Paradise of the Holy Fathers (Palladius' Lausiac History, Apophthegmata Patrum)

Chapter j. Questions and Answers on the Rule of Lite of the tholy Men which they taught betore the Multitude and in their Cells on every kind of Spiritual Excellence WO of the fathers entreated God to inform them as to the measure [of spiritual excellence] to which they had arrived, and a voice came to them which said, ‘In ‘such and such a village of Egypt there is a certain man in “the world who is called Eucharistos, and his wife Mary, and ‘ye have not as yet arrived at the same measure as theyen Now when the fathers heard [this] they marvelled, and they rose up and came to that village, and they enquired for and found the house and the wife of Eucharistos, and they asked her, saying, ‘‘ Where is thy husband?” And she answered and said unto them, ‘‘ He is a shepherd, and he is in the field pasturing sheep”; and she brought them into her house. And when the evening had come her husband came from the sheep, and seeing the fathers he rejoiced with great joy, and he prepared a table [for them], and brought water that he might wash their feet. Then the fathers answered and said unto him, ‘‘We will ‘‘eat nothing, but tell us what is thy work”; and Eucharistos said unto them with great humility, ‘‘Iam a shepherd, and ‘this is my wife.” Now the fathers entreated him to inform them concerning his life and works, but he concealed the matter, and refused to speak. Finally they said unto him, ‘‘God ‘told us to come to thee,” and when Eucharistos heard this he was afraid, and he told them, saying, ‘¢Behold, we inherited ‘“these sheep from our parents, and whatsoever God provid- “eth as [our] income from them we divide into three portions; ‘one portion [we devote] to charity, one portion to the love ‘of strangers, and the remaining part serveth for our own ‘6 use, Since the time when I took this woman to wife we have ‘‘ not defiled ourselves, and she is a virgin, and each of us ‘« sleepeth alone; at night time we wear sackcloth, and in the ‘« daytime we put it off and array ourselves in our [ordinary] ‘attire, and no man hath known this thing until the present “‘ moment.” And when the fathers heard [this] they glorified God.

2, They say concerning Abba Anthony that on one occasion, when he was praying in his cell he heard a voice which said unto him, ‘‘Anthony, thou hast not yet arrived [at the state of “ excellence] of a certain man who is a tailor and who dwell- ‘eth in Alexandria.” Then Anthony rose up 1n the morning, 149 The Savings of the holy Fathers and took a palm stick and departed to him, and when the man saw him, he was disturbed; and the old man said unto him, ‘‘ Tell me what thou doest, and how thou livest,” and the tailor said unto him, ‘“‘I do not myself know that I do any ‘“good, and I know only that when I rise up in the morning, ‘‘before I sit down to the labour of my hands, I give thanks ‘Cunto God, and praise Him, and that I set my evil deeds be- ‘fore mine eyes, saying, ‘All the men who are in this city will ‘«¢ go into the kingdom of God, because of their alms and good “« «deeds, except myself, and I shall inherit punishment for my ‘* ‘sins’; and again in the evening, before I sleep, I do the same ‘“things.” Now when Abba Anthony heard these things, he said, ‘‘ Verily, as the man who worketh in gold, and who doeth ‘‘beautiful work, cleanly, and in peace, even so art thou; ‘through thy beautiful thoughts thou wilt inherit the king- ‘‘dom of God, whilst I, who have passed the whole of my life ‘‘in the desert, separated [from men], have never overtaken ‘§ thee.”

3. Abba Anthony received a revelation in the desert, saying, ‘‘In such and such a city there is a man who resembleth thee; ‘*he is a physician, and he worketh and giveth whatsoever he ‘‘earneth to the poor and needy, and each day he, with the ‘‘angels, ascribeth holiness to God three times a day.” 4. When Abba Macarius was praying in his cell on one occasion he heard a voice which said, ‘‘Macarius, thou hast not ‘‘yet arrived [at the state of excellence] of two women who are ‘‘in such and such a city”; and the old man rose up in the morning, and took in his hand a palm stick, and he began to set out on the road to that city. Now therefore, when he had arrived at the city, and learned the place [of the abode of the women], he knocked at the door, and there went forth one of the women and brought him into the house. And when he had been sitting down for a little, the other woman came in, and he called them to him, and they came nigh and sat down before him. Then the old man said unto them, ‘‘On your account ‘*T have made this long journey, and have performed all this ‘labour, and with great difficulty have come from the desert; ‘*tell me, then, what works do ye do.” And they said unto him, ‘‘Believe us, O father; neither of us hath ever been ‘““absent from, or kept herself back from, her husband’s ‘‘couch up to this day; what work, then, wouldst thou see in ‘‘us?” Then the old man made apologies to them, and entreated them to reveal to him and to show him their labour, and thereupon they said unto him, ‘‘According to worldly ‘‘considerations we are strangers one to the other, for we are “not kinsfolk, but it fell out that the two of us married two

«NRRL IITA WAR Re sell Ge, OTS Eee ee eee ee ee Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule “«¢ men who were brethren in the flesh. And behold, up to this ‘« present we have lived in this house for twelve years, and we ‘‘have never wanted to quarrel with each other, and neither “‘ of us hath spoken one abominable word of abuse to her com- ‘‘ panion. Now we made up our minds together to leave our “husbands and to join the army of virgins, but, although we ‘‘entreated our husbands earnestly to allow us to do so, they ‘would not undertake to send us away. And as we were un- ‘‘ able to do that which we wished, we made a promise between ‘¢ ourselves and God that, until death, no worldly word should ‘‘go forth from our mouths.” Now when Macarius heard [this] he said, ‘Verily, virginity by itself is nothing, nor ‘‘ marriage, nor life as a monk, nor life in the world; for God ‘«seeketh the desire [of a man], and giveth the Spirit unto ‘every man.” 5. They used to tell a story about certain brethren who were members of the household of Abba Poemen. Now whilst these men were dwelling in Egypt their mother wished to see them, but was unable to do so, and she watched for them as they were going to the church, and went out to meet them, but as soon as they saw her they went back to their cell and shut the door on themselves, and then their mother took up her stand by the door, and spake [unto them], and wept and sighed heavily. And when Abba Job heard her, he went in to Abba Poemen and said unto him, ‘‘ What shall we do in respect of ‘this old woman who is weeping by the door?” Then Abba Poemen rose up and drew nigh to the door and pressed himself against it and, hearing her speaking in the deepest sorrow, he said unto her, ‘‘ Wilt thou, who art an old woman, cry in ‘this fashion?” Now as soon as she heard his voice she wept the more, and she cried out, saying, ‘‘I want to see my sons. «« For what is this that I see in you? Peradventure I did not rear “¢you? Peradventure I am not your mother? Peradventure ye ‘< did not suck at my breasts? Peradventure ye did not go forth ‘from my womb? I am prevented by mine old age, but now “that I have heard thy voice my bowels have been moved.” The old man said unto her, ‘Dost thou wish to see us here, ‘ or wouldst thou see us in that country [beyond the grave|?” She said unto him, ‘‘My sons, :f I do not see you here I shall “see you there.”’ And the old man said unto her, ‘‘If thou wilt ‘“compei thyself not to see us here, thou shalt, in very truth, ‘see us there.” Then the old woman departed, saying, ‘Yea, «my son, if I shall see you there I shall not seek to see you here:

6. There was a certain old man who lived a life of such strict self-denial that he never drank wine. And when I arrived at The Savings of the tholy Fatbers his cell we sat down to eat, and one brought dates and he ate, and he took water and drank; and I said unto him laughingly, ‘*So thou art angry with absinthe, O father? Since thou hast ‘“eaten dates and hast drunk water, why dost thou not drink ‘‘wine?” And he answered and said unto me, ‘‘If thou takest ‘a handful of dust and throwest it on a man will it hurt him?” and I said unto him, ‘‘No.” And he said unto me, ‘‘If thou ‘*takest a handful of water and throwest it over a man, per- ‘‘adventure he will feel pain?” and I said unto him, ‘‘No.” And he said unto me, ‘‘And again, if thou takest a handful of ‘‘chopped straw and throwest it over a man, peradventure it ‘“will cause him pain? and I said unto him, ‘‘No.” Then he said unto me, ‘‘But if thou bringest [them all] and dost mix ‘“‘them together, and dost knead them well, and dost dry them, ‘thou mayest throw and hurl the mass on the skull of a man ‘and thou wilt not break it”; and I said unto him, ‘ Yea, ‘father, [that is true].”” And he said unto me, ‘‘The monks ‘“‘do not abstain from certain things without good reason, and “thou must not listen to the men who are in the world who ‘“say, ‘Why do they not eat this, and why do they not drink ““that?’ Is there not sin in them? Such people know not. Now ‘we abstain from certain things not because the things them- ‘““selves are bad, but because the passions are mighty, and ‘‘when they have waxed strong they kill us.”

7. On one occasion the priest of Scete went to the Archbishop of Alexandria, and when he had returned to Scete he wanted to send the brethren [to Alexandria], and he said unto them, “‘T have heard you say that there is a large assembly of people ‘fin Alexandria. Verily, I say unto you that I who went there ‘did not see the face of any man except the Archbishop.” Now when they heard [this] they were disturbed, and said, ‘“ Have they sunk into the ground, then?” And he said, **Nay, ‘‘not so, but my thoughts did not compel me to look at a man”; and when they heard [this] they marvelled, and they were greatly confirmed by these words [in their desire] to keep themselves from looking upon the vain things of the world. 8. One of the old’ men used to say: On one occasion the fathers were sitting and conversing together on the subjeét of ascetic excellence, and there was in their midst one of the old men who was a seer of visions, and he saw angels flying about over [the fathers]; but when they came to another subject of discourse, the angels departed, and he saw pigs rolling about among them and wallowing in the mire. And afterwards when the fathers renewed their conversation on spiritual excellence the angels came back and glorified God.

9. One of the fathers used to say that there were two Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule brethren who were neighbours of his in the desert, and that one was a stranger and the other a native of the country; now the stranger was a man of little faith, but the native performed many works in the service of God. And it happened that the stranger died, and the old man, who saw divine visions, saw multitudes of angels bearing away in triumph his soul until it arrived in heaven. And an inquiry arose concerning this, and the old man heard a voice from heaven which said, ‘‘He was ‘< certainly a negligent man, but because of his being a stranger “they opened unto him.” And afterwards the man who was a native of the country died, and his kinsfolk came to him and buried him, and the old man saw that there were no angels with him, and he marvelled, and he fell on his face and entreated God to inform him how it was that the stranger who was a negligent man was worthy of glory, whilst the man who had all those labours [to his credit] was not granted the same thing. And he heard a voice which said, ‘‘When the native ‘with all his works came to die, he opened his eyes and saw ‘‘his kinsfolk weeping, and his soul was refreshed; but the ‘stranger, although he was negligent, saw none of his kins- ‘folk, and he sighed and wept.”

10. One of the fathers told a story, saying: There was a certain monk in the desert of Linopolis, and a man who was in the world ministered unto him; and there was in the city a certain rich and wicked man who died, and he was accompanied to his burial by the whole city, and by the Bishop, with lights and great honour. Now the man who ministered to the monk went forth to give him some bread, but he found him dead and eaten by the panthers; and he fell upon his face before the Lord and said, ‘‘My Lord, I will not rise up from ‘this place until Thou makest me to know why this wicked ‘‘man is buried with such great honour, and why this monk ‘‘ who served Thee by night and by day hath come to such an ‘© end.” And an angel came and said unto him, ‘‘That wicked ‘“man did one good work, and he was rewarded here so that ‘he might not find even one pleasure in the world to come; “but this holy man, because he was a man who was adorned ‘‘ with divine virtues, although inasmuch as he was a man he “* possessed certain shortcomings, will receive these things in ‘the world to come, so that there he may be found perfect ‘‘therein.” And having heard [this] he returned, and glorified God for His judgements because they are good.

11. A brother asked an old man, saying, “ Is it the name ‘or the work which maketh to live?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘I knew a certain brother who was praying on one ‘‘ occasion, and who thought within himself, saying, ‘I wish The Sayings of the holy Fathers ‘to see the soul of a righteous man, and the soul of a sinner ‘‘*when they are leaving the body’; and because God wished ‘‘ neither to make him grieve, nor to deprive him of his desire, ‘‘ whilst he was sitting in his cell a wolf went in to him, and ‘* laid hold of him by his clothes and dragged him outside, and ‘then having pulled him along he carried him to the outside ‘‘ of a certain city, and then he left him there and departed. ‘Now whilst he was sitting outside the city there was a man ‘who lived in a monastery, and who had gained renown, and ‘*and concerning whom a report had gone forth that he was a ‘‘monk of spiritual excellence; and this man was grievously ‘sick, and was waiting for the hour of his departure [from ‘* this world]. And that brother looked on and saw the prepar- ‘‘ ations which they were making, and the things which they ‘‘were putting ready for the event, namely, the wax candles, ‘* and the lamps which they were trimming and preparing, and ‘he saw that all the city was weeping for him, and that his ‘‘ people were in grief, and saying, ‘By his hand God hath ‘¢“ given us meat and drink, and by his hands He hath de- “««livered us, and hath kept us and the whole city alive; if ‘* anything happeneth to him we shall die.’ And when the time ‘‘for this man to end his life had come that brother looked, and ‘*saw, and behold, the keeper of Sheol went in having in his ‘hand a fork of fire with three prongs, and he heard a voice ‘‘which spake [to the keeper], saying, ‘Thou shalt not give ‘** his soul any rest, even for a moment, and thou shalt not ‘** shew any compassion unto him when thou takest away his soul, Then he who had appeared to that brother went in, and ‘‘he drove that fiery, three-pronged fork which he had in his ‘hand into the heart of the dying man, and he tortured him ‘‘for a long time, and then he carried away his soul. And after ‘‘these things, when that brother was going into the city, he ‘“saw a certain brother who was a stranger, and who was ‘‘lying sick in the market-place, and there was none to care ‘‘for him; and he remained with him for one day, and at the ‘* time when his soul was departing the brother saw Gabriel and ‘* Michael come for his soul, and they sat down, one on his ‘‘right hand, and the other on his left, and they stayed there ‘* entreating his soul and wishing to carry it away. And since ‘‘ his soul refused to leave its body, Gabriel said to Michael, **¢ Lift up his soul and take it, so that we may depart’; and ‘* Michael said unto him, ‘We were commanded by our Lord ‘“““to bring it out without pain and without suffering, and ‘‘“ therefore we cannot constrain it and do it violence.’ Then *‘ Michael cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘What dost Thou ‘*“command concerning this soul which will not be entreated

Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule ‘“<to come forth, O Lord?’ And there came unto him a voice ‘‘ which said, ‘ Behold, I will send David and his harp, and all ‘‘<those who sing with him, so that when the soul heareth the “¢ sweetness of their voices it shall come forth’; and they came “(down and surrounded the soul, and as they were singing ‘‘ psalms and hymns the soul leaped forth, and it was rejoicing ‘in the hands of Michael, and was taken up on high with ‘* sladness.”’ 12, They used to say that a certain old man went on one occasion to a city to sell his handiwork, and it chanced that he sat down by the door of a house of a rich man who was dying, and whose death was very near at hand; and as he was sitting [there] he looked and saw black horses, with their black riders, who were exceedingly terrible, and they held in their hands staves of fire. And when they had come to the door of the house, they set their horses outside, and they went in together, and as soon as the sick man saw them, he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, ‘‘O Lord, help me.” Then those who had been sent unto him said, ‘‘Now that the sun hath set upon thee thou ‘“hast come to call God to remembrance; why didst thou not «seek Him while it was yet day? Now thou hast neither a por- ‘tion of hope nor consolation left.”” Then they took away his soul and departed.

