example to be imitated, but as an extraordinary act which A. D. 395. GOD approved, by bestowing afterwards on Theonas the gift of miracles. He made so great a progress in holiness', that 1 c. 9. after the death of Elias, who succeeded John, he was by common consent chosen to the same office of receiving and distributing the alms, called in Greek Diaconia'; which was [Supr. ch. 5. marg.] esteemed an office of great importance P. c. 10. quagesima &c. 6 The Abbot Theonas3 came to visit Cassian and Germanus in their cell, and, as he sat on the ground with them, (it being Easter-tide',) they asked him: "Why are you so [quin"careful not to use any genuflexions in prayer, during these sim diebus] "fifty days, and not to fast till None; for we never saw this practice so regularly observed in the monasteries of Syria?" Theonas answered: "Fasting is in itself a thing indifferent, c. 12, 13, "and consequently may be observed or not, as there is oc"casion. It is an Apostolic tradition to celebrate joyfully, c. 20. "not only the forty days in which our LORD appeared after "His resurrection, but also the ten days which His disciples spent in retirement, till the descent of the HOLY GHOST, "but that this indulgence may not make us lose the fruit of "abstinence during Lent', we only shorten the time before ['absti nentia Qua"our repast; that is, we take it at the sixth instead of the dragesima] "ninth hour, without making any change either in the c. 23. quality or quantity of our diet." They never, therefore, exceeded twelve ounces of bread in a day. Germanus' asked, c. 24. why the time of Lent' consisted but of six weeks, or of seven [ Bingh. 66 St. Paulinus and St. Therasia, (supr. P The Patres, Abbates, Hegumeni, or Archimandrites, were at the head of the monasteries; under them Centenarii and Decani, presiding severally over a hundred and over ten brethren. The Decani brought each man's daily task to the Economus, or steward of the house, (to which office Theonas was promoted,) who himself gave a monthly account to the Abbot. Bingh. 7. 3. 11. The Bishops, too, had their Economi, (ibid. 2. 4. 6. Cf. 2. 16. 20. and 3. 12,) when the increase of their other duties rendered it necessary. He was always a Clerk, and elected with the consent of the Clergy. See infra, ch. 45. and Conc. Carth. 66 4. can. 82. Infr. ch. 33: " Standing 66 6 66 6 66 6 66 6 66 8 9 bk. 21. ch. 1.] I c. 25. A. D. 395. in some countries, since neither of these make forty days, for if the Sabbath and Sunday, which are not fast-days, are left out, they are only thirty-six? Theonas replied: "These thirty"six days are the tithe' of the whole year, which contains "three hundred and sixty-five days; and the reason of the "difference is, that they who fast but six weeks, fast on "Saturday". However, the whole time has been called' "Quadragesima, on account of the forty days of the fast of "Moses, Elias, and of our Blessed LORD Himself. The per"fect are not by this law confined, nor their times of fasting 2 c. 27. 3 c. 28. 4 c. 29. 5 c. 30. S kept within such narrow limits; the ancients' fasted all the 66 year; and this ordinance of Lent was introduced only for "the sake of the weak, that they might devote to God at "least the tithe of the year." We may here observe how fully Cassian, and those whose opinions he reports, were persuaded of the antiquity and usefulness of Lent. The Abbot Theonas Coll. 22. afterwards discoursed to them On Nocturnal Illusions; and * Coll. 23. on that passage of St. Paul: The good that I would I do not, Rom.7.19. but the evil which I would not that I do"; shewing them, that the saints themselves are not free from sin, or perfect in this Coll. 23. life". c. 17,18,&c. ' Coll. 24. c. 1. 2 c. 2. Cassian and Germanus having spent' some time in Egypt, were strongly tempted to return to their own country to their relations, who, being rich and pious, would not dissuade them from their good intentions, and would plentifully supply them with the necessaries of life. They were in hopes also of converting others by their example and instructions. Moreover, they imagined that near the lands of their forefathers they might find pleasant forests, and fertile and agreeable solitudes. They imparted their thoughts to the Abbot Abraham, who thence took occasion to discourse to them On Mortification": See infra, ch. 45. "If any Clerk "be found fasting on the LORD's Day, (6 or any Sabbath, except the one only, "let him be deposed; if any layman, "let him be excommunicated." Can. Apost. 