Name of Jesse or from the Name of our Lord Jesus because they were his Disciples he adds But thou may'st find this in the Writings of PHILO in the Book by him intituled Of the Jesseans who describing their Politie and Commendations and recounting their Monastries near about the Lake Maria he relates it of no other than of Christians For he when he was in that Region called Mariotis and was by them themselves conducted to the Monastries of that place got much Profit by it For being there in the Days of Easter he saw both their Lives and how some lived without Eating all the Holy Week of Easter some Two Days and some until the Evening But all these things were done by this Man for the treating of the Subject concerning the Faith and Manners of the Christians St. Hierom concerning the same in his Book de Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis PHILO the Jew Born at Alexandria of the Race of the Priests is therefore by us placed among the Ecclesiastical Writers because writing a Book of the first Church of Mark the Evangelist at Alexandria he discourseth in Praise of our People the Christians there recounting that they were not only there but also in many other Provinces and calling their Habitations Monastries Whence it appears that such was the Church of the first Believers in Christ as now the Monks endeavour and desire to be that nothing may be any one 's own that is that none claim a Propriety in any thing that there be none amongst them Rich none Poor their Patrimonies be divided among those who need that they all attend to Prayer and Psalms also to Doctrin and to Continence such as Luke relates were the first Believers at Hierusalem It is reported that under Caius Caligula he was in some Danger at Rome whither he was sent Legate for his Nation that when he came a second time to Claudius he there in the same City spake with the Apostle Peter and held Friendship with him and for this Cause also wrote in Praise of the Followers of Mark the Disciple of Peter at Alexandria A little after recounting the Works of Philo among the rest he puts in One Book concerning the Lives of our People that is concerning Apostolick Men of which we have spoken before which he intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. because they did contemplate Heavenly things and prayed continually Johannes Cassianus concerning the same lib. 2. de Institut cap. 5. IN the Beginning of the Faith there were indeed but few but those most approved Persons reckoned under the Denomination of Monks who as from Mark the Evangelist of Blessed Memory who first presided Bishop in the City of Alexandria they received their Rule of Living did not only retain those Great things which we read in the Acts of the Apostles that the Church or Crowd of Believers at first made so famous viz. The Multitude of them who believed were of one Heart and of one Soul neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed were his own but they had all things Common Neither was there any among them that lacked for as many as were Possessors of Land or Houses sold them and brought the Prices of the things which were sold and laid them down at the Feet of the Apostles and Distribution was made unto every Man according as he had need But they even built up more sublime things upon them For retiring into the most secret parts of the Suburbs they lead a Life of so great Rigour of Abstinence that so severe a Profession of Life was an amazement to others For they applied themselves with so much Fervour to the Reading of the Divine Scriptures and to Prayer and to the Work of their Hands Day and Night that neither the Appetite or Memory of Meat unless after two or three Days did interrupt them by Hunger of the Body And they received Meat and Drink not as what they desired but what was necessary and not that neither before Sun-set that they might conjoyn the time of Light with the Studies of Spiritual Meditations but the Care of the Body to the Night and other things did they effect more sublime than these concerning which he who is not sufficiently informed by the People of the Countrey may satisfie himself in the Ecclesiastical History Sozomen concerning the same 1 Hist Eccl. c. 12. HAving spoken of the Glory of the Christian Religion by reason of the Virtue of its Professors and of the Confessors then living and of the Famous Bishop Spiridion he adds But most of all did they illustrate the Church with their Virtues and propagated the Christian Doctrin who exercised the Monastick Discipline For this kind of PHILOSOPHY coming from God with the greatest Benefit to Men despiseth indeed many Sciences and the Artifice of Logick as a matter of Curiosity and by which the Exercise of better things is supplanted nor is any thing of Advantage for a right kind of Life conferred by it and with a more natural Prudence void of Curiosity teacheth those things which remove wholly Vitiousness and effect better things but the Middle things between Vertue and Vice it reputes not among the Good but delights in only Good things and holds him for an ill Man who although he abstains from Evil yet doth no Good For it doth not make shew but exerciseth Vertue and makes no account of the Glory which is of Men resisting the Affections of the Mind with great Fortitude nor doth it yield to the Necessities of Nature nor stoop to the Infirmities of the Body but having obtain'd the Powers of a Divine Mind it looks perpetually at the Creator of all whom it worshippeth Day and Night