The Conferences Of John Cassian

1 Part II. 2 Preface. 3 The Second Part of the Conferences 4 XI. The First Conference of Abbot Chæremon. 5 Chapter I. Description of the town of Thennesus. 6 Chapter II. Of Bishop Archebius. 7 Chapter III. Description of the desert where Chæremon, Nesteros, and Joseph lived. 8 Chapter IV. Of Abbot Chæremon and his excuse about the teaching which we asked for. 9 Chapter V. Of our answer to his excuse. 10 Chapter VI. Abbot Chæremon's statement that faults can be overcome in three ways. 11 Chapter VII. By what steps we can ascend to the heights of love and what permanence there is in it. 12 Chapter VIII. How greatly those excel who depart from sin through the feeling of love. 13 Chapter IX. That love not only makes sons out of servants, but also bestows the image and likeness of God. 14 Chapter X. How it is the perfection of love to pray for one's enemies and by what signs we may recognize a mind that is not yet purified. 15 Chapter XI. A question why he has called the feeling of fear and hope imperfect. 16 Chapter XII. The answer on the different kinds of perfection. 17 Chapter XIII. Of the fear which is the outcome of the greatest love. 18 Chapter XIV. A question about complete chastity. 19 Chapter XV. The postponement of the explanation which is asked for. 20 XII. The Second Conference of Abbot Chæremon. 21 XIII. The Third Conference of Abbot Chæremon. 22 Chapter I. Introduction. 23 Chapter II. A question why the merit of good deeds may not be ascribed to the exertions of the man who does them. 24 Chapter III. The answer that without God's help not only perfect chastity but all good of every kind cannot be performed. 25 Chapter IV. An objection, asking how the Gentiles can be said to have chastity without the grace of God. 26 Chapter V. The answer on the imaginary chastity of the philosophers. 27 Chapter VI. That without the grace of God we cannot make any diligent efforts. 28 Chapter VII. Of the main purpose of God and His daily Providence. 29 Chapter VIII. Of the grace of God and the freedom of the will. 30 Chapter IX. Of the power of our good will, and the grace of God. 31 Chapter X. On the weakness of free will. 32 Chapter XI. Whether the grace of God precedes or follows our good will. 33 Chapter XII. That a good will should not always be attributed to grace, nor always to man himself. 34 Chapter XIII. How human efforts cannot be set against the grace of God. 35 Chapter XIV. How God makes trial of the strength of man's will by means of his temptations. 36 Chapter XV. Of the manifold grace of men's calls. 37 Chapter XVI. Of the grace of God; to the effect that it transcends the narrow limits of human faith. 38 Chapter XVII. Of the inscrutable providence of God. 39 Chapter XVIII. The decision of the fathers that free will is not equal to save a man. 40 XIV. The First Conference of Abbot Nesteros. 41 Chapter I. The words of Abbot Nesteros on the knowledge of the religious. 42 Chapter II. On grasping the knowledge of spiritual things. 43 Chapter III. How practical perfection depends on a double system. 44 Chapter IV. How practical life is distributed among many different professions and interests. 45 Chapter V. On perseverance in the line that has been chosen. 46 Chapter VI. How the weak are easily moved. 47 Chapter VII. An instance of chastity which teaches us that all men should not be emulous of all things. 48 Chapter VIII. Of spiritual knowledge. 49 Chapter IX. How from practical knowledge we must proceed to spiritual. 50 Chapter X. How to embrace the system of true knowledge. 51 Chapter XI. Of the manifold meaning of the Holy Scriptures. 52 Chapter XII. A question how we can attain to forgetfulness of the cares of this world. 53 Chapter XIII. Of the method by which we can remove the dross from our memory. 54 Chapter XIV. How an unclean soul can neither give nor receive spiritual knowledge. 55 Chapter XV. An objection owing to the fact that many impure persons have knowledge while saints have not. 56 Chapter XVI. The answer to the effect that bad men cannot possess true knowledge. 57 Chapter XVII. To whom the method of perfection should be laid open. 58 Chapter XVIII. Of the reasons for which spiritual learning is unfruitful. 