Christians in the primitive church who consecrated water in the eucharist instead of wine. This they did under pretence of abstinence and temperance; or, because they thought it universally unlawful to eat flesh or drink wine. Epiphanius calls them Encratites, from their abstinence; St Austin, Aquarians, from their use of water; and Theodore, who says they sprang from Tatian, Hydroponists, because they offered water instead of wine.

Besides these, there was another sort of Aquarians, who did not reject the use of wine as unlawful; for they administered the eucharist in wine at evening service; but, in their morning assemblies, they commonly used water, for fear the smell of wine should discover them to the heathens.