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A. D. 395. Egypt, where they spent seven years; during which time. they often wrote to their brethren.

c. 1.

c. 30.

[ Cœnobii]

15. ch. 58.]

In the neighbourhood of Panephysis they met with the Coll. 20. Abbot Pynufius, who', having been at their monastery in Instit [4.] Palestine, was before known to them. He was a Priest, and Superior of a great monastery, and venerated throughout the province for his virtue and miracles. Not being able to exercise the virtue of humility to that degree which he desired, he put on a secular habit, and went to the monastery [Supr. bk. of Tabenna in the Thebaïde, founded by St. Pachomius'; he knew that there was observed there a strict regularity, and he hoped to be concealed by the distance of the place and the great number of Monks. He was suffered to stay a long time at the gate, begging for admittance, and embracing the knees of the brethren. They looked upon him as an old man who had quitted the world, when he could enjoy it no longer, and who was more concerned to get food, than to take care of his salvation. At last, after many repulses, he was admitted, and set to work in the garden, under a young brother, whom he obeyed with the utmost submission, undertaking the most servile and ungrateful drudgeries, and even rose in the night to perform them in secret. Having thus lain concealed three years, though his brethren had been in search for him all the country over; at length a certain person, who came from the Lower Egypt, saw him, and, with much difficulty, (finding him in a mean habit, stooping down to prepare the ground for planting herbs, and carrying manure,) recognized him. It was long before he could be certain that it was the same person; but as soon as he recollected his face and voice, he threw himself at his feet, to the great astonishment of the Monks of Tabenna, who looked upon him as the meanest person of the whole community. They were still more surprised when they heard his name, which had been famous among them by general report. Pained sensibly at their former ignorance, they entreated his pardon for the unworthy usage he had unwittingly received. He on his part shed tears at the discovery, and at losing the opportunity of self-humiliation, which he had so earnestly sought. His brethren conducted him back to his monastery, and

See supra, bk. 18. ch. 20. note t

1

c. 31.

watched him with great care, that he might not again find A. D. 395. means to escape. However, not long after he again took flight; and to Lib. 4. avoid recognition, went to a foreign country. He fled by night, and embarking, came to Palestine to the monastery of Bethlehem, where Cassian and Germanus were at that time. He was there admitted as a novice, and placed by the Abbot in the same cell with them: but he did not continue here long, being discovered by some Egyptian Monks, who came to pay their devotions at the holy places; and by whom he was carried back to his monastery. When Cassian and Germanus came into Egypt, they made diligent enquiries after him, and were present at a charge which he made, before the whole community, to a Monk whom he had newly received, Inst. 4 after having suffered him to remain at the gate of the monastery many days. "We have suffered a long time to c. 33. pass," said he, "before we agreed to your admission; not but "that we desired your salvation with all our hearts, as we do "that of all others, and would go far to meet such as are "willing to turn to CHRIST; but lest we and you also, should "become guilty before God, if after too easy an admission

3

2
c. 32.

6

you should leave us or grow remiss." He afterwards1 gave 1 c. 34, &c. him a strict charge, concerning that perfect Renunciation, [ Bingh. 7. 2. 14.] which is required by a monastic life. The two friends were so moved, that they almost fell into despair; so far did they Coll. 20. find themselves from the perfection of the state into which c. 2. they had entered'. This gave the Abbot Pynufius an oppor- c. 3. tunity of discoursing to them on Repentance, and the means de Paniof repairing past offences. He pressed them earnestly to tentia fine.] continue in his monastery'; but their desire of seeing the c. 11. in famous desert of Scetis would not suffer them to remain [ Scythiohere.

2

7

8

c. 4, 5, &c.

fin.

ticæ solitu dinis]

V. Piammon

Having therefore crossed the Nile, they went to Diolcos3, a small city on one of the seven mouths of that river, where and John. were many ancient and famous monasteries. There were 3 Coll. 18. likewise some Anchorites in an island surrounded on one

f"The distinguishing characteristics "of the Monks were a solitary life, "manual labour, spiritual exercises, and "abstinence even from the necessaries

of life; that so the sensual part of

"their nature might be weakened, and
"the mind undisturbed in the con-
"templation of heavenly things. The
"rules of the convents did not, indeed,
"demand all this, but for the most

c. 1.

c. 36.

c. 37.

