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so women were there in the place, and men, in order that by remaining there they, whether women or men, might behold Christ. At any rate, women among them are called prophetesses. But I do not know very clearly whether this is among them or among those in Phrygia; for they are together and possess the same mindset. 2. These use the Old and New Testament and likewise affirm the resurrection of the dead. They have Quintilla as a leader along with Priscilla, who is also among those in Phrygia. But they adduce many vain testimonies, giving thanks to Eve, because she was the first to eat from the tree of wisdom; and they call the sister of Moses a prophetess, 2.243 as a testimony for the women among them who are appointed to the clergy; but also, it says, Philip had four daughters who prophesied. And often into their church enter seven virgins carrying lamps, coming supposedly dressed in white, in order to prophesy to the people. And they, displaying a certain kind of enthusiasm to the people present, work deception and make everyone weep as if leading them to the pity of repentance, shedding tears and with a certain affectation lamenting the life of men. And among them there are women bishops and women presbyters and the rest; for they say that there is no difference, “for in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female.” These are the things which we have learned. They call them Artotyrites from their placing bread and cheese in their mysteries and thus performing their mysteries. 3. All human mockery consists in having fallen away from the right faith and in turning to helplessness and to different kinds of enthusiasms and orgies. For minds driven to Bacchic frenzy always carry away those who do not hold fast to the anchor of truth, but who give themselves over to * for any reason whatsoever. For if women among them are appointed to the episcopate and the presbyterate because of 2.244 Eve, let them hear the Lord saying, “your turning shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.” And the apostolic word has escaped their notice, that “I do not permit a woman to speak or to exercise authority over a man,” and again, “for man is not from woman, but woman from man,” and “Adam was not deceived, but Eve, being deceived first, was in transgression.” And oh, the manifold error of this world. Wherefore, passing over this as something weak and full of foolishness, like a gecko *, I will proceed to the next things, O beloved, calling upon God for the assistance of our lowliness and for the fulfillment of our promise.
Against the Tessareskaidekatitai 30, and 50 in the sequence.
1. From these two heresies mixed together with each other, that of those in Phrygia and of the Quintillians or Priscillians, there arose again in the world another heresy, that of the so-called Tessareskaidekatitai. And these indeed hold all things as the church does, but they are in error from all on account of not adhering to the sequence and teaching of the rule, still adhering to Jewish myths. And they do not even dogmatize the same things as them; “for they do not know what they are saying nor about what they are making confident assertions.” For once a year on one day these people contentiously celebrate the Passover, although concerning the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit they hold correctly and equally with us, and they accept the prophets 2.245 and apostles and evangelists, and likewise confess the resurrection of the flesh and the judgment to come and eternal life. But these have fallen into an error, and not an ordinary one, supposedly using the saying which the law spoke, that “cursed is he who will not keep the Passover
