[Concerning Unworthy Bishops and Presbyters.]

II. We add, in the next place, that neither is every one that prophesies holy, nor every one that casts out devils religious: for even Balaam the son of Beor the prophet did prophesy,  23  Num. xxiii; xxiv. though he was himself ungodly; as also did Caiaphas, the falsely-named high priest.  24  John xi. 51. [See on the Sibyllina, passim.] Nay, the devil foretells many things, and the demons, about Him; and yet for all that, there is not a spark of piety in them: for they are oppressed with ignorance, by reason of their voluntary wickedness. It is manifest, therefore, that the ungodly, although they prophesy, do not by their prophesying cover their own impiety; nor will those who cast out demons be sanctified by the demons being made subject to them: for they only mock one another, as they do who play childish tricks for mirth, and destroy those who give heed to them. For neither is a wicked king any longer a king, but a tyrant; nor is a bishop oppressed with ignorance or an evil disposition a bishop, but falsely so called, being not one sent out by God, but by men, as Ananiah and Samœah in Jerusalem, and Zedekiah and Achiah the false prophets in Babylon.  25  Jer. xxviii; xxix And indeed Balaam the prophet, when he had corrupted Israel by Baal-peor, suffered punishment;  26  Num. xxv; xxxi and Caiaphas at last was his own murderer; and the sons of Sceva, endeavouring to cast out demons, were wounded by them, and fled away in an unseemly manner;  27  Acts xix. 14 and the kings of Israel and of Judah, when they became impious, suffered all sorts of punishments. It is therefore evident how bishops and presbyters, also falsely so called, will not escape the judgment of God. For it will be said to them even now: “O ye priests that despise my name,  28  Mal. i. 6 I will deliver you up to the slaughter, as I did Zedekiah and Achiah, whom the king of Babylon fried in a frying-pan,” as says Jeremiah the prophet.  29  Jer. xxix. 22 We say these things, not in contempt of true prophecies, for we know that they are wrought in holy men by the inspiration of God, but to put a stop to the boldness of vainglorious men; and add this withal, that from such as these God takes away His grace: for “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.”  30  1 Pet. v. 5 Now Silas and Agabus prophesied in our times;  31  Acts [xi. 28;] xv. 32, xxi. 10 yet did they not equal themselves to the apostles, nor did they exceed their own measures though they were beloved of God. Now women prophesied also. Of old, Miriam the sister of Moses and Aaron,  32  Ex. xv. 20. and after her Deborah,  33  Judg. iv. 4. and after these Huldah  34  2 Kings xxii. 14. and Judith  35  Judith viii.. —the former under Josiah, the latter under Darius. The mother of the Lord did also prophesy, and her kinswoman Elisabeth, and Anna;  36  Luke i. and ii. and in our time the daughters of Philip;  37  Acts xxi. 9. yet were not these elated against their husbands, but preserved their own measures.  38  [The compiler has forgotten that few of these had husbands, at least at the time when they are reported to have prophesied.—R.] Wherefore if among you also there be a man or a woman, and such a one obtains any gift, let him be humble, that God may be pleased with him. For says He: “Upon whom will I look, but upon him that is humble and quiet, and trembles at my words?”  39  Isa. lxvi. 2.

[Sec. II.—Election and Ordination of Bishops: Form of Service on Sundays.]

