By Water & Blood

On the Messalians

The Messalians (and this name, transferred into the Greek tongue, signifies the Euchites) say that baptism profits those who come forward nothing; for like a razor it removes the former sins, but does not cut out the root of sin; whereas continual prayer both pulls up the root of sin by the roots and drives out of the soul the wicked demon assigned to it from the beginning. For they say that a demon accompanies each human being immediately when born, and stirs him to outrageous deeds. Neither baptism nor anything else can drive this one from the soul, but only the activity of prayer. And they say the indwelling demon goes out through mucus and the excesses of spittle.

Thus deceived, the thrice-wretched pursue no work (for they name themselves spiritual), and supposedly devoted to prayer they sleep most of the day. Then, deceived by the demon that has bacchicly maddened them, they say they have seen revelations and attempt to foretell things to come; but they are convicted by the facts of lying. They also strut about seeing the Father and the Son and the all-holy Spirit with the eyes of the body, and receiving perception of the Spirit’s visitation when it occurs. They are ready for denial, and if they are pressed, they easily anathematize those who say any of these things.

Thus at once, when judged before the all-praiseworthy Flavian, bishop of Antioch, they called the accusations that had been made calumnies. But that all-wise man detected the hidden heresy. For seeming to be indignant at the accusers and angry as at those who had composed false words, he ordered Adelphius to sit beside him; for he led the heresy of the accused, an old man and tomb-aged, already at the very gates of death. To this man the thrice-blessed Flavian said that the accusers, being rather dense, were ignorant of the spiritual way of life. “But we,” he said, “who have grown old in time, have received this knowledge. But tell me,” he said, “truth-lovingly, what the things said are.” Thus charmed, the old man, thinking he had found a sharer of the doctrines, by confession confirmed the accusation. Learning these things, then, the divine man drove them from the bounds of the East.

And they dare many other works of frenzy. For they suddenly leap and boast that they have leapt over demons; and with their fingers they perform the figure of archery, claiming to shoot the demons. And they do certain other things similarly full of madness, which is why they have also received the name of Enthusiasts. Of this heresy Sabbas and Adelphius and Daodes and Symeones and Hermas and certain others were leaders. And the all-praiseworthy Letoïus, bishop of Melitene, wrote letters against them when he detected the heresy. And Amphilochius, the best of all, who guided the Church of Iconium, exposed the heresy more accurately, inserting in the memoranda composed by him their own words, which clearly show the divergence of the doctrine.