65. (56. 64. or 66.) The one Sabbath excepted is Holy Saturday or Easter Eve, which will make up the number thirty-six in the text. This canon was directed against the heretics who considered the Creation the work of an evil god, and so by fasting commemorated its completion. In the West, "The weakness of your imaginations shews that you have A. D. 295. "not yet renounced the world, and mortified your desires. "We also might have possessed the same comforts; our re"lations would willingly have supported us; and had they "failed us, the rich in this world would gladly have supplied "all our necessities. We might have settled upon the banks "of the Nile, and saved ourselves the trouble of going four "miles for water. We might also in this country have met "with pleasant solitudes, fruit-trees, and gardens; but we "have chosen these barren and salt sands, these uncomfort"able and parched deserts. They' who aim at perfection, c. 3, 4. "should seek for places, where nothing may tempt them to "leave their cells in order to work in the open air, which "distracts and dissipates the mind by diversity of objects." He insists upon the necessity of labouring with our own c. 11, 12, hands, to prevent our being dependant on others, or a burden to them. 1 9 3 4 13. VII. Cassian at Coll. 2. 2. Germanus and Cassian having spent seven years in Egypt, returned to their monastery at Bethlehem, where they were Scetis. received with a kind welcome; and having obtained leave of their elders, returned to visit the famous desert of Scetis3. Coll. 1. 1. Here they saw, among others, seven Monks of great reputation, Moses, Paphnutius, Daniel, Serapion, Theodore, Serenus, and Isaac. Moses had in his youth been near St. Anthony', and when they begged some instruction of him, he consented after much entreaty, being unwilling to speak of Christian perfection, except to persons who were not indifferent, but earnestly desirous of it, lest he should himself be guilty of vanity or indiscretion; at length yielding to their prayers and tears, he discoursed to them Of the End of a c. 5. Monastic Life, namely, to acquire purity of heart, in order to obtain eternal life. Next day he entertained them on the subject of Discretion', or rather the discerning of spirits; Coll. 2. and of the Prudence which directs all the other virtucs, the necessity of which he confirmed by many examples. They had likewise a conference with the Abbot Paphnutius, surnamed Bubalus, or the Buffalo, from his great love of solitude, which made him shun the society even of the other Anchorites. He was a Priest of the desert of Scetis, and at this time was above ninety years old. However, he would 6 7 9 c. 1. [ 1 Cor. 12. 10.] Coll. 3. c. 1. 1 Coll. 3. c. 1. 2 c. 6. A. D. 395. never. quit the cell, in which he had begun to live when he was young, though above five miles distant from the church, to which he never failed going every Sabbath and Sunday', nor ever returned without carrying on his shoulders a large vessel filled with his provision of water for a week; nor would he in this extreme age, ever suffer the younger men to relieve him of his labour. He conversed with the two friends' on The Three Sorts of Renunciations requisite to a solitary, namely, of riches and all outward possessions, of our passions, and of our thoughts that we may entirely forget all temporal3 things. Coll. 4. 