13. There were two brethren who lived in cells, and one of them was an old man who had persuaded the younger man, saying, ‘‘ My brother, let us dwell together,” but he said unto him, ‘‘I am a sinner, and I cannot let thee be with me, O fa- ‘‘ther.” Then the old man entreated him, saying, ‘‘ Yes, we ‘can [live together]”; now that old man was pure in his thoughts, and he was not content to hear that there was in the young man the thought of fornication. And the brother said unto him, ‘‘ Father, leave me for one week, and we will speak ‘Ton the subject] again”; and when the week was ended the old man came and, wishing to try him, the brother said unto him, ‘‘ During the past week, O father, I fell into great temp- “tation, for I went to a certain village on business, and I met ‘a woman.” The old man said unto him, ‘‘ There is repent- “ance”; and the brother said unto him, ‘‘ Yea, there is.” And the old man said unto him, ‘‘1 will bear the half of this sin “with thee”; then the brother said unto him, ‘‘ We shall now ‘be able to dwell together.” So they dwelt together until the end of their lives.

14. Certain brethren from the great monastery went forth and departed to the desert, and they came to one of the monks who received them with gladness; and when he saw that, as was usual with monks, they had come from labour, he pre- The Savings of the holy Fathers pared for them a table before the appointed season, and whatsoever he had in his cell he set before them, and refreshed them. Now when the evening was come they sang twelve Psalms, and they did the same thing during the night, but the old man left them to rest, and he departed that he might sing and pray by himself. And whilst he was keeping vigil, he heard the brethren conversing together and saying, ‘‘ The ‘‘monks who live in the desert live more comfortably than do ‘‘ we who are in the monasteries.” And when they were making ready in the morning to go to an old man who was his neighbour, he said unto them, ‘‘ Salute him for me’; and they said unto him, ‘Thou shalt not water the green herb,” and when he heard [this], he understood the matter. And he kept them until the evening working and fasting, and when the evening had come they sang the great service through, and the brother said unto them, ‘‘ To-day, because ye have come from toil, we ‘“have shortened the service somewhat,” and he also said unto them, ‘‘ We are not in the habit of eating every day, but be- ‘“cause of you we will eat a little.” And he prepared for them dry bread and salt, and he said unto them, ‘‘ It is fitting that ‘*on your account we should this day make a feast,” and he sprinkled a little vinegar in the salt, and they rose up to sing and pray until the morning, and he said unto them, ‘‘ Weare, ‘fon account of you, unable to perform the whole of the ser- ‘‘ vice as we are wont to do, for ye must rest a little, and ye ‘are strangers.’ Now when the morning had come they wished to escape, but he entreated them, saying, ‘‘ Spend a few days ‘‘ with us, especially that ye may live according to the custom “‘of the desert, for we cannot let you go”; and when they saw that he did not want to send them away, they rose up and fled secretly.

15. On one occasion a certain brother came to Mount Sinai to visit Abba Sylvanus, and he saw the brethren working with their hands to supply their wants, and he said unto Abba Sylvanus, with boasting, ‘‘Ye toil for the food which perisheth; ‘‘Mary chose a good portion for herself.” Then Abba Sylvanus said unto Zechariah, his disciple, ‘‘Give him a book and ‘‘take him to a cell wherein there is nothing.” And when the time of the ninth hour had come, the brother looked this way and that way to see if they were going to send for him to come and eat, but no man came to seek him. Then he rose up and came to the old man and said unto him, ‘‘ Father, have not the ““brethren eaten to-day?” and he said unto him, ‘‘Yea.” And the brother said unto him, ‘‘Why have ye not called me?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘Thou art a spiritual man and hast “‘no need of the meat which is for the body, but we are cor- Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule ‘* poreal beings, and we require to eat, and it is for this reason ‘that we work. Thou hast chosen the [good] part; read all ‘« day, and do not seek after the food of the body.” Now when “that brother heard [this] he expressed his contrition, and ‘‘ said, ‘‘ Father, forgive me”; and the old man said, “Even ‘« Mary had need of Martha, for through the labour of Martha ‘¢ Mary triumphed.”

16. It happened on one occasion that a certain heathen priest came to Scete, and he visited the cell of one of the brethren, and passed the night there, and he saw the labours of his rule, and marvelled; and he said unto him, ‘‘Do ye labour so greatly ‘and yet do not see visions from your God?” and the brother said unto him, ‘‘We do not see [visions].” The priest of idols said unto him, ‘‘ When we perform the part of priests to our ‘‘ god he hideth nothing from us, and he revealeth unto us his ‘mysteries, whilst ye who perform the labours of vigil, and ‘‘abstinence, and silent contemplation, as thou sayest, see ‘‘nothing. There must be in your hearts evil thoughts which ‘‘ separate you from your God, and it is for this reason that ‘‘He doth not reveal unto you His mysteries.” Then the brother went and informed the old men of the word[s] of that priest of idols, and they marvelled and said, ‘‘ It is thus, for ‘‘the thoughts which are not clean alienate a man from God.” 17. One of the brethren said unto one of the great old men, ‘Tf I could find one of the fathers according to my desire, I ‘© would choose to die with him,” and the old man said unto him with a laugh, ‘‘Good, my lord,” and the brother said, coSueh “is my desire.” Now he did not understand the mind (or thought) of the old man. And when the old man saw that the brother was in truth speaking concerning himself that which he thoroughly believed, he said unto him, ‘‘If thou didst find ‘‘an old man according to thy desire, wouldst thou be able to <‘ dwell with him?” And he said unto him, ‘‘Vea.”’ The old man said unto him, ‘* Well hast thou said, ‘If I could find [an old ‘«‘man] according to my desire’ ». and afterwards he said unto him, ‘Thou dost not wish to be subject to the will of the old ‘‘ man, but the old man must be subject unto thee!” Then the ‘‘brother rose up, and made apologies to him, saying, ‘For- ‘« give me, father; I have boasted greatly. I thought that I was ‘saying that which was good, but I find that I possess that ‘which is of no value.”

18, Abba Daniel used to say about Abba Arsenius that immediately he heard that the fruits were [ripe] on the trees, he would tell them in his desire to bring him some, and that he used to eat once a year of every kind of fruit, so that he might give thanks to God. The Savings of the tholy Fathers 19. Abba Abraham asked Abba Theodore, saying, ‘Father, ‘which is the better thing for me to do, [to give] praise or to ‘‘blame?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘I myself prefer to ‘* perform the works of praise, and not of blame”; and Abba Abraham said unto him, ‘‘ How is this?” And the old man said unto him, ‘‘If I perform good works, and I be praised there- ‘‘for, I find that I can bring an accusation against my mind ‘whilst I flee from the love of approbation, and I can say that ‘‘I do not deserve this praise, but blame belongeth to evil ‘“ works, and how shall I be able to comfort my heart, because ‘‘men are offended at me? It is necessary for us to do good ‘works, and to be praised, without receiving upon ourselves ‘the love of approbation, and not evil deeds, lest we be ‘‘blamed.”” And Abba Abraham said, ‘‘Thou hast said well, ‘*O father; even so is it.”

20. They used to say about one of the fathers who had lived in the world, that when he was in the desert he was occupied in fighting [his desire] to return to his wife whom he had married before [he became a monk], and when he related the matter to the fathers, they appointed him certain works, so that he might be kept back from the fight [within him]. Now because he was an obedient man and one who laboured, he performed these works in excess, and at length his body became so emaciated that he was unable to rise up from his place. And, by the operation of God, a certain father who was a stranger came to the place of Scete, and he passed by the cell of that monk and found it to be empty; and as he passed by he said in his mind, ‘‘ How is it that no man hath come out to ‘* meet me from this cell? And he went back there, and knocked, saying, ‘‘Perhaps he is sick”; and when he knocked the brother who was grievously sick went forth, and the father said unto him, ‘‘ What is thy sickness, O father?” And the brother told him of all his suffering, saying, ‘(I belongedto the world, andthe ‘‘Enemy made war upon me through my wife, and I told the ‘‘fathers the story, and they imposed upon me severe labours; ‘‘and having performed these my body hath become ill, and “‘the war hath waxed stronger against me.” Now when the old man heard these things, he was grieved, and he said unto him, ‘‘The fathers have imposed upon thee great labours as ‘if [thou hadst been] a mighty man, but if thou wilt hearken “to my feeble [voice] thou wilt relinquish those labours, and ‘‘ partake of a little food, at the appointed time, and wilt sing “* and pray a little, and wilt cast thy business upon God. For by ‘‘thy pains and sickness thou wilt not be able to conquer this *‘ matter, because our body is like unto a garment; if thou take ‘care of it, it will last, but if thou neglect it, it will come to an

Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule ‘‘end.” Now the brother having heard these things a¢ted thus, and in a few days the war passed away from him. 21. One of the fathers asked Abba Nastir, the friend of the blessed Anthony, saying, ‘‘What is the best work for me to ‘6do?” And he said unto him, ‘‘Not all kinds of labour are the ‘‘ same. For the book saith that Abraham was a lover of stran- ‘‘ vers, and that God was with him; and Elijah was a lover of ‘4 life of silent contemplation, and God was with him; and ‘¢ David was a humble man, and God was with him; therefore ‘‘ whatsoever work thy soul wisheth to do, provided that it be ‘‘ of God, that do, and keep thy heart from evil things.” And the brother asked him again, saying, ‘‘ Father, tell me ‘‘ other things”’; and the old man said, ‘‘Abba Anbastién asked «‘ Abba Athri, saying, ‘What shall I do?’ And he said unto him, ‘« «Go, make thy belly little, and the work of thy hands great, ‘« ‘and be not troubled in thy cell.’” And again the brother asked him, saying, “If there be a ‘* persecution, is it better to flee to the desert or to the habi- ‘tation of men?” And the old man said unto him, ‘‘Go where- ‘‘soever thou hearest that true believers are, and have no ‘¢ friendship with a youth, and do not dwell with one; and if ‘“thou art able so to do, dwell in thy cell, for this is good, and ‘cleanse thy garden herbs. This is far better than going to a ‘‘man and asking him questions.”

And again the brother asked him, ‘‘T wish to dwell in close “friendship with a brother, and I want to live a life of silent “‘contemplation by myself in my cell, and he must give me ‘‘ what I want, and I will give him the work of my hands.” The old man said unto him, ‘‘ The fathers have never sought ‘after a thing of this kind; and if thou dost not give bread ‘‘to the poor Satan will not permit thee [so to live].” 22, Abba Daniel Parnayda, the disciple of Abba Arsenius, used to tell about a man of Scete, and say that he was a man of great labours but simple in the faith, and in his ignorance he considered and declared that the bread which we receive is not in very truth the Body of Christ, but a similitude of His Body. And two of the fathers heard this word which he spake, but because they knew of his sublime works and labours, they imagined that he had spoken it in his innocence and simplemindedness; and they came to him and said unto him, ‘‘ Father, ‘‘ we have heard a thing from a man which we do not believe, ‘‘ for he saith that this bread which we receive is not in very ‘‘truth the Body of Christ, but a mere similitude.” And he said unto them, ‘‘It is I who have said this thing,” and they entreated him, saying, ‘‘Thou must not say thus, father, but ‘according to what the Holy Catholic Church hath handed

The Sayings of the holy Fathers ‘‘down to us, even so do we believe, that is to say, this bread ‘‘is the Body of Christ in very truth, and is not a mere simili- ‘‘tude. As, in truth, God straightway took dust from the earth, ‘*and fashioned man in His image, [and no man is able to say ‘‘that he is not the image of God], so also was it the case of the ‘‘bread of which He said, ‘This is My Body,’ for it is not to be ‘‘regarded as a merely commemorative thing, and we believe ‘‘that it is indeed the Body of Christ.” And the old man said, ‘‘Unless I be convinced by the thing itself I will not hearken ‘‘[to this]”; then the fathers said unto him, ‘‘ Let us pray to ‘*God for the whole week on this mystery, and we believe that ‘* He will reveal [it] unto us,” and the old man agreed to this with great joy, and each man went to his cell. Then the old man prayed unto God, saying, ‘‘O Lord, Thou knowest that it ‘‘is not from wickedness that I do not believe, but in order ‘*that I may not go astray through ignorance, reveal Thou ‘‘therefore unto me, O Lord Jesus Christ, this mystery”; and the two other old men prayed unto God and said thus, ‘‘O Lord ‘‘ Jesus Christ, make Thou this old man to have knowledge ‘‘concerning this mystery, and we believe that he will not ‘* destroy his labours.”

And God heard the entreaty of the two fathers, and when the week was ended they came to the church, and the three of them sat down by themselves on one seat, and the old man was between the other two; and the eyes of their understandings were opened, and when the time of the Mysteries had arrived, and the bread was laid upon the holy table, there appeared to the three of them as it were a child on the table. And when the priest stretched out his hand to break the bread, behold the angel of the Lord came down from heaven with a knife in his hand, and he slew the child and pressed out his blood into the cup; and when the priest broke off from the bread small members, the old man drew nigh that he might partake of the Holy Offering, and a piece of living flesh smeared and dripping with blood was given to him. Now when he saw [this] he was afraid, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘‘I believe, O Lord, ‘that the bread is Thy Body, and that the cup is Thy Blood”; and straightway the flesh which was in his hand became bread like unto that of the Mystery, and he took it and gave thanks unto God. And the old men said unto him, ‘‘God knoweth the ‘“‘nature of men, and that it is unable to eat living flesh, and ‘for this reason He turneth His Body into bread, and His ‘‘ Blood into wine, for those who receive Him in faith.” Then they gave thanks unto God for that old man, and because he had not permitted Satan to destroy him from his labours, and the three of them went to their cells in gladness.

Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule 23. Abba Daniel used to say that Abba Arsenius told him a story, as if he were speaking of some other man, saying :— Whilst a certain old man was sitting in his cell, there came unto him a voice which said, ‘‘Come hither, and I will shew ‘“thee the works of the children of men”; and he rose up and went out. And the voice led him out and shewed him an Ethiopian cutting wood, and he made up a large bundle and wished to carry it away, but he was unable to do so. Then instead of making the bundle smaller, he went and cut down some more wood, and added thereto, and this he did many times. And when he had gone on a little further, the voice shewed him a man who was standing by a pit drawing up water, which he cast in a certain hollowed out place, and when he had thrown the water therein it ran down again into the pit. And again the voice said unto him, ‘‘Come, and I will shew “thee other things.” Then he looked, and, behold, there was a temple, and two men, who were riding horses, were carrying a piece of wood as wide as the temple was, and they wanted to go in through the door, but the width of the wood did not permit them to do so, for they would not humble themselves to go in, one after his companion, and to bring it in end-wise, and therefore they remained outside the door. Now these are the men who bear the yoke of righteousness with boasting, and they will not humblethemselvestomakethemselves straight and go in the humble way of Christ, and therefore they remain outside the kingdom of God. And the man who was cutting wood is the man who laboureth in many sins, and who, instead ofrepenting and diminishing fromhissins, addeth other wickednesses thereunto. Now he who was drawing water is the man who doeth good works, and who, because other things are mingled in his good works, destroyeth his works thereby. Now it is meet that a man should be watchful in his labour, lest he toil in vain.

24. On one occasion Abba Macarius was going from the wood to his cell, and was carrying [with him] some palm leaves, and Satan met him on the road holding a scythe [in his hand]; and when Macarius sought to wound him, Satan was afraid, and he fell down and did homage to the blessed man. Then the old man fled from that place, and he related to the brethren everything which had happened, and when they heard [it] they glorified God. 25, An old man used to say, ‘‘Be like a camel when thou ‘‘ bearest thy sins, and be thou tied closely to him that know- ‘* eth the way.” : 26. An old man used to say, ‘‘Become not a lawgiver unto ** thyself, and judge no man, ye thou art not under the Law, The Savings of the holy Satbers : ‘but under grace; but give thou everything to Him that 1s ‘able to do everything, for thou art unable to do anything. ‘Judge then [in] this [way], and do not sin at any time. 27. He also said, ‘‘He who wisheth to dwell in the desert ‘‘ Should become a learner, and he should not practise doctrine ‘Jest he suffer loss; and his occupation should be with a man ‘who loveth God.”

28, Unto one of the old men Satan appeared in the form of an angel of light, and said, “J, even I, am Gabriel who have ‘been sent unto thee”; and he said unto him, ‘‘ Hast thou ‘not been sent unto another? for lama sinner”; and when Satan heard this he did not again appear. And the old man said, ‘(If in very truth an angel appeareth unto thee, say, ‘As “Sunto whom [hast thou come in coming] to me? I am not ‘¢¢worthy.’” 29. When Abba Gregory was dying he said these [ words]:— ‘‘ God demandeth three things from the man who hath been ‘baptized, true faith from the soul, and truth from the tongue, ‘and chastity from the body.” 30. The old man said, “(God seeketh nothing from Chris- ‘‘ tians except true faith, and [belief] that the things which are ‘“spoken shall come to pass in deed, and that we should be ‘ persuaded by the orthodox fathers.” r. An old man was asked, ‘‘ How can a man find God? By ‘fasting? By works? By watching? By mercy?” And he said, ‘‘ By means of these certainly when they are mingled with dis- ‘cretion, but I say that there are many who have afflicted “‘ their bodies without discretion, and they have departed vainly, ‘having gained nothing. Our mouth becometh foul through ‘thirst, and we repeat the Scriptures with our mouth, ‘Cand we go through all the Psalms of David in our service, ‘but that which God requireth, and which is necessary we ‘‘ have not, that is to say, a good word for each other. For as ‘‘ 4 man cannot see his face in troubled waters, so the soul, un- ‘(Jess it be cleansed from alien thoughts, is not able to appear ‘‘ before God in prayer.”

32, A certain monk was going along the road and he met some nuns, and he turned aside out of the path, and she who was leading them said unto him, ‘‘Hadst thou been a perfect ‘‘ monk thou wouldst never have regarded us as women.” 33. Abba Anthony used to say, ‘fA man’s life or death ‘©cometh from his neighbour; if we benefit our brother we ‘* benefit ourselves, and if we offend him we sin against God.”’ 34. A certain brother came to Abba Theodore, and he began to talk and to speak about the things which he had not done; and the old man said unto him, ‘‘So far thou hast not found a Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule “ship, and thou hast not let down in it thy possessions, and “‘ before thou hast embarked thou hast gone to the city where- ““to thou wishest to go. First of all do the work, and then “thou shalt arrive at that concerning which thou art now “* talking.” 35. A brother asked Abba Anthony, saying, ‘‘ What [com- ‘*mandment] shall I keep so that I may please God?” And he answered and said unto him, ‘‘ That which I command ‘“‘thee observe. Set thou God before thine eyes continually, ‘* wheresoever thou goest; whatsoever thou doest make to it ‘* a witness (ov testimony) from the Scriptures; and in what- ‘* soever place thou dwellest be not easily moved therefrom, ‘but abide therein persistently. Observe these three things, ‘and thou shalt be saved.”

36. They used to say about a certain old man that whensoever he sat in his cell toiling in the contest, he saw the devils face to face, and that he treated them with contempt and despised them through his contest. Now when Satan saw that he was being overcome by the old man, he appeared unto him in human form, and said unto him, ‘‘ I am ‘¢ Christ.””> And when the old man saw him, he winked his eyes and made a mock of him. Then Satan said unto him, ‘© Why dost thou wink thine eyes? I, even I, am Christ.” And the old man answered and said unto him, ‘‘I do not desire to ‘see Christ here’; and when Satan heard these things he departed from him and was no more seen. 37. Abba John used to say, that he saw in a vision one ot the old men in a state of stupefaction, and behold, three monks were standing on the shore of a lake, and a voice came to them from heaven (or from the other shore of the lake), which said, ‘‘Take ye wings of fire and come to me”; and two of them took wings of fire and flew over to the other side, even as it was told them. Now the third remained behind, and he wept abundantly, and cried out, and at length wings were given to him also, but they were not of fire like those of his companions, for they were weak and feeble wings, and it was only with the greatest difficulty, and after dropping down into the water, and with most painful exertions that he reached the [opposite] shore. And even so is it with this generation, for although it taketh to itself wings, they are not the powerful wings of fire, but it forceth itself to take weak and feeble wings. ee

38. An old man used to say, ‘‘ Every wickedness which is ‘‘ not perfect is not wickedness, and every righteousness which ‘Sis not perfect is not righteousness; for the man who hath “not good and evil thoughts is like unto the land of Sodom, The Sayings of the holy Fathers ‘‘which is salted, and which bringeth forth neither green ‘herb nor fruit. Now good ground produceth wheat and ex- ‘«pelleth tares from itself.” 39. Certain brethren came and asked Abba Anthony a question about the Book of the Levites, and the old man went forth to the desert, and Abba Ammon, who knew his habit, followed him secretly. And when the old man had gone some distance, he cried out with a loud voice, and said, ‘‘O God, send Moses ‘‘unto me, and let him teach me [the meaning of] this verse”; and straightway a voice was heard holding converse with him. Now Abba Ammon heard this voice, and said, ‘‘I heard the ‘“yvoice which spake with him, but the force of the verse I ‘* never learned.” 40. On one occasion when Abba Poemen was a youth, he went to an old man to ask him [concerning] three matters, and having gone into his presence he forgot one of them, and he turned to go to his cell; and as he put the key [in the door] to open [it], he remembered the matter which he had forgotten, and straightway he left the key in the door and returned to the old man, and the old man said unto him, ‘‘ Thou hast ‘returned quickly, brother.” And Abba Poemen told him the story thus:—‘‘ When I put the key [in the door] to open [it], I ‘remembered the matter which I wanted to know, and I did ‘‘not open the door because I came back hither speedily.” Now the rocky ground which [he had traversed] in the interval was of no inconsiderable length. And the old man said unto him, ‘‘ Thy name shall be spoken about throughout all “Egypt.”

41. A brother said unto an old Abbé, ‘‘ Behold, I have en- ‘‘treated the old men, and they talk to me about the redemp- ‘tion of my soul, but I can lay hold upon nothing in their ‘* words; what is the use, then, of making them toil when I can ‘do nothing [with what they say], for I am wholly in a state “‘of uncleanness?”’ Now there were there two basins, and the old man said unto him, ‘‘Go, bring me one of these basins, ‘‘and pour some oil into it, and rinse the basin round with it, ‘‘and then empty it out”; and he did so twice. Then the old man said unto him, ‘‘ Bring now the two [basins] together”; and the brother did as he told him. [And the old man said, ‘Look and see which basin is the cleaner,” and the brother said unto him], ‘‘ That into which the oil hath been poured is ‘*the cleaner.” The old man said unto him, ‘‘And thus also is ‘it with the soul, for even if it layeth hold of nothing through ‘*that which it asketh, it is cleaner than if it had never asked ‘“a question at all.”

42, A brother asked Abba John, and said unto him, ‘‘ How is Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule ‘it that the soul which hath blemishes in itself is not ashamed “‘to speak about its neighbour, and to calumniate it?” And the old man spake unto him a word concerning calumny, saying, ‘* There was a certain man who was poor, and he had a wife, and ‘*hesaw another woman who hearkened unto him, and he took ‘‘her to wife also; now the two women were naked. And when ‘there was a fair in a certain place the two women persuaded ‘‘him to take them to it, and he took his two wives, and put ‘‘them in a boat, and when he had gone up out of the boat he ‘‘arrived at a certain place. Now when the day had waxed ‘“hot, and every man was resting, one of the women looked **out and saw that there was no man outside, and she leaped ‘fup and went forth to a heap of waste rubbish, and chose ‘therefrom some old rags and made a girdle for herself, and ‘then walked about boldly. Meanwhile her companion was ** sitting down naked, and she said unto her husband, ‘ Look ‘‘*at that harlot going about naked and without shame’; ‘*then her husband, with sadness, said unto her, ‘ The thing ‘<“to be wondered at is that, whilst she hath, at least, covered ‘« ‘her shame, thou art entirely naked, and dost speak these ‘*¢words without being ashamed.’ Now a calumny [uttered] ‘‘against a neighbour is like unto this.”

43. They used to say that one of the old men asked God that he might see the fathers, and he saw them [all], with the exception of Abba Anthony; and he said unto him that shewed [them] to him, ‘‘ Where is Abba Anthony?” And he said unto him, ‘‘ Wheresoever God is there is Anthony.” 44. Abba Poemen used to say, ‘‘ This is what is written, ‘¢* As the hart crieth out for the water-brooks, even so crieth «out my soul unto Thee, O Lord’ (Psalm xlii, 1). For the ‘‘harts in the desert swallow many serpents, and when the ‘poison of these maketh them hot within, they cry out to ‘come to the water-brooks, but as soon as they have drunk ‘the burning which cometh from the serpents inside them is ‘¢ cooled. And thus is it with the monks who are in the desert, ‘for they are burnt up by the envy of evil devils, and they ‘wait for the Saturday and Sunday that they may come to ‘‘the fountain of water, that is to say to the body of Christ, ‘Cand they sweeten and purify themselves from the gall of the ‘« Evil One.”

5. On one occasion when the brethren were sitting with Abba Moses, he said unto them, ‘‘ Behold, this day have the ‘‘ barbarians come to Scete; rise up and flee.” And they said unto him, ‘‘ Wilt thou not flee, father? He said unto them, ‘‘I ‘““ have been expecting this day to come for many years past, ‘so that might be fulfilled the command of our Redeemer, The Savings of the holy Fathers ‘“Who said, ‘Those who take the sword shall perish by the “¢sword’” (St. Matthew xxvi, 52). And they said unto him, ‘© We then will not flee, but will die with thee.” He said unto them, ‘‘This is not my affair, but your own desire; let every man ‘look after himself in the place where he dwelleth.” Now the brethren were seven in number. And after a little he said unto them, ‘‘Behold, the barbarians have drawn near the ‘‘ door”; and the barbarians entered and slew them. Now one of them had been afraid, and he fled behind the palm leaves, and he saw seven crowns come down and place themselves on the heads of those who had been slain. 46. The brethren asked an old man, saying, ‘‘ How is it that ‘God promiseth in the Scriptures good things to the soul, ‘Cand that the soul desireth them not, but turneth aside to im- ‘“ purity?” And he answered and said unto them, ‘‘It is my ‘‘opinion that it is because it hath not yet tasted the good ‘“ things which are above, and therefore the good things which ‘are here are dear unto it.”

. Abba Arsenius used to say, ‘‘ The monk is a stranger in ‘‘a foreign land; let him not occupy himself with anything ‘‘ therein], and he will find rest.” 48. They used to say that on one occasion when Abba Ma-. carius the Great went up from Scete, and was carrying palm leaves, he became weary and sat down; and he prayed to God, andsaid, ‘‘God, thou knowest that I have no strength,” and straightway he found that he was by the side of ‘the sea (or river). 49. There was a certain old man in the mountain of Athliba (Athribis), and thieves came to attack him, and he cried out; and when his neighbours heard [his cry] they hunted down the thieves, and they sent them to the governor, who shut them up in prison. And the brethren were sorry, and said, ‘‘ They ‘* were delivered into our hands”; and they rose up and went to Abbé Poemen, and informed him about the matter. Then he wrote.to that old man, and said unto him, ‘‘ Thou must ‘‘understand whence hath come the first betrayal, and then ‘*thou wilt perceive how the second betrayal arose; for if thou ‘*hadst not been betrayed first of all by those that were with- ‘‘in thou wouldst never have effected the second betrayal.” Now when the old man heard the letter of Abba Poemen, who was famous throughout all that country, and who kept himself strictly secluded in his cell, and never went out, straightway he rose up and went into the city, and took the thieves out of prison, and thus the assembly set them free.

50. On one occasion Abba Macarius, wishing to rebuke the brethren, said unto them, ‘‘ There came here a young man with Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule ‘his mother, and he was under the power of a devil, and he “said unto his mother, ‘ Rise up, let us depart from here’; ‘and she said unto him, ‘I cannot walk.’ Then the young ‘man said unto him, ‘I will carry thee myself.’” And Abba Macarius marvelled at the wickedness of that devil, and sought to drive them away. 51. On one occasion five brethren came to visit a great old man, and he asked the first one, saying, ‘‘ What kind of work ‘« doest thou?” And he said unto him, ‘‘I twist palm leaves ‘¢into ropes, father”; and the old man said unto him, “ God ‘« shall plait a crown for thee, O my son.” Then he said to the second brother, ‘‘And what dost thou do?” And he said unto him, ‘‘I make mats, father”; and the old man said unto him, ‘‘ God shall give thee strength, O my son.” And he said unto the third brother, ‘‘And what dost thou do?” And he said unto him, ‘‘[I make] sieves, father”; and the old man said unto him, ‘‘God shall preserve thee, O my son.” Then he asked the fourth brother, saying, ‘‘What dost thou do?” And he said unto him, ‘‘ I] can write well.” And the old man said unto him, «© Thou knowest.’’ Then he said unto the fifth brother, ‘‘ And ‘¢ what dost thou do?” And he said unto him, ‘‘I weave “linen.” Then the old man said, * I am not near,” and he said also, ‘‘ If the twister of palm-leaf ropes be watchful with God “He will plait him a crown for him; mat[-making] requireth “« strength because there is labour therein; and God must pro- « teét him of the sieves because he hath to sell them in the vil- ‘‘lages; as to the scribe, he must be humble in heart, for there ‘< is in his business exaltation of spirit, as regardeth the linen “< weaver, I am not near (i.e., concerned) to speak, for he isa ‘merchant and he tradeth. But if a man seeth a brother afar “< off carrying palm branches, or palm-leaf mats, or sieves, he ‘saith, ‘ This man is a monk, for grass is the work of our ‘« ‘hands, and he is avoiding the burning of the fire’; and if he “¢ seeth a man selling linen, he saith straightway, ‘ Behold, «<¢the merchants have come, for the [selling of] linen is the « (work of this world, and it doth not benefit many.”

