ity and prayer, and tells us, that a certain monk, after having
been favored with a wonderful rapture, and many great graces, fell
by pride into several grievous sins. (Hom. 17.) A certain rich
nobleman gave his estate to the poor, and set his slaves at liberty;
yet afterwards fell into pride, and many enormous crimes. Another,
who in the persecution had suffered torments with great constancy
for the faith, afterwards, intoxicated with self-conceit, gave great
scandal by his disorders. He mentions one who had formerly lived a
long time with him in the desert, prayed often with him, and was
favored with an extraordinary gift of compunction, and a miraculous
power of curing many sick persons, was delighted with glory and
applause of men, and drawn into the sink of vice. (Hom. 27.) To
preserve the unction of the Holy Ghost, a person must live in
constant fear, humility, and compunction. (Hom. 17.) Without Christ
and his grace we can do nothing; but by the Holy Ghost dwelling in
her, a soul becomes all light, all spirit, as joy, all love, all
compassion. Unless a person be animated by divine grace, and
replenished with all virtues, the best instructions and exhortations
in their mouths produce very little good. (Hom 18.) The servant of
God never bears in mind the good works he has done, but, after all
his labors, sees how much is wanting to him; and how much he falls
short of his duty, and of the perfection of virtue, and says every
day to himself, that now he ought to begin, and that to-morrow
perhaps God will call him to himself, and deliver him from his
labors and dangers (Hom. 26.) The absolute necessity of divine grace
he teaches in many places; also the fundamental article of original
sin, (Hom. 48. pag. 101, t. 4, Bibl. Patr. Colon. an. {}6{}) which
the Pelagians denied.

{162}

ST. HONORATUS, ARCHBISHOP OF ARLES.

He was of a consular Roman family, then settled in Gaul, and was well
versed in the liberal arts. In his youth he renounced the worship of
idols, and gained his elder brother, Venantius, to Christ, whom he also
inspired with a contempt of the world. They desired to renounce it
entirely, but a {163} fond Pagan father put continual obstacles in their
way: at length they took with them St. Caprais, a holy hermit, for their
director, and sailed from Marseilles to Greece, with the design to live
there