Section 285
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254 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. tion with so much force, that those who had been before led astray, completely changed their opinions. CHAPTER XXXVIII. The heresy of the Helcesaites. ANOTHER error also sprung up about this time, called the he resy of the Helcesaites, which, however, was almost stifled in its birth. But it is mentioned by Origen, in his public lecture on the eighty-second Psalm : " A certain one, says he, came re cently with a great opinion of his abilities, to maintain that un godly and wicked error of the Helcesaites, which has but lately appeared in the churches. The mischievous assertions of this heresy, I will give you, that you may not be carried away with it. It sets aside certain parts of the collective Scriptures, and it makes use of passages from the Old Testament, and from the gospels. It rejects the apostle altogether. It asserts, also, to deny (Christ) is indifferent, and that one who has made up his mind, in case of necessity will deny with his mouth, but not in his heart. They also produce a certain book, which they say fell from heaven : and that whoever has heard and believed this, will receive remission of sins ; a remission different from that given by Christ." And such is the account respecting these. CHAPTER XXXIX. The persecution of Decius. PHILIP, after a reign of seven years, was succeeded by Decius, who, in consequence of his hatred to Philip, raised a persecution against the church, in which Fabianus suffered mar tyrdom, and was succeeded as bishop of Rome by Cornelius. — In Palestine, however, Alexander, bishop of Jerusalem, was again brought before the tribunal of the governor, at Cesarea, and after an eminent perseverance in his profession, though