52. Abba Jacob used to say, ‘‘It is not only words which «‘ are required, for in this [life of] time many have abundance ‘of words, but it is work which is required, and it 1s neces- ‘ sary to have it, and not words wherein there 1s no work.” 53. One of the old men used to say, ‘‘ That which is hated “« by thee do not unto thy companion; if it be hateful to thee ‘for him to calumniate thee, do not thou calumniate any man, “if it be hateful to thee to be accused, accuse thou no man, if ‘it be hateful to thee for a man to revile thee, or to treat thee ‘‘ with contempt, or to pluck thee away, or to do any such The Savings of the holy Fatbers ‘thing unto thee, do not thou do unto any man anything of ‘‘ the kind. He who is able to perform this commandment is ‘able to redeem his own soul.” 54. ‘On one occasion I went to Abba Muthues, and when ‘I was about to return, I said unto him, ‘I wish to go to the ‘*“ Cells’; and he said unto me, ‘ Salute Abba John for me.’ ‘‘Now when I came to Abba John, I said unto him, ‘ Abba ‘**Muthues saluteth thee’; and the old man said unto me, “© Behold, Abba Muthues is indeed a man of Israel in whom ‘there is no guile.’ And after one year I went to Abbé ‘‘ Muthues, and I told him the greeting of Abba John; and the “old man said unto me, ‘I am unworthy of the old man’s ‘“* “words, but know, if ever thou hearest an old man praising ‘““*his companion more than himself, that he hath attained ‘“““unto a great measure of perfection, for it is indeed obe- ‘““*dience for a man to praise his companion more than ‘“ himself.’)”’

55. A brother asked an old man, and said unto him, ‘ My ‘‘ brother abuseth me, and I cannot bear him any longer; what ‘“shall I do? Shall I rebuke him, or shall I speak evil words ‘“‘to him?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘ Both things are bad, ‘“whether a man rebuke him, or whether a man speak unto ‘“him evil words”; and the brother said unto him, ‘‘ And ‘what shall I do? For I cannot endure either.”” The old man said unto him, ‘‘If thou canst not bear both things, speak to ‘“him, but do not rebuke him; but if thou speakest unto him ‘‘with words of evil, and he listeneth, thou wilt be able to ““quiet him, saying, ‘I did not say such and sucha thing, and ‘* “it will be possible for the matter which is between you to ‘“* be healed; but if thou rebuke him to his face, thou wilt “*“ make a sore which will be incurable.’ ” 56. Certain brethren came to Abba Anthony that he might tell them about the visions which they used to see, whether they indeed came from devils [or not]; now they had with them an ass, and he died on the road as they were coming, and when they had gone into the presence of the old man, he said unto them straightway, ‘‘ How was it that your ass died on “the road?” And they said unto him, ‘Whence doth the ‘‘ Abba know that our ass is dead?” And Abba Anthony said unto them, ‘‘ The devils shewed me [the matter].” Then they said unto him, ‘‘ We have come to ask thee questions because ‘“‘ we have seen phantoms, and also because on several occa- ‘* sions they have actually become real things, and we want “to learn whether we have erred or not”; and the old man shewed them that such phantoms which arise through certain devils cannot be inquired into.

Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule 57. They were saying that Abba Sylvanus used to sit in secret in a cell with a few chick peas, and he made of them one hundred bundles; and behold, a man came from Egypt leading an ass loaded with bread, and having knocked at the door of his cell, he went in, and set down [the bread], and the old man took these bundles, and loaded them upon the ass, and sent him away. 58. They used to say that when Abba Zeno dwelt in a cell in Scete he went forth one night from his cell as if for a purpose, and wandered about; and when he had passed three days and three nights in travelling, being exhausted by toil and hunger, and ready to die, he fell upon the ground. And behold, a youth stood before him carrying some bread and a pitcher of water, and he said unto Abba Zeno, ‘‘Arise, and eat bread”’; and the old man rose up and prayed, thinking that the youth was a phantom. Then the youth answered and said unto him, “Thou hast done well”; and again Abba Zeno prayed twice, and three times, and the youth said unto him, ‘‘Thou hast “done well”; and the old man took the bread and ate. Then afterwards the youth said unto him, ‘‘ How is it that thou hast ‘‘ gone so far from thy cell? But arise and follow me”; and immediately he found himself in his cell. The old man said unto him, ‘‘Come, enter into the cell with me, and make thy prayer,” and as he was going on in front he was swallowed up from his sight.

59. They used to say that a certain brother had such an attack of blasphemy that he was ashamed to speak, and wherever he heard that there were great old men he used to go to them wishing to tell them [about it]; but whenever he had come to one of them he was ashamed to speak to him. Now having gone to the fathers several times, on one occasion Abba Poemen saw him, and he perceived that he was full of thoughts, and he was sorry for him; but when the brother would not reveal the matter to him, and he made as if he would pass him by, as soon as the brother had gone a little way from him, the old man said unto him, ‘‘ How often hast thou come hither to tell ‘me the thoughts which thou hast in thy mind! Yet, when ‘thou comest here, thou findest it hard to tell me. How long «« wilt thou go on in this manner and be vexed by such thoughts ‘in thy mind? Tell me, my son, what is it that aileth thee?” Then that brother answered, and said unto him, ‘‘I am fight- ‘‘ing against the devil of blasphemy of God, and though I ‘have often sought [to tell thee] I have been ashamed to do ‘6 s09,”” And when he had told him the matter, the face of Abba Poemen broke into a smile, and he said unto him, ‘‘Be not ‘‘ yexed, O my son, for when this thought cometh to thee,

The Savings of the holy Fatbers ‘speak thou to it, saying, ‘I have nothing to do with this ‘ ‘thought, and my soul desireth it not; let this blasphemy be ‘upon thee, Satan, for nothing in [my] soul desireth it, for ‘“‘the time is short.’” And when that brother heard these things he departed rejoicing. ‘ 60. A brother asked an old man, saying, ‘‘ How is that the ‘“ soul is obstinate, and that it wisheth not to fear God?” The old man said unto him, ‘*The soul wisheth, O my son, to fear ‘‘God, but there is no time, for the fear of God belongeth to “* perfection.” : 61. One of the old men used to say, ‘‘Be not thou asking ‘for one thing after another, but ask concerning the matter ““ of the war wherein thou art at the time engaged, and when ‘““thou hast eradicated that then ask concerning something ‘“ else; but if when there is in thee one passion, thou settest it ‘“ aside and askest about another, the former passion will ‘never be eradicated from thee.” 62. A brother asked one of the old men, saying, ‘‘What ‘shall I do? for my thoughts wish to wander and go round ‘‘about by reason of the sight of the fathers.” And the old man answered and said unto him, ‘“‘If thou seest that thy ‘‘ thoughts wish to go forth by reason of the strictness of the ‘restraint, or through need, make unto thyself a division in ‘thy cell, and thou wilt henceforward seek not to go out; but ‘if thou seest that they wish to go out for the benefit of the ** soul, go out.”

63. There was a certain brother in the Cells, who, when the service in the church was ended, used to remain until the last and to wait for some one to lead him home; one day, however, when the church was being dismissed, he went out before any one else and ran to his cell, and the priest saw him and marvelled. And when the brother came on the following day, the priest said unto him, ‘‘ Tell me truly why thou, who hadst been ‘‘in the habit of going out last, dost now go forth first of all?” and he said, ‘Up to the present I made a distinction by not ** boiling any food [on the First Day of the week], and I waited **that, peradventure, some one might take me to his cell; on ‘that day, however, before I came [to the church] I boiled a ‘*few lentiles, and therefore I departed quickly.” And when the priest heard this he gave a commandment to the brethren in the church that before each man came to the service in the church, he should on the First Day of the week boil some food, by way of making a distinction.

64. The brethren used to tell about a certain old man who had a disciple who, when he sat down to eat, used to put his feet on the table, and although the old man had suffered this Questions and Answers on the Zscetic Rule war for many years he did not rebuke him. At length, however, he went to another old man, and told him about the brother, and the old man said unto him, ‘‘Complete thy love, and send ‘¢him to me.’? Now when the brother came to that old man, at the appointed time for the meal the old man rose up and made ready the table, and as soon as they had seated themselves the brother straightway put his two feet on the table; and the old man said unto him, ‘‘ Father, it is not good for ‘thee to set thy feet on the table”; and he said unto him, ‘Forgive me, O my son. Thou hast well said, for it is a sin.” And the brother returned to his master, and told him about [it], and when the old man had learned this he perceived that this matter had been corrected in his disciple. And from that time the brother did not put his feet on the table.

65. A brother asked Abba Muthues, saying, ‘‘Speak unto ‘me a word whereby I may live.” He said unto him, ‘‘ Go, en- ‘‘ treat God to give thee mourning and meekness of heart, and ‘‘ consider at all times thy sins, and do not judge other people, ‘‘and make thyself lower than every other man, and have no ‘Jove for a boy, and no acquaintance with a woman, and no ‘‘ friendship with heretics, and put aside from thee all free- ‘‘ dom of speech (or boldness), and restrain both thy tongue ‘‘and thy belly, and guard thyself somewhat against wine, ‘‘and if a man speak with thee concerning any matter whatso- ‘‘ever, do not quarrel with him, but if he saith that a thing is ‘good, say ‘Yes,’ and if he say that it is bad, say, ‘Thou “« knowest.’ This is a meek spirit.” 66. A brother came unto Abba Poemen and said unto him, ‘‘] have very many thoughts, O father, whereby I am vexed”; and the old man took him out into the air, and said unto him, ‘« Spread out thy skirt, and catch the winds,” and the brother said unto him, ‘‘I cannot do this.” The old man said unto him, ‘Thou canst not do this, neither canst thou prevent thy ‘thoughts from coming, but it belongeth to thee to stand up ‘‘ against them.”

67. The brethren were on one occasion gathered together to Abba Joseph, and as they were sitting and asking him questions about their thoughts he said unto them, by way of [affording] them consolation, ‘‘This day am I a king, for I have con- ‘trolled my passions.” 68. A brother asked Abba Ammon, saying, ‘‘ Why is it that ‘qa man laboureth in prayer and maketh petitions, and that ‘for which he asketh is not given to him?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘ Hast thou never heard how Jacob wearied himself ‘for her whom he took to wife, and that he did not obtain her ‘‘ whom he sought, but her whom he did not seek, and how The Savings of the tholy Fathers ‘‘afterwards he worked and toiled more, and finally received ““her whom he loved? Thus is it with the monk also, for he ‘shall fast and keep vigil, and yet shall not receive that which ‘he asketh; and again, he shall labour with fasting and vigil, ‘‘and shall receive the gift of grace which he asketh.” ' 69. One of the old men asked Abba Sisoes, saying, ‘Did ‘‘ Satan persecute the men of olden time as he doth those of ‘to-day ?”’ Sisoes said unto them, ‘‘He persecuteth the men “‘of this age especially, because his time hath come.”

70. Abba John the Less, who was a young man, and had an elder brother, used to say, ‘‘I wanted to be without any care ‘‘ whatsoever, and to be like the angels of God, who do nothing ‘“ except sing and pray to Him.” And straightway he cast from him the garments which he had on, and went forth to the wilderness, and when he had passed one week there, he returned to his brother; now when he knocked at the door his brother did not answer it, but asked him, ‘‘Who art thou?” And John said unto him, ‘“‘I am John,” and his brother answered and said unto him, ‘‘John hath become an angel and is no longer ‘““among men”; and John entreated him, saying, ‘‘I indeed am *‘ John,” but his brother left him outsidein affliction, and did not open the door until the morning. And when he came to open the door he said unto John, ‘“‘If thou art indeed a man, it is neces- ““sary for thee to work so that thou mayest live.” 71. Abba Parté said, ‘‘If God wisheth me to live, He knoweth ‘“how to lead me, and to strengthen me, and to provide for ‘“‘me; but if He desireth it not unto whom shall I go to live?” And he would accept nothing from any man, not even when he was lying upon his bed, ‘‘For,” he used to say, ‘‘if a man ‘‘maketh an offering of any kind to me, and not for the sake ‘of God, I myself have nothing whatsoever to give him, and ‘‘he will receive nothing from God, for I am not in the place ‘of God, so therefore he who offereth will suffer loss.”

72. Abba Poemen used to say, ‘Everything which ariseth ‘“‘through passion is sin”; and he used to say also, ‘*Every ‘‘[exercise of] power which is for God’s sake, is thanksgiving ‘* (or confession).” 73. An old man used to say, ‘Acquire silence, and take no “care for any earthly thing, and examine closely thy medita- ‘‘tions, and when thou sleepest and when thou risest up, be ‘‘ with God, and fear not the attack of the wicked.” 74. On one occasion a brother came to a father, and said unto him, ‘‘Abba, I sow a field, and I reap the harvest there- ‘‘from, and I give alms also thereof”; and the old man said unto him, ‘‘Be strong, my son, for thou doest well.” So the brother went away rejoicing in this desire. And Abba Job said Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule unto Abba Poemen, ‘‘Since thou hast spoken unto that brother ‘¢in this fashion, [I know that] thou dost not fear God.” Then, after two days, Abba Poemen sent and called that brother, and said unto him whilst Abba Joseph was listening, ‘‘ What didst ‘*thou say to me when thou camest to me, for my mind was ‘‘ occupied in another place?” The brother said unto him, “I ‘© sow a field, and I reap the harvest therefrom, and I give alms ‘also thereof”; and Abba Poemen said unto him, ‘‘I thought ‘in my mind that it was thy brother, who is in the world, of ‘‘ whom thou wast speaking when thou didst tell me that he did ‘« these things; but if it be thou thyself who doest them [I must ‘« say] that it is not the work for monks.” And when the brother heard these [words] he was grieved, and he said, ‘‘I cannot do ‘without sowing, for I know not how to do any other work ‘‘but this.” Now when that brother had departed, Abba Job expressed his contrition to Abba Poemen, and said unto him, ‘‘ Forgive me.’ Then Abba Poemen said unto him, ‘I also ‘knew that this work was not the works of monks, but, ‘‘ according to the measure of his desire, I gave him that where- ‘‘ with I knew he would be edified, and I knew that he would ‘thus abound in love; but now he hath departed in sorrow.”

