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He does not possess a donkey, a necessary vehicle for his needs; and another, because of their multitude, does not recognize his herds of horses. One lacks oil to light his lamp; and another is rich in lampstands alone. One is thrown upon the ground and he who is vainly rich dazzles with the adornment of his couch, which has silver knobs and chains instead of ropes. 3.12.5 These are the results of insatiable greed. For if it had not introduced inequality into life, these peaks and valleys of disparity would not exist, nor would the various misfortunes have rendered our life unpleasant and tearful. 3.13.1 From this, men have lost their natural friendship for one another and they sharpen iron and form battle lines and, like some wild beasts, engage one another with much ferocity. And who could even describe the consequences of these things? 3.13.2 Strong walls are shaken down by siege engines and cities are captured and women are led away and children are enslaved; the land is cut and shorn and the trees are warred against as if they were offending men; and there is much slaughter of those in their prime and streams of blood flow from their wretched bodies; and the wealth of the vanquished is the prize of the victors. 3.13.3 Upon these things follow the laments of widowhood, the tears of orphans and of those mourning for their fathers and their freedom at the same time; and he who was formerly the master of much wealth begs for a piece of bread, holding out his right hand; and he who had many weaving slaves and houses full of clothing serves as a slave, clad in rags, carrying water by necessity and scraping the dung from the stable and performing shameful services; and countless other evils, which are impossible to comprehend all at once. 3.13.4 But the beginning and cause and root of all these things is the desire for more, an unjust love for the possessions of others. And if someone were to cut out this passion from mankind, nothing would prevent a deep peace from prevailing in life, and wars and disturbances from being banished from men, and all from returning to natural affection and friendship. 3.13.5 For this reason our Lord also diligently heals this disease with his commandments, at one time declaring: "You cannot serve God and mammon"; at another, showing that rich man to be wretched, who was about to die on the following day and was prefiguring for himself the long-lasting enjoyment of luxury; and elsewhere teaching that the perfect man is he who, having given all that he has to the needy, will go over to the philosophy of non-possession, the mother and companion of virtue. 3.14.1 But I seem to hear, even from those who are silent, those who by habit say such things to their teachers: "And how shall we get through life, if the acquisition of goods is neglected? How shall we provide for our needs? How will a loan be paid? And how will a loan be given to one who asks, if we are all poor because of your exhortation?" The word is of one who is faithless, the voice of one who is foolish, not knowing that we have the Lord God as master, the steward of life, who supplies from himself useful things to the created being and the necessary provisions for the need of food and clothing. 3.14.2 For the providence of God encompasses his own creations; and the misfortune of poverty has never overcome the one who is rich in faith. And bringing forward one of the divine oracles as proof of the matter at hand, I will provide, as I think, sufficient testimony. 3.15.1 In the history of the Kings, a certain widow is recorded, greatly burdened by the misfortune of her solitude. A greedy and misanthropic creditor was besieging her, taking as a pledge her sons, whom alone the mother had in place of all else. And since the matter had come to a state of helplessness for her and no one who had gold took pity on her, she came to the one who had philanthropy and faith. 3.15.2 And this was Elisha the prophet, a man possessing no earthly goods and abounding in incorporeal wealth; a philosopher from the plowmen, homeless, hearthless, with a single garment; having recently inherited,