59 Chapter XIX. How often even those who are not worthy can receive the grace of the saving word. 60 XV. The Second Conference of Abbot Nesteros. 61 Chapter I. Discourse of Abbot Nesteros on the threefold system of gifts. 62 Chapter II. Wherein one ought to admire the saints. 63 Chapter III. Of a dead man raised to life by Abbot Macarius. 64 Chapter IV. Of the miracle which Abbot Abraham wrought on the breasts of a woman. 65 Chapter V. Of the cure of a lame man which the same saint wrought. 66 Chapter VI. How the merits of each man should not be judged by his miracles. 67 Chapter VII. How the excellence of gifts consists not in miracles but in humility. 68 Chapter VIII. How it is more wonderful to have cast out one's faults from one's self than devils from another. 69 Chapter IX. How uprightness of life is of more importance than the working of miracles. 70 Chapter X. A revelation on the trial of perfect chastity. 71 XVI. The First Conference of Abbot Joseph. 72 Chapter I. What Abbot Joseph asked us in the first instance. 73 Chapter II. Discourse of the same elder on the untrustworthy sort of friendship. 74 Chapter III. How friendship is indissoluble. 75 Chapter IV. A question whether anything that is really useful should be performed even against a brother's wish. 76 Chapter V. The answer, how a lasting friendship can only exist among those who are perfect. 77 Chapter VI. By what means union can be preserved unbroken. 78 Chapter VII. How nothing should be put before love, or after anger. 79 Chapter VIII. On what grounds a dispute can arise among spiritual persons. 80 Chapter IX. How to get rid even of spiritual grounds of discord. 81 Chapter X. On the best tests of truth. 82 Chapter XI. How it is impossible for one who trusts to his own judgment to escape being deceived by the devil's illusions. 83 Chapter XII. Why inferiors should not be despised in Conference. 84 Chapter XIII. How love does not only belong to God but is God. 85 Chapter XIV. On the different grades of love. 86 Chapter XV. Of those who only increase their own or their brother's grievances by hiding them. 87 Chapter XVI. How it is that, if our brother has any grudge against us, the gifts of our prayers are rejected by the Lord. 88 Chapter XVII. Of those who hold that patience should be shown to worldly people rather than to the brethren. 89 Chapter XVIII. Of those who pretend to patience but excite their brethren to anger by their silence. 90 Chapter XIX. Of those who fast out of rage. 91 Chapter XX. Of the feigned patience of some who offer the other cheek to be smitten. 92 Chapter XXI. A question how if we obey the commands of Christ we can fail of evangelical perfection. 93 Chapter XXII. The answer that Christ looks not only at the action but also at the will. 94 Chapter XXIII. How he is the strong and vigorous man, who yields to the will of another. 95 Chapter XXIV. How the weak are harmful and cannot bear wrongs. 96 Chapter XXV. A question how he can be strong who does not always support the weak. 97 Chapter XXVI. The answer that the weak does not always allow himself to be borne. 98 Chapter XXVII. How anger should be repressed. 99 Chapter XXVIII. How friendships entered upon by conspiracy cannot be lasting ones. 100 XVII. The Second Conference of Abbot Joseph. 101 Chapter I. Of the vigils which we endured. 102 Chapter II. Of the anxiety of Abbot Germanus at the recollection of our promise. 103 Chapter III. My ideas on this subject. 104 Chapter IV. Abbot Joseph's question and our answer on the origin of our anxiety. 105 Chapter V. The explanation of Abbot Germanus why we wanted to stay in Egypt, and were drawn back to Syria. 106 Chapter VI. Abbot Joseph's question whether we got more good in Egypt than in Syria. 107 Chapter VII. The answer on the difference of customs in the two countries. 108 Chapter VIII. How those who are perfect ought not to make any promises absolutely, and whether decisions can be reversed without sin. 109 Chapter IX. How it is often better to break one's engagements than to fulfil them. 110 Chapter X. Our question about our fear of the oath which we gave in the monastery in Syria. 111 Chapter XI. The answer that we must take into account the purpose of the doer rather than the execution of the business. 