ty, chastity, and a renunciation of the world, were certainly intended in the first plan of these institutions; and though, from the unavoidable frailty of human nature, they were not always obferved, certain it is, that many individuals amongst them have been ftriking examples of the self-denying virtues: and as the influence they acquired was only built upon the voluntary homage of the mind, it may be prefumed fuch an `afcendancy was not originally gained without fome species of merit. The fondness for monkery is eafily deduced from fome of the best principles in the human heart. It was, indeed, neceffity, that, in the third century, first drove the christians to shelter themselves from the Decian perfecution in the folitary defarts of Thebais but the humour soon spread, and numbers under the name of hermits, or eremites, fecluded themselves from the com

merce of mankind, chusing the wildeft solitudes, living in caves and hollows of the rocks, and subsisting on such roots and herbs as the ground afforded them. About the fourth century they were gathered into communities, and increased with surprising rapidity. It was then that, by a great and sudden revolution, the fury of persecution had ceased, and the governing powers were become friendly to christianity. But the agitation of men's minds did not immediately subside with the storm. The christians had so long experienced the necessity of resigning all the enjoyments of life, and were so detached from every tie which might interfere with the profession of their faith, that upon a more favourable turn of affairs they hardly dared open their minds to pleasurable emotions. They thought the life of a good man must be a continual warfare between mind and body; and having been

long

long used to see ease and safety on the one side, and virtue on the other, no wonder if the association was so strong in their minds, as to suggest the necessity of voluntary mortification, and lead them to inflict those sufferings upon themselves, which they no longer apprehended from others. They had continually experienced the amazing effects of christianity in supporting its followers under hardship, tortures, and death; and they thought little of its influence in regulating the behaviour of life, if it produced none of those great exertions they had been used to contemplate. They were struck with the change from heathen licentiousness to the purity of the gospel; and thought they could never be far enough removed from that bondage of the senses which it had just cost them so violent a struggle to escape. The minds of men were working with newly received opinions, not yet

mellowed into a rational faith; and the young converts, astonished at the gran deur and fublimity of the doctrines which then first entered their hearts with irrefiftable force, thought them worthy to engrofs their whole attention. The mystic dreams of the Platonist mingled with the enthusiasm of the martyr; and it foon became the prevailing opinion, that silence, folitude, and contemplation were neceffary for the reception of divine truth. Miftaken ideas prevailed of a purity and perfection far fuperiour to the rules of common life, which was only to be attained by thofe who denied themfelves all the indulgences of fenfe; and thus the afcetic feverities of the cloifter fucceeded in fome degree to the philofophic poverty of the Cynic school, and the lofty virtues of the Stoic porch.

INDEED, it is now the prevailing taste

in morals to decry every obfervance which has the least appearance of rigour; and to infift only on the fofter virtues. But let it be remembered, that self-command and self-denial are as necessary to the practice of benevolence, charity, and compaffion, as to any other duty; that it is impoffible to live to others without denying ourselves; and that the man who has not learned to curb his appetites and paffions is ill qualified for thofe facrifices which the friendly affections are continually requiring of him. The man who has that one quality of felf-command will find little difficulty in the practice of any other duty; as, on the contrary, he who has it not, tho' poffeffed of the gentlest feelings, and moft refined fenfibilities, will foon find his benevolence fink into a mere companiable eafinefs of temper, neither useful to others nor happy for himself. A noble enthufiafm is fometimes of ufe

to