THE CHURCH IN THE SIXTH CENTURY 233
formal language than the facts seem to justify. Augin or another wandering ascetic brought the seed, but in a soil so congenial as that of Mesopotamia it took root and grew naturally.[1]
A period of slackness, however, followed its first introduction, and its first growth. A Catholicos like Tamuza (see p. 83) discourages celibacy, though doubtless for good reasons; and in the time of Bar-soma celibates of both sexes are made to understand that their profession is purely voluntary as regards both the adoption of, and continuance in, the life. It is not until the general revival of Church life under Mar Aba that monasticism really regains vigour; and then it formulates for itself a rule which, starting from Mount Izla, becomes the recognized way of life for all "oriental" monasteries.
Abraham of Kashkar, the contemporary of Mar Aba, a pupil like him of the college at Nisibis, and at one time also a pilgrim in Palestine and Egypt, was the great organizer, and in a sense the founder, of Assyrian monasticism.
His rules[2] are eleven in number; but four only are important, and these inculcate "tranquillity," fasting, prayer and study, and silence, as the four great principles of the life. Chastity, of course, is assumed, and poverty also, for an intending monk, as a matter of course, gave all his goods to the poor; but there are no rules about dress or food, though there was a tradition on both those points; and the gap between the monasticism of East and West is marked by the absence of any vow of obedience. Eastern monasteries had their abbots; but the abbot's rule was one of personal
1 For a discussion of the whole question, see Budge, Book of Governors, "Excursus on Mesopotamian monasticism."
2 Budge, T. of M., vol. i. p. cxxxiv.