A. D. 395. side by the Nile, and on the other by the sea'; the soil was › Instit. 5. a barren sand, where there was no water to be had, but that of the river above three miles distant from their habitations; insomuch, that they kept it with greater care than others do the most costly wines; the way to it being over sandy mountains, very difficult to pass. One of these Hermits, named Archebius', having discovered the desire that Cassian and Germanus had to make some stay in this place, left them his cell with every thing in it, pretending that he had before resolved to live elsewhere; [he went away, till he had collected the materials for another cell, but soon returned,] and with great labour built another dwelling for himself, which also he afterwards gave up to some other brethren who resorted thither; and then built a third for himself. This Archebius was of a good family in Diolcos; he retired when very young to a monastery about four miles off from the town; and during the fifty years that he lived there, never returned to the city, nor saw any woman, not even his own mother. However, understanding that after his father's death his mother was in some trouble for a debt of a hundred golden pence', which his father had left unpaid; he laboured so hard day and night, for a whole year, without leaving the monastery, that he raised the sum, paid the debt, and set his mother at rest.

3 c. 38.

[' Solidorum.

See bk. 18.

ch. 33. note a.]

c. l.

DEI per eum, etiam sub conspectu

fecta, di

In the desert of Diolcos, Cassian and Germanus saw the 5 Coll. 18. Abbot Piammon", the eldest of all the Hermits, and their Mirabilia Priest, who had the gift of miracles, and wrought many in their presence. They were received by him with much courtesy; and having learned from them the occasion of their nostro per- journey, he discoursed to them on the Three Sorts of Monks vina gratia in Egypt'; the Cœnobites, who lived in communities; the Anchorites, who having been trained in communities, retired into more perfect solitude; and the Sarabaïtes, who were vagabonds, and pretended Monks. He carried the institution of Cœnobites as high as the time of the Apostles, as derived from the custom of the faithful who lived in common at Jerusalem. From these again, he said', proceeded the An

testimo

nium meritis

ejus reddente,]

" Coll. 18.

B c. 4.

9

1

c. 5.

c. 6.

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chorites or Hermits 8, the first of whom he accounted St. Paul A. D. 395. and St. Anthonyi. As for the Sarabaïtes', licentiousness and c. 7. avarice taught them to live without rule, and their numbers had become very numerous k. The Cœnobites and Anchorites were almost equal to them in Egypt, but in other countries the number of the Sarabaïtes was far greater. "Which I

66

2

Supr. bk. diaco[

16. ch. 36.

observed," said Piammon, "at the time of the persecution, "which Lucius', the Arian Bishop', raised in the reign of "the Emperor Valens; when I carried alms to our brethren "that were banished to the mines of the Armenian Pontus." niam, i. e. There was also a fourth sort of Monks', namely, the libertine eleemosyHermits, who withdrew themselves from subjection to a superior, to live alone under the name of Anchorites.

5

6

collationem

narum.

Cf. 2 Cor. 9. 1.] 4 c. 8.

1.

versaria

A few days after, Cassian and Germanus went to the Coll. 19. monastery of the Abbot Paul, which was inhabited by above. two hundred Monks. At that time, however, there was an immense number assembled from other monasteries, to celebrate the anniversary of the former Abbot. As they were [* anniin a large court, ranged in parties of twelve, to take their depositio. repast, one of the younger brethren, who was to bring in a ch dish, stayed a little too long, at which the Abbot Paul gave 58. note u. him a blow, which was heard at a great distance; the young man did not murmur, nor change colour, nor alter his demeanour in any respect; at which all who were present were extremely edified. The oldest man' in this monastery was the ' c. 2.