75. Mother Sarah said, ‘‘If I were to pray to God that all ‘men might be built up through me I should be found express- ‘ing contrition at the door of each one of them; but I pray to ‘‘ God especially that my heart may be pure with Him and with ‘every man.” 76. Certain brethren, whilst talking to an old man about the thoughts, said unto him, ‘ Our hearts are hard, and we are ‘not afraid of God; what shall we do that we may fear God?” The old man said unto them, ‘‘I think that if a man have ‘knowledge in his heart about Him that will rebuke him, it ‘will bring him to the fear of God.” Then the brethren said unto him, ‘‘ What is the rebuke?” The old man said, *“In every ‘matter a man should rebuke himself, saying, ‘Remember that ‘<thou art about to go forth to meet God.’ And he should also “say, ‘What do I require from man?’ And I think that if a ‘‘ man remain in these thing's the fear which is in God will come “to him.” 77, Abba Poemen used to say, * An evil will is a wall of brass ‘‘ between a man and God; but if a man would set it aside he ‘‘must also say, ‘By [the help of] my God I will leap over a «« ‘wall’ (Psalm xviii, 29)—God Whose way is without blemish ‘but if that which is seemly lendeth help to the thought, a ‘‘ man is not easily turned aside.” ~The

78, They used to say that on one occasion, when Abba Aldnis was singing the service, and the old men were sitting [close 73 The Savings of the holy Fathers by], these old men watched him [performing the] service, and that they praised him; but when he heard. them he answered them never a word. Then a certain man spake unto him aside and privately, saying, ‘‘Why dost thou not make answer to ‘“the old men who have praised thee?” Abba Alénis said unto them, ‘‘ Because if I made answer to them I should be as one ‘‘ who had accepted the praise.” 79. An old man used to say, ‘‘If a word of the Book goeth ‘Cup in the heart of a brother when he is sitting in his cell, and ‘Cif he pursue that word before it hath arrived at its maturity, “not being driven by God, the devils will demonstrate the ‘‘word before it [become complete] according to their desire.” 80. Abba Sardnis used to say, ‘‘I have worked during the ‘‘whole period of my life in reaping, and in twisting ropes, ‘Cand in sewing mats, and notwithstanding these things, if ‘the hand of the Lord had not fed me I should not have had ‘‘enough to eat.”

81. An old man used to say, ‘‘Spread abroad the Name of ‘Jesus in humility, and with a meek heart; shew thy feeble- ‘‘ness before Him, and He will become strength unto thee.”’ 82. Abba Macarius said unto Abba Zechariah, ‘‘Tell me, ‘‘ what is the work of monks?” He said unto him, ‘‘ Dost thou ‘* ask me, father?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘I beseech thee, ‘*my son, Zechariah, for there is something which is right I ‘* should ask thee.” And Abba Zechariah said unto him, ‘‘ Fa- ‘‘ ther, I give it as my opinion that the work of monks consisteth ‘‘in a man restraining himself in everything.” 83. An old man also said, ‘‘He who constraineth himself in ‘“everything, for God’s sake, is a confessor.”’ And again he said, ‘‘ He who constraineth himself for the sake of the Son of God ‘will not be forgotten by the Son of God.” And he also said, ‘‘ Him who hath made himself a fool for the sake of God, God ‘* will make him to be wise.” 84. An old man used to say, ‘‘If when thou art sitting down, ‘or standing up, or when thou art doing anything else, God ‘‘be set before thine eyes continually, no [a¢t] of the Enemy ‘‘can terrify thee; if this thought abide with a man, the power ‘©of God will abide with him also.”

85. An old man also said, ‘‘The man who hath his death ‘‘ before his eyes continually will overcome littleness of soul.” 86. Abba Poemen used to say, ‘‘Hunger and slumber have ‘*not allowed me to notice these small matters.” 87. Abba Theodore said, ‘‘ Many men in this age are desirous ‘‘of life before God giveth [it] to them.” 88. He used to say also, ‘‘ Be a free man, so that thou mayest ‘*not be crafty in thy words.” Questions and Bnswers on the Ascetic Rule 89. Abba Poemen used to say, ‘‘Keep thyself aloof from ‘every man who is contentious in speech.” go. An old man said, ‘‘In all [thy] trials blame no man ex: ‘‘cept thyself, and say, These have happened me for my sins.” gi. An old man said, ‘‘In the sluggard and the useless man ‘*God hath no pleasure.” 92. A brother asked Abba Timothy, saying, ‘‘I wish to guard ‘my soul from things that will hurt it”; and the old man said unto him, ‘‘How can we guard our soul when the door[s] of ‘our tongue and belly are open?” 93. They used to say that a certain man asked Abba Sisoes about Abba Pambé, saying, ‘‘Tell us about his life and con- “duct”; the old man made answer to him, saying, ‘‘Abba ‘‘ Pambé is great in his works.”

94. Abba Joseph related that Abba Poemen said, ‘‘The ‘‘meaning of the words which are written in the Gospel, ‘« ‘Whosoever hath a garment, let him sell it, and buy a ‘© ‘sword’ (St. Luke xxii, 36), is, ‘Let him that hath a life of ‘ ‘ease relinquish it, and lay hold upon [a life of] toil.’” 95. They used to say that [on one occasion] when certain of the old men were sitting with Abba Poemen and were discussing some of the fathers, and were [asking each other] if they remembered Abba Sisoes, Abba Poemen said, “Quit talking ‘about Abba Sisoes, for he hath surpassed the measure (or ‘‘ limit) of all histories.” 96. On one occasion a father came to Abba Theodore of Perdmé, and said unto him, ‘‘Behold, O father, such and such ‘‘a brother hath gone back to the world”; and the old man said, ‘‘ Dost thou wonder thereat? Marvel not at this, but thou ‘mayest marvel when thou hearest that a man hath been able ‘to flee completely from the world.” g7. An old man related of Moses that when he slew the Egyptian he looked on this side and on that, and saw no man, and explained the meaning of the passage as being that Moses did not see his thoughts. And when he saw himself, and that he was doing no evil thing, and that that which he was about to do was for God’s sake, he then slew the Egyptian.

98. An old man also said concerning the verse of the Psalms wherein it is written, ‘‘I will place his hand in the sea, and ‘his right hand in the rivers” (Psalm Ixxxix, 25), that it was spoken concerning our Redeemer, Whose left hand is on the sea, that is to say the world, and Whose right hand is in the rivers, that is to say, the Apostles, who water the whole world with faith. gg. A brother asked one of the old men, saying, ‘‘ What shall ‘‘{ do? For I am troubled about the works of my hands: I love The Sayings of the holy Fathers ‘making mats, but I am unable to make [them] here.” The old man said unto him, ‘‘Abba Sisoes used to say, ‘It is not the ‘**work which is easy for us that we ought to do, but that ‘**which befitteth the place, and a brother should labour ‘**according to what it will cost to keep him.’” ‘ 100. Abba Joseph used to say, ‘‘When we were sitting with ‘‘ Abba Poemen he made mention of Abba Agathon, and we ‘*said to him, ‘He was a young man, why dost thou call him ‘* Abba?’ Abba Poemen said unto him, ‘His mouth made him ‘* *to be called Abba.’”

IOI. One of the old men used to say, ‘‘ Wheresoever the bee ‘*goeth it maketh honey; and thus also it is with the monk, ‘‘for wheresoever he goeth he doeth the work of God.” 102. An old man used to say, ‘‘Satan is a twister of cords, ‘and as long as thou givest him threads he will plait them”; now he spake this concerning the thoughts. 103. Abba Sisoes shewed us the cave of Abba Anthony, and said, ‘‘Thus in the cave of a lion a fox dwelleth.” 104. They used to say of those who were in Scete that no pride was found among them, because they surpassed each other in spiritual excellences. They fasted so much that one would only eat [once] every two days, and another [once] every four days, and another [once] every seven days; another would eat no bread, and another would drink no water, and to speak briefly, they were adorned with every spiritual excellence. 105. They used to relate that a certain old man entreated God and made supplication unto Him that the devils might appear to him, and it was revealed to him that ‘‘It is not “necessary for thee to see them”; but the old man made entreaty, saying, ‘‘Lord, Thou art able to hide me in Thy grace.” Then God opened his eyes, and he saw them like bees surrounding a man, and they were gnashing their teeth upon him, and the angels of God were rebuking them and driving them away from men.

106. A man asked a certain old man from Thebes, and said unto him, ‘‘Tell me how I may be redeemed”; and the old man said unto him, ‘‘Three things [thou must do]. Sit in thy cell ‘“‘and keep silence, and consider attentively thy sins, and keep “thyself wholly from judging any man, and accept no gift ‘‘from any man, and let thine hands be sufficient to find thee thy ‘‘food. And if thou art unable to give alms of thy work at ‘least supply all thy needs by thine own hands.” 107. They used to say that one day when Abba Sisoes was sitting down he cried out with a loud voice, and said, ‘“O my ** feebleness”’; his disciple said unto him, ‘‘ What aileth thee, O Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule “father?” And the old man said unto him, ‘‘I wish to speak “to a certain man, and I am unable [to do so].” 108. They used to say that when the barbarians came the brethren took to flight, and that Abba Daniel, who was in Scete, said, ‘‘ Unless God taketh care for me, why should I **live?”’ And he passed through all the barbarians, and they saw him not. Then afterwards he said in himself, ‘‘ Behold God ‘hath cared for me, and I am not dead, I also will do as aman *-doeth, and I will flee as the [other] fathers have fled.”

109. When Abba Sisoes was about to die, and the fathers were sitting about him, they saw that his face was shining like the sun;andhesaid unto them straightway, ‘‘ Behold, Abba Anthony ‘hath come”; and after a little while he said also, ‘‘ Behold, the “‘company of the prophets hath come”; his face shone again, and he said, ‘‘ Behold the company of apostles hath come”’; and again his face shone with twofold brightness, and he became suddenly like unto one who was speaking with some one. Then the old men who was sitting [there] entreated him, and said, ‘Show us with whom thou art talking, father”; and straightway he said unto them, ‘‘ Behold, the angels came to take me “‘ away, and I besought them to leave me so that I might tarry ‘‘here a little longer, and repent.” And the old men said unto him, ‘‘Thou hast no need to repent, father”; the old man said unto them, ‘‘I do not know in my soul if I have rightly begun “to repent”; and they all learned that the old man was perfect. Then again suddenly his face beamed like the sun, and all who sat there were afraid, and he said unto them straightway, ‘‘Look ye, look ye. Behold our Lord hath come, and He ‘‘ saith, ‘Bring ye unto Me the chosen vessel which is in the ‘* ‘desert’”; and straightway he delivered up his spirit, and he became [like] lightning, and the whole place was filled with a sweet odour.

110. Abba Paphnutius, the disciple of Abba Macarius, used to say, ‘‘I entreated him, saying, ‘Father, tell me a word’”; and he said unto me, ‘‘Do no harm to any man, and condemn ‘‘ no man; observe these [words], and thou shalt be redeemed.” 111. A brother asked a certain old man, saying, ‘‘In what ‘<form doth the fear of God dwell in the soul?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘ If a man possess humility, and practise absti- ‘‘nence, and judge no man, in this manner doth the fear of ‘‘God dwell in the soul.” 112. Abba Hilarion of Syria came to the mountain to Abba Anthony, and Abba Anthony said unto him, ‘‘Hast thou come, ‘(OQ star of light, who shinest with the morning?” And Abba Hilarion said unto him, ‘‘Peace be to thee, O pillar of light, ‘‘who sustainest creation!” The Savings of the holy Fathers 113. Certain of the fathers used to say, “‘God bringeth not ‘young men to monasteries, but Satan, so that he may turn “back the mighty men.” 114. A brother said unto Abba Anthony, ‘‘ Pray for me, ‘“‘ father”; the old man said unto him, ‘‘I cannot help thee, and ‘God will not, if thou wilt not abolish thyself and ask Him ‘‘ thyself [to do so].”’

II5. They used to tell of a certain old man who had passed fifty years [of his life] without eating bread or drinking water; and he used to say, ‘‘I have slain fornication, and the love of ‘‘gold, and the love of glory.”” Now Abba Abraham heard [of him], and came to him, and said, ‘‘Didst thou say these “things?” and he said, ‘‘Yea.” Abba Abraham said unto him, ‘‘If thou wert to go into thy cell, and find a woman on ‘‘thy mat, wouldst thou be able to keep from thinking that ‘she was a woman?” And the old man said unto him, ‘‘ No, ‘but I should struggle against my thoughts so as not to touch ‘¢her.”? Abba Abraham said unto him, ‘‘ Behold, then, thou hast ‘not slain it (i.e., the lust for fornication), but the passion is ‘« still alive, though fettered. Behold, also, if thou wert travel- ‘ling along a road and thou didst see lying thereon some ‘‘ potsherds and among them a talent of gold, would thy mind ‘be able to look upon the money in the same way as the pot- “sherds?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘ Nay, but I should ‘‘contend against my thoughts in such wise as not to take it.” Then Abba Abraham said unto him, ‘‘Behold, the passion |of ‘‘love of money] is still alive, though fettered. Behold now, if ““thou didst hear of two brethren, one of whom was esteem- ‘‘ing thee highly and praising thee, and the other was hating ‘thee and reviling thee, if these men came to thee wouldst ‘“thou be able to regard each of them with equal friendliness?” And the old man said unto them, ‘‘ No, but I would strive ‘‘against my thoughts in such a way that I would treat him ‘‘that cursed me as well as I did him that loved me.” Then Abba Abraham said unto him, ‘‘ Behold, then, the passions ‘Care still alive, but they are fettered in the saints.”