112 Chapter XII. How a fortunate issue will be of no avail to evil doers, while bad deeds will not injure good men. 113 Chapter XIII. Our answer as to the reason which demanded an oath from us. 114 Chapter XIV. The discourse of the Elder showing how the plan of action may be changed without fault provided that one keeps to the carrying out of a good intention. 115 Chapter XV. A question whether it can be without sin that our knowledge affords to weak brethren an opportunity for lying. 116 Chapter XVI. The answer that Scripture truth is not to be altered on account of an offence given to the weak. 117 Chapter XVII. How the saints have profitably employed a lie like hellebore. 118 Chapter XVIII. An objection that only those men employed lies with impunity, who lived under the law. 119 Chapter XIX. The answer, that leave to lie, which was not even granted under the old Covenant, has rightly been taken by many. 120 Chapter XX. How even Apostles thought that a lie was often useful and the truth injurious. 121 Chapter XXI. Whether secret abstinence ought to be made known, without telling a lie about it, to those who ask, and whether what has once been declined may be taken in hand. 122 Chapter XXII. An objection, that abstinence ought to be concealed, but that things that have been declined should not be received. 123 Chapter XXIII. The answer that obstinacy in this decision is unreasonable. 124 Chapter XXIV. How Abbot Piamun chose to hide his abstinence. 125 Chapter XXV. The evidence of Scripture on changes of determination. 126 Chapter XXVI. How saintly men cannot be hard and obstinate. 127 Chapter XXVII. A question whether the saying: |I have sworn and am purposed| is opposed to the view given above. 128 Chapter XXVIII. The answer telling in what cases the determination is to be kept fixedly, and in what cases it may be broken if need be. 129 Chapter XXIX. How we ought to do those things which are to be kept secret. 130 Chapter XXX. That no determination should be made on those things which concern the needs of the common life. 131 Part III. 132 Preface. 133 The Third Part of the Conferences 134 XVIII. Conference of Abbot Piamun. 135 Chapter I. How we came to Diolcos and were received by Abbot Piamun. 136 Chapter II. The words of Abbot Piamun, how monks who were novices ought to be taught by the example of their elders. 137 Chapter III. How the juniors ought not to discuss the orders of the seniors. 138 Chapter IV. Of the three sorts of monks which there are in Egypt. 139 Chapter V. Of the founders who originated the order of Coenobites. 140 Chapter VI. Of the system of the Anchorites and its beginning. 141 Chapter VII. Of the origin of the Sarabaites and their mode of life. 142 Chapter VIII. Of a fourth sort of monks. 143 Chapter IX. A question as to what is the difference between a Coenobium and a monastery. 144 Chapter X. The answer. 145 Chapter XI. Of true humility, and how Abbot Serapion exposed the mock humility of a certain man. 146 Chapter XII. A question how true patience can be gained. 147 Chapter XIII. The answer. 148 Chapter XIV. Of the example of patience given by a certain religious woman. 149 Chapter XV. Of the example of patience given by Abbot Paphnutius. 150 Chapter XVI. On the perfection of patience. 151 XIX. Conference of Abbot John. 152 Chapter I. Of the Coenobium of Abbot Paul and the patience of a certain brother. 153 Chapter II. Of Abbot John's humility and our question. 154 Chapter III. Abbot John's answer why he had left the desert. 155 Chapter IV. Of the excellence which the aforesaid old man showed in the system of the anchorites. 156 Chapter V. Of the advantages of the desert. 157 Chapter VI. Of the conveniences of the Coenobium. 158 Chapter VII. A question on the fruits of the Coenobium and the desert. 159 Chapter VIII. The answer to the question proposed. 160 Chapter IX. Of true and complete perfection. 161 Chapter X. Of those who while still imperfect retire into the desert. 162 Chapter XI. A question how to cure those who have hastily left the congregation of the Coenobium. 163 Chapter XII. The answer telling how a solitary can discover his faults. 164 Chapter XIII. A question how a man can be cured who has entered on solitude without having his faults eradicated. 165 Chapter XIV. The answer on their remedies. 166 Chapter XV. A question whether chastity ought to be ascertained just as the other feelings. 