St. John Cassian
The Institutes
The twelve books on the rules of the monasteries and the eight faults
Contents268 sections
- 1Book 1, Chapter 1. Of the Monk's Girdle.
- 2Book 1, Chapter 2. Of the Monk's Robe.
- 3Book 1, Chapter 3. Of the Hoods of the Egyptians.
- 4Book 1, Chapter 4. Of the Tunics of the Egyptians.
- 5Book 1, Chapter 5. Of their Cords.
- 6Book 1, Chapter 6. Of their Capes.
- 7Book 1, Chapter 7. Of the Sheepskin and the Goatskin.
- 8Book 1, Chapter 8. Of the Staff of the Egyptians.
- 9Book 1, Chapter 9. Of their Shoes.
- 10Book 1, Chapter 10. Of the modification in the observances which may be permitted in
- 11Book 1, Chapter 11. Of the Spiritual Girdle and its Mystical Meaning.
- 12Book 2, Chapter 1. Of the Canonical System of the Nocturnal Prayers and Psalms.
- 13Book 2, Chapter 2. Of the difference of the number of Psalms appointed to be sung in all
- 14Book 2, Chapter 3. Of the observance of one uniform rule throughout the whole of Egypt,
- 15Book 2, Chapter 4. How throughout the whole of Egypt and the Thebaid the number of Psalms
- 16Book 2, Chapter 5. How the fact that the number of the Psalms was to be twelve was
- 17Book 2, Chapter 6. Of the Custom of having Twelve Prayers.
- 18Book 2, Chapter 7. Of their Method of Praying.
- 19Book 2, Chapter 8. Of the Prayer which follows the Psalm.
- 20Book 2, Chapter 9. Of the characteristics of the prayer, the fuller treatment of which is
- 21Book 2, Chapter 10. Of the silence and conciseness with which the Collects are offered up
- 22Book 2, Chapter 11. Of the system according to which the Psalms are said among the
- 23Book 2, Chapter 12. Of the reason why while one sings the Psalms the rest sit down during
- 24Book 2, Chapter 13. The reason why they are not allowed to go to sleep after the night
- 25Book 2, Chapter 14. Of the way in which they devote themselves in their cells equally to
- 26Book 2, Chapter 15. Of the discreet rule by which every one must retire to his cell after
- 27Book 2, Chapter 16. How no one is allowed to pray with one who has been suspended from
- 28Book 2, Chapter 17. How he who rouses them for prayer ought to call them at the usual time.
- 29Book 2, Chapter 18. How they do not kneel from the evening of Saturday till the evening of
- 30Book 3, Chapter 1. Of the services of the third, sixth, and ninth hours, which are
- 31Book 3, Chapter 2. How among the Egyptians they apply themselves all day long to prayer
- 32Book 3, Chapter 3. How throughout all the East the services of Tierce, Sext, and None are
- 33Book 3, Chapter 4. How the Mattin office was not appointed by an ancient tradition but was
- 34Book 3, Chapter 5. How they ought not to go back to bed again after the Mattin prayers.
- 35Book 3, Chapter 6. How no change was made by the Elders in the ancient system of Psalms
- 36Book 3, Chapter 7. How one who does not come to the daily prayer before the end of the
- 37Book 3, Chapter 8. Of the Vigil service which is celebrated on the evening preceding the
- 38Book 3, Chapter 9. The reason why a Vigil is appointed as the Sabbath day dawns, and why a
- 39Book 3, Chapter 10. How it was brought about that they fast on the Sabbath in the city.
