advising both to give and not to give, to feed and not to feed, to receive and to shut out, to share and not to share, which is of all things most irrational.

14.1 Therefore, we must not cast away possessions that also benefit our neighbors; possessions

for they are things to be possessed, and useful things being useful and prepared by God for the use of men, which lie ready and are put at our disposal like some material and instruments for a good use for those who 14.2 know how. As for the instrument, if you use it skillfully, it is skillful; if you are wanting 14.3 in skill, it suffers from your lack of art, though it is itself blameless. Such an instrument is wealth also. You can use it justly; it is a subordinate agent of righteousness. Someone uses it unjustly; again, it is found to be a servant 14.4 of injustice. For its nature is to serve, not to rule. Therefore, one must not blame that which, in and of itself, has neither good nor evil, being blameless, but that which is able to use these things both well and ill, from which it chooses, being for this very reason responsible. And this is the mind of man, having in itself a free judgment and 14.5 the power of choice in the handling of what is given. Therefore, let a person not destroy his possessions rather than the passions of the soul, which do not allow for the better use of his property, so that having become noble and good 14.6 he may be able to use these possessions well also. Therefore, the renouncing of all one’s possessions and the selling of all one’s property must be understood in this way, as spoken concerning the passions of the soul.

15.1 For my part, I would also say this: since some things are within the soul, and others

are outside, and if the soul uses them well, these also seem good, but if badly, evil, does he who commands to alienate one's possessions first ask for these things, by whose removal the passions still remain, or rather for those things, by whose removal possessions also become useful? 15.2 He, then, who has cast away his worldly abundance can still be rich in passions even when the material is not present. For indeed the disposition does its own work and chokes and crushes and inflames the reason with its inbred desires. Therefore, it has been of no advantage to him to be 15.3 poor in money while rich in passions. For he did not cast away the things that should be cast away, but the things that are indifferent, and he cut himself off from what was serviceable, but inflamed the innate material of evil by his lack 15.4 of external things. Therefore one must renounce the possessions that are harmful, not those which, if one knows the right use, are also able to benefit. 15.5 Those things managed with prudence and self-control and piety are a benefit, but those which are injurious must be cast away. External things do not harm. 15.6 Thus, therefore, the Lord also introduces the need for external things, commanding us to lay aside not the means of life, but the things that use them badly. And these

16.1 were the infirmities and passions of the soul. The wealth of these, when present

is deadly to all, but when destroyed is saving. A person must present his soul cleansed of this, that is, poor and naked, so as to then hear the Savior saying, “Come, follow 16.2 Me.” For He himself then becomes the way for the one pure in heart, but into an impure soul the grace of God does not enter. And impure is the soul that is rich 16.3 in desires and travailing with many worldly lusts. For he who possesses property and gold and silver and houses as gifts of God, and from them serves God who gives them for the salvation of men, and knows that he possesses these for the sake of the brothers rather than for himself, and is superior to his possession of them, not being a slave to what he possesses, nor carrying them about in his soul nor making his own life to be bounded and defined by them, but is always laboring at some good and divine work, and if ever he should be deprived of these, being able with a cheerful mind to bear their removal just as much as their abundance—this is he who

ναι τε καὶ μὴ διδόναι παραινῶν, τρέφειν καὶ μὴ τρέφειν, ὑπο δέχεσθαι καὶ ἀποκλείειν, κοινωνεῖν καὶ μὴ κοινωνεῖν, ὅπερ ἁπάντων ἀλογώτατον.

14.1 Οὐκ ἄρα ἀπορριπτέον τὰ καὶ τοὺς πέλας ὠφελοῦντα χρήματα· κτήματα

γάρ ἐστι κτητὰ ὄντα καὶ χρήματα χρήσιμα ὄντα καὶ εἰς χρῆ σιν ἀνθρώπων ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ παρεσκευασμένα, ἃ δὴ παράκειται καὶ ὑποβέβληται καθάπερ ὕλη τις καὶ ὄργανα πρὸς χρῆσιν ἀγαθὴν τοῖς 14.2 εἰδόσι. τὸ ὄργανον, ἐὰν χρῇ τεχνικῶς, τεχνικόν ἐστιν, ἐὰν ὑστερῇς 14.3 τῆς τέχνης, ἀπολαύει τῆς σῆς ἀμουσίας, ὂν ἀναίτιον. τοιοῦτον καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος ὄργανόν ἐστι. δύνασαι χρῆσθαι δικαίως αὐτῷ· πρὸς δικαιοσύνην καθυπηρετεῖ· ἀδίκως τις αὐτῷ χρῆται· πάλιν ὑπηρέτης 14.4 ἀδικίας εὑρίσκεται· πέφυκε γὰρ ὑπηρετεῖν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἄρχειν. οὐ χρὴ τοίνυν τὸ ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ μὴ ἔχον μήτε τὸ ἀγαθὸν μήτε τὸ κακόν, ἀναί τιον ὄν, αἰτιᾶσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ δυνάμενον καὶ καλῶς τούτοις χρῆσθαι καὶ κακῶς, ἀφ' ὧν ἂν ἕληται, κατ' αὐτὸ τοῦτο αἴτιον ὄν. τοῦτο δ' ἐστὶ νοῦς ἀνθρώπου, καὶ κριτήριον ἐλεύθερον ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ καὶ 14.5 τὸ αὐτεξούσιον τῆς μεταχειρίσεως τῶν δοθέντων· ὥστε μὴ τὰ κτή ματά τις ἀφανιζέτω μᾶλλον ἢ τὰ πάθη τῆς ψυχῆς, τὰ μὴ συγχω ροῦντα τὴν ἀμείνω χρῆσιν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων, ἵνα καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθὸς 14.6 γενόμενος καὶ τούτοις τοῖς κτήμασι χρῆσθαι δυνηθῇ καλῶς. τὸ οὖν ἀποτάξασθαι πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι καὶ πωλῆσαι πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐκδεκτέον ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν ψυχικῶν παθῶν διειρη μένον.