and appeaseth with Prayers and Supplications But having begun a pure Religion with Purity of Mind and the Exercise of Good Deeds it makes light of Washings and such like Purifications For it judgeth Sins only to be Impurities and being Conquerour of those things which happen from without and as I may so say Mistress of all is not diverted from her purpose neither by the Confusion of those things which fill the Lives of Mortals nor by any Necessity neither is it provoked with Contumelies nor being injured doth it revenge it self nor doth it sink being pressed either with Sickness or with Penury of Necessaries but doth rather triumph over those in which she exerciseth Patience and Meekness and Contentation of Mind all the Life long and as far as is possible to Humane Nature becomes near to God using this present Life as in a Passage is neither anxious for the acquest of Earthly things nor doth so much as think of things present even in urging Necessity but perpetually prizing a Life frugal and discharged of temporal Furniture respects the Felicity which it hath from thence and is always disposed for a Blessed End But incessantly breathing out Piety towards God it abhors the Defilement of filthy Speaking not so much as enduring in
And they have a Law amongst themselves that whosoever will embrace their Sect he must make his Goods Common for so neither any amongst them seems abject for Poverty nor any great for Riches but they have as it were all equal Patrimonies like Brethren This is a Custom worthy Admiration and such as is not to be found amongst any other either Greeks or Barbarians that make account of Vertue which they have practised from all Antiquity They account it a Shame to anoint the Body with Oyl and if any Man though against his Will be anointed therewith they use all diligence to wipe it away And they account themselves fine enough if their Cloaths be white They have amongst them Stewards to oversee all things for their Common Benefit who are chosen from amongst themselves by a Common Consult Their Revenue is distributed according to the Need that every one hath They have not one certain City but are dispersed in many Cities and if any of their Sect though a Stranger come to them from another Place they give him any thing they have as if he were their ancient Acquaintance In like manner they go boldly to those whom they never in their Lives saw before as though they were familiarly acquainted with them And therefore when they take a Journey they only arm themselves against Thieves and carry nothing with them else In every City there is one appointed whose Office is to entertain Strangers to receive and lodge those of their Sect that come thither and to see that they neither want Cloaths nor any thing else necessary for them All Children under Government brought up by them go apparelled alike and they never change their Apparel nor Shoes except they have worn out their first Apparel Amongst themselves they neither Buy nor Sell but every Man that hath any thing which another wanteth giveth him it and taketh that of him which himself needeth yea every one of them may take any thing he hath need of from whom he pleaseth without any Change Above all towards God they are very Religious They attribute to Him the Government and Disposition of all things They say that the Souls of Men are immortal and all the uttermost of their Endeavour and Delight is to maintain Justice and Equity They send their Offerings unto the Temple yet Sacrifice they not with other Men by reason they use more sacred and different Ceremonies for which they are secluded out of the Common Temple and Sacrifice apart Otherwise they are Men of most composed Behaviour Before the Sun rise they speak of nothing but Holy things and then they make certain Vows and Prayers after the Custom of their Countrey as it were praying that God would please to make it rise upon the Earth After this every one is dismissed to work or practice the Art he knoweth And when every one hath diligently laboured till Eleven a Clock they all meet together again and being covered with Linnen Cloaths they wash their Bodies with cold Water and having thus purged themselves they go to their Cells into which no Man that is not of their Sect is admitted And then they come to the Refectory as into a Holy Temple where all sitting down with Silence there is set before every Man in order a Loaf of Bread and a little Mess of Pottage all of one sort Before they eat a Priest giveth Thanks and no Man may eat any Meat till his Prayer be made to God Likewise when Dinner is ended they pray again for both before and after they give Thanks to God the Giver of all And then putting off the Apparel as Sacred they apply themselves to their Work till Evening At Supper they do as before causing their Guests to sup with them if by fortune any come Their House is never troubled with Cries or Tumults for every one is appointed to speak in his turn so that their Silence produceth respect in Strangers The Cause of this Moderation is their continual Sobriety and that every one is limited how much to eat or drink And although that in all other Matters they are ruled by their Superiour yet in these two to wit Compassionating and Helping they may do as they think good for every one may when he pleases help those whom he thinketh deserve Help and when he pleaseth give Meat to them that are in Need. Yet may they not give any thing to their Kindred without the Leave of their Superiour They take