- 40Book 3, Chapter 11. Of the points in which the service held on Sunday differs from what is
- 41Book 3, Chapter 12. Of the days on which, when supper is provided for the brethren, a Psalm
- 42Book 4, Chapter 1. Of the training of those who renounce this world, and of the way in
- 43Book 4, Chapter 2. Of the way in which among them men remain in the monasteries even to
- 44Book 4, Chapter 3. Of the ordeal by which one who is to be received in the monastery is
- 45Book 4, Chapter 4. The reason why those who are received in the monastery are not allowed
- 46Book 4, Chapter 5. The reason why those who give up the world, when they are received in
- 47Book 4, Chapter 6. The reason why the clothes of the renunciants with which they joined
- 48Book 4, Chapter 7. The reason why those who are admitted to a monastery are not permitted
- 49Book 4, Chapter 8. Of the practices in which the juniors are first exercised that they may
- 50Book 4, Chapter 9. The reason why the juniors are enjoined not to keep back any of their
- 51Book 4, Chapter 10. How thorough is the obedience of the juniors even in those things which
- 52Book 4, Chapter 11. The kind of food which is considered the greater delicacy by them.
- 53Book 4, Chapter 12. How they leave off every kind of work at the sound of some one knocking
- 54Book 4, Chapter 13. How wrong it is considered for any one to say that anything, however
- 55Book 4, Chapter 14. How, even if a large sum of money is amassed by the labour of each,
- 56Book 4, Chapter 15. Of the excessive desire of possession among us.
- 57Book 4, Chapter 16. On the rules for various rebukes.
- 58Book 4, Chapter 17. Of those who introduced the plan that the holy Lessons should be read
- 59Book 4, Chapter 18. How it is against the rule for any one to take anything to eat or drink
- 60Book 4, Chapter 19. How throughout Palestine and Mesopotamia a daily service is undertaken
- 61Book 4, Chapter 20. Of the three lentil beans which the Steward found.
- 62Book 4, Chapter 21. Of the spontaneous service of some of the brethren.
- 63Book 4, Chapter 22. The system of the Egyptians, which is appointed for the daily service
- 64Book 4, Chapter 23. The obedience of Abbot John by which he was exalted even to the grace
- 65Book 4, Chapter 24. Of the dry stick which, at the bidding of his senior, Abbot John kept
- 66Book 4, Chapter 25. Of the unique vase of oil thrown away by Abbot John at his senior's
- 67Book 4, Chapter 26. How Abbot John obeyed his senior by trying to roll a huge stone, which
- 68Book 4, Chapter 27. Of the humility and obedience of Abbot Patermucius, which he did
- 69Book 4, Chapter 28. How it was revealed to the Abbot concerning Patermucius that he had
- 70Book 4, Chapter 29. Of the obedience of a brother who at the Abbot's bidding carried about
- 71Book 4, Chapter 30. Of the humility of Abbot Pinufius, who left a very famous Coenobium
- 72Book 4, Chapter 31. How when Abbot Pinufius was brought back to his monastery he stayed
- 73Book 4, Chapter 32. The charge which the same Abbot Pinufius gave to a brother whom he
- 74Book 4, Chapter 33. How it is that, just as a great reward is due to the monk who labours
- 75Book 4, Chapter 34. Of the way in which our renunciation is nothing but mortification and
- 76Book 4, Chapter 35. How the fear of the Lord is our cross.
- 77Book 4, Chapter 36. How our renunciation of the world is of no use if we are again
- 78Book 4, Chapter 37. How the devil always lies in wait for our end, and how we ought
- 79Book 4, Chapter 38. Of the renunciant's preparation against temptation, and of the few who
- 80Book 4, Chapter 39. Of the way in which we shall mount towards perfection, whereby we may
- 81Book 4, Chapter 40. That the monk should seek for examples of perfection not from many
- 82Book 4, Chapter 41. The appearance of what infirmities one who lives in a Coenobium ought
- 83Book 4, Chapter 42. How a monk should not look for the blessing of patience in his own case
- 84Book 4, Chapter 43. Recapitulation of the explanation how a monk can mount up towards
- 85Book 5, Chapter 1. The transition from the Institutes of the monks to the struggle against
- 86Book 5, Chapter 2. How the occasions of these faults, being found in everybody, are
- 87Book 5, Chapter 3. How our first struggle must be against the spirit of gluttony, i.e. the
- 88Book 5, Chapter 4. The testimony of Abbot Antony in which he teaches that each virtue
- 89Book 5, Chapter 5. That one and the same rule of fasting cannot be observed by everybody.
