A S C 



A S C 



Ascent c/ vnpour. See Evap&ratios, Cioud, and 

 VAPOua. 



Ascent, in /IJlronomy, Slc, See Ascensiov. 



Ascent, in Lo^ic, denotes a kind of argumentation, 

 wherein we rife from particulars to univerfals. As when 

 we fay, this mnn is an animal, and that man is an animal, 

 and the other man, &:c. therefore, every man is an animal. 



ASCESIS properly denotes cxercife of the body. It is 

 formed from the verb ato-xiiw, ufed by the ancients in fpeak- 

 ing of the fports and combats of the athletae. 



AscESis is alfo ufed by philofophers, to denote an exer- 

 cife conducive to virtue, or to the acquiring a greater 

 degree of virtue. Buddseus has a differtation on this philo- 

 fophical afcefis. 



ASCETERIUM, in Eccbfiajltcal Wr'ittrs, is frequently 

 ufed for a monallery, or a place fet apart for the exercifes 

 of virtue and religion. The word ii formed from afcefis 

 " exercife;" or afcetra, one who performs exercife. Origi- 

 nally it fignified a place where the athletae, or gladiators, 

 performed their exercifes. 



ASCETIC, derived from airx.!!', " I cxercife," an an- 

 cient appellation given to fuch perions as, in the primitive 

 times, devoted themfelves more immediately to the exercift! 

 of piety and virtue, in a retired life ; and, particularly, to 

 prayer, abftineace, and mortitication. Mofheim (Eccl. 

 Hift. vol. i. p. 193.) traces the origin of this feft in the 

 Chriflian church to the fecond cent\iry. He fays, that the 

 afcetics owed their rife to certain Chrillian doftors, who 

 maintained, that Chriil had eft;'.bli(hcd a double rule of 

 fancllty and virtue, for two different orders of Chriflians ; 

 the one was ordinary, and deligned for perfons in the 

 aftive fcenes of life; the other, extraordinary and more 

 fublime, and intended for thofe who, in a facred retreat, 

 afpired after the glory of a celeftial ftate. Accordingly, 

 they diftributcd thofe moral doftrines which they had re- 

 ceived cither by tradition or writing into the two clafTes 

 of precepts and counfels ; the former being univerfally 

 obligatorv upon all orders of men, and the latter, relating 

 to Chrillians of a more fubUme rank, who propofed to 

 themfelves great and glorious ends, and breathed after an 

 intimate communion with the Supreme Being. Perfons of 

 this latter defcription declared their refolution of obeying 

 all the coimfels of Chriil, in order to their enjoying com- 

 munion with God here ; and alfo that, after the diffolution 

 of their mortal bodies, they might afcend to him with the 

 j^reater facility, and find nothing to retard their approach 

 to the fupreme centre of perfeftion and happinefs. They 

 looked upon themfelves as prohibited the ufe of things 

 which other Chrillians were allowed to enjoy, fuch as wine, 

 flefli, matrimony, and commerce. See Athenag.oras 

 Apol. pro Chrift. c. 28. They thought it their indif- 

 penfable duty to extenuate the body by watchings, ab- 

 ftinence, labour, and hunger. They fought felicity in foli- 

 tary retreats, and in defei-t places, where, by fevcrc and 

 affiduous efforts of fublime meditation, they raifed the foul 

 above all external objcfts and all fenfual pleafures. Both men 

 and women impofed upon themfelves the moft aullere difci- 

 pline, which, though at firft it was the fruit of pious intention, 

 proved in the ifliie extremely detrimental to Chriftianity. 

 Thefe perfons were called afetics, iTb-Jaioi ExXtxloi, and 

 philofophers ; nor were they diftinguiflied from other 

 Chrillians merely by their appellation, but alfo by their 

 garb. In this centuiy, fuch as embraced this kind of aullere 

 life, contented themfelves with fubmitting to all thefe mor- 

 tifications in private, without breaking afunder their focial 

 bonds, or withdrawing themfrlves from intercourfe with 

 znankind. In the next century, and particularly in the 



Vol. III. 



reip;n oF Conftantlne, tfiefe afcetics, who, as an elegant 

 hilforian defcribes them, (Gibbon's Hitl. vol. vi. p. 239.) 