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ὄνον οὐ κέκτηται, ἀναγκαῖον τῆς χρείας ὄχημα· καὶ ἕτερος διὰ πλῆθος τὰς ἀγέλας οὐ γνωρίζει τῶν ἵππων. Τῷ μὲν ἐλαίου ἐνδεῖ πρὸς τὸ λύχνον ἀνάψαι· καὶ ἄλλος μόναις ταῖς λυχνίαις πλουτεῖ. Ὁ μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους ἔρριπται καὶ ὁ μάτην πλουτῶν τῷ κόσμῳ τῆς κλίνης περιαστράπτεται, ἀργυρᾶς σφαίρας ἐχούσης καὶ ἁλύσεις ἀντὶ τῶν σχοίνων. 3.12.5 Ταῦτα τὰ τῆς ἀκορέστου πλεονεξίας ἀποτελέσματα. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ εἰσήγαγεν εἰς τὸν βίον τὴν ἀνισότητα, οὐκ ἂν αὗται ἦσαν τῆς ἀνωμαλίας αἱ ἐξοχαὶ καὶ κοι λότητες, οὐδ' ἂν αἱ ποικίλαι συμφοραὶ ἀηδῆ καὶ πολύδακρυν τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν ἀπειργάζοντο. 3.13.1 Ἐντεῦθεν τὴν φυσικὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους φιλίαν ἀπώλεσαν ἄνθρωποι καὶ σίδηρον ἀκονῶσι καὶ συγκροτοῦσι παρατάξεις καὶ ὥσπερ τινὰ θηρία μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀγριότητος ἀλλήλοις συνάπτουσι. Τὰ δὲ ἀκόλουθα τούτοις πῶς ἄν τις καὶ ἐξηγήσαιτο; 3.13.2 Τείχη καρτερὰ τοῖς μηχανήμασι κατασείεται καὶ πόλεις ἁλίσκονται καὶ γυναῖκες ἄγονται καὶ παῖδες ἀνδραποδίζονται· τέμνεται γῆ καὶ κείρεται καὶ τὰ δένδρα πολεμοῦνται ὡς ἀδικήσαντες ἄνθρωποι· φόνος δὲ τῶν ἐν ἀκμῇ πολὺς καὶ οἱ τοῦ αἵματος ῥύακες ἀπορρέουσι τῶν ἀθλίων σωμάτων· ὁ δὲ πλοῦτος τῶν ἡττηθέντων ἆθλον τῶν κρατησάντων. 3.13.3 Ἐπὶ τούτοις ὀδυρμοὶ χηρείας, ὀρφανῶν δάκρυα καὶ πατέρας ὁμοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν θρηνούντων· ὁ δὲ πρώην κύριος πλούτου πολλοῦ ἄρτου μεταιτεῖ τέμαχος προτείνων τὴν δεξιάν· καὶ ὁ πολλοὺς ἔχων δούλους ὑφάντας καὶ οἰκίας γεμούσας ἐσθῆτος ῥάκια περιβεβλημένος δουλεύει, ὕδωρ πρὸς ἀνάγκην κομίζων καὶ τοῦ ἱππῶνος ἀποξύων τὴν κόπρον καὶ ταῖς αἰσχραῖς ὑπηρεσίαις διακονούμενος· ἄλλα μυρία κακά, ἃ περιλαβεῖν ἀθρόως ἀδύνατον. 3.13.4 Τούτων δὲ πάντων ἀρχὴ καὶ αἰτία καὶ ῥίζα ἡ τοῦ πλείονος ἐπιθυμία, ἔρως ἄδικος τῶν ἀλλοτρίων κτημάτων. Εἰ δέ τις τοῦτο τὸ πάθος τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξέκοψεν, οὐδὲν ἐκώλυσεν εἰρήνην μὲν τῷ βίῳ βαθεῖαν ἐμπολιτεύεσθαι, πολέμους δὲ καὶ ταραχὰς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων φυγαδευθῆναι, ἐπανελθεῖν δὲ πάντας ἐπὶ τὴν κατὰ φύσιν στοργὴν καὶ φιλίαν. 3.13.5 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν ἐπιμελῶς τοῖς παραγγέλμασι ταύτην ἐξιᾶται τὴν νόσον ποτὲ μὲν ἀποφαινόμενος· Οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ· ποτὲ δὲ τὸν πλούσιον ἐκεῖνον ἄθλιον ἀποφαίνων, τὸν τῇ ἑξῆς τελευτᾶν μέλλοντα καὶ τὴν μακροχρόνιον ἀπόλαυσιν τὴν τρυφῆς ἑαυτῷ προτυποῦντα· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ τὸν τέλειον ἐκεῖνον εἶναι διδάσκων, ὃς ἂν πάντων ὧν ἔχει τοῖς δεομένοις παραχωρήσας πρὸς τὴν ἀκτήμονα φιλοσοφίαν αὐτομολήσει, τὴν μητέρα τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ ὁμόσκευον. 3.14.1 Ἀλλά μοι δοκῶ καὶ σιωπώντων ἀκούειν τῶν ἐκ συνηθείας τὰ τοιαῦτα φθεγγομένων πρὸς τοὺς διδάσκοντας· Καὶ πῶς τὸν βίον διατε λέσομεν, εἰ ἡ κτῆσις τῶν χρημάτων ἀμεληθείη; πῶς δὲ ταῖς χρείαις ἐπαρκέσομεν; πῶς λυθήσεται δάνεισμα; πῶς δὲ καὶ δοθήσεται δάνος τῷ ζητοῦντι, ἂν πάντες ὦμεν διὰ τὴν σὴν παραίνεσιν ἄποροι; Ἀπίστου τὸ ῥῆμα, ἀσυνέτου ἡ φωνή, οὐκ εἰδότος, ὅτι δεσπότην ἔχομεν τὸν Θεόν, οἰκονόμον τοῦ βίου, τῷ γενομένῳ ζῴῳ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ χορηγοῦντα τὰ χρήσιμα καὶ τοὺς ἀναγκαίους πορισμοὺς τῆς τροφῆς καὶ τῶν σκεπασμάτων τὴν χρείαν. 3.14.2 Ἡ γὰρ πρόνοια τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν οἰκείων ποιημάτων ἐστὶν περιεκτική· καὶ τὸν ἐν πίστει πλουτοῦντα πενίας οὐδέποτε κατέσχεν συμφορά. Ἓν δὲ τῶν θείων προκομίσας λόγιον εἰς ἀπόδειξιν τοῦ προκει μένου ἱκανήν, ὡς οἶμαι, μαρτυρίαν παρέξω. 3.15.1 Ἐν τῇ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἱστορίᾳ γυνή τις ἀναγέγραπται χήρα, βαρυνομένη λίαν τῇ συμφορᾷ τῆς μονώσεως. Ἐπολιόρκει δὲ αὐτὴν δανειστὴς φιλάργυρος καὶ μισάνθρωπος, ἐνέχυρον τοὺς υἱοὺς ἀφαιρούμενος οὓς μόνους εἶχεν ἀντὶ πάντων ἡ μήτηρ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ εἰς ἀμηχανίαν αὐτῇ περιεστήκει τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ οὐδεὶς ἠλέει τῶν ἐχόντων χρυσίον, ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν ἔχοντα φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ πίστιν. 3.15.2 Ἐλισσαῖος δὲ οὗτος ἦν ὁ προφήτης, ἀνὴρ ἀκτήμων τῶν γηΐνων ὑλῶν καὶ περισσευόμενος τῆς ἀσωμάτου περιουσίας· φιλόσοφος ἐξ ἀροτήρων, ἄοικος, ἀνέστιος, μονο είμων· νεωστὶ μὲν κληρονομήσας,