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live together and with unbearable vigils, that they may be able at least to cast off a small part of their sins; but you are able, without all that harsh discipline, to display this easy and simple piety. For what toil is it, tell me, while enjoying one's possessions, to spend what is superfluous to your needs on those who are in need? For if there were no reward laid up, if so great a recompense had not been appointed, is not the very nature of the thing sufficient to persuade even the most savage, to use their surplus for the comfort of those in need? But when so many crowns, and so many rewards, and so great an amnesty of sins comes through almsgiving, what defense will they have, tell me, those who are sparing of their money and drown their own soul in sins? For even if nothing else moves you and stirs you up toward compassion and toward almsgiving, consider the uncertainty of death; and considering that even if you do not give to the poor, when death comes you will unwillingly yield them to others, even so become benevolent now. For it would be the utmost folly, not to willingly give to those in need those things which we are about to part with even unwillingly, and this when we are about to reap so many good things from this kindness. Let your abundance, he says, be a supply for their want. And what is it that he says? You receive more than you give. You give tangible things, and you receive intelligible and spiritual things; you give silver, and you receive forgiveness of sins; you relieve the poor man's hunger, and he relieves for you the wrath of God. It is an exchange and a business having a revenue much greater and more useful than the expense. For the expense is in money; but the revenue is no longer in money only, but also 51.280 in the forgiveness of sins, and in confidence toward God, and in the kingdom of heaven, and in the enjoyment of those good things, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man. How then is it not absurd, that merchants spare none of their possessions, and this when their merchandise is not to be of some other, newer kind, but similar to the investment; while we, who are about to reap through corruptible and perishable things not corruptible and perishable things, but incorruptible and immortal good things, do not show the same generosity concerning our possessions as they do? No, brothers, let us not deliberate so badly concerning our own salvation; but knowing the example of the virgins, and those who are led away to the fire prepared for the devil and his angels, because they did not feed, nor give drink to Christ, let us keep hold of the fire of the Spirit through bountiful philanthropy and intense almsgiving, so that we may not be shipwrecked concerning the faith. For faith needs the help and the abiding of the Spirit, that it may remain unshaken; and the help of the Spirit is accustomed to remain with us through a pure life and an excellent conduct. So that if we are to have a rooted faith, we need a pure conduct that persuades the Spirit to remain and hold together its power. For it is not possible, it is not possible for one who has an impure life not to be shaken also in the faith. 10. For those who talk nonsense about fate, and who disbelieve the saving doctrine of the resurrection, have fallen into this abyss of unbelief from a wicked conscience and corrupt practices. And just as those with a fever, wishing to shake off the suffocating heat, have often thrown themselves into cold waters, and after assuaging the disease for a little while, have afterwards kindled a more terrible flame; so also those who are held fast by a wicked conscience, then seeking to find some comfort and not wishing to wash away their sins by repentance, have introduced the tyranny of fate, and unbelief in the resurrection. For this reason here they themselves through the

