FROM THE CONFERENCES OF ST. JOHN CASSIAN

CONFERENCE 2: 

SECOND CONFERENCE OF ABBOT MOSES 

ON DISCRETION

CHAPTER II.

What discretion alone can give a monk; and a discourse of the blessed Antony on this subject.


AND so I remember that while I was still a boy, in the region of Thebaid, where the blessed Antony lived, [80] 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.:" [81] 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
lukewarmness. 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:" [82] 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 make 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!"
[83] 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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[80] Cf. the note on the Institutes, V. iv.

[81] S. Matt. 25:36, 35.

[82] S. Matt. 6:22, 23.

[83] S. Matt. 6:22, 23.