By Water & Blood

On the Montanists

Of the heresy called “according to the Phrygians,” Montanus began, coming from a certain village lying there called Ardabau. Stung by desire for rule, he named himself the Paraclete, and made two prophetesses, Priscilla and Maximilla, and named their writings prophetic books, and named the village Pepuza Jerusalem. He also legislated the dissolving of marriage, and introduced new fasts contrary to the custom of the Church. But he did not injure the doctrine concerning the divine Triad, and concerning the crafting of the world he dogmatized as we do.

Those attached to his teaching are called Montanists from him, and “according to the Phrygians” from the nation, and Pepuzians from the village which he named Jerusalem. The prophecies of Priscilla and Maximilla are honored among them above the divine Gospel. Concerning the mysteries some circulate certain things, but those people do not agree, but call the charge a slander. Some of them, much like Sabellius, denied the three hypostases of the deity, saying that the same one is Father and Son and Holy Spirit, much like the Asian Noetus.

Against these wrote Apollinarius, who became bishop of the holy city in Phrygia, a praiseworthy man, who in addition to knowledge of divine things had also taken on the outer education. Likewise also Miltiades and Apollonius and other writers. Against Proclus, who presided over the same heresy, Gaius wrote, of whom we made mention before.