116. There was a certain old man who was a monk, and who dwelt in the desert far away, and he had a kinswoman who with difficulty discovered after very many years where he was living, and then, by the operation of Satan, she rose up and came to the road to the desert, and she found camels which were going to travel on that road, and she entered [the desert] with them. Now she was [driven to do this] by the devil. And as soon as she had come to the cell of the old man, she began to give him proofs about herself, saying, ‘‘I am indeed thy ‘“‘kinswoman,” and she remained with him. Now there was Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule another monk who lived in the neighbourhood of men, and he filled a vessel full of water, and set |it] down, and at the season when he ate, being urged by the operation of God, he meditated within himself, and said, ‘‘I will arise and will go into ‘the desert, and will learn from that old man what this is.” Now as he was travelling along the way, the night overtook him, and he went into a house of idols which was on the road, and passed the night there, and he heard the devils saying to each other, ‘‘This night we have cast down such a monk by “*fornication.’”’ Now when he heard this he marvelled, and he came to the old man, and found him sad, and he said unto him, ‘Father, what shall I do? For I filled a vessel with water, but ‘when I came to eat my meal I found that it had been spilled.” And the old man said unto him, ‘‘ Hast thou come to ask me ‘‘about a vessel of water which hath been spilled? What am ‘*T myself to do? For this night I have fallen into fornication.” The monk said unto him, ‘‘I know it also; hold thy peace.” The old man said unto him, ‘‘How knowest thou?” And the monk said unto him, ‘‘Last night when I was sleeping in a ‘* house of idols which is on the road, I heard the devils say ‘“Tso] to each other, and I was distressed [thereat].”” And the old man said unto him, ‘‘Henceforth I will go to the world,” but the monk persuaded him, saying, ‘‘Nay, father, but stay ‘Cin thy place, and send the woman away, for this is a temp- ‘tation of the Enemy”; and the old man hearkened unto him, and sent her away, and he himself continued in his ascetic works, and he mourned, and made supplication unto God with abundant tears, until at length he arrived at his former state of ascetic excellence.

117. A brother asked one of the fathers, saying, ‘‘What ‘shall I do, for I am disturbed in mind when I go up to per- ‘*form the office of the deacon?” And the old man said unto him, ‘‘It is not good for thee to be disturbed when thou goest ‘‘up to minister, but if thou art, and thou art disturbed in thy ‘cell, thou must labour, and give thanks, and receive the hire ‘‘ of which thou art worthy.” Then that brother said unto him, “If I can find a man who will minister for me for a gift, “‘and I cheat him not, may I [let him] do so?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘If thou canst find a man who is in the world ‘‘who can perform thy ministration, and will take his hire, ‘‘yes, but if he be a monk, no.” 118, A brother said unto Abba Poemen, ‘‘ Can a man rely ‘‘upon any one work of spiritual excellence [for salvation]?” The old man said unto him, “John the Less said, ‘I should ‘‘¢ wish that a man should take to himself a little of each kind “« ¢ of spiritual excellence.’ ” | 179 I-12a

The Sayings of the holy Fatbers 119. These are the words which Abba Moses said to Abba Poemen, and the first word which was spoken by the old man was: 120. ‘‘It is better for a man to put himself to death rather ‘‘than his neighbour, and he should not condemn him in ‘* anything.” lee ¢- 121, ‘‘ It is good for a man to die unto every work which is ‘‘ evil, and he should not vex a man before his departure from ‘* the body.” 122. ‘If a man doth not put himself in the attitude of a ‘‘ sinner, his prayer will not be heard before God.” A brother said unto him, ‘‘ What is a sinful soul?” And the old man said, ‘‘ Every one who beareth his own sins, and considereth not ‘“ [those] of his companion.” 123. The old man also said unto him, ‘‘If works do not cor- ‘respond to prayer he who prayeth laboureth in vain.” And a brother asked him: ‘‘ What is the equality of works with ‘ prayer?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘ He who prayeth ‘‘ that he may receive the remission of sins must not hence- “forth be negligent, for ifa man relinquisheth his own will, he “will be accepted by God rightly.”

124. A brother asked an old man, saying, ‘‘ Fasting and ‘‘ praying which spring from men, what do they effect?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘ They make the soul to be humble be- ‘<fore God, for it is written, ‘Look upon my subjugation, and ‘“*my labour, and forgive me all my sin’ (Psalm xxv, 18). ‘(For if the soul be afflicted it will receive mercy from esitod. © 125. A brother said unto an old man, ‘‘ What shall a man ‘‘ do in every temptation which cometh upon him, and during ‘every thought of the Enemy?” The old man said unto him, ‘“It is right for a man to weep before the grace of God so that ‘“ He may help him, and he shall speedily find relief if he make ‘‘his supplication with knowledge, for it is written, ‘ The Lord ‘© is my Helper, I will not be afraid what man shall do unto ‘“«me’” (Psalm cxviii, 6; Hebrews xiii, 6). 126. The perfection of all spiritual excellences is for a man not to judge his neighbour. For when the hand of the Lord slew the first-born of Egypt, there was no house wherein there was not one dead person. Then a brother said unto the old man, ‘‘What is the meaning of these words?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘ If we allow ourselves to view closely our own sins ‘‘ we shall not see those of our neighbour. It is folly for aman ‘*to forsake his own dead and to lament over that of his ‘** neighbour.”

127. And in respect of the words ‘‘A man should put his own Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule ‘*soul to death rather than [that] of his neighbour,” they mean that a man should bear his own sins, and should be remote from the anxiety of all men. And he should not say, ‘‘ This is good, and this is bad”; and he should not do harm to any man; and the wickedness of thy neighbour should not be remembered in thy heart; and thou must not hold in contempt the man who hath done wickedness to thy friend; and thou must not deliver thy will over to him that doeth evil to thy neighbour; and thou must not rejoice in that which causeth evil to thy neighbour. This is the meaning of the words thata man ‘‘should die rather than [his] neighbour.” And thou shalt not speak evilly of aman, but say, ‘‘ God knoweth every man”; andthoushalt not take pleasure in evil converse, and thou shalt not deliver thy will over to him that revileth thy neighbour. This is the meaning of the words, ‘‘Judge not that ye be not “judged.” And thou shalt not make enmity against any man, and thou shalt not make any enmity in thy heart, and thou shalt not hate him that worketh enmity against his neighbour, and thou shalt not judge his enmity, and thou shalt not keep wrath against a brother who keepeth wrath against his neighbour. For this is peace.

128. Now the conclusion of all these things is that whatsoever thou hearest thou must speak, but this is not the opinion to which I incline, and I ama sinner; for because of these things God will give thee rest. When thou risest up in the morning each day, lay hold upon a governor who will suit every kind of spiritual excellence, and every command of God with abundant long-suffering, and in humility of soul and of body, and with patience and tribulations, and with thoughts and prayers, and supplications, and with groaning, and with the cleansing of the tongue, and with watching of the eyes, in suffering abuse without being angry and maintaining peace, in not rewarding evil for evil without discretion. And thou must not regard the lapses [of others], and thou must not measure thine own [excellence], but thou must be the lowest thing in creation through alienation from the things of the body and multitudinous affairs, through the agony of the cross, and poverty of spirit, and good desire, and spiritual self-abnegation, and fasting, and repentance, and tears, through the strife of war, and discretion, and purity of soul, through noble patience, and vigil by nights, and hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and cold, and labours. And thou must keep hold upon thy grave as if thou wert already dead, and as if death were thy neighbour every day, in the mountains, and in the caves, and in the holes of the earth; and take heed that thou dost not become merely a hearer of the Word and not a doer of it. For those who do these things are

The Sayings of the holy Fatbers indeed they who are clothed in the wedding garments, and they it is who have worked with the talents. 129. A brother asked an old man, saying, ‘‘ Father, what ‘answer shall I return unto those who abuse us and say that ‘¢we do not return to the world because of our laziness, and ‘that by the work of our hands and the labour of our souls we ‘do not relieve strangers?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘ Al- ‘‘though we have from the Law and from the commandments ‘of our Lord many things wherewith we could make answer ‘concerning the crown of perfection, yet we must make an- ‘¢swer, with humility, in this wise: Beloved, when the Nine- ‘‘ vites were in need of repentance, which of them did these ‘‘ things for the necessity of the world and the rights thereof? ‘« Did not even the king himself refrain from this thing and take ‘‘ the same course as the men of olden time, and those of the ‘later time, and those who were before them? And he kept ‘« silence and was quiet, even according to all the characteris- ‘“ tics of the world, and up to the presentno [men] have described ‘the punishment which befitted them. Thus also it is with us, ‘‘and because we have sinned against and transgressed the ‘‘ natural and written law we bring to naught all [the charac- ‘‘ teristics] of the world until we shall perceive that reconcilia- ‘tion hath come, and the penalty of the rights of olden time and ‘‘ of the commandments hath been dissolved. And did not Paul ‘‘also teach us this, [when he said], ‘He who wageth a strife ‘‘ ‘keepeth his mind [free] from everything else?’ (Compare ‘© Corinthians ix, 24, 25.) And a man must not rest until the ‘‘Lord blot out seed from Babel.”

130. A brother asked an old man, saying, ‘‘ What shall I do ‘with my mind which fighteth [against me]? For it is better ‘‘and also a greater thing for me to go into the world and ‘‘to teach and convert many, and to become like unto the ‘‘ Apostles.” The old man said unto him, ‘“‘If there be in thy ‘mind no fear that thou hast fallen short in the matter of any ‘‘of the commandments, and if thou hast also felt that thou ‘hast arrived at the haven of rest, and if thou hast no feeling ‘‘about anything in thy mind, then go; but if thou hast not ‘all these things together in thee, [the desire] is due to the ‘‘ operation of wickedness which urgeth thee on, so that it may ‘¢cast thee down from thine integrity.” 13I. On one occasion the brethren were eating together in Scete, and John Kolob was with them, and a great priest rose up to give them a pitcher of water, but no man would accept it from him except John Kolob; and they all marvelled and said unto him, ‘‘ How is it that thou who art the least among ‘¢ all of us hast been so bold as to take the pitcher from him,

Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule ‘and drink, whilst none of us dared to do so?” Then Abba John said unto them, ‘‘When I stand up I rejoice that every ‘‘man should take [the pitcher] from me and drink, so that **] may have a reward, and I considered on this occasion also, “‘and I took [the pitcher] and drank so that there might be ** a reward to him, and that he might not be grieved because ‘no man accepted [water] from him, and that his [good] will ‘‘might not be wronged.” And when he had said this the fathers marvelled at his intelligence, and they all obtained benefit by his word[s]. 132. A brother asked Poemen, saying, ‘‘I observe my soul, ‘“so that wheresoever I go I may find help”; the old man said unto him, ‘‘Even those who bear swords have a God, Who ‘“hath mercy upon them in this life. If then we were to find * ourselves in islands of terror God would deal with us accord- “ing to His mercy.” 134. Abba Poemen used to say that Abba Ammon said, ‘One ‘* man spendeth the whole period of his life holding an axe in ‘his hand [ready] to cut down a tree, and never findeth the ‘ opportunity of wielding it; and another man, who knoweth ‘‘ well how to fell trees, heweth with three axes, and wieldeth ‘‘ them [against trees]. Now,” he said, ‘‘ the axe [in this case] ‘is discretion [or discernment].”

135. Abba Poemen also said that Abba Anthony said concerning Abba Pambé, ‘‘This man feared God so greatly that ‘©he made the Spirit of God to dwell in him.” 136. Abba Poemen used to say, ‘‘The fear of God teacheth a ‘*man all spiritual excellences.” 137. A brother asked Abba Poemen, saying, ‘‘ Why do my ‘‘ thoughts persuade me to esteem myself and compare myself “« with one whose rule of conduét is more excellent [than mine], ‘‘and to despise that man as much as if he had been my infe- “rior?” The old man answered and said, ‘‘The blessed Apos- ‘tle spake concerning this, saying, ‘In a large house there ‘« ‘are not only vessels of gold and vessels of silver, but also ‘¢ vessels of wood and of earthenware. If now a man will ‘‘ ‘cleanse his soul from all these things, he shall become a ‘‘ «vessel which is suitable and convenient for the honour of ‘‘ ‘his Lord, and he will be ready for every good work’” (2 Timothy ii, 20, 21). That brother said unto him, ‘‘ How are ‘‘these matters to be explained?” And the old man said unto him, ‘‘They are to be explained thus. The house is the world ‘and the vessels are the children of men. The vessels of gold “‘ must be taken as representing the perfect, and those of sil- ‘ver are the men who are inferior to them in the measure of ‘‘ ascetic deeds, and the other vessels of wood and earthen-

Tbe Sayings of the holy Fathers ‘‘ ware are those who possess a little ascetic excellence. If now ‘¢a man will cleanse his soul from all the things which are out- ‘“ side what is right, he will become a pure vessel of honour ‘* suitable for the use of his Lord, and be ready for every good ‘“ work.” 138. A brother also asked AbbA Poemen, ‘‘Why is it that ‘‘T am not allowed to be free in my thoughts like the other ‘old men?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘John Kolob used to ‘say, ‘The Enemy doth not rejoice in anything so much as in ‘©‘those who do not reveal and lay bare their thoughts to <<“ their fathers.” 139. Abba Poemen used to say, ‘‘Men are wont to speak ‘‘oreat and perfect things, but in their deeds they draw nigh ‘‘ unto the things which are little and inferior.” 140. An old man used to say, ‘‘ Neither shame nor fear con- ‘* firms sin.” 141. An old man used to say, ‘‘As the company of the monks ‘is more excellent than and superior to the children of the ‘‘ world, so it is meet that the monk who is a stranger should ‘*be a mirror to those who are found in a monastery which is ‘* devoted to the ascetic life.”

142. A brother asked an old man, saying, ‘‘ What shall I ‘“do?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘Go, and love the con- ‘* straint of thyself in everything.” 143. The same old man said unto him, ‘‘Reveal and shew ‘* forth thy gift”; and the brother said unto him, ‘‘ My thoughts ‘will not permit me [to do so].”” The old man said, ‘‘It is ‘* written, ‘Call upon Me in the day of affliction, and I will ‘* ‘deliver thee, and thou shalt praise Me’ (Psalm 1, 15); call ‘*then upon Him, and He shall deliver thee.” 144. An old man used to say, ‘‘Teach thy heart to keep and **to take heed unto the things which thy tongue speaketh.” 145. An old man used to say, ‘‘If a man teacheth and per- ‘‘formeth not he is like unto the large basin which receiveth ‘‘the water for the assembly, which watereth and cleanseth ‘“many, but cannot itself be cleaned, and is full of dirt and ‘“impurity.” 146. Abba Jacob-used to say, ‘*As a lamp illumineth a dark ‘*chamber, so doth the fear of God, if it abide in the heart of ‘a man, illumine him, and teach him all the excellences of ‘*the commandments of God.”

