The Institutes — St. John Cassian

Book I Of the Dress of the Monks c.1–11
Chapter 1 Of the Monk’s Girdle.
Chapter 2 Of the Monk’s Robe.
Chapter 3 Of the Hoods of the Egyptians.
Chapter 4 Of the Tunics of the Egyptians.
Chapter 5 Of their Cords.
Chapter 6 Of their Capes.
Chapter 7 Of the Sheepskin and the Goatskin.
Chapter 8 Of the Staff of the Egyptians.
Chapter 9 Of their Shoes.
Chapter 10 Of the modification in the observances which may be permitted in accordance with the character of the climate or the custom of the district.
Chapter 11 Of the Spiritual Girdle and its Mystical Meaning.
Book II Of the Canonical System of the Nocturnal Prayers and Psalms c.1–18
Chapter 1 Of the Canonical System of the Nocturnal Prayers and Psalms.
Chapter 2 Of the difference of the number of Psalms appointed to be sung in all the provinces.
Chapter 3 Of the observance of one uniform rule throughout the whole of Egypt, and of the election of those who are set over the brethren.
Chapter 4 How throughout the whole of Egypt and the Thebaid the number of Psalms is fixed at twelve.
Chapter 5 How the fact that the number of the Psalms was to be twelve was received from the teaching of an angel.
Chapter 6 Of the Custom of having Twelve Prayers.
Chapter 7 Of their Method of Praying.
Chapter 8 Of the Prayer which follows the Psalm.
Chapter 9 Of the characteristics of the prayer, the fuller treatment of which is reserved for the Conferences of the Elders.
Chapter 10 Of the silence and conciseness with which the Collects are offered up by the Egyptians.
Chapter 11 Of the system according to which the Psalms are said among the Egyptians.
Chapter 12 Of the reason why while one sings the Psalms the rest sit down during the service; and of the zeal with which they afterwards prolong their vigils in their cells till daybreak.
Chapter 13 The reason why they are not allowed to go to sleep after the night service.
Chapter 14 Of the way in which they devote themselves in their cells equally to manual labour and to prayer.
Chapter 15 Of the discreet rule by which every one must retire to his cell after the close of the prayers; and of the rebuke to which any one who does otherwise is subject.
Chapter 16 How no one is allowed to pray with one who has been suspended from prayer.
Chapter 17 How he who rouses them for prayer ought to call them at the usual time.
Chapter 18 How they do not kneel from the evening of Saturday till the evening of Sunday.
Book III Of the Canonical System of the Daily Prayers and Psalms c.1–12
Chapter 1 Of the services of the third, sixth, and ninth hours, which are observed in the regions of Syria.
Chapter 2 How among the Egyptians they apply themselves all day long to prayer and Psalm continually, with the addition of work, without distinction of hours.
Chapter 3 How throughout all the East the services of Tierce, Sext, and None are ended with only three Psalms and prayers each; and the reason why these spiritual offices are assigned more particularly to those hours.
Chapter 4 How the Mattin office was not appointed by an ancient tradition but was started in our own day for a definite reason.
Chapter 5 How they ought not to go back to bed again after the Mattin prayers.
Chapter 6 How no change was made by the Elders in the ancient system of Psalms when the Mattin office was instituted.
Chapter 7 How one who does not come to the daily prayer before the end of the first Psalm is not allowed to enter the Oratory; but at Nocturnes a late arrival up to the end of the second Psalm can be overlooked.
Chapter 8 Of the Vigil service which is celebrated on the evening preceding the Sabbath; of its length, and the manner in which it is observed.
Chapter 9 The reason why a Vigil is appointed as the Sabbath day dawns, and why a dispensation from fasting is enjoyed on the Sabbath all through the East.
Chapter 10 How it was brought about that they fast on the Sabbath in the city.
Chapter 11 Of the points in which the service held on Sunday differs from what is customary on other days.
Chapter 12 Of the days on which, when supper is provided for the brethren, a Psalm is not said as they assemble for the meals as is usual at dinner.