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συζῶσι καὶ ἀγρυπνίαις ἀφορήτοις, ἵνα δυνηθῶσι μικρὸν γοῦν μέρος τῶν ἡμαρτημένων ἀποῤῥίψασθαι· σοὶ δὲ ἔξεστι χωρὶς τῆς σκληραγωγίας ἁπάσης ἐκείνης τὴν εὔκολον ταύτην καὶ ῥᾳδίαν εὐλάβειαν ἐπιδείξασθαι. Ποῖος γὰρ πόνος, εἰπέ μοι, τῶν ὄντων ἀπολαύοντας, τὰ περιττὰ τῆς χρείας εἰς τοὺς δεομένους ἀναλῶσαι; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ μισθὸς ἔκειτο, εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἀμοιβὴ τοσαύτη ὥριστο, αὐτὴ τοῦ πράγματος ἡ φύσις οὐχ ἱκανὴ καὶ τοὺς σφόδρα ἀνημέρους πεῖσαι, τοῖς περιττεύουσιν εἰς παραμυθίαν τῶν δεομένων ἀποχρήσασθαι; Ὅταν δὲ καὶ τοσοῦτοι στέφανοι, καὶ τοσαῦται ἀμοιβαὶ, καὶ τοσαύτη ἁμαρτημάτων ἀμνηστία διὰ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης γίνηται, ποίαν ἕξουσιν ἀπολογίαν, εἰπέ μοι, οἱ χρημάτων φειδόμενοι καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἑαυτῶν καταποντίζοντες τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μηδέν σε ἕτερον κινεῖ καὶ διανίστησι πρὸς συμπάθειαν καὶ πρὸς ἐλεημοσύνην, τῆς τελευτῆς τὴν ἀδηλίαν ἀναλόγισαι· καὶ ἐνθυμηθεὶς, ὅτι κἂν μὴ πένησι δῷς, ἐπελθόντος τοῦ θανάτου καὶ ἄκων ἐκστήσῃ ἑτέροις αὐτῶν, κἂν οὕτω γενοῦ φιλάνθρωπος νῦν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας ἂν εἴη, ὧν καὶ ἄκοντες ἐξίστασθαι μέλλομεν, ἑτέροις τούτων μὴ μεταδοῦναι ἑκόντας τοῖς δεομένοις, καὶ ταῦτα μέλλοντας τοσαῦτα ἀπὸ τῆς φιλοφροσύνης ταύτης καρποῦσθαι καλά. Τὸ ὑμῶν περίσσευμα, φησὶ, γενέσθω εἰς τὸ ἐκείνων ὑστέρημα. Τί δέ ἐστιν ὃ λέγει; Μείζονα λαμβάνεις, ἢ δίδως. ∆ίδως αἰσθητὰ, καὶ λαμβάνεις νοητὰ καὶ πνευματικά· δίδως ἀργύριον, καὶ λαμβάνεις ἁμαρτημάτων ἄφεσιν· λύεις σὺ τῷ πένητι λιμὸν, ἐκεῖνος δέ σοι λύει τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ὀργήν. Ἀντίδοσίς τίς ἐστι καὶ πραγματεία πολὺ τῆς δαπάνης μείζω καὶ χρησιμωτέραν τὴν πρόσοδον ἔχουσα. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ δαπάνη ἐν χρήμασι γίνεται· ἡ πρόσοδος δὲ οὐκ ἔτι ἐν χρήμασι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ 51.280 ἐν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀφέσει, καὶ παῤῥησίᾳ τῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ τῇ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύσει, ἃ μήτε ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδε, μήτε οὖς ἤκουσε, μήτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, τοὺς μὲν ἐμπόρους μηδενὸς φείδεσθαι τῶν ὄντων, καὶ ταῦτα οὐχ ἑτέρας τινὸς καινοτέρας, ἀλλ' ὁμοίας τῇ ἐνθήκῃ τῆς ἐμπορίας αὐτῶν μελλούσης ἔσεσθαι· ἡμᾶς δὲ διὰ φθαρτῶν καὶ ἐπικήρων οὐχὶ φθαρτὰ καὶ ἐπίκηρα, ἀλλ' ἄφθαρτα καὶ ἀθάνατα καρποῦσθαι μέλλοντας ἀγαθὰ, μηδὲ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείνοις φιλοτιμίαν περὶ τὰ ὄντα ἐπιδείκνυσθαι; Μὴ, ἀδελφοὶ, μὴ οὕτω κακῶς περὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν βουλευώμεθα σωτηρίας· ἀλλὰ τὸ παράδειγμα τῶν παρθένων εἰδότες, καὶ τοὺς εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἀπαγομένους τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ, ἐπειδὴ μὴ ἔθρεψαν, μηδὲ ἐπότισαν τὸν Χριστὸν, κατέχωμεν τοῦ Πνεύματος τὸ πῦρ διὰ φιλανθρωπίας δαψιλοῦς καὶ ἐπιτεταμένης ἐλεημοσύνης, ἵνα μὴ περὶ τὴν πίστιν ναυαγήσωμεν. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ πίστις τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος δεῖται βοηθείας καὶ τῆς παραμονῆς, ἵνα ἄσειστος μένῃ· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Πνεύματος βοήθεια διὰ βίου καθαροῦ καὶ πολιτείας ἀρίστης ἡμῖν εἴωθεν παραμένειν. Ὥστε εἰ μέλλοιμεν ἐῤῥιζωμένην ἔχειν τὴν πίστιν, πολιτείας ἡμῖν δεῖ καθαρᾶς τῆς τὸ Πνεύμα πειθούσης μένειν καὶ συνέχειν ἐκείνης τὴν δύναμιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι βίον ἀκάθαρτον ἔχοντα, μὴ καὶ περὶ τὴν πίστιν σαλεύεσθαι. ιʹ. Οἱ γοῦν περὶ εἱμαρμένης ληροῦντες, καὶ τῷ σωτηριώδει τῆς ἀναστάσεως διαπιστοῦντες λόγῳ, ἀπὸ συνειδότος πονηροῦ καὶ πράξεων διεφθαρμένων ἐπὶ τὸ βάραθρον τῆς ἀπιστίας ταύτης κατέπεσον. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ πυρέττοντες βουλόμενοι τὸ πνῖγος ἀποτινάξασθαι, κατὰ ψυχρῶν ἑαυτοὺς πολλάκις ἔῤῥιψαν ὑδάτων, καὶ πρὸς βραχὺ παραμυθησάμενοι τὴν νόσον, χαλεπωτέραν ὕστερον ἀνῆψαν τὴν φλόγα· οὕτω δὴ καὶ οἱ πονηρῷ συνεχόμενοι συνειδότι, εἶτα παραμυθίαν ζητοῦντες εὑρεῖν καὶ μὴ βουλόμενοι μετανοίᾳ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἀπονίψασθαι, τὴν τῆς εἱμαρμένης ἐπεισήγαγον τυραννίδα, καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἀπιστίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐνταῦθα ἑαυτοὺς διὰ τῶν