- 90Book 5, Chapter 6. That the mind is not intoxicated by wine alone.
- 91Book 5, Chapter 7. How bodily weakness need not interfere with purity of heart.
- 92Book 5, Chapter 8. How food should be taken with regard to the aim at perfect continence.
- 93Book 5, Chapter 9. Of the measure of the chastisement to be undertaken, and the remedy of
- 94Book 5, Chapter 10. That abstinence from food is not of itself sufficient for preservation
- 95Book 5, Chapter 11. That bodily lusts are not extinguished except by the entire rooting out
- 96Book 5, Chapter 12. That in our spiritual contest we ought to draw an example from the
- 97Book 5, Chapter 13. That we cannot enter the battle of the inner man unless we have been
- 98Book 5, Chapter 14. How gluttonous desires can be overcome.
- 99Book 5, Chapter 15. How a monk must always be eager to preserve his purity of heart.
- 100Book 5, Chapter 16. How, after the fashion of the Olympic games, a monk should not attempt
- 101Book 5, Chapter 17. That the foundation and basis of the spiritual combat must be laid in
- 102Book 5, Chapter 18. Of the number of different conflicts and victories through which the
- 103Book 5, Chapter 19. That the athlete of Christ, so long as he is in the body, is never
- 104Book 5, Chapter 20. How a monk should not overstep the proper hours for taking food, if he
- 105Book 5, Chapter 21. Of the inward peace of a monk, and of spiritual abstinence.
- 106Book 5, Chapter 22. That we should for this reason practise bodily abstinence that we may
- 107Book 5, Chapter 23. What should be the character of the monk's food.
- 108Book 5, Chapter 24. How in Egypt we saw that the daily fast was broken without scruple on
- 109Book 5, Chapter 25. Of the abstinence of one old man who took food six times so sparingly
- 110Book 5, Chapter 26. Of another old man, who never partook of food alone in his cell.
- 111Book 5, Chapter 27. What the two Abbots Pæsius and John said of the fruits of their zeal.
- 112Book 5, Chapter 28. The lesson and example which Abbot John when dying left to his
- 113Book 5, Chapter 29. Of Abbot Machetes, who never slept during the spiritual conferences,
- 114Book 5, Chapter 30. A saying of the same old man about not judging any one.
- 115Book 5, Chapter 31. The same old man's rebuke when he saw how the brethren went to sleep
- 116Book 5, Chapter 32. Of the letters which were burnt without being read.
- 117Book 5, Chapter 33. Of the solution of a question which Abbot Theodore obtained by prayer.
- 118Book 5, Chapter 34. Of the saying of the same old man, through which he taught by what
- 119Book 5, Chapter 35. A rebuke of the same old man, when he had come to my cell in the middle
- 120Book 5, Chapter 36. A description of the desert in Diolcos, where the anchorites live.
- 121Book 5, Chapter 37. Of the cells which Abbot Archebius gave up to us with their furniture.
- 122Book 5, Chapter 38. The same Archebius paid a debt of his mother's by the labour of his own
- 123Book 5, Chapter 39. Of the device of a certain old man by which some work was found for
- 124Book 5, Chapter 40. Of the boys who when bringing to a sick man some figs, died in the
- 125Book 5, Chapter 41. The saying of Abbot Macarius of the behaviour of a monk as one who was
- 126Book 7, Chapter 1. How our warfare with covetousness is a foreign one, and how this fault
- 127Book 7, Chapter 2. How dangerous is the disease of covetousness.
- 128Book 7, Chapter 3. What is the usefulness of those vices which are natural to us.
- 129Book 7, Chapter 4. That we can say that there exist in us some natural faults, without
- 130Book 7, Chapter 5. Of the faults which are contracted through our own fault, without
- 131Book 7, Chapter 6. How difficult the evil of covetousness is to drive away when once it
- 132Book 7, Chapter 7. Of the source from which covetousness springs, and of the evils of
- 133Book 7, Chapter 8. How covetousness is a hindrance to all virtues.