great care to suppress their Anger they keep their Promise and maintain Peace and People account every Word they speak of as much force as if they had bound it with an Oath And they shun Oaths worse than Perjury for they esteem him a Lyar who is not to be believed without he call God to witness They study diligently Ancient Writers chiefly gathering out of their Writings what is most convenient for the Soul and the Body Out of them they learn Remedies for Diseases and the Virtues of Herbs Stones and Metals Those who are desirous to be of their Order do not strait-way converse with them but for a Year before live out of the College and have the same Diet a little Hatchet and such a Girdle as is before spoken of and a white Garment But at the Years end if they perceive such a Person to be continent they give him a Diet more agreeing with their own and he is permitted to wash himself in cold Water to the end to purifie himself yet he is not admitted in common amongst them till for Two Years more they have observed his Life and Manners And at last when he is thought worthy he is admitted to their common Company But before he is received to the common Table first he is to protest solemnly to honour and serve God with all his Heart to observe Justice and Fidelity towards all Men never willing to hurt any Man nor injure any for another Man's Command but always to hate the Wicked and assist the Good to keep his Faith to all but especially to his Superiours because they hold their Power from God To which they add that if he be put in Authority over others he never will abuse it to the Prejudice of those who are under him and neither exceed the rest in Apparel nor any other ambitious Pomp that he will always love the Truth and severely reprove Lyars and that he will keep his Hands and Soul pure from all Theft and unjust Gain and that he will not conceal any Mysteries or Secrets of their Religion from his Companions nor reveal them to any Strangers although he should be threaten'd thereto by Death Adding moreover that he will never deliver any Doctrin save that which he hath received and diligently preserve the Books as well as the Names of those from whom they received it These Protestations they oblige those to take solemnly who enter into their Order to the end to fortifie them against all Vices Those of the Society who
didst beat back my weak Sight shining vehemently upon me and I trembled with Love and Horror and found my self to be far from Thee in the Region of Dissimilitude or Unlikeness as if I heard thy Voice from on high I am the Food of grown Persons grow and thou shalt feed on me Nor shalt thou change me into thee as the Food of thy Flesh but thou shalt be changed into me And I know that for Iniquity thou dost tutor Men and makest my Soul to pine away like a Spider And I said Is Truth nothing because it is diffused neither through finite nor through infinite spaces And thou cryedst from a far Yes indeed I AM THAT I AM. And I heard as it is heard in the heart and there was no cause of doubt at all left and I could easilier doubt that I was alive than that Truth was not which is seen being understood by the things which are made 7 Confess c. 10. More to this purpose might be noted out of these and others of great Authority in the Christian Church though it may be observed that anciently the Christians as well as the Jews and Heathens were very cautious not to express the Mysteries of their Religion to the Prophane or to such as were not capable according to our Saviour's Admonition Mat. 7.6 and out of that caution and a like caution to avoid all Ostentation and secure their Humility were more sparing in their Expressions of any thing of this nature in their Writings than those of after-Ages who by degrees began to write more openly and at last to compose whole Books of what was before taught more secretly to particular Persons as they were capable to receive it but this is sufficient for the present By this Tast of the Spirit of these Holy People together with the Testimonies of such Excellent Persons as were contempory with them and well acquainted with their Manners and Exercises we may judge of the Rashness and Inconsiderateness of many of later times who have made no scruple to despise vilifie and reproach the Monastick State in general and the Impiety and Wickedness of such as have industriously endeavoured to rake up all the Dirt and raise all the Calumnies and Slanders they could against them If the Abuses and Corruptions which in later times have increased among them were such as might provoke the Indignation of Men and Judgments of God upon them must the whole State from the beginning be condemned for them If the Serpent cast out a Flood of false and Hypocritical Pretenders such as those described by Piammon before pag. 59. and Hierom pag. 65. called Sarabites and Remoboth to drown and obscure the Excellence of those who were sincere doth it become Christians to help the Serpent in that attempt There are also saith St. Austin who are false Monks and we have known such sed non periit Fraternitas Pia propter eos qui profitentur quod non sunt But the Pious Fraternity is not therefore lost because of those who profess themselves to be what they are not in Psal 132. and in divers other places he notes such a mixture among them and the Unreasonableness of those who censure all for the Miscarriages of some Should we judge of Episcopacy by the Actions of too many of that Order which might be noted even from