Post martyrium autem illius, ab
Ecclesia se abrumpens, doctoris arrogantia elatus ac tumidus, tanquam
praestantior caeteris, novam quandam formam doctrinae conflavit: AEonas
invisibiles commentus perinde ac Valentinus: asserens quoque cum Saturnino
& Marcione, matrimonium nihil aliud esse quam corruptionem ac stuprum: nova
praeterea argumenta ad subvertendam Adami salutem excogitans. Haec Irenaeus de
Haeresi quae tunc viguit Encratitarum._ Thus far _Eusebius_. But altho the
followers of _Tatian_ were at first condemned as hereticks by the name of
_Encratites_, or _Continentes_; their principles could not be yet quite
exploded: for _Montanus_ refined upon them, and made only second marriages
unlawful; he also introduced frequent fastings, and annual, fasting days,
the keeping of _Lent_, and feeding upon dried meats. The _Apostolici_,
about the middle of the third century, condemned marriage, and were a
branch of the disciples of _Tatian_. The _Hierocitae_ in _Egypt_, in the
latter end of the third century, also condemned marriage. _Paul_ the
_Eremite_ fled into the wilderness from the persecution of _Decius_, and
lived there a solitary life till the reign of _Constantine_ the great, but
made no disciples. _Antony_ did the like in the persecution of
_Dioclesian_, or a little before, and made disciples; and many others soon
followed his example.
Hitherto the principles of the _Encratites_ had been rejected by the
Churches; but now being refined by the Monks, and imposed not upon all men,
but only upon those who would voluntarily undertake a monastic life, they
began to be admired, and to overflow first the _Greek_ Church, and then the
_Latin_ also, like a torrent.
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