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AND so I remember that while I was still a boy, in the region of
Thebaid, where the blessed Antony lived, the elders came to him to
inquire about perfection: and though the conference lasted from evening
till morning, the greatest part of the night was taken up with this
question. For it was discussed at great length what virtue or observance
could preserve a monk always unharmed by the snares and deceits of the
devil, and carry him forward on a sure and right path, and with firm step
to the heights of perfection. And when each one gave his opinion according
to the bent of his own mind, and some made it consist in zeal in fasting
and vigils, because a soul that has been brought low by these, and so
obtained purity of heart and body will be the more easily united to God,
others in despising all things, as, if the mind were utterly deprived of
them, it would come the more freely to God, as if henceforth there were no
snares to entangle it: others thought that withdrawal from the world was
the thing needful, i.e., solitude and the secrecy of the hermit's life;
living in which a man may more readily commune with God, and cling more
especially to Him; others laid down that the duties of charity, i.e., of
kindness should be practised, because the Lord in the gospel promised more
especially to give the kingdom to these; when He said "Come ye blessed of
My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world. For I was an hungred and ye gave Me to eat, I was thirsty and ye
gave Me to drink, etc.:" and when in this fashion they declared that by
means of different virtues a more certain approach to God could be secured,
and the greater part of the night had been spent in this discussion, then
at last the blessed Antony spoke and said: All these things which you have
mentioned are indeed needful, and helpful to those who are thirsting for
God, and desirous to approach Him. But countless accidents and the
experience of many people will not allow us to make the most important of
gifts consist in them. For often when men are most strict in fasting or in
vigils, and nobly withdraw into solitude, and aim at depriving themselves
of all their goods so absolutely that they do not suffer even a day's
allowance of food or a single penny to remain to them, and when they fulfil
all the duties of kindness with the utmost devotion, yet still we have seen
them suddenly deceived, so that they could not bring the work they had
entered upon to a suitable close, but brought their exalted fervour and
praiseworthy manner of life to a terrible end. Wherefore we shall be able
clearly to recognize what it is which mainly leads to God, if we trace out
with greater care the reason of their downfall and deception. For when the
works of the above mentioned virtues were abounding in them, discretion
alone was wanting, and allowed them not to continue even to the end. Nor
can any other reason for their falling off be discovered except that as
they were not sufficiently instructed by their elders they could not obtain
judgment and discretion, which passing by excess on either side, teaches a
monk always to walk along the royal road, and does not suffer him to be
puffed up on the right hand of virtue, i.e., from excess of zeal to
transgress the bounds of due moderation in foolish presumption, nor allows
him to be enamoured of slackness and turn aside to the vices on the left
hand, i.e., under pretext of controlling the body, to grow slack with the
opposite spirit of luke-warmness. For this is discretion, which is termed
in the gospel the "eye," "and light of the body," according to the
Saviour's saying: "The light of thy body is thine eye: but if thine eye be
single, thy whole body will be full of light, but if thine eye be evil, thy
whole body will be full of darkness:" because as it discerns all the
thoughts and actions of men, it sees and overlooks all things which should
be done. But if in any man this is "evil," i.e., not fortified by sound
judgment and knowledge, or deceived by some error and presumption, it will
mike our whole body "full of darkness," i.e., it will darken all our mental
vision and our actions, as they will be involved in the darkness of vices
and the gloom of disturbances. For, says He, "if the light which is in thee
be darkness, how great will that darkness be!" For no one can doubt that
when the judgment of our heart goes wrong, and is overwhelmed by the night
of ignorance, our thoughts and deeds, which are the result of deliberation
and discretion, must be involved in the darkness of still greater sins.
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