14. He puts forward as a bait, conformity with the Law,[93] claiming that those who have believed ought to be circumcised and to live according to the Law while clutching at something from the heresies aforesaid. And he says that Christ was a man born in the way common to all; and that He was not now begotten for the first time from a virgin, but that both in the first instance and then many times since, He had been begotten and born, appeared and grown up, alternating births and changing one body for another, wherein He makes use of the Pythagorean teaching.[94] But [the Elchesaites] are so vainglorious as to say that they themselves foretell the future, starting evidently from the measures and numbers of the Pythagorean art before described. And they give heed to mathematics and astrology and magic as if they were true, and they use these things to astonish the weak-minded, so that they may think themselves partakers in a mighty matter. They give also incantations and spells[95] to those bitten by dogs and to possessed and other diseased persons concerning which we [Sidenote: p. 450.] shall not be silent. Having then sufficiently detailed the sources and causes of their audacities, I will proceed to repeat their writings, whereby the reader may know at once their folly and their godless endeavours. 15. To his catechumens, then, [Alcibiades] administers baptism, speaking such words as these to those whom he deceives: “If, therefore, any one has gone in unto a child, or to any kind of animal, or to a male or to a brother or to a daughter, or has committed adultery or fornication, and wishes to receive remission of sins, immediately he hears this book, let him be baptized a second time in the name of the Great and Highest God and in the name of His Son, the Great King. And let him be purified and be chaste and call to witness the seven witnesses who are written in this book [to wit], the Heaven and the Water, and the Holy Spirit and the Angel of Prayer and the oil and the salt and the Earth.”[96] These are the wonderful mysteries of Elchasai, the hidden and great things which he hands [Sidenote: p. 451.] down to the disciples who are worthy. And the lawless one is not content with these, but before two or three witnesses puts the seal on his own crimes, again speaking thus: “I say again, O adulterers and adulteresses and false prophets, if you wish to turn again so that your sins may be remitted unto you, peace shall be yours, and a portion with the just, if immediately you hearken to this book and are baptized a second time with your garments.”