This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1808 Excerpt: ...German bishops judging this practice to be too singular in itself, and too rigorous for these climates, put a stop to it, and obliged the new Stylite to descend from his column f-It is well known that the number of the recluses, together with their austerity and abstraction from the things of this world, was in no part of the western church so great as in Ireland, during the first four centuries after its conversion %. This being so, what wonder that those amongst them who resided near the churches, for the sake of approaching to the sacraments, should wish to raise their cells into the air, to be thus more retired from the crowds which frequented the churches, and-also to imitate, as closely as this northern climate would Amongst other vouchers for this extraordinary fact is the fam''ous church historian TheoJoret, who professes to have been perfectedly well acquainted with the saint.--The Stylite, as he was called, was, from time to time, furnished with a small quantity of food from ''below, and he reposed against certain rails which surrounded the top of the pillar when he slept. t Greg. Turon. Hist. 1. viii. c. 15. X Harris has furnished us with a long list of Irish anchorets or Inclusi, though it is evident he could not get to a knowledge of one thousandth part of their number permit, the famous St. Simeon and the tther Stylites, of the East. By living within the column instead of the outside of it;, they avoided, the ostentation which the western bishops object ed to, and by having-a covering over their heads, they were protected from the greatest severity of the weather; as it was indispensably necessary they should be in this northern climate. If W9 examine the door-ways of the towers, we find them universally raised from the ground, gene rally to the...
