▁on ▁Constantin ople '. ▁ ▁Te ach ings ▁The ▁sect ' s ▁teaching ▁assert ed ▁that : ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁ess ence ▁( ous ia ) ▁of ▁the ▁Tr inity ▁could ▁be ▁perce ived ▁by ▁the ▁car nal ▁sens es . ▁ ▁The ▁Three fold ▁God ▁transformed ▁himself ▁into ▁a ▁single ▁hyp ost asis ▁( subst ance ) ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁un ite ▁with ▁the ▁sou ls ▁of ▁the ▁perfect . ▁ ▁God ▁has ▁taken ▁different ▁forms ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁reve al ▁himself ▁to ▁the ▁sens es . ▁ ▁Only ▁such ▁sensible ▁revel ations ▁of ▁God ▁confer ▁per fection ▁upon ▁the ▁Christian . ▁ ▁The ▁state ▁of ▁per fection , ▁freedom ▁from ▁the ▁world ▁and ▁passion , ▁is ▁therefore ▁att ained ▁sole ly ▁by ▁prayer , ▁not ▁through ▁the ▁church , ▁bapt ism ▁and ▁or ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁sacr aments , ▁which ▁have ▁no ▁effect ▁on ▁the ▁pass ions ▁or ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁evil ▁on ▁the ▁soul ▁( h ence ▁their ▁name , ▁which ▁means ▁" Th ose ▁who ▁pray "). ▁Mess ali ans ▁taught ▁that ▁once ▁a ▁person ▁experienced ▁the ▁ess ence ▁of ▁God ▁they ▁were ▁fre ed ▁from ▁moral ▁oblig ations ▁or ▁ecc les iast ical ▁discipline . ▁They ▁had ▁male ▁and ▁female ▁teachers ▁whom ▁they ▁hon ored ▁more ▁than ▁the ▁cler gy , ▁the ▁" per fect i ". The ▁condem n ation ▁of ▁the ▁sect ▁by ▁St ▁John ▁Dam asc ene ▁and ▁Tim othy , ▁priest ▁of ▁Constantin ople , ▁expressed ▁the ▁view ▁that ▁the ▁sect ▁esp oused ▁a ▁sort