[2] Ἐκεῖνο δὲ προστίθεμεν τῷ λόγῳ, ὅτι οὔτε πᾶς ὁ προφητεύων ὅσιος οὔτε πᾶς ὁ δαίμονας ἐλαύνων ἅγιος. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ Βαλαὰμ ὁ τοῦ Βεὼρ ὁ μάντις προεφήτευσεν δυσσεβὴς ὢν καὶ Καϊάφας ὁ ψευδώνυμος ἀρχιερεύς, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ὁ διάβολος προλέγει καὶ οἱ ἀμφ' αὐτὸν δαίμονες: καὶ οὐ παρὰ τοῦτο μέτεστιν αὐτοῖς εὐσεβείας σπινθήρ, ἀγνοίᾳ γάρ εἰσιν πεπιεσμένοι δι' ἑκούσιον κακόνοιαν. Δῆλον οὖν ὅτι οἱ ἀσεβεῖς, κἂν προφητεύωσιν, οὐ καλύπτουσιν διὰ τῆς προφητείας τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀσέβειαν, οὐδὲ οἱ δαίμονας ἐλαύνοντες ἐκ τῆς τούτων ὑποχωρήσεως ὁσιωθήσονται: ἀλλήλους γὰρ ἀπατῶσιν, καθάπερ οἱ τὰς παιδιὰς γέλωτος ἕνεκα ἐπιδεικνύμενοι, καὶ τοὺς προσανέχοντας αὐτοῖς ἀπολλύουσιν. Οὔτε δὲ βασιλεὺς δυσσεβὴς βασιλεὺς ἔτι ὑπάρχει, ἀλλὰ τύραννος, οὔτε ἐπίσκοπος ἀγνοίᾳ ἢ κακονοίᾳ πεπιεσμένος ἔτι ἐπίσκοπός ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ ψευδώνυμος, οὐ παρὰ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων προβληθείς, ὡς Ἀνανίας καὶ Σαμαίας ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ Σεδεκίας καὶ Ἀχίας οἱ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι ψευδοπροφῆται. Ἀλλὰ καὶ Βαλαὰμ ὁ μάντις τιμωρίαν ἔτισε διαφθείρας τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐν τῷ Βεελφεγώρ, καὶ Καϊάφας ὕστερον αὐτοφονευτὴς ἑαυτοῦ γέγονεν, καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Σκευᾶ ἐπιχειροῦντες δαίμονας ἐλαύνειν ὑπ' αὐτῶν τραυματίαι γενόμενοι ἔφυγον ἀπρεπῶς, καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα ἀσεβήσαντες παντοίας τιμωρίας ἔτισαν. Δῆλον οὖν ὡς καὶ οἱ ψευδώνυμοι ἐπίσκοποι καὶ πρεσβύτεροι οὐκ ἐκφεύξονται τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δίκην: ῥηθήσεται γὰρ αὐτοῖς καὶ νῦν: »Ὑμεῖς οἱ ἱερεῖς οἱ φαυλίζοντές μου τὸ ὄνομα, παραδώσω ὑμᾶς εἰς σφαγὴν ὡς Σεδεκίαν καὶ Ἀχίαν, οὓς ἀπετηγάνισεν βασιλεὺς Βαβυλῶνος«, ὥς φησιν Ἱερεμίας ὁ προφήτης. Ταῦτα δέ φαμεν οὐ τὰς ἀληθεῖς προφητείας ἐξουθενοῦντες, ἴσμεν γὰρ αὐτὰς κατ' ἐπίπνοιαν Θεοῦ ἐν τοῖς ὁσίοις ἐνεργεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ θράσος τῶν ἀλαζονευομένων καταστέλλοντες καὶ προστιθέντες ἐκεῖνο, ὅτι τῶν τοιούτων ὁ Θεὸς περιαιρεῖ τὴν χάριν: »Ὑπερηφάνοις γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἀντιτάσσεται, ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσι χάριν.« Σίλας μὲν οὖν καὶ Ἄγαβος ἐφ' ἡμῶν προφητεύσαντες οὐ παρεξέτειναν ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς ἀποστόλοις οὐδὲ ὑπερέβησαν τὰ ἑαυτῶν μέτρα, καίτοι θεοφιλεῖς ὄντες. Προεφήτευσαν δὲ καὶ γυναῖκες, τὸ μὲν παλαιὸν Μαριὰμ ἡ Μωϋσέως καὶ Ἀαρὼν ἀδελφή, μετὰ δὲ αὐτὴν Δεββῶρα, καὶ μετ' αὐτὴν Ὀλδὰ καὶ Ἰουδίθ, ἡ μὲν ἐπὶ Ἰωσίου, ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ Δαρείου: καὶ ἡ μήτηρ δὲ τοῦ Κυρίου προεφήτευσεν καὶ Ἐλισαβὲτ ἡ συγγενὴς αὐτῆς καὶ Ἄννα, καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν αἱ Φιλίππου θυγατέρες: ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπήρθησαν κατὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν αὗται, ἀλλ' ἐφύλαξαν τὰ οἰκεῖα μέτρα. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν κἂν γυνή τις ᾖ κἂν ἀνήρ, καὶ τύχῃ τοιαύτης τινὸς χάριτος, ταπεινοφρονείτω, ἵνα ἐπ' αὐτῷ εὐδοκῇ ὁ Θεός. »Ἐπὶ τίνα γάρ, φησίν, ἐπιβλέψω, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν ταπεινὸν καὶ ἡσύχιον καὶ τρέμοντά μου τοὺς λόγους;«