1. The Abbot Daniel3 was chiefly to be admired for his humility. Paphnutius had him ordained Deacon, preferring him to many of a more advanced age, and even afterwards had him raised to the Priesthood t. Daniel however, would never perform the sacred offices of the Priesthood in his presence, and [Paphnu- continued, though a Priest, to serve him' in the station of a tio spiritales hostias Deacon. Paphnutius designed him for his successor; but was disappointed, as Daniel died before him. Daniel conversed with the two friends on the causes of spiritual barrenness, and on The Struggle between the Flesh and the Spirit. Serapion, who excelled in a discerning judgment, spoke of The Eight Principal Vices, the sources of all sins; gluttony, in[ acedia, continence, avarice, anger, melancholy, listlessness, vanity, and pride'. offerente] 5 c. 2. 8 Gal. 5. Le.anxietas sive tæ dium cordis.] 2 Coll. 6. 1. 2 There was a monastery in Palestine near Thecue in the Coll. 5. 2. direction of the Dead sea and the deserts of Arabia, which had been long inhabited by Monks of great sanctity. They were slain in a sudden incursion of the Saracens. The Bishops of the country, with the people of Arabia, took away their bodies, and buried" them with certain relics of Martyrs. An immense number of people, drawn together from the two neighbouring towns, disputed so warmly about the relics, as to come to blows and swords; one of the towns founding its pretensions on the neighbourhood of their dwelling, the other on its being the place of their birth. The Church commemorates them as Martyrs on the twenty3 Martyrol. eighth of May. Cassian and some others, who were dis Rom. That this is the meaning of Cas sian, is shewn by Bingham, bk. 2. 3. 7. u Quorum corpora-veneratione præ repta et inter reliquias Martyrum condita. 2 c. 2, &c. sanctorum.] 4 Coll. 7. tressed at this event, as though it were unworthy of the A. D. 395. goodness of God, went to consult Theodore, who lived at Cella', between Nitria and Scetis. He upon this occasion this occasion [1 Supr.ch. 5. note m.] conversed with them on the nature of evil, and the benefit of sufferings. Serenus', who was eminent for his angelic [ De Nece purity, spoke of The Moving Faculty of the Soul, and the power that the evil spirits have on it. He relates as an un- 1, 2. doubted truth, that the Monks who first inhabited those Coll. 7. deserts, were much more disturbed by evil spirits and attacked even in visible shapes, insomuch that they were forced to keep watch by turn in the communities; but that at that time the power of these spirits was sensibly diminished. This subject engaged the Abbot Serenus in another, concerning the nature of the evil spirits', their fall, their subordination, cipatibus and employments. The Abbot Isaac conversed with them bus.] On Prayer3. 23. Coll. 8. De Prin c. 1, &c. et Potestati 8 Coll. 9, 10. VIII. Life of the Monks of Egypt. 9 c. 1. Supr. bk. 15. ch. 58. 1 Regul. a Pall. Cassian, by staying among the Egyptian Monks, had an opportunity of being accurately acquainted with their manner of life; and it is from him maintained that we derive our information. He thus describes" their garments. They wore Inst. 1. a linen tunic which reached no lower than their knees, with the sleeves hardly coming down so low as the elbow, that they might not be encumbered at their work. This garment was called Colobium or Lebitonarium'. They did not approve of the Lebito, hair shirt, as being something extraordinary, and in general S. Pach. c. 2. [prout they reprehended all ostentation. The tunic was large, and in order to tie it about them, they wore not only a girdle3, but relat. § 5.] a scarf also, or woollen band', which falling down on each c. 2. 4 C. 6. side of the neck, went under the shoulders, and confining [avaß λh, the two sides gave full liberty to their arms. They wore torium] hoods or cowls, but small, being just large enough to cover c. 4. their heads and necks, and they put them off neither night nor day. They usually walked bare-foot, but sometimes otherwise, to protect them against the cold in winter morn- c. 10. ings, or the heat at noon-day; and they used the ordinary sort of shoe, called in Latin, Caliga. Over the tunic they S. Hier. wore a cape called Mafors, which covered their neck and * Cilicinam vestem, velut circumspectam a cunctis et notabilem-et ad necessarii operis exercitium-inhabilem. The objection was not, therefore, against 2 c. 3. 3 rebrachia 7 8 Præf. in Reg. S. Pach. 9 c. 7. |