167 Chapter XVI. The answer giving the proofs by which it can be recognized. 168 XX. Conference of Abbot Pinufius. 169 Chapter I. Of the humility of Abbot Pinufius, and of his hiding-place. 170 Chapter II. Of our coming to him. 171 Chapter III. A question on the end of penitence and the marks of satisfaction. 172 Chapter IV. The answer on the humility shown by our request. 173 Chapter V. Of the method of penitence and the proof of pardon. 174 Chapter VI. A question whether our sins ought to be remembered out of contrition of heart. 175 Chapter VII. The answer showing how far we ought to preserve the recollection of previous actions. 176 Chapter VIII. Of the various fruits of penitence. 177 Chapter IX. How valuable to the perfect is the forgetfulness of sin. 178 Chapter X. How the recollection of our sins should be avoided. 179 Chapter XI. Of the marks of satisfaction, and the removal of past sins. 180 Chapter XII. Wherein we must do penance for a time only; and wherein it can have no end. 181 XXI. The First Conference of Abbot Theonas. 182 Chapter I. How Theonas came to Abbot John. 183 Chapter II. The exhortation of Abbot John to Theonas and the others who had come together with him. 184 Chapter III. Of the offering of tithes and firstfruits. 185 Chapter IV. How Abraham, David, and other saints went beyond the requirement of the law. 186 Chapter V. How those who live under the grace of the Gospel ought to go beyond the requirement of the law. 187 Chapter VI. How the grace of the gospel supports the weak so that they can obtain pardon, as it secures to the perfect the kingdom of God. 188 Chapter VII. How it lies in our own power to choose whether to remain under the grace of the gospel or under the terror of the law. 189 Chapter VIII. How Theonas exhorted his wife that she too should make her renunciation. 190 Chapter IX. How he fled to a monastery when his wife would not consent. 191 Chapter X. An explanation that we may not appear to recommend separation from wives. 192 Chapter XI. An inquiry why in Egypt they do not fast during all the fifty days (of Easter) nor bend their knees in prayer. 193 Chapter XII. The answer on the nature of things good, bad, and indifferent. 194 Chapter XIII. What kind of good fasting is. 195 Chapter XIV. How fasting is not good in its own nature. 196 Chapter XV. How a thing that is good in its own nature ought not to be done for the sake of some lesser good. 197 Chapter XVI. How what is good in its own nature can be distinguished from other things that are good. 198 Chapter XVII. Of the reason for fasting and its value. 199 Chapter XVIII. How fasting is not always suitable. 200 Chapter XIX. A question why we break the fast all through Eastertide. 201 Chapter XX. The answer. 202 Chapter XXI. A question whether the relaxation of the fast is not prejudicial to the chastity of the body. 203 Chapter XXII. The answer on the way to keep control over abstinence. 204 Chapter XXIII. Of the time and measure of refreshment. 205 Chapter XXIV. A question on the different ways of keeping Lent. 206 Chapter XXV. The answer to the effect that the fast of Lent has reference to the tithe of the year. 207 Chapter XXVI. How we ought also to offer our firstfruits to the Lord. 208 Chapter XXVII. Why Lent is kept by very many with a different number of days. 209 Chapter XXVIII. Why it is called Quadragesima, when the fast is only kept for thirty-six days. 210 Chapter XXIX. How those who are perfect go beyond the fixed rule of Lent. 211 Chapter XXX. Of the origin and beginning of Lent. 212 Chapter XXXI. A question, how we ought to understand the Apostle's words: |Sin shall not have dominion over you.| 213 Chapter XXXII. The answer on the difference between grace and the commands of the law. 214 Chapter XXXIII. Of the fact that the precepts of the gospel are milder than those of the law. 215 Chapter XXXIV. How a man can be shown to be under grace. 216 Chapter XXXV. A question, why sometimes when we are fasting more strictly than usual, we are troubled by carnal desires more keenly than usual. 217 Chapter XXXVI. The answer, telling that this question should be reserved for a future Conference. 218 XXII. The Second Conference of Abbot Theonas. 219 XXIII. The Third Conference of Abbot Theonas. 