15.1 Ἐγὼ γοῦν κἀκεῖνο φήσαιμ' ἄν· ἐπειδὴ τὰ μὲν ἐντός ἐστι τῆς ψυχῆς, τὰ δὲ

ἐκτός, κἂν μὲν ἡ ψυχὴ χρῆται καλῶς, καλὰ καὶ ταῦτα δοκεῖ, ἐὰν δὲ πονηρῶς, πονηρά, ὁ κελεύων ἀπαλλοτριοῦν τὰ ὑπάρ χοντα πρότερον ταῦτα παραιτεῖται ὧν ἀναιρεθέντων ἔτι τὰ πάθη μένει, ἢ ἐκεῖνα μᾶλλον ὧν ἀναιρεθέντων καὶ τὰ κτήματα χρήσιμα 15.2 γίνεται; ὁ τοίνυν ἀποβαλὼν τὴν κοσμικὴν περιουσίαν ἔτι δύναται πλουτεῖν τῶν παθῶν καὶ τῆς ὕλης μὴ παρούσης· ἡ γάρ τοι διάθεσις τὸ αὑτῆς ἐνεργεῖ καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν ἄγχει καὶ πιέζει καὶ φλεγμαίνει ταῖς συντρόφοις ἐπιθυμίαις· οὐδὲν οὖν προὔργου γέγονεν αὐτῷ πτω 15.3 χεύειν χρημάτων πλουτοῦντι τῶν παθῶν. οὐ γὰρ τὰ ἀπόβλητα ἀπέβαλεν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἀδιάφορα, καὶ τῶν μὲν ὑπηρετικῶν ἑαυτὸν περιέ κοψεν, ἐξέκαυσε δὲ τὴν ὕλην τῆς κακίας τὴν ἔμφυτον τῇ τῶν ἐκτὸς 15.4 ἀπορίᾳ. ἀποτακτέον οὖν τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι τοῖς βλαβεροῖς, οὐχὶ τοῖς ἐὰν ἐπίστηταί τις τὴν ὀρθὴν χρῆσιν καὶ συνωφελεῖν δυναμένοις. 15.5 ὠφελεῖ δὲ τὰ μετὰ φρονήσεως καὶ σωφροσύνης καὶ εὐσεβείας οἰκονο μούμενα, ἀπωστέα δὲ τὰ ἐπιζήμια· τὰ δὲ ἐκτὸς οὐ βλάπτει. 15.6 Οὕτως οὖν ὁ κύριος καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐκτὸς χρείαν εἰσάγει, κελεύων ἀποθέσθαι οὐ τὰ βιωτικά, ἀλλὰ τὰ τούτοις κακῶς χρώμενα· ταῦτα

16.1 δὲ ἦν τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀρρωστήματα καὶ πάθη. ὁ τούτων πλοῦτος παρὼν

μὲν ἅπασι θανατηφόρος, ἀπολόμενος δὲ σωτήριος· οὗ δεῖ καθαρεύουσαν, τουτέστι πτωχεύουσαν καὶ γυμνήν, τὴν ψυχὴν παρασχό μενον οὕτως ἤδη τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀκοῦσαι λέγοντος· "δεῦρο ἀκολούθει 16.2 μοι." ὁδὸς γὰρ αὐτὸς ἤδη τῷ καθαρῷ τὴν καρδίαν γίνεται, εἰς δὲ ἀκάθαρτον ψυχὴν θεοῦ χάρις οὐ παραδύεται· ἀκάθαρτος δὲ ἡ πλου 16.3 τοῦσα τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν καὶ ὠδίνουσα πολλοῖς ἔρωσι καὶ κοσμικοῖς. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔχων κτήματα καὶ χρυσὸν καὶ ἄργυρον καὶ οἰκίας ὡς θεοῦ δωρεὰς καὶ τῷ τε διδόντι θεῷ λειτουργῶν ἀπ' αὐτῶν εἰς ἀνθρώ πων σωτηρίαν καὶ εἰδὼς ὅτι ταῦτα κέκτηται διὰ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς μᾶλλον ἢ ἑαυτὸν καὶ κρείττων ὑπάρχων τῆς κτήσεως αὐτῶν, μὴ δοῦλος ὢν ὧν κέκτηται μηδὲ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ταῦτα περιφέρων μηδὲ ἐν τούτοις ὁρίζων καὶ περιγράφων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ζωήν, ἀλλά τι καὶ καλὸν ἔργον καὶ θεῖον ἀεὶ διαπονῶν, κἂν ἀποστερηθῆναι δέῃ ποτὲ τούτων, δυνάμενος ἵλεῳ τῇ γνώμῃ καὶ τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν αὐτῶν ἐνεγ κεῖν ἐξ ἴσου καθάπερ καὶ τὴν περιουσίαν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