Section 327
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296 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. lated to convince, and there are some teachers who say thai the law and prophets are of no value, and who give up follow ing the gospels, and who depreciate the epistles of the apostles, and who at the same time announced the doctrine of this work as a great and hidden mystery, and who also do not allow that our brethren have any sublime and great conception, either of the glorious and truly divine appearance of our Lord, nor of our own resurrection, and oar being gathered, and assimilated to him ; but persuade them to expect what is little and perishable, and such a state of things as now exists in the kingdom of God. It becomes, therefore, necessary for us also, to reason with our brother Nepos as if he were present." To these he adds, after other remarks : " When I was at Arsinoe, where, as you know long since, this doctrine was afloat, so that schisms and apostacies of whole churches followed, after I had called the pres byters and teachers of the brethren in the villages, when those brethren had come who wished to be present, I exhorted them to examine the doctrine publicly. When they had produced this book as a kind of armour and impregnable fortress, I sat with them for three days, from morning till evening, attempting to re fute what it contained. Then, also, I was greatly pleased to obgerve the constancy, the sincerity, the docility, and intelligence of the brethren, as we proceeded to advance in order, and the moderation of our questions and doubts and mutual concessions. For we carefully and studiously avoided, in every possible way, insisting upon those opinions which were once adopted by us, though they might appear to be correct. Nor did we attempt to evade objections, but endeavoured as far as possible to keep to our subject, and to confirm these. Nor ashamed if reason prevailed, to change opinions, and to acknowledge the truth; but rather received with a good conscience and sincerity, and with single hearts, before God, whatever was established by the proofs and doctrines of the holy Scriptures. At length Coracio, who was the founder and leader of this doctrine, in the hearing of all the brethren present, confessed and avowred to us, that he would no longer adhere to it, nor discuss it, that he would neither mention nor teach it, as he had been fully convinced by