company of Virgins perpetually devoted to God; being certain that the God
to whom he had consecrated himself did dwell in their minds. In his time
and that of his sons, this profession of a single life was propagated in
_Egypt_ by _Antony_, and in _Syria_ by _Hilarion_; and spred so fast, that
soon after the time of _Julian_ the Apostate a third part of the
_Egyptians_ were got into the desarts of _Egypt_. They lived first singly
in cells, then associated into _coenobia_ or convents; and at length came
into towns, and filled the Churches with Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons.
_Athanasius_ in his younger days poured water upon the hands of his master
_Antony_; and finding the Monks faithful to him, made many of them Bishops
and Presbyters in _Egypt_: and these Bishops erected new Monasteries, out
of which they chose Presbyters of their own cities, and sent Bishops to
others. The like was done in _Syria_, the superstition being quickly
propagated thither out of _Egypt_ by _Hilarion_ a disciple of _Antony_.
_Spiridion_ and _Epiphanius_ of _Cyprus_, _James_ of _Nisibis_, _Cyril_ of
_Jerusalem_, _Eustathius_ of _Sebastia_ in _Armenia_, _Eusebius_ of
_Emisa_, _Titus_ of _Bostra_, _Basilius_ of _Ancyra_, _Acacius_ of
_Caesarea_ in _Palestine_, _Elpidius_ of _Laodicea_, _Melitius_ and
_Flavian_ of _Antioch_, _Theodorus_ of _Tyre_, _Protogenes_ of _Carrhae_,
_Acacius_ of _Berrhaea_, _Theodotus_ of _Hierapolis_, _Eusebius_ of
_Chalcedon_, _Amphilochius_ of _Iconium_, _Gregory Nazianzen_, _Gregory
Nyssen_, and _John Chrysostom_ of _Constantinople_, were both Bishops and
Monks in the fourth century. _Eustathius_, _Gregory Nazianzen_, _Gregory
Nyssen_, _Basil_, &c. had Monasteries of Clergymen in their cities, out of
which Bishops were sent to other cities; who in like manner erected
Monasteries there, till the Churches were supplied with Bishops out of
these Monasteries. Hence _Jerome_, in a Letter written about the year 385,
[3] saith of the Clergy: _Quasi & ipsi aliud sint quam Monachi, & non
quicquid in Monachos dicitur redundet in Clericos qui patres sunt
Monachorum. Detrimentum pecoris pastoris ignominia est_. And in his book
against _Vigilantius_: _Quid facient Orientis Ecclesiae? Quae aut Virgines
Clericos accipiunt, aut Continentes, aut si uxores habuerint mariti esse
desistunt_. Not long after even the Emperors commanded the Churches to
chuse Clergymen out of the Monasteries by this Law.

_Impp. Arcad & Honor. AA. Caesario P