- 134Book 7, Chapter 9. How a monk who has money cannot stay in the monastery.
- 135Book 7, Chapter 10. Of the toils which a deserter from a monastery must undergo through
- 136Book 7, Chapter 11. That under pretence of keeping the purse women have to besought to
- 137Book 7, Chapter 12. An instance of a lukewarm monk caught in the snares of covetousness.
- 138Book 7, Chapter 13. What the elders relate to the juniors in the matter of stripping off
- 139Book 7, Chapter 14. Instances to show that the disease of covetousness is threefold.
- 140Book 7, Chapter 15. Of the difference between one who renounces the world badly and one who
- 141Book 7, Chapter 16. Of the authority under which those shelter themselves who object to
- 142Book 7, Chapter 17. Of the renunciation of the apostles and the primitive church.
- 143Book 7, Chapter 18. That if we want to imitate the apostles we ought not to live according
- 144Book 7, Chapter 19. A saying of S. Basil, the Bishop, directed against Syncletius.
- 145Book 7, Chapter 20. How contemptible it is to be overcome by covetousness.
- 146Book 7, Chapter 21. How covetousness can be conquered.
- 147Book 7, Chapter 22. That one who actually has no money may still be deemed covetous.
- 148Book 7, Chapter 23. An example drawn from the case of Judas.
- 149Book 7, Chapter 24. That covetousness cannot be overcome except by stripping one's self of
- 150Book 7, Chapter 25. Of the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, and Judas, which they underwent
- 151Book 7, Chapter 26. That covetousness brings upon the soul a spiritual leprosy.
- 152Book 7, Chapter 27. Scripture proofs by which one who is aiming at perfection is taught not
- 153Book 7, Chapter 28. That the victory over covetousness can only be gained by stripping
- 154Book 7, Chapter 29. How a monk can retain his poverty.
- 155Book 7, Chapter 30. The remedies against the disease of covetousness.
- 156Book 7, Chapter 31. That no one can get the better of covetousness unless he stays in the
- 157Book 8, Chapter 1. How our fourth conflict is against the sin of anger, and how many evils
- 158Book 8, Chapter 2. Of those who say that anger is not injurious, if we are angry with
- 159Book 8, Chapter 3. Of those things which are spoken of God anthropomorphically.
- 160Book 8, Chapter 4. In what sense we should understand the passions and human arts which
- 161Book 8, Chapter 5. How calm a monk ought to be.
- 162Book 8, Chapter 6. Of the righteous and unrighteous passion of wrath.
- 163Book 8, Chapter 7. Of the only case in which anger is useful to us.
- 164Book 8, Chapter 8. Instances from the life of the blessed David in which anger was rightly
- 165Book 8, Chapter 9. Of the anger which should be directed against ourselves.
- 166Book 8, Chapter 10. Of the sun, of which it is said that it should not go down upon your
- 167Book 8, Chapter 11. Of those to whose wrath even the going down of the sun sets no limit.
- 168Book 8, Chapter 12. How this is the end of temper and anger when a man carries it into act
- 169Book 8, Chapter 13. That we should not retain our anger even for an instant.
- 170Book 8, Chapter 14. Of reconciliation with our brother.
- 171Book 8, Chapter 15. How the Old Law would root out anger not only from the actions but from
- 172Book 8, Chapter 16. How useless is the retirement of those who do not give up their bad
- 173Book 8, Chapter 17. That the peace of our heart does not depend on another's will, but lies
- 174Book 8, Chapter 18. Of the zeal with which we should seek the desert, and of the things in
- 175Book 8, Chapter 19. An illustration to help in forming an opinion on those who are only
- 176Book 8, Chapter 20. Of the way in which auger should be banished according to the gospel.
- 177Book 8, Chapter 21. Whether we ought to admit the addition of "without a cause," in that
- 178Book 8, Chapter 22. The remedies by which we can root out anger from our hearts.