Book IV Of the Institutes of the Renunciants c.1–43
Chapter 1 Of the training of those who renounce this world, and of the way in which those are taught among the monks of Tabenna and the Egyptians who are received into the monasteries.
Chapter 2 Of the way in which among them men remain in the monasteries even to extreme old age.
Chapter 3 Of the ordeal by which one who is to be received in the monastery is tested.
Chapter 4 The reason why those who are received in the monastery are not allowed to bring anything in with them.
Chapter 5 The reason why those who give up the world, when they are received in the monasteries, must lay aside their own clothes and be clothed in others by the Abbot.
Chapter 6 The reason why the clothes of the renunciants with which they joined the monastery are preserved by the steward.
Chapter 7 The reason why those who are admitted to a monastery are not permitted to mix at once with the congregation of the brethren, but are first committed to the guest house.
Chapter 8 Of the practices in which the juniors are first exercised that they may become proficient in overcoming all their desires.
Chapter 9 The reason why the juniors are enjoined not to keep back any of their thoughts from the senior.
Chapter 10 How thorough is the obedience of the juniors even in those things which are matters of common necessity.
Chapter 11 The kind of food which is considered the greater delicacy by them.
Chapter 12 How they leave off every kind of work at the sound of some one knocking at the door, in their eagerness to answer at once.
Chapter 13 How wrong it is considered for any one to say that anything, however trifling, is his own.
Chapter 14 How, even if a large sum of money is amassed by the labour of each, still no one may venture to exceed the moderate limit of what is appointed as adequate.
Chapter 15 Of the excessive desire of possession among us.
Chapter 16 On the rules for various rebukes.
Chapter 17 Of those who introduced the plan that the holy Lessons should be read in the Cœnobia while the brethren are eating, and of the strict silence which is kept among the Egyptians.
Chapter 18 How it is against the rule for any one to take anything to eat or drink except at the common table.
Chapter 19 How throughout Palestine and Mesopotamia a daily service is undertaken by the brethren.
Chapter 20 Of the three lentil beans which the Steward found.
Chapter 21 Of the spontaneous service of some of the brethren.
Chapter 22 The system of the Egyptians, which is appointed for the daily service of the brethren.
Chapter 23 The obedience of Abbot John by which he was exalted even to the grace of prophecy.
Chapter 24 Of the dry stick which, at the bidding of his senior, Abbot John kept on watering as if it would grow.
Chapter 25 Of the unique vase of oil thrown away by Abbot John at his senior’s command.
Chapter 26 How Abbot John obeyed his senior by trying to roll a huge stone, which a large number of men were unable to move.
Chapter 27 Of the humility and obedience of Abbot Patermucius, which he did not hesitate to make perfect by throwing his little boy into the river at the command of his senior.
Chapter 28 How it was revealed to the Abbot concerning Patermucius that he had done the deed of Abraham; and how when the same Abbot died, Patermucius succeeded to the charge of the monastery.
Chapter 29 Of the obedience of a brother who at the Abbot’s bidding carried about in public ten baskets and sold them by retail.
Chapter 30 Of the humility of Abbot Pinufius, who left a very famous Cœnobium over which he presided as Presbyter, and out of the love of subjection sought a distant monastery where he could be received as a novice.
Chapter 31 How when Abbot Pinufius was brought back to his monastery he stayed there for a little while and then fled again into the regions of Syrian Palestine.
Chapter 32 The charge which the same Abbot Pinufius gave to a brother whom he admitted into his monastery in our presence.
Chapter 33 How it is that, just as a great reward is due to the monk who labours according to the regulations of the fathers, so likewise punishment must he inflicted on an idle one; and therefore no one should be admitted into a monastery too easily.
Chapter 34 Of the way in which our renunciation is nothing but mortification and the image of the Crucified.
Chapter 35 How the fear of the Lord is our cross.
Chapter 36 How our renunciation of the world is of no use if we are again entangled in those things which we have renounced.
Chapter 37 How the devil always lies in wait for our end, and how we ought continually to watch his head.
