Conferences of John Cassian, Part II — Source paragraphs and footnotes

Date uncertain | John Cassian

That without the grace of God we cannot make any diligent efforts.

Complete source paragraph · Conferences of John Cassian, Part II, Chapter VI.; original source section: Chapter 6; original book/conference: XIII. The Third Conference of Abbot Chæremon., source paragraph 2 · Original source

Date uncertain | John Cassian

And therefore though in many things, indeed in everything, it can be shown that men always have need of God’s help, and that human weakness cannot accomplish anything that has to do with salvation by itself alone, i.e., without the aid of God, yet in nothing is this more clearly shown than in the acquisition and preservation of chastity. For as the discussion on the difficulty of its perfection is put off for so long, let us meanwhile discourse briefly on the instruments of it. Who, I ask, could, however fervent he might be in spirit, relying on his own strength with no praise from men endure the squalor of the desert, and I will not say the daily lack but the supply of dry bread? Who without the Lord’s consolation, could put up with the continual thirst for water, or deprive his human eyes of that sweet and delicious morning sleep, and regularly compress his whole time of rest and repose into the limits of four hours? Who would be sufficient without God’s grace to give continual attendance to reading and constant earnestness in work, receiving no advantage of

Complete source paragraph · Conferences of John Cassian, Part II, Chapter VI.; original source section: Chapter 6; original book/conference: XIII. The Third Conference of Abbot Chæremon., source paragraph 3 · Original source