 " obeyed and abufed the rigid precepts of the gofpel, and 

 were iiifpired by the favage etithutialm which reprefents man 

 as a criminal, and God as a tyrant ;" fled from a profane 

 and degenerate world to perpetual folitude, or religious 

 focicty, and alTumcd the name of " plermits," " Monks," 

 and " Anachorets," exprcffive of their lonely retreat in a 

 natural or artificial defert. The rcafons which gave rife to 

 this aullere fetl are fufBciently obvious. One of the prin- 

 cipal was, the ill-jndgcd ambition of the Chriflians to re- 

 femble the Greeks and Romans, many of whofe fages and 

 philofophers dillirigniflicd themfelves from the generality 

 by their maxims, by their habit, and, indeed, by the whole 

 plan of hfe and manners v.iiich they had formed to them- 

 felves, and by which they acquired a degree of efteem 

 and authority. Of all thefe ancient philofophers, there 

 were none whofe lentinients and difcipline were fo well 

 received by the ancient Chrillians, as thofe of the Platonics 

 and Pythagoreans, who preferibed iu their IcfTons two rules 

 of conduct, one for the fage who afpired to the fubhmefl: 

 heights of virtue, and another for the people involved in 

 the cares and agitation of an aiStive life. As the opinions 

 of fome of thefe philofophers were adopted by the more 

 learned among the Chrillians, they were naturally led to 

 embrace alfo the moral difcipline which refulted from them. 

 Some of the religious feveritics to which they recurred were 

 deduced from the genius and temper of the people by 

 whom they were firll praftifed. This morofe difcipline 

 originated in Egypt, which abounded ^vith perfons of a me- 

 lancholy complexion, and produced, in proportion to its extent, 

 more gloomy fpirits than any other part of the world. Here 

 the Efienes and Therapeutx, thofe difmal and gloomy 

 fe£ls, principally dwelt, long before the coming of Chrift, 

 and alfo many of the afcetic tribe, who, led by a certaia 

 melancholy turn of mind, and a delufive notion of rendering 

 themfelves more acceptable to the Deity by their aufterities, 

 withdrew themfelves from human fociety, and from all the 

 innocent pleafures and comforts of life. From Egypt thif 

 four and unfociable difcipline pafTed into Svria and the 

 neighbouring countries, which alfo abounded with perfons 

 of the fame difmal conftitution with that of the Egyptians; 

 and from thence, in procefs of time, its infection reached 

 to the European nations. Hence fprung that train of aullere 

 and fuperllitious rites, that yet, in many places, call a veil over 

 the beauty and fimplicity of the Chriftian religion. Hence 

 the cehbacy of the prieiUy order, the rigour of unprofitable 

 penances and mortifications, the innumerable fwarms of 

 monks that withdrew their talents and labours from fociety, 

 and who did this in the fenfelefs purfuit of a vifionan.' fort 

 of perfeftion. Hence alfo proceeded the dillinftion be- 

 tween the theoretical and myfticallife, andmanyotherfancies 

 of a fimilar kind. The afcetics acquired the rcfpeft of 

 the world, which they defpifed ; and the loudeft applaufe 

 was bellowed on this " divine philofophy," as it was 

 called, which furpaflfed, without the aid of fcience or rea- 

 fon, the laborious virtues of the Grecian fchools. WHien 

 the monks came in fafhion, the title of afcetic was bellow- 

 ed upon them ; efpecially upon fuch of them as lived in foli- 

 tude. See Hermit, and Monk. 



Ascetic is alfo a title of feveral books of fpiritual exer- 

 cifes ; as, the ylfeti.s or devout treatifes of St. Bafil, arch- 

 bifhop of Caefarea in C^ppadoeia. 



We alfo fay the afcetic life, meaning the exercife of 

 prayer, meditation, and mortification. 



A SCERETIS. See Secretary. 



A-SCHACH, in Orniiko/o^, the name by which the 