- 179Book 9, Chapter 1. How our fifth combat is against the spirit of dejection, and of the
- 180Book 9, Chapter 2. Of the care with which the malady of dejection must be healed.
- 181Book 9, Chapter 3. To what the soul may be compared which is a prey to the attacks of
- 182Book 9, Chapter 4. Whence and in what way dejection arises.
- 183Book 9, Chapter 5. That disturbances are caused in us not by the faults of other people,
- 184Book 9, Chapter 6. That no one comes to grief by a sudden fall, but is destroyed by
- 185Book 9, Chapter 7. That we ought not to give up intercourse with our brethren in order to
- 186Book 9, Chapter 8. That if we have improved our character it is possible for us to get on
- 187Book 9, Chapter 9. Of another sort of dejection which produces despair of salvation.
- 188Book 9, Chapter 10. Of the only thing in which dejection is useful to us.
- 189Book 9, Chapter 11. How we can decide what is useful and the sorrow according to God, and
- 190Book 9, Chapter 12. That except that wholesome sorrow, which springs up in three ways, all
- 191Book 9, Chapter 13. The means by which we can root out dejection from our hearts.
- 192Book 10, Chapter 1. How our sixth combat is against the spirit of accidie, and what its
- 193Book 10, Chapter 2. A description of accidie, and the way in which it creeps over the heart
- 194Book 10, Chapter 3. Of the different ways in which accidie overcomes a monk.
- 195Book 10, Chapter 4. How accidie hinders the mind from all contemplation of the virtues.
- 196Book 10, Chapter 5. How the attack of accidie is twofold.
- 197Book 10, Chapter 6. How injurious are the effects of accidie.
- 198Book 10, Chapter 7. Testimonies from the Apostle concerning the spirit of accidie.
- 199Book 10, Chapter 8. That he is sure to be restless who will not be content with the work of
- 200Book 10, Chapter 9. That not the Apostle only, but those two who were with him laboured
- 201Book 10, Chapter 10. That for this reason the Apostle laboured with his own hands, that he
- 202Book 10, Chapter 11. That he preached and taught men to work not only by his example, but
- 203Book 10, Chapter 12. Of his saying: "If any will not work, neither shall he eat."
- 204Book 10, Chapter 13. Of his saying: "We have heard that some among you walk disorderly."
- 205Book 10, Chapter 14. How manual labour prevents many faults.
- 206Book 10, Chapter 15. How kindness should be shown even to the idle and careless.
- 207Book 10, Chapter 16. How we ought to admonish those who go wrong, not out of hatred, but out
- 208Book 10, Chapter 17. Different passages in which the Apostle declares that we ought to work,
- 209Book 10, Chapter 18. That the Apostle wrought what he thought would be sufficient for him
- 210Book 10, Chapter 19. How we should understand these words: "It is more blessed to give than
- 211Book 10, Chapter 20. Of a lazy brother who tried to persuade others to leave the monastery.
- 212Book 10, Chapter 21. Different passages from the writings of Solomon against accidie.
- 213Book 10, Chapter 22. How the brethren in Egypt work with their hands, not only to supply
- 214Book 10, Chapter 23. That idleness is the reason why there are not monasteries for monks in
- 215Book 10, Chapter 24. Abbot Paul who every year burnt with fire all the works of his
- 216Book 10, Chapter 25. The words of Abbot Moses which he said to me about the cure of accidie.
- 217Book 11, Chapter 1. How our seventh combat is against the spirit of vainglory, and what its
- 218Book 11, Chapter 2. How vainglory attacks a monk not only on his carnal, but also on his
- 219Book 11, Chapter 3. How many forms and shapes vainglory takes.
- 220Book 11, Chapter 4. How vainglory attacks a monk on the right had and on the left.
- 221Book 11, Chapter 5. A comparison which shows the nature of vainglory.
