The Conferences of John Cassian.
II. Second Conference of Abbot Moses.
III. Conference of Abbot Paphnutius.
IV. Conference of Abbot Daniel.
V. Conference of Abbot Serapion.
VI. Conference of Abbot Theodore.
VII. First Conference of Abbot Serenus.
VIII. The Second Conference of Abbot Serenus.
IX. The First Conference of Abbot Isaac.
X. The Second Conference of Abbot Isaac.
The Conferences of John Cassian.
The Second Part of the Conferences
XII. The Second Conference of Abbot Chæremon.
XIII. The Third Conference of Abbot Chæremon.
XIV. The First Conference of Abbot Nesteros.
XV. The Second Conference of Abbot Nesteros.
XVI. The First Conference of Abbot Joseph.
XVII. The Second Conference of Abbot Joseph.
The Conferences of John Cassian.
The Third Part of the Conferences
XIX. Conference of Abbot John.
XX. Conference of Abbot Pinufius.
XXI. The First Conference of Abbot Theonas.
XXII. The Second Conference of Abbot Theonas.
XXIII. The Third Conference of Abbot Theonas.
How saintly men cannot be hard and obstinate.
Nor must we emit the value of that command because even if we have bound ourselves by some oath under the influence of anger or some other passion, (a thing which ought never to be done by a monk) still the case for each side should be weighed by a thorough judgment of the mind, and the course on which we have determined should be compared to that which we are urged to adopt, and we should without hesitation adopt that which on the occurrence of sounder considerations is decided to be the best. For it is better to put our promise on one side than to undergo the loss of something good and more desirable. Finally we never remember that venerable and approved fathers were hard and unyielding in decisions of this sort, but as wax under the influence of heat, so they were modified by reason, and when sounder counsels prevailed, did not hesitate to give in to the better side. But those whom we have seen obstinately clinging to their determinations we have always set down as unreasonable and wanting in judgment.