Section 297
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266 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. cause of true religion? None of all this. To him, indeed, the author and instigator of his faith was Satan, who entered into and dwelt in him a long time. Who aided by the exorcists, when attacked with an obstinate disease, and being supposed at the point of death, was baptised by aspersion, in the bed on which he lay ; if, indeed, it be proper to say that one like him did re ceive baptism. But neither when he recovered from disease, did he partake of other things, which the rules of the church prescribe as duty, nor was he sealed (in confirmation) by the bishop. But as he did not obtain this, how could he obtain the holy spirit ?" And, again, soon after, he says : " He denied he was a presbyter, through cowardice and the love of life, in the time of persecution. For when requested and exhorted by the deacons, that he should go forth from his retreat, in which he had imprisoned himself, and should come to the relief of the brethren, as far as was pro per and in the power of a presbyter to assist brethren requiring relief, he was so far from yielding to any exhortation of the deacons, that he went away offended and left them. For he said that he wished to be a presbyter no longer, for he was an admirer of a different philosophy." Passing over some other matters, our author again adds : — " This illustrious character abandoning the church of God, in which, when he was converted he was honoured with the pres bytery, and that by the favour of the bishop placing his hands upon him (ordaining him), to the order of bishops, and as all the clergy and many of the laity resisted it, since it was not lawful that one baptized in his sick bed by aspersion, as he was, should be promoted to any order of the clergy, the bishop requested that it should be granted him to ordain only this one." After this, he adds another deed, the worst of all the man's absurdities, thus ; " For having made the oblation, and distributed a part to each one, whilst giving this, he compels the unhappy men to swear in stead of blessing ; holding the hands of the one receiving, with both of his own, and not letting them go until he had sworn in these words, for I shall repeat the very words : * Swear to me, by the body and blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, that you will never desert me, nor turn to Cornelius.' And the unhappy