The effect of this is, that the offences of Basilides are not so much abolished, as cumulate, that to his former sins, the crime of deceit and circumvention is added. For he is not so much to be blamed, that was negligently deceived, as he to be execrated that fraudulently deceived him. But if Basilides can deceive men, he cannot deceive God. For it is written, God is not mocked. Nor will fallacy profit Martial to keep ⟨p. 317⟩him who is involved in great offences, from a rightful losing of his Bishopric. Seeing the Apostle warneth us, and saith, A Bishop must be without crime as the Steward of God: Wherefore, seeing (as you wrote, beloved brethren, and as Faelix and Sabinus our Colleagues asseverate, and as another Faelix of Caesar Augusta, an honourer of the Faith, and a defender of the Truth, signifieth by his Letters) Basilides and Martial are contaminated by a wicked Libel of Idolatry. And Basilides, besides the blot of this Libel, when he lay sick blasphemed God, and confessed that he blasphemed, and because of the wound of his conscience voluntarily deposing his Episcopacy, turned himself to a repentance, begging pardon of God, and being satisfied, if he might but communicate as a Lay man. And Martial, besides the filthy and dirty feasts of the Gentiles, and the oft frequenting of their Colleges, and the deposing his Sons in the same College after the manner of the exterior Nations, in profane Sepulchres, and burying them with aliens, did also by public acts with the Ducenary Procurator, testify that he obeyed Idolatry: And seeing there are many other and great offences in which Basilides and Martial are held guilty; in vain do such men endeavour to usurp to themselves the Office of Bishops, when it is manifest that such kind of men may neither be Guides of the Church of Christ, nor ought to offer Sacrifices to God: Especially when Cornelius also our Colleague, a pacific and just Priest, and honoured by God's vouchsafement with Martyrdom, did with us, and all the Bishops settled in the whole world, decree, that such men be not admitted to Repentance, but that they be prohibited ⟨p. 318⟩from Clergy Ordination, and Priestly honour. 8. And let not this move you, most beloved Brethren, if with some in the last times, their slippery Faith do nod, and their irreligious fear of God do shake, or pacific Concord persevere not:
The effect of this is, that the offences of Basilides are not so much abolished, as cumulate, that to his former sins, the crime of deceit and circumvention is added. For he is not so much to be blamed, that was negligently deceived, as he to be execrated that fraudulently deceived him. But if Basilides can deceive men, he cannot deceive God. For it is written, God is not mocked. Nor will fallacy profit Martial to keep ⟨p. 317⟩him who is involved in great offences, from a rightful losing of his Bishoprick. Seeing the Apostle warneth us, and saith, A Bishop must be without crime as the Steward of God: Wherefore, seeing (as you wrote, beloved brethren, and as Faelix and Sabinus our Colleagues assevere, and as another Faelix of Caesar Augusta, an honourer of the Faith, and a defender of the Truth, signifieth by his Letters) Basilides and Martial are contaminated by a wicked Libel of Idolatry. And Basilides, besides the blot of this Libel, when he lay sick blasphemed God, and confessed that he blasphemed, and because of the wound of his conscience voluntarily deposing his Episcopacy, turned himself to a repentence, begging pardon of God, and being satisfied, if he might but communicate as a Lay man. And Martial, besides the filthy and dirty feasts of the Gentiles, and the oft frequenting of their Colledges, and the deposing his Sons in the same Colledge after the manner of the exterior Nations, in prophane Sepulchres, and burying them with aliens, did also by publick acts with the Ducenary Procurator, testifie that he obeyed Idolatry: And seeing there are many other and great offences in which Basilides and Martial are held guilty; in vain do such men endeavour to usurp to themselves the Office of Bishops, when it is manifest that such kind of men may neither be Guides of the Church of Christ, nor ought to offer Sacrifices to God: Especially when Cornelius also our Colleague, a pacifick and just Priest, and honoured by God's vouchsafement with Martyrdom, did with us, and all the Bishops settled in the whole world, decree, that such men be not admitted to Repentance, but that they be prohibited ⟨p. 318⟩from Clergy Ordination, and Priestly honour. 8. And let not this move you, most beloved Brethren, if with some in the last times, their slippery Faith do nod, and their irreligious fear of God do shake, or pacisick Concord persevere not:
