ever come under the power of corruption, whatever the sort of actions in which they indulged.
For even as gold, when submersed in filth, loses not on that account its beauty, but retains
its own native qualities, the filth having no power to injure the gold, so they affirm that they
cannot in any measure suffer hurt, or lose their spiritual substance, whatever the material
actions in which they may be involved.
3. Wherefore also it comes to pass, that the “most perfect” among them addict themselves
without fear to all those kinds of forbidden deeds of which the Scriptures assure us that
“they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”90 For instance, they make
no scruple about eating meats offered in sacrifice to idols, imagining that they can in this
way contract no defilement. Then, again, at every heathen festival celebrated in honour of
the idols, these men are the first to assemble; and to such a pitch do they go, that some of
them do not even keep away from that bloody spectacle hateful both to God and men, in
which gladiators either fight with wild beasts, or singly encounter one another. Others of
them yield themselves up to the lusts of the flesh with the utmost greediness, maintaining
that carnal things should be allowed to the carnal nature, while spiritual things are provided
for the spiritual. Some of them, moreover, are in the habit of defiling those women to whom
they have taught the above doctrine, as has frequently been confessed by those women who
have been led astray by certain of them, on their returning to the Church of God, and ac-
knowledging this along with the rest of their errors. Others of them, too, openly and without
a blush, having become passionately attached to certain women, seduce them away from
their husbands, and contract marriages of their own with them. Others of them, again, who
pretend at first to live in all modesty with them as with sisters, have in course of time been
revealed in their true colours, when the sister has been found with child by her [pretended]
brother.
4. And committing many other abominations and impieties, they run us down (who
from the fear of God guard against sinning even in thought or word) as utterly contemptible
and ignorant persons, while they highly exalt themselves, and claim to be perfect, and the
elect seed. For they declare that we simply receive grace for use, wherefore also it will again
be taken away from us; but that they themselves have grace as their own special possession,
which has descended from above by means of an unspeakable and indescribable conjunction;
and on this account more will be given them.91 They maintain, therefore, that in every way
it is always necessary for them to practise the mystery of conjunction. And that they may
persuade the thoughtless to believe this, they are in the habit of using these very words,
90 Gal. v. 21.
91 Comp. Luke xix. 26.
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Chapter VI.—The threefold kind of man feigned by these heretics: good works…