MONK, MONACHISM, MONAS TERY.
Monachism, as the term implies, pro perly means a solitary life; but we now usually understand by it the life of persons who are under religious vows, and live in monasteries, abbeys, or nun neries.
Monasteries (aovosrrhpuz) are places of residence for persons who have devoted themselves to a religious life.
The history of monasteries and nunne ries in Europe, and among those nations who profess Christianity, is part of the history of Christianity, and a very import ant part of the history of modern Civili zation. The ascetic practices of some of the early Christians were probably the origin of Monachism. Many persons re nounced all the pleasures and business of life, and abstained from marriage and all sexual connection, and subjected them selves to privation and sufferings, with a view of securing eternal happiness. The founders of the first monastic communi ties were probably Egyptian Christians, among whom the most distinguished was Pachomius, the disciple of St. Antonin, who himself is considered to be the founder of the monastic or solitary life. After the foundation of the Egyptian monaste ries, they extended to other parts of the Roman empire; and in the Eastern church they became the subject of legal regula tion, by a constitution of Justinian (Nov. ,5), addressed to Epiphanius, the arch bishop of Constantinople and cecumenic patriarch, in the consulship of Belisarius, A.D. 535. By these enactments no monas tery could be founded except the ground was first consecrated by the bishop within whose diocese it was, who was required to put up a cross on the spot. Persons were not permitted to assume the monas tic habit till after a three years' probation, and the abbots (iryouitivos) were required, during this time, to examine well into their life, conversation, and fitness for the monastic profession. On being approved, the candidates assumed the dress and ton sure. Both free persons and slaves were alike admissible into monasteries, and were received on the same footing in all respects. A master might claim and take away his slave within the three years, if he could prove that the person was his slave, and had run away for theft or any other offence ; but not otherwise. Thus the monasteries became places of refuge to slaves who had severe masters, like the ancient temples. The law ordained that the monks should eat together, and should all sleep in a com mon dormitory, each in his own bed ; but an exception was made in favour of those called anachorets and hesuchasts (Iwaropnral ual imaceral), who led a contemplative life in perfection (such is the phrase), and were allowed to have separate cells. It seems that a man could leave his monastery and enter the world again, though it was considered sinful; but as all the property which he had not disposed of before entering the (subject to some provisions for or children, if he had any) became the property of the monastery on his entering it, if he choose to leave it, he could not take with him or recover any part of his property. Celibacy and chastity were
required of the monks, though at this time marriage was permitted to certain clerical persons, as singers and readers. Further regulations on the life of monks and nuns are contained in the 134th Novel. A monk was prohibited from entering a female monastery (for one word only is used in these laws for male and female convents), and a nun was hibited from entering a male monastery, under any pretext whatever. Other gulations to the same general effect of ensuring chastity and the due observance of all monastic duties are prescribed by the legislator.
The institution of monachism bad ar rived at a state of great corruption both in the Eastern and the Western churches, when St. Benedict arose to reform it, in the latter, in the earlier part of the sixth century. It does not appear, however, that Benedict, in drawing up what is called his Regale Monachornm, or Rule, had any intention of founding a new order of monks ; he writes as if he de signed it for the use of all the monasteries then existing. In point of fact, from the year 530, or 532, according to others, when he established his first monastery at Monte Casino, till after the commence ment of the thirteenth century, when the new mendicant orders made their appearance, the principal monasteries that were founded throughout Europe were of the Benedictine order. The Carthusian, Cistercians, Grandimontenses, Prtemon stmtenses, Cluniacs. &c., were all only so many varieties of Benedictines. The in novations introduced by Benedict were longest in penetrating to the more remote corners of Christendom; and perhaps in no other part of Europe were they so long in being generally received as in the Bri tish Islands. Bede and others denominate the system which prevailed among the British monks before the arrival of St. Augustin in 597, the apostolic discipline ; but it was probably merely the antient rule of Pachomius, one of the Egyptian disciples of St. Antonia& It is even dis puted whether St. Augustin brought over with him the rule of St. Benedict; and at all events it is tolerably clear that that rale was not universally established in the British churches till its observance was enforced by St. Dunstan and his friend Oswald, in the reign of Edgar, after the middle of the tenth century.