Chapter 38 Of the renunciant’s preparation against temptation, and of the few who are worthy of imitation.
Chapter 39 Of the way in which we shall mount towards perfection, whereby we may afterwards ascend from the fear of God up to love.
Chapter 40 That the monk should seek for examples of perfection not from many instances but from one or a very few.
Chapter 41 The appearance of what infirmities one who lives in a Cœnobium ought to exhibit.
Chapter 42 How a monk should not look for the blessing of patience in his own case as a result of the virtue of others, but rather as a consequence of his own longsuffering.
Chapter 43 Recapitulation of the explanation how a monk can mount up towards perfection.
Book V Of the Spirit of Gluttony c.1–41
Chapter 1 The transition from the Institutes of the monks to the struggle against the eight principal faults.
Chapter 2 How the occasions of these faults, being found in everybody, are ignored by everybody; and how we need the Lord’s help to make them plain.
Chapter 3 How our first struggle must be against the spirit of gluttony, i.e. the pleasures of the palate.
Chapter 4 The testimony of Abbot Antony in which he teaches that each virtue ought to be sought for from him who professes it in a special degree.
Chapter 5 That one and the same rule of fasting cannot be observed by everybody.
Chapter 6 That the mind is not intoxicated by wine alone.
Chapter 7 How bodily weakness need not interfere with purity of heart.
Chapter 8 How food should be taken with regard to the aim at perfect continence.
Chapter 9 Of the measure of the chastisement to be undertaken, and the remedy of fasting.
Chapter 10 That abstinence from food is not of itself sufficient for preservation of bodily and mental purity.
Chapter 11 That bodily lusts are not extinguished except by the entire rooting out of vice.
Chapter 12 That in our spiritual contest we ought to draw an example from the carnal contests.
Chapter 13 That we cannot enter the battle of the inner man unless we have been set free from the vice of gluttony.
Chapter 14 How gluttonous desires can be overcome.
Chapter 15 How a monk must always be eager to preserve his purity of heart.
Chapter 16 How, after the fashion of the Olympic games, a monk should not attempt spiritual conflicts unless he has won battles over the flesh.
Chapter 17 That the foundation and basis of the spiritual combat must be laid in the struggle against gluttony.
Chapter 18 Of the number of different conflicts and victories through which the blessed Apostle ascended to the crown of the highest combat.
Chapter 19 That the athlete of Christ, so long as he is in the body, is never without a battle.
Chapter 20 How a monk should not overstep the proper hours for taking food, if he wants to proceed to the struggle of interior conflicts.
Chapter 21 Of the inward peace of a monk, and of spiritual abstinence.
Chapter 22 That we should for this reason practise bodily abstinence that we may by it attain to a spiritual fast.
Chapter 23 What should be the character of the monk’s food.
Chapter 24 How in Egypt we saw that the daily fast was broken without scruple on our arrival.
Chapter 25 Of the abstinence of one old man who took food six times so sparingly that he was still hungry.
Chapter 26 Of another old man, who never partook of food alone in his cell.
Chapter 27 What the two Abbots Pæsius and John said of the fruits of their zeal.
Chapter 28 The lesson and example which Abbot John when dying left to his disciples.
Chapter 29 Of Abbot Machetes, who never slept during the spiritual conferences, but always went to sleep during earthly tales.
Chapter 30 A saying of the same old man about not judging any one.
Chapter 31 The same old man’s rebuke when he saw how the brethren went to sleep during the spiritual conferences, and woke up when some idle story was told.
Chapter 32 Of the letters which were burnt without being read.
Chapter 33 Of the solution of a question which Abbot Theodore obtained by prayer.
Chapter 34 Of the saying of the same old man, through which he taught by what efforts a monk can acquire a knowledge of the Scriptures.
Chapter 35 A rebuke of the same old man, when he had come to my cell in the middle of the night.
Chapter 36 A description of the desert in Diolcos, where the anchorites live.
Chapter 37 Of the cells which Abbot Archebius gave up to us with their furniture.