Though it may be true that Anchorites did subsequently proceed from the Cœnobites, yet looking to the time of the Decian persecution, (see supr. bk. 18. ch. 20. note s,) Anchorites existed first, and it was they who founded communities, e. g. St. Anthony, St. Hilarion, (bk. 19. ch. 56. note q,) and St. Martin, (inf. ch. 49. note). See Bingham, bk. 7. ch. 2. § 2, 3.

See supra, bk. 19. ch. 56. note o. See supra, bk. 18. ch. 20. note s, and bk. 19. ch. 56. notes o and q.

* The Sarabaïtes (fors., rebellis), Rhemoboth (fors. D, exaltatus est, superbivit), or Renuitæ (renuo), "would "live as they listed themselves, only "two or three together, under no rule "or government. They did not resort "to the wilderness, as the others, but "lived chiefly in cities and castles, "where every thing they did might be

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seen by men. Every thing about "them was affected. They fasted for display, but if ever there came a feastday, they would indulge themselves even to excess." Bingham, bk. 7. ch. 2. § 4. St. Benedict (A. D. 530.) speaks of the Gyrovagi as worse than the Sarabaïtes. Ib. § 12.

66

1 Lucius had taken the lead of the Arians at Alexandria, on the death of their Bishop George of Cappadocia. At the same time St. Athanasius returned to Alexandria, and recovered his throne A.D. 362. When he died (A.D. 371— 373), the Catholics, according to his desire, chose Peter to succeed him, but the Arians, with the help of Valens and Euzoïus, the Arian Bishop of Antioch, substituted by main force Lucius, who instantly began a violent persecution against the Catholics. Supra, bk. 16. ch. 25, 34, 35.

See supra

1

A. D. 395. venerable John, remarkable for his humility, which had made him quit the life of an Anchorite, to return to the com'c.3, 4, &c. munity. He conversed with the two friends on the dif ference of these two conditions of life, the advantages and dangers incidental to each; and shewed that the highest perfection existed in uniting their several virtues, “ as I have 66 observed," said he, "in the Abbot Moses3, in Paphnutius', " and in the two Macarii m. They were insatiably desirous of "the repose of solitude, and for themselves would have been " contented to live without any human society. However, "when they were visited, they bore with the number and "infirmities of their brethren, with inexhaustible patience; as though it had been their sole business to attend to them "as long as they lived."

2 c. 9.
[3 Infr. ch.
7.]
[ Ibid.]

VI. Theonas

and Abra

ham.

5 Coll. 21.

1.

@ c. 2.

After this, Cassian and Germanus saw the Abbot Theonas', and were informed of the occasion of his conversion. His parents, to avoid the temptations of licentiousness, had married him when very young. After he had lived with his wife five years, he went one day, according to custom, with the other inhabitants, to carry his tithes and first-fruits to the neighbouring monastery. They were received by an old man named John, who, in consideration of his merit, was appointed to this office; he, to reward their charity, instructed them on the nature of the duty of bringing to God their tithes" and first-fruits, that they may be employed in relieving the necessities of the poor, and on the excellence of the 1 c. 5, 6, 7. Gospel perfection, above the obligation of the law'. Theonas, moved with this exhortation, resolved to leave his wife, and embrace a monastic life; and not being able to persuade her to the same course, he executed his design alone, and left her against her consent. Cassian does not propose this as an

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* с. 10.

m The elder Macarius, called the Great, was a disciple of St. Anthony, and was the first who lived in the desert of Scetis. He flourished, A. D. 373, during the Arian persecution. He was ordained priest, and died, aged 90, in A. D. 391. The power of working miracles is ascribed to him.

The younger Macarius, of Alexandria, was a cotemporary of the Egyptian, but survived him. He lived chiefly at Nitria and was priest of the monastery of Cellæ, a place deriving its name from

its monastic cells, about ten miles from the Nitrian Mount. See supra, bk. 16. ch. 37.

"We meet with no early instances of tithes being received by Monks, unless it was for the use of the poor, of which there is this one instance in Cassian, and besides this Bingham (7. 3. 19.) knew of none.

It was a general caution prescribed by the ancients, that married persons should not betake themselves to a monastic life but by mutual consent, as

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