Its Frivolity, Worldliness, and Irregularity. The Notorious Wantonness of Their Women.

Chapter XLI.—The Conduct of Heretics: Its Frivolity, Worldliness, and Irregularity. The Notorious Wantonness of Their Women.

I must not omit an account of the conduct ²²⁷⁸ also of the heretics—how frivolous it is, how worldly, how merely human, without seriousness, without authority, without discipline, as suits their creed. To begin with, it is doubtful who is a catechumen, and who a believer; they have all access alike, they hear alike, they pray alike—even heathens, if any such happen to come among them. “That which is holy they will cast to the dogs, and their pearls,” although (to be sure) they are not real ones, “they will fling to the swine.” ²²⁷⁹ Simplicity they will have to consist in the overthrow of discipline, attention to which on our part they call brothelry. ²²⁸⁰ Peace also they huddle up ²²⁸¹ anyhow with all comers; for it matters not to them, however different be their treatment of subjects, provided only they can conspire together to storm the citadel of the one only Truth. All are puffed up, all offer you knowledge.  Their catechumens are perfect before they are full-taught. ²²⁸² The very women of these heretics, how wanton they are! For they are bold enough to teach, to dispute, to enact exorcisms, to undertake ²²⁸³ cures—it may be even to baptize. ²²⁸⁴ Their ordinations, are carelessly administered, ²²⁸⁵ capricious, changeable. ²²⁸⁶ At one time they put novices in office; at another time, men who are bound to some secular employment; ²²⁸⁷ at another, persons who have apostatized from us, to bind them by vainglory, since they cannot by the truth. Nowhere is promotion easier than in the camp of rebels, where the mere fact of being there is a foremost service. ²²⁸⁸ And so it comes to pass that to-day one man is their bishop, to-morrow another; to-day he is a deacon who to-morrow is a reader; to-day he is a presbyter who tomorrow is a layman. For even on laymen do they impose the functions of priesthood.

Footnotes

263:2278

Conversationis.

263:2279

See Matt. vii. 6.

263:2280

Lenocinium. “Pandering” is Archdeacon Dodgson’s word.

263:2281

Miscent.

263:2282

Edocti.

263:2283

Repromittere.

263:2284

Compare Tertullian’s tract, de Bapt. I. and de Veland. Virg. viii. [Also, Epiphan. iv. p. 453, Ed. Oehler.]

263:2285

Temerariæ.

263:2286

They were constantly changing their ministers. It was a saying of the heretics, “Alius hodie episcopus, cras alius” (Rigalt.).

263:2287

Sæculo obstrictos.

263:2288

Promereri est.