A Dictionary of All Religions and Religious Denominations/Helcesaite

HECLESAITES, or HELSAITES: See Eclesaites; and to what is there said, it may be added, that they appear to be a party of Ebionites, called also Ossens, Sampseans, and Ampsenians, who subsisted under one or other of these names through most part of the second and third centuries. Their opinions are involved in much obscurity: thus far seems to be ascertained, that they rejected certain parts of both the old and new testaments; and in some cases excused apostasy, or at least admitted of equivocation, when called upon to renounce christianity.