147. Abba Muthues used to say, ‘‘I would rather have the ‘man with a little work, which abideth and is constant, than ‘“him who at the beginning laboureth severely, and soon **ceaseth altogether.” 148. On one occasion Abba Theodore went to Abba John, Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule who was an eunuch from his mother’s womb, and as they were talking together about spiritual excellences, he said, ‘‘ When we were in Scete the cultivation of the soul was our ‘labour, and we worked with our hands only in the ordinary ‘way, and we only did work of this kind when it came [in ‘the way]; to-day, however, the cultivation of the soul is ‘‘ made our ordinary work, which is performed whensoever it ‘‘ happeneth to come [in the way], and the work of our hands, ‘‘ which was always regarded as a common matter, hath be- “‘come unto us a serious matter and an object of earnest ‘* solicitude.” 149. A brother asked an old man, saying, ‘‘What is the ‘cultivation of the soul like? And what is the labour of the “hands like?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘Whatsoever ‘“happeneth for God’s sake is the cultivation (or labour) of the ‘soul; but whatsoever a man doeth for himself, or whatso- ‘ever he gathereth together for himself, is the labour of the ‘‘hands.” That brother said unto him, ‘‘Father, teach me a ‘ proof of this matter which I do not understand.” The old man said unto him, ‘‘It is as if a man were to say, Behold, ‘thou hearest that I am sick, and thou sayest in thyself, Now ‘‘T have a piece of work to do, shall I leave [it], and go and “‘ visit him, or shall I finish it first and then go? And however ‘‘ many times thou art prevented [from going for some reason ‘‘or cause, and however many times the brother saith unto ‘“thee, Come, take me, and help me, thou sayest within thy- ‘self, Shall I leave my work and go and help him? But if ‘thou goest not, behold, thou hast abrogated the command- ‘‘ ments of God, which are for the cultivation of the soul, be- ‘‘ cause of the work of the hands. If then a man ask thee, go ‘‘with him, since this is a work of God, for He said, ‘If a ‘* ‘man compel thee to go a mile with him, go two’” (St. Matthew v, 41).

150. A brother asked Abba Marcianus, saying, ‘‘ What shall “Ido so that I may live?” And the old man answered and said unto him, ‘‘He who looketh above seeth not what is ‘‘ below; he who is occupied closely with the things which are ‘‘below hath no knowledge of what is above. And he who ‘‘ understandeth the things which are above is not concerned ‘‘ with what is below, for it is written, ‘Turn ye, and know «« ¢that I am God’” (Psalm xlvi, 10). 151. Abba Poemen said that Abba John cultivated all spiritual excellences. , 152. A brother asked one of the old men, saying, ‘‘If 1 am ‘*being tempted, and a temptation come upon me, and I have <6 no one in whom I have confidence to tell about it, what shall The Sayings of the holy Fathers “‘T do?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘I believe in God, and ‘‘that He will send His Grace, and will comfort thee, and give ‘‘thee strength if thou will ask Him in truth and wilt make ‘* supplication unto Him. For I have heard that a matter like ‘‘unto this took place in Scete, where there was a man whose ‘‘rule and conduct were excellent, and he fell into temptation, ‘‘and he became oppressed in his mind, and because he had no ‘*man in whom he had confidence to reveal the matter to, and ‘‘none to bid him be of good courage, he made himself ready ‘‘to depart. And behold, the grace of God appeared unto him “‘by night in the form of a virgin, and she comforted him, ‘* saying, ‘Depart not, but dwell here with me, for not one of the ‘* ‘things of which I have heard shall be performed’; and ‘*straightway his mind was healed, and he was consoled and ‘“strengthened.”

153. A certain brother used to say, ‘‘I knew an old man who ‘‘dwelt in the mountain who would never agree to accept ‘anything from any man; now he possessed a little water, and ‘* with it he used to care forand water a few garden herbs which ‘*he had. And he lived this life for fifty years, and he never ‘‘went outside the fence of his cell. He was exceedingly ‘famous because of the numerous cures which he wrought ‘“daily upon those who came to him. He died in peace, leaving ‘*in his place five brethren.”’ 154. There was a certain old man in Scete who toiled in the works of the body, that is to say, in fasting and in standing up; and in his thoughts he was a simple man, and he was neither keen in intellect nor learned. And he went to Abba John Kolob to ask him about his thoughts, and when the old man had spoken to him he returned and went to his cell, and forgot what the old man had said to him. And he came a second time to the old man, who told him what he had already said unto him, and when he had departed he forgot it again; and though he did this several times he always forgot what had been said to him. Then, after these things, he went unto the blessed man once more, and said unto him, ‘‘Thou knowest, ‘* O father, that I forgot [thy words] again; but I did not come “to thee because I did not wish to weary thee.” Abba John said unto him, ‘‘ Go, and light a lamp’’; and he went and did as he commanded him. And Abba John said unto him, ‘‘ Bring several ‘lamps, and light [them all] from it”; and he lit [them] as he had told him. And Abba John said to the old man, “Is the ‘‘lamp wherefrom thou hast kindled the many lamps in any ‘“way the worse?” and he said unto him, ‘‘No.” And the old man John said unto him, ‘If all Scete were to come unto him ‘* John would not be the worse for it, neither would the gift of

Questions and Znswers on the Ascetic Rule “the grace of Christ be impeded thereby. Whensoever then ‘‘thou wishest, and art in doubt, come [to me].” Thus by the patient endurance of both of them he removed and did away error from that brother. For this was the work of those who were dwelling in Scete, and they devoted themselves, and delivered over their wills to compel those who were engaged in [spiritual] war to inherit the good things (or virtues) each from each. 155. There was a certain old man who was sick, and as he possessed nothing which he required for his wants, the Abba of the coenobium received him [there], and said to the brethren, ‘“‘ Exert yourselves a little to relieve this sick man.” Now the man who was sick had a pot full of gold, and he dug a hole below where he was [lying| and buried it; and it happened that he died without confessing and revealing the matter. And after he was buried, the Abba who had taken him in said unto the brethren, ‘‘Remove this bench from here,” and whilst they were rooting it out they found the gold. Then the Abba said, ‘‘Since he confessed not about this when he was alive, he ‘‘ cannot reveal the matter when he is dead’”—now he knew that the sick man’s hope had been in it—‘‘but go ye and bury ‘it with him.” And fire came down from heaven, and it continued above his grave for many days in the sight of every man, and all those who saw it marvelled.

156. A certain brother came on one occasion to the cell of Abba John at the time of evening, and he was in a great hurry to depart; and they talked about spiritual excellences [for a long time] without knowing [it], and when he went forth to set him on his way, they tarried talking together until it was the sixth hour of the night. Then Abba John made him go back to his cell, and they ate together, and then he sent him away, and he departed. 157. Abba Ammon said -—On one occasion I and Abba Betimius went to visit Abba Akhila, for we had heard that he was meditating upon the passage, ‘‘Fear thou not, O Jacob, ‘to go down to Egypt” (Genesis xlvi, 3), and that he was repeating these words several times; and when we knocked he opened unto us, and he asked us, saying, ‘‘ Whence are ye?” And being afraid to say, «</We come] from the cells,” we made answer that we were from the Mountain of Nitria, and he brought us in, and we found that he was working by night at plaiting palm leaves, and we asked him, saying, ‘‘Speak a word ‘unto us.” Then he answered and said, * Between the evening ‘‘and the morning I have twisted twenty branches, but in very ‘‘truth I have no need for all this, only [I am afraid] lest God ‘‘be angry with me, and He es me, saying, ‘Though thou

The Sayings of the holy Fathers “““wast able to work thou hast not done so’; therefore I toil and *¢T work with all my might.” 158. Certain of the fathers used to tell a story about a holy man who was indeed a great man, and if people came to ask him a question he would say unto them with wisdom, ‘‘ Behold, ‘‘T take upon myself the face (ov Person) of God, and I sit ‘‘upon the throne of judgement; what now dost thou wish me ‘to do for thee? If thou sayest, ‘Have mercy upon me,’ God ‘“saith unto thee, ‘If thou wishest Me to have mercy upon ‘*<thee, thou also must have mercy upon thy brother, and then ‘**T will have mercy upon thee; and if thou wishest Me to for- ‘** give thee, thou also must forgive thy brother, and then I will ‘** forgive thee.’ Can any blame rest upon God? God forbid! But ‘* the cause resteth with us, and if we wish we are able to live.” I59. On one occasion a certain brother departed into exile from the countries and places wherein dwelt Abba Poemen, and he went to a monk who used to live in that country whereto he was going; now this man was one who possessed love, and many folk thronged to him—and the brother related unto that monk stories concerning Abba Poemen, and when he heard about his spiritual excellences he longed to see him. And the brother came back again to Egypt, and after some time the monk [unto whom he had gone], who lived in that country, came to Egypt to him, for the brother had already told him where he lived, and when the monk saw the brother he rejoiced greatly. Then the monk said unto the brother, ‘‘Do [me an act ‘‘of] love, and take me so that I may go to Abba Poemen,” and he took him to Abba Poemen, and the brother told him the story of the monk who was with him, saying, ‘‘He is a great ‘man, and is much beloved, and he hath no small honour in ‘his own country. I related unto him storiesconcerning thy holi- ‘“ness, and he greatly desired to come and see thee ”; and Abba Poemen received him with gladness, and having saluted each other they sat down. Then the stranger began to converse with Abba Poemen from the Scriptures concerning spiritual and heavenly things, but Abbé Poemen turned away his face and returned him no answer whatsoever. And when he saw that Abba Poemen would not speak unto him, he was grieved, and went outside, and said unto the brother who had brought him, ‘‘In my opinion I have toiled in vain in coming all this long ‘‘ journey to see the old man, for behold, he refuseth to speak to ‘“me.”” Now when the brother went in to the old man Poemen, he said unto him, ‘‘Father, this great man, who is so greatly ‘‘ praised in his own country, came on thy account; why didst *‘thou not speak with him?” Poemen said, ‘‘He spake about ‘‘ the things which are above and concerning heavenly matters,

Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule “but I can only talk about things which are below and about ‘‘the things of earth; had he spoken to me about the pas- ‘¢ sions of the soul I would have given him an answer; but since ‘he talked about spiritual things, I know nothing about them.” Then that brother went forth to the monk and said unto him, ‘The old man is not one of those who wish a man to talk to ‘them from the Scriptures, but if thou wilt converse with him ‘‘ about the passions of the soul he will return thee answer.” And straightway the monk repented, and he came to the old man, and said unto him, ‘‘ Father, what shall I do so that I ‘‘ may bring into subjection the passions of the body?” Then the old man looked upon him gladly, and said unto him, ‘‘ Now thou art welcome! Open now thy mouth on such mat- ‘‘ters as these, and I wili fill it with good things.” And the monk, having been greatly helped, and having gained benefit, said, ‘‘In very truth this is the way of truth”; and he went back to his country, giving thanks to God that he had been held worthy of such converse with the holy man.

160. Abba Poemen said concerning Abba John that he cultivated spiritual excellences of every kind. 161. Abba Muthues used to say that there were three brethren who were in the habit of coming to Abba Anthony, and that two of them used to ask him questions about the thoughts, and about life, and redemption, and the discretion (oy intelligence) of the soul, whilst the third one held his peace continually. And after a long time Abba Anthony said unto him, “‘ Brother, thou comest here each year, and askest nothing!” And he answered and said unto the old man, “Tt is sufficient ‘for me to see thee.” 162, Abba Sisoes asked Abba Poemen about filthy thoughts, and the old man said unto him, ‘‘ The matter is like unto a box ‘of clothes: if a man leaveth the clothes inside it for a long ‘time without being turned, they will become eaten up in pro- ‘‘cess of time and destroyed. And thus also is it with the ‘‘ thoughts, and if a man doth not drive them out from his body ‘they will be destroyed and perish.” 163. Abba Joseph asked Abba Poemen about the wicked and vain thoughts which a man produceth, and the old man said unto him, ‘‘It is as if a man were to take a snake and a scor- ‘pion, and throw them in a vessel (or cloth), and close (or ‘‘ wrap) them up tightly for a long time, when they would die ‘‘ owing to the period [which they have been shut up]; even so ‘‘ do the evil thoughts, which spring up in the mind through ‘the workings of devils, decay and become destroyed through ‘* patient endurance.”

164. Abba Elijah used to say, ‘‘ What is sin able to do where The Sayings of the holy Fathers ‘repentance is found? And what will love profit where there is “ pride?” 165, One of the fathers said, ‘‘The early [fathers] did not ‘“‘depart from their places except for the three following ““ reasons :—First: If one of them was vexed withhisneighbour, ‘and it was impossible for him to make clean his heart in re- “spect of him. Secondly: If the abundant approval of the chil- ““dren of men was gathered together to him. Thirdly: If the ““temptation of fornication clung to him. Whensoever they ‘“saw these three reasons they departed.” 166. On one occasion when he saw him pouring some water over his feet, Abba Isaac said unto Abba Poemen, as one who possessed freedom of speech before him, ‘‘How is it that, ‘‘ whilst the fathers exercised themselves in such stern labours ‘‘and mighty deeds of asceticism that they oppressed their ““bodies, behold, thou art washing [thy feet]?” Abba Poemen said unto him, ‘‘ We have not learned to be slayers of the body, ‘but slayers of the passions.” 167. This same Abba Isaac heard the voice of a cock, and he said to Abba Poemen, ‘‘Are there such things as fowls ‘here, father?’”’ And he answered and said unto him, ‘‘Isaac, “why dost thou force me to speak to thee? It is only people ‘‘who are like thyself that hear such sounds as these; he ‘“who is strenuous concerneth not himself with matters of ** this kind.”

168. An old man used to say, ‘‘ Wisdom and simplicity form ‘‘the perfect order of the Apostles and of those who examine “‘closely their rules of life and their conduct, and to this Christ “urged them, saying, ‘Be ye harmless as doves and subtle ‘“ “like serpents’ (St. Matthew x, 16). And the Apostle [Paul] ““also admonished the Corinthians to the same effect, saying, ‘* “My brethren, be not childish in your minds, but be ye as ‘* “babes in respect of things which are evil, and be ye perfect ‘in your minds’ (1 Corinthians xiv, 20). Now wisdom without ““simplicity is wicked cunning, and it is the subtlety of the ‘‘philosophers among the pagans of which it is said, ‘He ‘“‘catcheth the wise men in their own cunning’ (Job v, 13; ‘1 Corinthians iii, 19), and again, ‘The Lord knoweth the ‘thoughts of the wise, that they are vain’ (Psalm xciv, 11; 1 ‘Corinthians iii, 20). And simplicity without wisdom is the ‘foolishness which is prone to error, and concerning this also “‘the Apostle spake, and he wrote unto those who possessed it, ‘““saying, ‘I fear lest, even as the serpent led Eve into error by ‘* “his craftiness, so your minds also may be destroyed in re- ““ spect of your simplicity which is towards Christ’ (2 Corin- “‘thians xi, 3). For they accepted every word without testing

Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule “it, even as it is said in the [Book of] Proverbs, ‘The simple ‘«¢man believeth every word’” (Proverbs xiv, 15). 169. They used to say that one of the old men in Scete had been a slave, and that he came each year to Alexandria, and brought with him a gift for his owners from [the results of | iabour, and they received him, and paid him homage. And the old man [formerly] poured water into a basin, and brought it so that he might wash the feet of his owners, but they said unto him, ‘Nay, father, thou shalt not honour us [thus].” Then he said unto them, ‘‘My lords, I acknowledge that I am ‘‘your slave, and that I have received from you an act of grace ‘in that ye have let me become a free man to serve our Lord, ‘Cand if I may not wash your feet accept at least my gift’; but they objected to this, and would not accept [it]. And he said unto them, ‘‘Since ye refuse to accept it I shall dwell here, ‘and be subject unto you”; then they allowed him to do what he wished, and they sent him away with great gifts of various kinds, so that he might do acts of kindness on their behalf to the brethren who were in need, and because of this he became famous in Scete. Now he conducted himself with great humility towards every man.