Chapter 38 The same Archebius paid a debt of his mother’s by the labour of his own hands.
Chapter 39 Of the device of a certain old man by which some work was found for Abbot Simeon when he had nothing to do.
Chapter 40 Of the boys who when bringing to a sick man some figs, died in the desert from hunger, without having tasted them.
Chapter 41 The saying of Abbot Macarius of the behaviour of a monk as one who was to live for a long while, and as one who was daily at the point of death.
Book VII Of the Spirit of Covetousness c.1–31
Chapter 1 How our warfare with covetousness is a foreign one, and how this fault is not a natural one in man, as the other faults are.
Chapter 2 How dangerous is the disease of covetousness.
Chapter 3 What is the usefulness of those vices which are natural to us.
Chapter 4 That we can say that there exist in us some natural faults, without wronging the Creator.
Chapter 5 Of the faults which are contracted through our own fault, without natural impulses.
Chapter 6 How difficult the evil of covetousness is to drive away when once it has been admitted.
Chapter 7 Of the source from which covetousness springs, and of the evils of which it is itself the mother.
Chapter 8 How covetousness is a hindrance to all virtues.
Chapter 9 How a monk who has money cannot stay in the monastery.
Chapter 10 Of the toils which a deserter from a monastery must undergo through covetousness, though he used formerly to murmur at the very slightest tasks.
Chapter 11 That under pretence of keeping the purse women have to besought to dwell with them.
Chapter 12 An instance of a lukewarm monk caught in the snares of covetousness.
Chapter 13 What the elders relate to the juniors in the matter of stripping off sins.
Chapter 14 Instances to show that the disease of covetousness is threefold.
Chapter 15 Of the difference between one who renounces the world badly and one who does not renounce it at all.
Chapter 16 Of the authority under which those shelter themselves who object to stripping themselves of their goods.
Chapter 17 Of the renunciation of the apostles and the primitive church.
Chapter 18 That if we want to imitate the apostles we ought not to live according to our own prescriptions, but to follow their example.
Chapter 19 A saying of S. Basil, the Bishop, directed against Syncletius.
Chapter 20 How contemptible it is to be overcome by covetousness.
Chapter 21 How covetousness can be conquered.
Chapter 22 That one who actually has no money may still be deemed covetous.
Chapter 23 An example drawn from the case of Judas.
Chapter 24 That covetousness cannot be overcome except by stripping one’s self of everything.
Chapter 25 Of the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, and Judas, which they underwent through the impulse of covetousness.
Chapter 26 That covetousness brings upon the soul a spiritual leprosy.
Chapter 27 Scripture proofs by which one who is aiming at perfection is taught not to take back again what he has given up and renounced.
Chapter 28 That the victory over covetousness can only be gained by stripping one’s self bare of everything.
Chapter 29 How a monk can retain his poverty.
Chapter 30 The remedies against the disease of covetousness.
Chapter 31 That no one can get the better of covetousness unless he stays in the Cœnobium: and how one can remain there.
Book VIII Of the Spirit of Anger c.1–22
Chapter 1 How our fourth conflict is against the sin of anger, and how many evils this passion produces.
Chapter 2 Of those who say that anger is not injurious, if we are angry with those who do wrong, since God Himself is said to be angry.
Chapter 3 Of those things which are spoken of God anthropomorphically.
Chapter 4 In what sense we should understand the passions and human arts which are ascribed to the unchanging and incorporeal God.
Chapter 5 How calm a monk ought to be.
Chapter 6 Of the righteous and unrighteous passion of wrath.
Chapter 7 Of the only case in which anger is useful to us.
Chapter 8 Instances from the life of the blessed David in which anger was rightly felt.
Chapter 9 Of the anger which should be directed against ourselves.
Chapter 10 Of the sun, of which it is said that it should not go down upon your wrath.
Chapter 11 Of those to whose wrath even the going down of the sun sets no limit.
Chapter 12 How this is the end of temper and anger when a man carries it into act as far as he can.
