tfO OKIGIN OF MONACHISM. 



ersifes, till his hundred and thirtieth year, that Is, till 

 about the year of the vulgar sera 340. At this time he 

 became acquainted with Antonius, who had long led 

 the fame kind of life in another diftrict of thefe aegyp- 

 tian wilds, and came to Paul juft time enough to bury 

 him ; as he lhortly after died. 



Paul was thus the firfh among the chriftians who was 

 known and celebrated by the name of hermit, who 

 raifed himfelf to a higher pitch than the ordinary afce- 

 tics, renounced all intercourfe with mankind in his fo- 

 litary defart, and never forfook his cave. Hieronymus 

 ftyles him the author of the folitary life ; but this was 

 properly no more than an extenfion and continuation 

 of the life of the afcetics. 



How much muft the great herd of chriftians have 

 admired the man, who, folely for the purpofe of work- 

 ing more ftrenuoufly at his falvation, magnanimoufly 

 reduced himfelf to the condition of a favage ; and be- 

 came dead to all the world ! How muft the multi- 

 tude revere the man, who, through the whole courfe 

 ©f his life, made a voluntary renunciation of whatever 

 is thought excellent and agreeable by mankind ; and 

 all this for the fake of invilible benefits ! How eafy 

 was it to conned: with the idea of fuch fentiments and 

 manners, and fo perfect a fanctity, the expectation of 

 miraculous powers ! And then how eafy was it for the 

 hermit himfelf to be animated by the warmth of his 

 own imagination, not to leave dormant and unemployed, 

 much lefs to ftifle, thofe gifts that were imparted to him 

 for the benefit of the world ! It was natural for him, 

 who had left the ufual way whereby other chriftians ar- 

 rive at a maturer virtue, who is in conftant expectation 



of 