170. There was a certain man who was a slave and he became a monk, and he persisted in a life of self-abnegation for five and forty years, and bread, and water, and salt, were sufficient for his food; now after some time the man who had been his master repented, and he also made himself to be remote from the world. And when the time came for him to depart from this world, he said unto his slave, who was now his Rabba, ‘‘I see the hosts of wickedness surrounding me, but ‘through thy prayer they are going back from me.” And when the call came for that slave one stood on his right hand, and the other on his left, and he heard them saying unto him, <¢ Dost thou wish to come, O father, or shall we go and leave ‘‘thee?” And he said, ‘‘1 desire not to remain, take my soul”; and thus he ended [his life]. 171. A certain man made himself remote from the world, and he had a wife and also a daughter, and the latter died before she had been baptized by the disciples; and her father distributed among the poor the portion which came to her, and also that of his wife; but he never ceased to make entreaty to God on behalf of his daughter who had departed from the world without being baptized. And a voice was heard by him as he was praying, which said, ‘‘I have baptized thy daughter, have ‘(no sorrow”; but he did not believe. And that voice, which was hidden, spake again unto him, saying, ‘‘Uncover her ‘‘ grave, and look [in], and thou wilt not find her”; then he

The Savings of the holy Fathers went to her grave, and dug it up, and he found her not, for she had departed, and had been laid with the believers. 172. The old man Macarius used to say, ‘‘ These are the three ‘principal things, and it is right that a man should set them ‘‘before him at every season. The remembrance of his death ‘should be before him at every hour, and he should die to ‘‘every man, and he should be constant always in his mind “towards our Lord. For, if a man have not the remembrance ‘‘of his death before him at all seasons, he will not be able to ‘‘ die to every man, and if he die not to every man he will be ‘‘unable to be constantly before God.” 173. The old man Macarius used to say, ‘‘Strive for every ‘‘kind of death, for the death of the body, that is to say, if ‘thou hast not the death which is in the spirit; strive for the ‘‘ death of the body, and then shall be added unto thee the * “ death which is in the spirit. And death of this kind will make ‘‘ thee to die to every man, and henceforward thou wilt acquire ‘‘the faculty of being constantly with God in silence.”

174. The same old man also said, ‘‘If thou hast not the prayer ‘‘ of the spirit, strive for the prayer of the body, and then shall ‘‘be added unto thee the prayer in the spirit. If thou hast not ‘‘humility in the spirit, strive for the humility which is in the ‘body, and then shall be added unto thee the humility which ‘Cis in the spirit. For it is written, ‘Ask, and ye shall receive’” (St. Matthew vii, 7; xxi, 22). 175. A brother asked an old man, saying, ‘‘ Why do I keep ‘«my sins in remembrance without being pained about them?”’ The old man said unto him, ‘‘This happeneth unto us through ‘‘contempt and negligence. When a man wisheth to boil some ‘“food for his need, and he findeth some small sparks of fire in ‘his fireplace, he desireth to take care of them, and preserve ‘‘them, and to kindle therefrom a large flame; but if he neg- ‘*leéteth them they become black and die out. And thus also ‘*is it with ourselves, for if, according as God hath bestowed ‘upon us, we remember our sins, and we desire and come “to the life of silence, and we possess persistence in remem- ‘bering our sins, we shall acquire great grief in our hearts; ‘but, if we hold them in contempt and do not even remember ‘‘them, we shall be rejected.

176. A brother asked Abb& Poemen, saying, ‘‘Who is a ‘‘hypocrite?”’ The old man said unto him, ‘‘The hypocrite is ‘*he who teacheth his neighbour to do a certain thing which ‘‘he himself hath not performed, and to the doing of which he ‘‘hath not attained; for it is written, ‘Hypocrite! why dost ‘* “thou look at the mote which is in the eye of thy brother, and ‘**behold there is a beam in thine own eye? And how canst Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule *“*thou say to thy brother, Let me take out the mote from ‘* ‘thine eye, seeing that thou hast not first taken the beam ** “out of thine own eye?’” (St. Matthew vii, 5.) 177. A brother asked Abba Chronius, saying, ‘‘ What shall I **do in respect of the error which leadeth captive my mind? ‘¢ For I do not perceive it until it bringeth me to the committal ‘‘of sin.” And the old man said unto him, ‘‘When the Philis- ‘tines took captive the Ark of the Lord because of the evil “‘deeds of the children of Israel, they dragged it along and ‘carried it until they had brought it into the house of Dagon ‘their God, and then Dagon fell down on his face in that “place” (1 Samuel v, 3). The brother said unto him, ‘‘ What ‘‘[meaneth] this word?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘If the ‘“Cunclean devils take captive the mind of a man by their own ‘* means, they lead it on until they bring it to invisible and un- ‘known passion; but if, on the spot, the mind turneth and ‘“seeketh God, and remembereth fervently the judgement of “« the world which is to come, straightway the passion depart- “‘eth, and is destroyed. For it is written, ‘When ye repent ‘and groan, ye shall be redeemed, and ye shall know in what ‘“condition ye are.’”’

178. Again a brother asked Abba Chronius, saying, ‘‘In what ‘manner doth a man come to humility?” The old man said unto him, ‘In my opinion a man doeth this by restraining and ‘‘ withdrawing himself from everything, and by devoting him- ‘¢ self to the labour of the body, and as far as he hath the power “so to do he should remember his departure from the body, ‘Cand the awful judgement of God.” 179. Abba Anthonyused to say, ‘‘ Behold a time shall come to ‘the children ofmen when they shall become silly, and they shall ‘‘turn aside and depart from the fear of God, and if they seea “man who is neither as mad nor as silly as they are, they ‘shall rise up against him, saying, ‘ Thou art both mad and ‘« < silly,’ because he is not like unto them.” 180. Abba Ammon of Nitria went to Abba Anthony, and said unto him, ‘‘I see that the labours which I perform are greater ‘<than thine, how then is it that thy name is more renowned ‘‘among men than mine?” Abba Anthony said unto him, ‘‘ Be- ‘‘cause I also love the Lord more than thou.”

181. When Abba Poemen heard that Abba Nastir was dwelling in the coenobium he desired greatly to see him, and he told his Abba that he ought to send him to go and visit him, but he refused to send him by himself, and he would not let him go. Now a few days afterwards the steward of the coenobium, who had certain thoughts, persuaded Abba to send him to Abba Nastir, and he dismissed him, saying, ‘‘Take this The Savings of the holy Fathers ‘brother with thee, and send me an old man because of him; ‘‘and because I could not trust myself to send him alone I did ““not send him at all.’”’? Now when the steward had come to the old man Nastir, he told him his thoughts, and Abba Nastir healed him. And afterwards the old man asked Abba Poemen, saying, ‘‘ Whence hast thou gotten such humility that when- ‘“soever it happeneth that there be trouble in the coenobium ‘‘thou dost not speak, and dost not interfere to put an end to ‘“contention?” And the old man having pressed the brother, Abba Poemen answered and said unto him, ‘‘ Forgive me, ‘father ! When I first entered the coenobium I said unto my ‘« mind, I and the ass are one. As the ass is beaten and speak- ‘eth not, and is cursed and maketh no answer, so also act “‘thou, according to what the blessed David said, ‘I was a ‘* “beast with Thee’”’ (Psalm Ixxiii, 22).

182. On one occasion Saint Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria, came to Scete, and when the brethren were gathered together they said unto Abba Pambé, ‘‘ Speak a word to the ‘* Bishop, so that we may be built in this place’’; the old man said unto them, ‘If by my silence [we] are not helped, [we] ** shall not be builded by my word.” 183. One of the brethren entreated Abba Sisoes, saying, ‘‘Do ‘fan aét of love, father, and do thou thyself speak to me a “word”; and he answered and said, ‘‘ He who holdeth with ‘knowledge [the belief] that a man should not esteem himself ‘* fulfilleth the whole Book.” 184. An old man used to say, ‘‘ This is what is written : Be- ‘cause of two, and because of three transactions of Tyre, yea, ‘“ because of four, I will not turn back from them” (Amos i, 9); ‘‘[that is to say,] to be content with wickedness, to fulfil ‘a thought, and to utter it; and the fourth is to carry a ‘thought into effect. For at such a thing as this [last] the ‘‘wrath of the Lord turneth not back.” 185. They used to say concerning a great old man who dwelt in Scete that, whenever the brethren were building cells in Scete, he would go out and lay the foundation, and would not depart until [the building] was completed. Once, however, when he went forth to build, he was exceedingly sad, and very sorry, and the brethren said to him, ‘‘ Why is it that thou art “thus grieved and sorry?” And he said unto them, ‘‘My sons, ‘‘this place shall be laid waste. For I have seen a fire kindled ‘in Scete, and have seen that the brethren took palm leaves ‘‘and beat upon it until they extinguished it; and it broke ‘‘out again, and the brethren took palm leaves and ex- ‘tinguished it; but it broke out a third time, and it filled ‘“all Scete, and the brethren were never again able to ex-

Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule ** tinguish it. It is for this reason that I am grieved, and sad, “‘ and sorry.” 186. An old man used to say, ‘‘ It is written, ‘The righteous ““«man shall blossom like the palm tree’ (Psalm xcii, 12). “* Now these words make known that the soulacquireth height, ‘Cand straightness of stature, and sweetness from beautiful ‘* deeds. But there is another quality which is found in the ‘‘ palm, that is, a single, white heart, which is wholly suitable ‘“for work (or useful for being worked). And this must be ‘found in the righteous man, for his heart must be single ‘and simple, and it must be accustomed to look towards God ‘‘ only. Now the heart of the palm tree is also white by reason ‘¢ of that fire which it possesseth naturally, and all the service ‘‘ of the righteous man is in his heart; and the hollowness and ““the evenness of the tops of the leaves [typify] the setting up ‘‘of sharpness of the soul of the righteous man against the “*Calumniator.” 187. Another of the fathers used to say, ‘‘ The eyes of the pig ‘are so arranged by nature that they look always on the ‘‘ ground, and the animal can never look upwards to heaven. ‘And thus is it with the soul which hath once been swallowed ‘up in the gratification of the lusts, for it is caught hence- “forward in the filthy mire of the gratification of the passions, ‘‘ and it is only with difficulty that it is able to look towards ‘‘ God, or to meditate upon any of the things which are worthy ** of praise.”

188. The fathers prophesied concerning the later generation, saying, ‘What manner of work will they do?” And one of them, whose conduct was exalted, and whose name was Is6khdérdn, said, ‘‘ We perform the commandments of God”; and the others answered and said unto him, ‘‘ And those who will ‘come after us, what manner of work will they do?” And he said, ‘‘ They will attain to the half of our service.” And again they answered and said, ‘‘ What manner of work will those ‘who come after these do?” And he said, ‘‘ Those who are in ae that generation will possess no work of any kind, for many ‘‘ trialé are about to come upon them, and those among them ‘© who are found to be chosen men will be found to be greater ‘‘ than ourselves and our fathers.” 189. An old man was [once] asked, ‘‘ How is it that thou art “never dejected?” And he said, “ Because each day I hope &* fo, die.” : 190. A brother asked an old man, ‘‘ Why is it that, when I ‘‘happen to go out by myself at night, fear attacketh me?” The old man said, ‘‘ Because the life of this world is still dear “to thee.’

The Sayings of the holy Fathers 191. An old man was asked, ‘‘ What is the work of monks?” And he said, ‘‘To cultivate [all] the virtues, to make them- ‘« selves strangers to all wickedness, and to be watchful against ‘*judging and condemning others; prayer, and obedience, and ‘“the cultivation of the virtues are the mirror of the monk. ‘‘ For his soul is a fountain, and if it cast forth from it the ‘‘ things which are abominable it shall be made pure; but if he ‘‘dig a pit, God is not wicked that He should lead us out ‘from one house of bondage and carry us into another.” 192. An old man used to say, ‘‘Do nothing without prayer, ‘‘and afterwards thou wilt never be sorry.” 193. Abba Poemen used to say, ‘‘The work of the monastic ‘life is poverty, and trouble, and separation; for it is written, ‘© Tf there be there these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, as ‘I live, saith the Lord (Ezekiel xiv, 14). Noah must be taken ‘las representing] the personification of self-abnegation, and ‘‘Job as representing labours, and Daniel as representing ‘‘ separation; if then a man possess these three rules of con- ‘‘duct the Lord dwelleth in him.”

194. A brother asked Abba Poemen, ‘‘Which is the better, ‘to speak or to keep silence?” The old man said unto him, ‘(He who speaketh for God’s sake is a good man, and he ‘‘doeth well, and he who holdeth his peace for God’s sake **doeth well.” 195. A brother asked Abba Poemen about pollutions and impurities of all sorts and kinds, and he said unto him, ‘‘If we ‘« stablish in ourselves a portion[only]of the work of our soul[s], ‘‘a man may seek for impurity or uncleanness and it shall not **be found.” 196. An old man used to say, ‘‘We saw in Abbé Pambé ‘three virtues which appertained to the body, namely, fasting ‘‘from one evening to the other, and silence, and abundant ‘* work of the hands.” 197. Abba Pambé asked Abba Anthony, saying, ‘‘What “shall I do?” The old man said unto him, ‘‘ Put no confidence ‘‘in thine own righteousness, and regret not nor cogitate upon ‘‘a matter which is past, and be persistent in restraining thy ‘tongue and thy belly.” 198. An old man was asked, ‘* What is it right for a man to ‘‘do that he may live?” Now the [old man himself] used to plait palm leaves into mats, and he never lifted up his head from the work of his hands, but he occupied himself at all times therewith. And the old man answered and said unto him that asked him, ‘‘ Behold, what thou seest.”’

199. The old men used to say, ‘‘There is nothing worse ‘than a man passing judgement upon his neighbour.” Questions and Answers on the Ascetic Rule 200. And the old men used to say, ‘‘From those who are ‘beginners in the monastic life God demandeth nothing ex- ‘‘cept work, and the vexing of the body, and that a man ‘should be obedient.” 201. An old man used to say that separation was the most excellent of all spiritual virtues. 202. Abba Arsenius used to say, ‘‘Thou shalt not depart ‘from a place without great labour, and thou shalt do none ‘of the things which, evilly, thou desirest, and thou shalt do ‘‘ nothing without the testimony of the Scriptures.” 203. Abba Arsenius used to say, ‘‘If we seek God He will ‘“be revealed unto us, and if we lay hold upon Him, He will ‘*remain with us.” An old man used to say, ‘‘If we seek God He will be re- ‘vealed unto us, and if we lay hold upon Him, He will re- ‘main with us.” 204. Abba Poemen used to say to Abba Job, ‘Turn away ‘«thine eyes from beholding what is vain, the lust for which ‘¢ destroyeth souls.”