A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

§ 24. Encratites 121Philumene. But others hold to two principles, as does the marinerMarcion himself, among these are Potitus and Basiliscus. These,following the wolf of Pontus and, like him, unable to discoverthe divisions of things, became reckless, and without any proofbaldly asserted two principles. Again, others of them drifted intoworse error and assumed not only two, but three, natures. Ofthese Syneros is the leader and chief, as those say who defendhis teaching.”§ 24. EncratitesAsceticism is a wide-spread phenomenon in nearly all religions.It is to be found in apostolic Christianity. In the early Church itwas regarded as a matter in the option of the Christian who wasaiming at the religious life [see above, § 16]. The characteristicof the Encratites was their insistence upon asceticism as essentialto Christian living. They were therefore associated, and withabundant historical justification, with Gnosticism.Additional source material: Clement of Alexandria, Strom.,III, passim; Eusebius, Hist. Ec., IV, 29, cf. the manyreferences in the notes to McGiffert's edition, PNF.(a) Hippolytus, VIII, 13. (MSG, 16:3368.)See above, § 19, c.Others, however, styling themselves Encratites, acknowledgesome things concerning God and Christ in like manner with [106]the Church, but in respect to their mode of life they pass theirtime inflated with pride; thinking that by meats they glorifythemselves, they abstain from animal food, are water drinkers,and, forbidding to marry, they devote the rest of their life tohabits of asceticism.