her to himself by death. One Mucins, without any provocation, caused his own son to be cruelly abused, and at last, at the command of the abbot himself, cast him into the water, whence he was rescued by a brother of the cloister.' Even in the most favorable case monasticism falls short of harmonious moral development, and of that symmetry of virtue which meets us in perfection in Christ, and next to him in the apostles. It lacks the finer and gentler traits of diaracter, which are ordinarily brought out only in the school of daily family life and under the social ordinances of God, Its morality is rather negative than positive. There is more virtue in the temperate and thankful enjoyment of the gifts of God, than in total abstinence ; in charitable and well-seasoned speech, than in total silence ; in connubial chastity, than in cehbacy ; in self-denying practical labor for the church, than in solitary asceticism, which only pleases self and profits no one else. Catholicism, whether Greek or Roman, cannot dispense with the monastic life. It knows only moral extremes, nothing of the healthful mean. In addition to this, Popery needs the monastic orders, as an absolute monarchy needs large standing ' Tillem. vii. 4S0. The abbot thereupon, as Tillcmont relates, was informed by a revelation, " que Muce avait egale par son obeissanee celle d' Abraham," and soon after made him his successor. § 33. POSITION OF MONKS IN THE CHURCH. 173 armies both for coiiC|uest and defence. But evangelical Pro- testantism, rejecting all distinction of a twofold morality, as- signing to all men the same great duty under the law of God, placing the essence of religion not in outward exercises, but in the heart, not in separation from the world and from society, but in purifying and sanctifying the world by the free spirit of the gospel, is death to the great monastic institution. § 33. Position of Monks in the Church. As to the social position of monasticism in the system of ecclesiastical life : it was at first, in East and West, even so late as the council of Chalcedou, regarded as a lay institution ; but the monks were distinguished as religiosi from the secula- res, and formed thus a middle grade between the ordinary laity and the clergy. They constituted the spiritual nobility, but not the ruling class ; the aristocracy, but not the hierarchy of the church. "A monk," says Jerome, "has not the office of a teacher, but of a penitent, who endures suffering either for himself or for the world." Many monks considered ecclesias- tical office incompatible with their effort after perfection. It was a proverb, traced to Pachomius : " A monk should es- pecially shun women and bishops, for neither will let him have peace." ' Ammonius, who accompanied Athanasius to Rome, cut off his own ear, and threatened to cut out his own tongue, when it was proposed to make him a