Chapter 13 That we should not retain our anger even for an instant.
Chapter 14 Of reconciliation with our brother.
Chapter 15 How the Old Law would root out anger not only from the actions but from the thoughts.
Chapter 16 How useless is the retirement of those who do not give up their bad manners.
Chapter 17 That the peace of our heart does not depend on another’s will, but lies in our own control.
Chapter 18 Of the zeal with which we should seek the desert, and of the things in which we make progress there.
Chapter 19 An illustration to help in forming an opinion on those who are only patient when they are not tried by any one.
Chapter 20 Of the way in which auger should be banished according to the gospel.
Chapter 21 Whether we ought to admit the addition of “without a cause,” in that which is written in the Gospel, “whosoever is angry with his brother,” etc.
Chapter 22 The remedies by which we can root out anger from our hearts.
Book IX Of the Spirit of Dejection c.1–13
Chapter 1 How our fifth combat is against the spirit of dejection, and of the harm which it inflicts upon the soul.
Chapter 2 Of the care with which the malady of dejection must be healed.
Chapter 3 To what the soul may be compared which is a prey to the attacks of dejection.
Chapter 4 Whence and in what way dejection arises.
Chapter 5 That disturbances are caused in us not by the faults of other people, but by our own.
Chapter 6 That no one comes to grief by a sudden fall, but is destroyed by falling through a long course of carelessness.
Chapter 7 That we ought not to give up intercourse with our brethren in order to seek after perfection, but should rather constantly cultivate the virtue of patience.
Chapter 8 That if we have improved our character it is possible for us to get on with everybody.
Chapter 9 Of another sort of dejection which produces despair of salvation.
Chapter 10 Of the only thing in which dejection is useful to us.
Chapter 11 How we can decide what is useful and the sorrow according to God, and what is devilish and deadly.
Chapter 12 That except that wholesome sorrow, which springs up in three ways, all sorrow and dejection should be resisted as hurtful.
Chapter 13 The means by which we can root out dejection from our hearts.
Book X Of the Spirit of Accidie c.1–25
Chapter 1 How our sixth combat is against the spirit of accidie, and what its character is.
Chapter 2 A description of accidie, and the way in which it creeps over the heart of a monk, and the injury it inflicts on the soul.
Chapter 3 Of the different ways in which accidie overcomes a monk.
Chapter 4 How accidie hinders the mind from all contemplation of the virtues.
Chapter 5 How the attack of accidie is twofold.
Chapter 6 How injurious are the effects of accidie.
Chapter 7 Testimonies from the Apostle concerning the spirit of accidie.
Chapter 8 That he is sure to be restless who will not be content with the work of his own hands.
Chapter 9 That not the Apostle only, but those two who were with him laboured with their own hands.
Chapter 10 That for this reason the Apostle laboured with his own hands, that he might set us an example of work.
Chapter 11 That he preached and taught men to work not only by his example, but also by his words.
Chapter 12 Of his saying: “If any will not work, neither shall he eat.”
Chapter 13 Of his saying: “We have heard that some among you walk disorderly.”
Chapter 14 How manual labour prevents many faults.
Chapter 15 How kindness should be shown even to the idle and careless.
Chapter 16 How we ought to admonish those who go wrong, not out of hatred, but out of love.
Chapter 17 Different passages in which the Apostle declares that we ought to work, or in which it is shown that he himself worked.
Chapter 18 That the Apostle wrought what he thought would be sufficient for him and for others who were with him.
Chapter 19 How we should understand these words: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Chapter 20 Of a lazy brother who tried to persuade others to leave the monastery.
Chapter 21 Different passages from the writings of Solomon against accidie.
Chapter 22 How the brethren in Egypt work with their hands, not only to supply their own needs, but also to minister to those who are in prison.
Chapter 23 That idleness is the reason why there are not monasteries for monks in the West.
Chapter 24 Abbot Paul who every year burnt with fire all the works of his hands.
Chapter 25 The words of Abbot Moses which he said to me about the cure of accidie.