the time of Diotrephes but especially after they became not only secure but greatly honoured by Christian Princes and Emperours or of the Reformed Churches by what hath been acted by some amongst them or even of Christianity by the Lives and Manners of too many call'd Christians how unreasonable would that be If we look into the more ancient times we shall find them admired even by Jews and Heathens and censured and condemned by none but Infidels Hereticks and Apostates Only one SYNESIVS is set up against the concurrent Judgment of all the Great Lights of the Church Athanasius Basil Nazianzen Chrysostom Ambrose Austin and innumerable more And who is this Synesius A Bishop indeed and a Learned Philosopher but as a Learned Doctor of this Church and no Friend to Enthusiasm hath observed a better Platonist than sound Christian one who lived among them and yet very ignorant of what was most considerable in them one who passeth a harsh Censure of them and yet in it gives a remarkable Testimony for them He knew indeed what every Rustick could take notice of that they practised themselves and recommended to others Temperance and Continence and great Austerities and thereof he is an unexceptionable Witness but the reason thereof he knew not and therefore calls their Way of Living Barbarous Adamantine and contrary to Humane Nature an ample Testimony rightly understood He knew their diligent Labour and Works and what was said concerning their continual Contemplation of Divine things and thereof is an undeniable Witness but how that was consistent with twisting of Reeds and making of Baskets that he could not conceive He knew that they had great regard to Motions Impulses Transports c. and thereof he is a competent Witness but what to make of them he knew not and therefore thought that they did thereby hope for the End without the Means He knew that they were very confident of their Knowledge of Divine things and thereof he is a sufficient Witness but what they were he understood not nor how they should attain any such Knowledge without Learning and Study and therefore thought they did very arrogantly assume to themselves a greater Measure of Divine Knowledge than others had And what wonder if he who did not believe all the known Articles of the Christian Faith should be no more acquainted with such Mysteries and Secrets in Spiritual things as are by the Wisdom of God hid from the Wise and Prudent but revealed unto Babes than some of our Learned Doctors are at this time Undoubtedly had those great Men mentioned before no way inferior to this in any part of Learning understood no more of these things than he did they had been of his Mind or had he understood as much as they he had been of theirs And so much for Synesius a very competent Witness of what he knew in this Case but a most incompetent Judge of what he understood not If we come nearer to our own times and inquire into the State of the Monasteries at the time of the Dissolution Stow the Historian writing of the Year 1536. 28. Hen. 8. says The Poor did much lament the Downfall of Monasteries for the great Hospitality which was kept there And it is certain that till after the Dissolution of Monasteries there was no Law in England to enforce any Man to pay to the Relief of the Poor by way of Temporal Coercion The Stat. of Ed. 1. call'd the Stat. de Asportatis Religiosorum recites it to be one chief End of building Monasteries that Hospitality and Almsgiving might be exercised and the Sick and Feeble maintained The Clergy then scarce pretending themselves to be Proprietors but rather Vsu-Fructuarii and as Mr. Selden saith that Parsonages and Vicarages were Elemosynae Laicorum so it seems they were used as a kind of Reserve for the Laity when they fell into Poverty again that is the Surplus was so for there was always to be deducted the Maintenance of him who waited at the Altar according to the Dignity and Quality of his Person Order and Function This was the Observation of a very good Friend to the Church of England the late Lord Chancellor Finch But as to the Monasteries certainly that was an excellent Provision for the Poor where they might be supplied with Spiritual as well as Corporal Alms and such as it seems did not fail till the last so that we needed no Law for Provision for the Poor till the Monasteries were dissolved Which is that Sin whereof the Learned and Judicious Mr. Joseph Meed saith the whole Body of the Reformation is notoriously guilty which nevertheless saith he is accounted no Sin and yet such a one as I know not whether God ever passed by without some visible and remarkable Judgment Ep. 14. p. 760. v. Ep. 58. p. 829. Disc 2. p. 15 17. Disc 27. p. 119 ... and the Judgment he thought begun upon some v. p. 17. 829. and expected more to follow And since the Righteous God is a severe Revenger of the Indignities and Injuries done to his Saints nor can he be thought to have less regard to Sacred Persons than to Sacred things I know no reason why the great Defects of pious and a compleat Christian Education which are now notorious in our Universities and that Blindness and Spirit of Sloath and Slumber which from thence seems to have seized and possessed all Ranks and Qualities of Persons and Parties amongst us may not be a special Judgment of God for that Universal Prejudice and Contempt which upon the Scandals of some the prophane Sacrilegious Impiety of others and the inconsiderate Rashness and Indiscretion of many more have raised against it FINIS