heir security and precautions against the danger, he shows that there
is always danger of their finding a lurking pleasure in such company.
Though they perceive not any secret passion, he will not believe them
exempt; for men are often the greatest strangers to their own hearts. He
urges that this conduct is at least criminal, because it is an occasion
and incentive of evil. Job, so holy a man, so dead to himself by long
habits of mortification, durst not cast his eyes upon a virgin. St.
Paul, not content with his continual fatigues and sufferings, added
voluntary chastisements of his flesh to subdue it. What austerities do
anchorets practise to tame their bodies, by perpetual fasts, watching,
and sackcloth! yet never suffer even visits of persons of the other sex.
Ironically inveighing against the presumption of such as had not the
like saving apprehension of danger, he tells them; "I must indeed call
these strong men happy, who have nothing to fear from such a danger, and
I could wish myself to be endowed with equal strength," (t. 1, p. 231.)
But he tells them this is as impossible as for a man to carry fire in
his bosom without being burnt. "You bid me," says he, "believe that
though I see you converse with a virgin, this is a work of piety, not
passion. O wonderful man! this may be said of those who live not with
men, but among stones," (t. 1, p. 235.) Our zealous pastor shows that
the capital point in this warfare is, not to awake our domestic enemy,
but by watchfulness to shun whatever can rouse him: and he adds, that
though a man were invulnerable, he ought not to scandalize the weak, and
by his example, draw them into a like snare. The stronger a person is,
the more easy must it be to him not to give scandal. To the pretext of
necessity, he answers, that this is mere madness, for a clergyman ought
not to be so nice, either in his furniture or table. The saint addressed
a like book to women, under this title: That regular (or religious)
Women ought not to live in the same house with Men, (t. 1, p. 248.)
Besides condemning this abuse and scandal, he zealously inveighs against
the airy, light dress of many ladies, and pathetically invites all
servants of God to mingle floods of tears with his in the bitter anguish
of his soul, for a scandal by which snares are laid for others, souls
murdered, (though undesignedly,) and sin against the divine Majesty
propagated.

St. Chrysostom seems to have been only deacon when he