Book XI Of the Spirit of Vainglory c.1–19
Chapter 1 How our seventh combat is against the spirit of vainglory, and what its nature.
Chapter 2 How vainglory attacks a monk not only on his carnal, but also on his spiritual side.
Chapter 3 How many forms and shapes vainglory takes.
Chapter 4 How vainglory attacks a monk on the right had and on the left.
Chapter 5 A comparison which shows the nature of vainglory.
Chapter 6 That vainglory is not altogether got rid of by the advantages of solitude.
Chapter 7 How vainglory, when it has been overcome, rises again keener than ever for the fight.
Chapter 8 How vainglory is not allayed either in the desert or through advancing years.
Chapter 9 That vainglory is the more dangerous through being mixed up with virtues.
Chapter 10 An instance showing how King Hezekiah was overthrown by the dart of vainglory.
Chapter 11 The instance of King Uzziah who was overcome by the taint of the same malady.
Chapter 12 Several testimonies against vainglory.
Chapter 13 Of the ways in which vainglory attacks a monk.
Chapter 14 How it suggests that a man may seek to take holy orders.
Chapter 15 How vainglory intoxicates the mind.
Chapter 16 Of him whom the superior came upon and found in his cell, deluded by idle vainglory.
Chapter 17 How faults cannot be cured unless their roots and causes have been discovered.
Chapter 18 How a monk ought to avoid women and bishops.
Chapter 19 Remedies by which we can overcome vainglory.
Book XII Of the Spirit of Pride c.1–33
Chapter 1 How our eighth combat is against the spirit of pride, and of its character.
Chapter 2 How there are two kinds of pride.
Chapter 3 How pride is equally destructive of all virtues.
Chapter 4 How by reason of pride Lucifer was turned from an archangel into a devil.
Chapter 5 That incentives to all sins spring from pride.
Chapter 6 That the sin of pride is last in the actual order of the combat, but first in time and origin.
Chapter 7 That the evil of pride is so great that it rightly has even God Himself as its adversary.
Chapter 8 How God has destroyed the pride of the devil by the virtue of humility, and various passages in proof of this.
Chapter 9 How we too may overcome pride.
Chapter 10 How no one can obtain perfect virtue and the promised bliss by his own strength alone.
Chapter 11 The case of the thief and of David, and of our call in order to illustrate the grace of God.
Chapter 12 That no toil is worthy to be compared with the promised bliss.
Chapter 13 The teaching of the elders on the method of acquiring purity.
Chapter 14 That the help of God is given to those who labour.
Chapter 15 From whom we can learn the way of perfection.
Chapter 16 That we cannot even make the effort to obtain perfection without the mercy and inspiration of God.
Chapter 17 Various passages which clearly show that we cannot do anything which belongs to our salvation without the aid of God.
Chapter 18 How we are protected by the grace of God not only in our natural condition, but also by His daily Providence.
Chapter 19 How this faith concerning the grace of God was delivered to us by the ancient Fathers.
Chapter 20 Of one who for his blasphemy was given over to a most unclean spirit.
Chapter 21 The instance of Joash, King of Judah, showing what was the consequence of his pride.
Chapter 22 That every proud soul is subject to spiritual wickedness to be deceived by it.
Chapter 23 How perfection can only be attained through the virtue of humility.
Chapter 24 Who are attacked by spiritual and who by carnal pride.
Chapter 25 A description of carnal pride, and of the evils which it produces in the soul of a monk.
Chapter 26 That a man whose foundation is bad, sinks daily from bad to worse.
Chapter 27 A description of the faults which spring from the evil of pride.
Chapter 28 On the pride of a certain brother.
Chapter 29 The signs by which you can recognize the presence of carnal pride in a soul.
Chapter 30 How when a man has grown cold through pride he wants to be put to rule other people.
Chapter 31 How we can overcome pride and attain perfection.
Chapter 32 How pride which is so destructive of all virtues can itself be destroyed by true humility.
Chapter 33 Remedies against the evil of pride.