220 Chapter I. Discourse of Abbot Theonas on the Apostle's words: |For I do not the good which I would.| 221 Chapter II. How the Apostle completed many good actions. 222 Chapter III. What is really the good which the Apostle testifies that he could not perform. 223 Chapter IV. How man's goodness and righteousness are not good if compared with the goodness and righteousness of God. 224 Chapter V. How no one can be continually intent upon that highest good. 225 Chapter VI. How those who think that they are without sin are like purblind people. 226 Chapter VII. How those who maintain that a man can be without sin are charged with a twofold error. 227 Chapter VIII. How it is given to but few to understand what sin is. 228 Chapter IX. Of the care with which a monk should preserve the recollection of God. 229 Chapter X. How those who are on the way to perfection are truly humble, and feel that they always stand in need of God's grace. 230 Chapter XI. Explanation of the phrase: |For I delight in the law of God after the inner man,| etc. 231 Chapter XII. Of this also: |But we know that the law is spiritual,| etc. 232 Chapter XIII. Of this also: |But I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.| 233 Chapter XIV. An objection, that the saying: |For I do not the good that I would,| etc., applies to the persons neither of unbelievers nor of saints. 234 Chapter XV. The answer to the objection raised. 235 Chapter XVI. What is the body of sin. 236 Chapter XVII. How all the saints have confessed with truth that they were unclean and sinful. 237 Chapter XVIII. That even good and holy men are not without sin. 238 Chapter XIX. How even in the hour of prayer it is almost impossible to avoid sin. 239 Chapter XX. From whom we can learn the destruction of sin and perfection of goodness. 240 Chapter XXI. That although we acknowledge that we cannot be without sin, yet still we ought not to suspend ourselves from the Lord's Communion. 241 XXIV. Conference of Abbot Abraham. 242 Chapter I. How we laid bare the secrets of our thoughts to Abbot Abraham. 243 Chapter II. How the old man exposed our errors. 244 Chapter III. Of the character of the districts which anchorites ought to seek. 245 Chapter IV. What sorts of work should be chosen by solitaries. 246 Chapter V. That anxiety of heart is made worse rather than better by restlessness of body. 247 Chapter VI. A comparison showing how a monk ought to keep guard over his thoughts. 248 Chapter VII. A question why the neighbourhood of our kinsfolk is considered to interfere with us, whereas it does not interfere in the case of those living in Egypt. 249 Chapter VIII. The answer that all things are not suitable for all men. 250 Chapter IX. That those need not fear the neighbourhood of their kinsfolk, who can emulate the mortification of Abbot Apollos. 251 Chapter X. A question whether it is bad for a monk to have his wants supplied by his kinsfolk. 252 Chapter XI. The answer stating what Saint Antony laid down on this matter. 253 Chapter XII. Of the value of work and the harm of idleness. 254 Chapter XIII. A story of a barber's payments, introduced for the sake of recognizing the devil's illusions. 255 Chapter XIV. A question how such wrong notions can creep into us. 256 Chapter XV. The answer on the threefold movement of the soul. 257 Chapter XVI. That the rational part of our soul is corrupt. 258 Chapter XVII. How the weaker part of the soul is the first to yield to the devil's temptations. 259 Chapter XVIII. A question whether we should be drawn back to our country by a proper desire for greater silence. 260 Chapter XIX. The answer on the devil's illusion, because he promises us the peace of a vaster solitude. 261 Chapter XX. How useful is relaxation on the arrival of brethren. 262 Chapter XXI. How the Evangelist John is said to have shown the value of relaxation. 263 Chapter XXII. A question how we ought to understand what the gospel says |My yoke is easy and My burden is light.| 264 Chapter XXIII. The answer with the explanation of the saying. 265 Chapter XXIV. Why the Lord's yoke is felt grievous and His burden heavy. 266 Chapter XXV. Of the good which an attack of temptation brings about. 267 Chapter XXVI. How the promise of an hundredfold in this life is made to those whose renunciation is perfect.