ab esu eorum quae animalia appellant, ingratos se exhibentes ergo eum qui universa creavit Deum.  Negant etiam primi hominis salutem.  Atque hoc nuper apud illos excogitatum est, Tatiano quodam omnium primo hujus impietatis auctore:  qui Justini auditor, quamdiu cum illo versatus est, nihil ejusmodi protulit.  Post martyrium autem illius, ab Ecclesia se abrumpens, doctoris arrogantia elatus ac tumidus, tanquam praestantior caeteris, novam quandam formam doctrinae conflavit:  AEonas invisibiles commentus perinde ac Valentinus:  asserens quoque cum Saturnino & Marcione, matrimonium nihil aliud esse quam corruptionem ac stuprum:  nova praeterea argumenta ad subvertendam Adami salutem excogitans.  Haec Irenaeus de Haeresi quae tunc viguit Encratitarum. Thus far Eusebius.  But altho the followers of Tatian were at first condemned as hereticks by the name of Encratites, or Continentes; their principles could not be yet quite exploded:  for Montanus refined upon them, and made only second marriages unlawful; he also introduced frequent fastings, and annual, fasting days, the keeping of Lent, and feeding upon dried meats.  The Apostolici, about the middle of the third century, condemned marriage, and were a branch of the disciples of Tatian.  The Hierocitae in Egypt, in the latter end of the third century, also condemned marriage. Paul the Eremite fled into the wilderness from the persecution of Decius, and lived there a solitary life till the reign of Constantine the great, but made no disciples. Antony did the like in the persecution of Dioclesian, or a little before, and made disciples; and many others soon followed his example.

Hitherto the principles of the Encratites had been rejected by the Churches; but now being refined by the Monks, and imposed not upon all men, but only upon those who would voluntarily undertake a monastic life, they began to be admired, and to overflow first the Greek Church, and then the Latin also, like a torrent. Eusebius tells us, [2] that Constantine the great had those men in the highest veneration, who dedicated themselves wholly to the divine philosophy; and that he almost venerated the most holy company of Virgins perpetually devoted to God; being certain that the God to whom he had consecrated himself did dwell in their minds.  In his time and that of his sons, this profession of a single life was propagated in Egypt by Antony, and in Syria by Hilarion; and spred so fast, that soon after the time of Julian the Apostate a third part of the Egyptians were got into the desarts of Egypt.  They lived first singly in cells, then associated into coenobia or convents; and at length came into towns, and filled the Churches with Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons. Athanasius in his younger days poured water upon the hands of his master Antony;