Section 213
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182 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. pouring forth many prayers, to the Father on their account. They implored life, and he gave it to them, which they also shared with their neighbours ; coming off victorious over all, to God: always lovers of peace, they always recommended peace, and with peace they departed to God. Not leaving grief to their mother, (the church,) no discord or dissensions to the brethren, but joy and peace, unanimity and love. This account may be profitably added, respecting the love of those blessed brethren towards those that fell away, on account of those also, who after these events, unsparingly exercised an in human and merciless disposition towards the members of Christ. CHAPTER III. The vision that appeared to Attains the martyr, in a dream. THE same epistle of the abovementioned martyrs, also contains another account worthy of record, which no one could regret to be presented to the knowledge of our readers. It is as fol lows : " A certain Alcibiades, who was one of these (martyrs,) and who had led a hard and rough kind of life, partook of no food usually eaten, but merely bread and water. When cast into prison, and he attempted to lead the same kind of life, it was revealed to Attalus, after the first conflict which he finished in the amphitheatre, that Alcibiades did not do well in not making use of the creatures of God, and affording an example of offence to others. Alcibiades, therefore, in obedience to this, partook of all kinds of food, and gave thanks to God ; for neither were they destitute of divine grace, but the divine spirit was their counsellor." But let this suffice concerning these. Now as Montanus, and Alcibiades,* and Theodotus, in Phrygia, then first began to be esteemed by many for their gifts, (as there were many other wonderful powers of divine grace, yet exhibited even at that time in different churches,) they created the belief with * This is a different Alcibiades from the one beforementioned.