- 222Book 11, Chapter 6. That vainglory is not altogether got rid of by the advantages of
- 223Book 11, Chapter 7. How vainglory, when it has been overcome, rises again keener than ever
- 224Book 11, Chapter 8. How vainglory is not allayed either in the desert or through advancing
- 225Book 11, Chapter 9. That vainglory is the more dangerous through being mixed up with
- 226Book 11, Chapter 10. An instance showing how King Hezekiah was overthrown by the dart of
- 227Book 11, Chapter 11. The instance of King Uzziah who was overcome by the taint of the same
- 228Book 11, Chapter 12. Several testimonies against vainglory.
- 229Book 11, Chapter 13. Of the ways in which vainglory attacks a monk.
- 230Book 11, Chapter 14. How it suggests that a man may seek to take holy orders.
- 231Book 11, Chapter 15. How vainglory intoxicates the mind.
- 232Book 11, Chapter 16. Of him whom the superior came upon and found in his cell, deluded by
- 233Book 11, Chapter 17. How faults cannot be cured unless their roots and causes have been
- 234Book 11, Chapter 18. How a monk ought to avoid women and bishops.
- 235Book 11, Chapter 19. Remedies by which we can overcome vainglory.
- 236Book 12, Chapter 1. How our eighth combat is against the spirit of pride, and of its
- 237Book 12, Chapter 2. How there are two kinds of pride.
- 238Book 12, Chapter 3. How pride is equally destructive of all virtues.
- 239Book 12, Chapter 4. How by reason of pride Lucifer was turned from an archangel into a
- 240Book 12, Chapter 5. That incentives to all sins spring from pride.
- 241Book 12, Chapter 6. That the sin of pride is last in the actual order of the combat, but
- 242Book 12, Chapter 7. That the evil of pride is so great that it rightly has even God Himself
- 243Book 12, Chapter 8. How God has destroyed the pride of the devil by the virtue of humility,
- 244Book 12, Chapter 9. How we too may overcome pride.
- 245Book 12, Chapter 10. How no one can obtain perfect virtue and the promised bliss by his own
- 246Book 12, Chapter 11. The case of the thief and of David, and of our call in order to
- 247Book 12, Chapter 12. That no toil is worthy to be compared with the promised bliss.
- 248Book 12, Chapter 13. The teaching of the elders on the method of acquiring purity.
- 249Book 12, Chapter 14. That the help of God is given to those who labour.
- 250Book 12, Chapter 15. From whom we can learn the way of perfection.
- 251Book 12, Chapter 16. That we cannot even make the effort to obtain perfection without the
- 252Book 12, Chapter 17. Various passages which clearly show that we cannot do anything which
- 253Book 12, Chapter 18. How we are protected by the grace of God not only in our natural
- 254Book 12, Chapter 19. How this faith concerning the grace of God was delivered to us by the
- 255Book 12, Chapter 20. Of one who for his blasphemy was given over to a most unclean spirit.
- 256Book 12, Chapter 21. The instance of Joash, King of Judah, showing what was the consequence
- 257Book 12, Chapter 22. That every proud soul is subject to spiritual wickedness to be deceived
- 258Book 12, Chapter 23. How perfection can only be attained through the virtue of humility.
- 259Book 12, Chapter 24. Who are attacked by spiritual and who by carnal pride.
- 260Book 12, Chapter 25. A description of carnal pride, and of the evils which it produces in
- 261Book 12, Chapter 26. That a man whose foundation is bad, sinks daily from bad to worse.
- 262Book 12, Chapter 27. A description of the faults which spring from the evil of pride.
- 263Book 12, Chapter 28. On the pride of a certain brother.
- 264Book 12, Chapter 29. The signs by which you can recognize the presence of carnal pride in a
- 265Book 12, Chapter 30. How when a man has grown cold through pride he wants to be put to rule
- 266Book 12, Chapter 31. How we can overcome pride and attain perfection.
- 267Book 12, Chapter 32. How pride which is so destructive of all virtues can itself be
- 268Book 12, Chapter 33. Remedies against the evil of pride.