7. For look, men brethren, as the divine Scripture says above, or rather, the Lord Himself, as it is said at the beginning of the chapter. From this we must show the whole truth and the whole content of this chapter. Do you ask Me about the future of My sons, and do you want to show Me in the work of My hands? I created the earth and created man on it; I, my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and I have given the law to all their host: I have raised it up in righteousness, and I have leveled all its ways. He will build my city, and release my captives, not for ransom or gifts, saith the Lord of hosts, Isaiah 45:11-13. Then the labors of the Egyptians, and the trade of the Ethiopians, and so on, for God alone is in you. In whom, if not in the Word of the Father? For the Son is truly God the Word, and in Him the Father is known, as He says: "He who has seen Me has seen the Fathers" (John 14:9), and "I have glorified Thy name on earth" (John 17:4). Then again: "I have raised up the King" (Isaiah 45:13). Do you not see that this is actually the voice of the Father, raising up the true Word as king over all, as truly begotten without beginning and before time? The Father also made Him king, as the Holy Apostle says: "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also revive your mortal bodies by His Spirit which dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:11). Thus the prophetic words agree with the apostolic, and the apostolic with the evangelical, and the evangelical with the apostolic, and the apostolic with the prophetic. Again, I have raised up the King, and here are those who raise Christ from the dead. And in the words: God is in you, how mysteriously and wonderfully does all this divine Scripture expound! Here it was foreseen and foreshadowed to the expectation of people, for conversion to God, of the Godhead in the flesh, as in the temple. For the Son of God, God the Word, as in the holy city and in the holy temple, that is, in the holy incarnation and bodily coming, saith as God dwelling in the holy temple: "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days" (John 2:19). […]

8–10. […]

Against the Valesius, the Thirty-Eighth and Fifty-Eighth Heresies

1. We have often heard about the valesii (Οὐαλησίων). However, we do not know where, who this Vales (Οὐάλης) was, or where he came from, or what he taught, what he inculcated or preached. However, this name, as an Arabic one, gives us some reason to believe that he and his heresy are still continuing, that presumably, as I have said, there are some in Bakat (ἐν Βακάθοις), in the country of Philadelphia, on the other side of the Jordan. The natives want to call them Gnostics, but they are not Gnostics, for they have a different way of thinking. And what has come down to us about them is this.

Many of them gathered in the ecclesia for some time, until their madness spread and they were expelled from the ecclesia. All of them are castrate. And about principles, and about powers, and about other things, they think so. And when a person is accepted as a disciple, then all the time until his sexual parts are cut off, he does not eat animal food. And when they persuade him to do so, or castrate him with compulsion, then he eats anything, as having already ceased his asceticism and is no longer in danger of being irritated by viands to reach the lust of sensuality. And not only do they treat their own people in this way, but often passers-by, who enjoy their hospitality, are disposed to this state, as much is said about it. They drag such people inside, and, having tied the ἐπὶ συμψελίοις (?) from behind, they compulsively lay hands on them and take away the limbs. And this is what has come down to us about these heretics. We knew about them, in what place they dwelled, and since this name is often found in those countries (and we have not heard any other name for this heresy), we thought that this was the heresy of the Valesi.

2–5 […]

Against the Unclean Cathars, the Thirty-Ninth and Fifty-Ninth Heresies

1. After these came the so-called Cathars (Καθαροί) from a certain Nebat (ἀπὸ Ναυάτου τινός), as many relate it. This Nabatus was in Rome during the persecution that preceded the persecution of Maximinus. Perhaps, as I think, it was the persecution of Decius or Aurelian. With regard to those who fell during the persecution, being exalted with pride, he, together with his followers, did not want to have communion with those who repented after the persecution and turned to this heresy, namely, that this is not salvation, but that repentance is one, and after the pool there can be no mercy for anyone who has fallen.

And we also affirm that repentance is one, and that salvation is obtained by the pool of regeneration (λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας), but we do not deny the love of God, knowing the true preaching and mercy of the Lord, and that which should deserve indulgence on the part of nature, namely: the capacity of the soul to be carried away, the weakness of the flesh, the great agitation of the senses in many when falling, — why no one is sinless, not pure from defilement, even if his life on earth was one day. And perfect repentance takes place in the pool, but if someone falls, the holy ecclesia of God does not destroy him, but gives room for conversion, and after repentance, repentance [...].

2. […]

3. And then these same heretics, going still further from this, invented something else. For they say that they have the same faith that we have. And they don't want to have fellowship with bigawives. If someone after baptism marries a second wife, then he will no longer be accepted by these heretics. All this makes little sense [...].

4–12. […]

13. And so, what then, servants of God, are the sons of the holy ecclesia of God, who lead the unshakable rule and walk the path of truth? Let us not be amused by voices, and let us not follow the voice of any false statute. For the paths of these heretics are sinful, and the path of their false way of thinking is rolled. They boast much, but do not know even little. They promise freedom, being themselves slaves to sin (2 Peter 2:19). They boast very much, but have not achieved even a little.

But suffice, as I think, what has been said so far about these so-called Cathars ("pure"), but in reality, if the truth must be told, the impure.