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οὕτω γυναῖκας ἐκεῖσε ἐν τῷ τόπῳ καὶ ἄνδρας, πρὸς τὸ ἐπιμεινάσας αὐτὰς ἢ αὐτοὺς τὸν Χριστὸν θεωρῆσαι. γυναῖκες γοῦν παρ' αὐτοῖς καλοῦνται προφήτιδες. οὐ πάνυ δὲ σαφῶς οἶδα εἰ παρ' αὐτοῖς ἢ παρὰ τοῖς κατὰ Φρύγας· ὁμοῦ γάρ εἰσι καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ φρόνημα κέκτηνται. 2. Κέχρηνται δὲ οὗτοι παλαιᾷ καὶ καινῇ διαθήκῃ καὶ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν ὁμοίως φάσκουσι. Κυΐντιλλαν δὲ ἔχουσιν ἀρχηγὸν ἅμα Πρισκίλλῃ, τῇ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς κατὰ Φρύγας. φέρουσι δὲ μαρτυρίας πολλὰς ματαίας, χάριν διδόντες τῇ Εὔᾳ, ὅτι πρώτη βέβρωκεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς φρονήσεως· καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν τοῦ Μωυσέως προφήτιδα 2.243 λέγουσιν, εἰς μαρτυρίαν τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς καθισταμένων γυναικῶν ἐν κλήρῳ· ἀλλὰ καί, φησί, τέσσαρες θυγατέρες ἦσαν τῷ Φιλίππῳ προφητεύουσαι. πολλάκις δὲ ἐν τῇ αὐτῶν ἐκκλησίᾳ εἰσέρχονται λαμπαδηφοροῦσαι ἑπτά τινες παρθένοι, λευχείμονες δῆθεν ἐρχόμεναι, ἵνα προφητεύσωσι τῷ λαῷ. αἱ δὲ τρόπον τινὰ ἐνδεικνύμεναι ἐνθουσιασμοῦ τοῖς παροῦσι λαοῖς ἀπάτην ἐργάζονται κλαίειν τε ποιοῦσιν πάντας ὡς εἰς οἶκτον μετανοίας ἄγουσαι, δάκρυα χεόμεναι καὶ σχήματί τινι ἐποδυρόμεναι τὸν τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίον. ἐπίσκοποί τε παρ' αὐτοῖς γυναῖκες καὶ πρεσβύτεροι γυναῖκες καὶ τὰ ἄλλα· ὧν μηδὲν διαφέρειν φασίν «ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ οὔτε ἄρσεν οὔτε θῆλυ». ταῦτά ἐστιν ἃ κατειλήφαμεν. Ἀρτοτυρίτας δὲ αὐτοὺς καλοῦσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐν τοῖς αὐτῶν μυστηρίοις ἐπιτιθέντας ἄρτον καὶ τυρὸν καὶ οὕτως ποιεῖν τὰ αὐτῶν μυστήρια. 3. Πᾶσα δὲ ἀνθρώπων χλεύη ἐν τῷ ἀποστῆναι καθέστηκεν ἀπὸ τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως καὶ εἰς ἀμηχανίαν τρέπεσθαι καὶ εἰς διαφορὰς ἐνθουσιασμῶν τε καὶ ὀργίων. ἐκβακχευόμεναι γὰρ αἱ διάνοιαι ἀεὶ τοὺς μὴ κατέχοντας τὴν ἄγκυραν τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀλλ' ἐπιδιδόντας ἑαυτοὺς τῷ * φέρουσι κατὰ πᾶσαν ὁτιοῦν αἰτίαν. κἄν τε γὰρ γυναῖκες παρ' αὐτοῖς εἰς ἐπισκοπὴν καὶ πρεσβυτέριον καθίστανται διὰ 2.244 τὴν Εὔαν, ἀκούσωσι τοῦ κυρίου λέγοντος «πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἡ ἀποστροφή σου καὶ αὐτός σου κυριεύσει». λέληθε δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ ὁ ἀποστολικὸς λόγος ὅτι «γυναικὶ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπω λαλεῖν οὔτε αὐθεντεῖν ἀνδρός» καὶ πάλιν «οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἀνὴρ ἐκ γυναικός, ἀλλὰ γυνὴ ἐξ ἀνδρός» καί «ὁ Ἀδὰμ οὐκ ἠπάτηται, ἀλλ' ἡ Εὔα πρώτη ἀπατηθεῖσα ἐν παραβάσει γέγονεν». καὶ ὦ τῆς πολυφόρου πλάνης τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. διὸ ὡς νωδόν τι καὶ ἀφροσύνης ἔμπλεον ἀσκαλαβώτου δίκην * ταύτην παρελθὼν ἐπὶ τὰς ἑξῆς βαδιοῦμαι, ὦ ἀγαπητοί, θεὸν ἐπικαλούμενος εἰς βοήθειαν τῆς ἡμετέρας ταπεινότητος καὶ εἰς πλήρωσιν τῆς ἡμῶν ἐπαγγελίας.
Κατὰ Τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατιτῶν ˉλ, τῆς δὲ ἀκολουθίας ˉν.
1. Ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν δύο αἱρέσεων τῶν ὁμοῦ ἀλλήλαις μιχθεισῶν, κατὰ Φρύγας τε καὶ Κυϊντιλλιανῶν ἤτοι Πρισκιλλιανῶν, ἀνέκυψε πάλιν τῷ κόσμῳ ἑτέρα αἵρεσις Τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατιτῶν οὕτως καλουμένη. καὶ οὗτοι μὲν πάντα ἔχουσιν ὡς ἡ ἐκκλησία, σφάλλονται δὲ ἀπὸ πάντων διὰ τὸ μὴ τῇ ἀκολουθίᾳ καὶ τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τοῦ θεσμοῦ προσανέχειν, Ἰουδαϊκοῖς ἔτι μύθοις προσανέχοντες. καὶ οὐδὲ τὰ ἴσα αὐτοῖς δογματίζουσιν· «οὐ γὰρ ἃ λέγουσιν οἴδασιν οὔτε περὶ τίνων διαβεβαιοῦνται». ἅπαξ γὰρ τοῦ ἔτους μίαν ἡμέραν τὸ Πάσχα οἱ τοιοῦτοι φιλονείκως ἄγουσι, καίτοι γε περὶ πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος καλῶς καὶ ἴσως ἡμῖν ἔχοντες, προφήτας τε δεχόμενοι 2.245 καὶ ἀποστόλους καὶ εὐαγγελιστάς, ἀνάστασιν δὲ σαρκὸς ὁμοίως ὁμολογοῦντες καὶ κρίσιν ἐσομένην καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. περιέπεσαν δὲ ἀστοχήματι καὶ οὐ τῷ τυχόντι οὗτοι, δῆθεν κεχρημένοι τῷ ῥητῷ ᾧ εἶπεν ὁ νόμος ὅτι «ἐπικατάρατος ὃς οὐ ποιήσει τὸ Πάσχα