162 THIRD PERIOD. A.D. 311-590.
But this monastic inter] )rctatioii of primitive Christianity mistakes a few incidental points of outward resemblance for essential identity, measures the spirit of Cbj-istianity by soma isolated passages, instead of explaining the latter from the former, and is upon the whole a miserable emaciation and caricature. The gospel makes upon all men virtually the same moral demand, and knows no distinction of a religion for the masses and another for the few.
Jesus, the model for all believers, was neither a coenobite, nor an anchoret, nor an ascetic of any kind, but the perfect pattern man for universal imitation. There is not a trace of monkish austerity and ascetic rigor in his life or precepts, but in all his acts and words a wonderful harm on}" of freedom and purity, of the most comprehensive charity and spotless holiness. He retired to the mountains and into solitude, but only temporarily, and for the purpose of renewing his strength for active work. Amidst the society of his disciples, of both sexes, with kindred and friends, in Cana and Bethany, at the table of publicans and sinners, and in intercourse with all classes of the people, he kept himself unspotted from the world, and transfigured the world into the kingdom of God. His poverty and celibacy have nothing to do with asceticism, but represent, the one the condescension of his redeeming love, the other his ideal uniqueness and his absolutely peculiar relation to the whole church, which alone is tit or worthy to be his bride. No single danghter of Eve could have been an equal partner of the Saviour of mankind, or the representative head of the new creation.
The example of the sister of Lazarus proves only, that the contemplative life may dwell in the same house with the practical, and with the otlier sex, but justilics no separation from the social ties.
The life of the apostles and primitive Christians in general was anything but a hei-niit life; else had not the gospel spread so quickly to all the cities of the Boman world. Peter waa married, and travelled with his wife as a missionary. Paul assumes one juarriage of the clergy as the rule, and notwith- Btanding his personal and relative preference for celibacy in
§ 32. LIGHTS AND SHADES OF MONASTIC LIFE 1G3
the theu oppressed condition of the church, he is the most zealous advocate of evangelical freedom, in opposition to all legal bondage and anxious asceticism.
Monasticism, therefore, in any case, is not the normal forixi of Christian piety. It is an abnormal phenomenon, a humanly devised service of God,' and not rarely a sad enervation and repulsive distortion of the Christianity of the Bible. And it is to be estimated, therefore, not by the extent of its self-denial, not by its outward acts of self-discipline (which may all be found in heathenism, Judaism, and Mohammedanism as well), but by the Christian spirit of humility and love which animated it. For humility is the groundwork, and love the allruling principle, of the Christian life, and the distinctive characteristic of the Christian religion. Without love to God and charity to man,, the severest self-punishment and the utmost abandonment of the world are worthless before God.'
§32. Zights and Shades of Monastic Zife.
The contrast between pure and normal Bible-Christianity and abnormal Monastic Christianity, will appear more fully if we enter into a close examination of the latter as it actually ap2)eared in the ancient church.
The extraordinary rapidity with which this world-forsaking form of piety spread, bears witness to a high degree of selfdenying moral earnestness, which even in its mistakes and vagrancies we must admire. Our age, accustomed and wedded to all possible comforts, but far in advance of the Nicene age in respect to the average morality of the masses, could beget no Buch ascetic extremes. In our estimate of the diffusion and value of monasticism, the polluting power of the theatre, oppressive taxation, slavery, the multitude of civil wars, and the hopeless condition of the Roman empire, must all come into view. Nor must we, by any means, measure the moral importance of this phenoTuenou by numbers. Monasticism from the beginning attractev\ persons of opposite character and from opposite
' Comp. Col. ii. 16-23. * Comp. 1 Cor. xiii. 1-3. Clomp, p. 168 8q,