλόθυτα εἶναι τῶν ὄψων τινά. Τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχετο ὁ θεῖος ἐκεῖνος ἀνὴρ κωλύσαι τῶν κρεῶν τὴν μετάληψιν. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Κύριος ἔφη περὶ ἑαυτοῦ· "Ἦλθεν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων, καὶ λέγουσιν· Ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος φάγος, καὶ οἰνοπότης, τελωνῶν φίλος καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν." Καὶ τὸ Πάσχα δὲ ἐπιτελέσας, τὸν ἀμνὸν ἔφαγε, δηλονότι μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν· καὶ εἰς τὸν γάμον κληθεὶς, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀπηγόρευσε τὸ πίνειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἶνον τοῖς ἑστιωμένοις παραδόξως ἐδημιούργησε. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ τῶν Ἐγκρατιτῶν τὴν πλάνην τὰ θεῖα δόγματα λαμπρῶς ἀπελέγχουσιν· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησία τοῖς μὲν τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἀντιτάττεται μύθοις, τοῖς δὲ θείοις δόγμασιν ἐπακολουθεῖ. Παρακαλῶ τοίνυν τοὺς ἐντευξομένους τῇδε τῇ συγγραφῇ, ἑκάστῳ τῶν πονηρῶν ἐκείνων δογμάτων παραθεῖναι τὰ θεῖα, καὶ τῇ παρ 83.556 εξετάσει καταμαθεῖν, ὅσον τοῦ ψεύδους καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ μέσον. "Τίς γὰρ κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος; τίς δὲ συμφώνησις Χριστῷ πρὸς Βελίαν;" Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ ἐκεῖνα μὲν τῆς διαβολικῆς κακοτεχνίας εὑρέματα· ταῦτα δὲ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος δόγματα· οἷς ἕπεσθαι προσήκει διηνεκῶς, καὶ τὸν τούτων ἀκλινῆ φυλάττειν κανόνα, καὶ τούτῳ τὴν οἰκείαν διευθύνειν ψυχήν· ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ σὺν τῷ παναγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα πρέπει, τιμὴ, καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.