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The same letter of the abovementioned . witnesses contains another
account worthy of remembrance. No one will object to our bringing it
to the knowledge of our readers. It runs as follows: "For a certain
Alcibiades, who was one of them, led a very austere life, partaking
of nothing whatever but bread and water. When he endeavored to
continue this same sort of life in prison, it was revealed to Attalus
after his first conflict in the amphitheater that Alcibiades was not
doing well in refusing the creatures of God and placing a
stumbling-block before others. And Alcibiades obeyed; and partook
of all things without restraint, giving thanks to God. For they were
not deprived of the grace of God, but the Holy Ghost was their
counselor." Let this suffice for these matters.
The followers of Montanus, Alcibiades and Theodotus in Phrygia
were now first giving wide circulation to their assumption in regard to
prophecy, for the many other miracles that, through the gift of God,
were still wrought in the different churches caused their prophesying to
be readily credited by many, and as dissension arose concerning them,
the brethren in Gaul set forth their own prudent and most orthodox
judgment in the matter, and published also several epistles from the
witnesses that had been put to death among them. These they sent,
while they were still in prison, to the brethren throughout Asia and
Phrygia, and also to Eleutherus, who was then bishop of Rome,
negotiating for the peace of the churches.
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