But some most worthless persons are in the habit of
carrying about the name [of Jesus Christ] in wicked
guile, while yet they practise things unworthy of God,
and hold opinions contrary to the doctrine of Christ, to
their own destruction, and that of those who give credit
to them, whom you must avoid as ye would wild beasts.
For " the righteous man who avoids them is saved for
ever ; but the destruction of the ungodly is sudden, and
a subject of rejoicing." 5 For " they are dumb dogs,
that cannot bark," ^ raving mad, and biting secretly,
against whom ye must be on your guard, since they
labour under an incurable disease. But our Physician V
is the only true God, the unbegotten and unapproach- "
able, the Lord of all, the Father and Begetter of the only-
begotten Son. We have also as a Physician the Lord
our God, Jesus the Christ, the only-begotten Son and
Word, before time began,'* but who afterwards became
also man, of Mary the virgin. For " the Word was made
flesh." 9 Being incorporeal. He was in the body ; being
impassible. He was in a passible body ; being immortal,
He was in a mortal body ; being life. He became subject
to corruption, that He might free our souls from death
and corruption, and heal them, and might restore them
to health, when they were diseased with ungodliness and
wicked lusts.