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parasites, the flatterers, all the other ostentation? Not for need's sake, but for madness alone, so that from these things you may seem more venerable than other men. And otherwise he knows that wealth is not forbidden, if one has used it for a necessary purpose. For as I said, wine is not evil, but drunkenness is evil; so wealth is not evil, but greed is evil, love of money is evil. The lover of money is one thing, and the rich man is another; the lover of money is not rich, the lover of money is in need of many things; and he who is in need of many things would never be well-off. The lover of money is a guard, not a master of his possessions, a slave, not a lord; for he would more easily give someone of his own flesh than of the buried gold. And just as if someone were commanding and ordering him to touch none of the things laid up; so with all exactness he guards and holds them, abstaining from his own things as if they were another's. For they are truly another's; for the things he would not choose to cast out to others, nor distribute to the needy, even if he were to endure ten thousand punishments, how could he be able to consider these things to be his own? And how does he have possession of things which he does not have the use of with freedom, nor the enjoyment? Besides this, Paul is not accustomed to command all things to all people, but he also condescends to the weakness of his hearers, just as Christ also did. For to that rich man who came to him and discussed life with him, he did not say, Go, sell your possessions, but leaving this aside, he spoke with him about other commandments; then when that man challenged him and said, What do I still lack? not even then did he simply say, Sell your possessions, but, If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions; I place it in your judgment, I make you lord of the choice, I do not lead you into necessity. For this reason Paul also did not discourse to the rich about poverty, but about humility, both because of the weakness of his hearers, and because he knew well that to be moderate and to be free from madness will quickly make them also be freed from the eagerness to be rich. Then, having exhorted them not to be high-minded, he also taught the way by which they will be able not to be high-minded. And what is this? If they would learn the nature of wealth, how uncertain and untrustworthy it is, for this reason he added: Nor to have hoped in the uncertainty of wealth. The rich man is not the one who has acquired many things, but the one who gives many things; Abraham was rich, but not a lover of money; for he did not look around for so-and-so's house, nor was he meddlesome about so-and-so's substance; but going out he looked around lest somewhere there was a stranger, lest somewhere a poor man, so as to correct the poverty, so as to receive the traveler. He did not anoint the roof with gold, but having pitched his hut beside that oak, he was content with the shade of the leaves; and so splendid was his lodging to him, that not even angels were ashamed of their stay with him; for they were not seeking the splendor of a house, but the virtue of a soul. Let us also imitate this man, beloved, and let us spend our substance on those in need. That lodging was improvised, but it was more splendid than royal courts. No king ever received angels, but he who was sitting under 49.41 that oak and had pitched a hut was deemed worthy of this honor, not being honored because of the meanness of his house, but enjoying this gift because of the richness of his soul and the wealth laid up in it. Let us therefore not adorn our houses, but before the house, our soul. For how is it not shameful to cover the walls with marbles rashly and in vain, but to overlook Christ wandering about naked? What use is the house to you, O man? for you will not take it with you when you depart, will you? You will not take this with you when you depart, but you will surely depart taking your soul. Behold, such a danger has now overtaken us; let our houses stand by us, let them release us from the impending danger; but they will not be able. And you are witnesses, who are abandoning them desolate, and leaping away to the wilderness, as if fearing snares and nets. Let money help now;

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παρασίτους, τοὺς κόλακας, τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν φαντασίαν; Οὐ χρείας ἕνεκεν, ἀλλ' ἀπονοίας μόνης, ἵνα ἀπὸ τούτων σεμνότερος τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων εἶναι δοκῇς. Ἄλλως δὲ οἶδεν οὐ κεκωλυμένον τὸν πλοῦτον, ἐάν τις αὐτῷ εἰς δέον κεχρημένος ᾖ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἶπον, οὐ κακὸν ὁ οἶνος, ἀλλὰ κακὸν ἡ μέθη· οὕτως οὐ κακὸν ὁ πλοῦτος, ἀλλὰ κακὸν ἡ πλεονεξία, κακὸν ἡ φιλαργυρία. Ἕτερον φιλάργυρος, καὶ ἕτερον πλούσιος· ὁ φιλάργυρος οὐκ ἔστι πλούσιος, ὁ φιλάργυρος πολλῶν δεῖται· ὁ δὲ πολλῶν δεόμενος οὐκ ἂν εὐπορήσειέ ποτε. Ὁ φιλάργυρος φύλαξ, οὐ δεσπότης ἐστὶ τῶν χρημάτων, δοῦλος, οὐ κύριος εὐκολώτερον γὰρ τῶν αὐτοῦ σαρκῶν μεταδοίη τινὶ ἢ τοῦ κατωρυγμένου χρυσίου. Καὶ καθάπερ τινὸς ἐπιτάττοντος καὶ κελεύοντος μηδενὸς ἅψασθαι τῶν ἀποκειμένων· οὕτω μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας αὐτὰ τηρεῖ καὶ κατέχει καθάπερ ἀλλοτρίων ἀπεχόμενος τῶν οἰκείων. Καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ὄντως ἀλλότρια· ἃ γὰρ εἰς ἑτέρους ἐκβάλλειν οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιτο, οὐδὲ τοῖς δεομένοις διανεῖμαι, κἂν μυρίας ὑποσταίη τιμωρίας, πῶς ἂν δύναιτο ταῦτα ἴδια νομίζειν εἶναι; Πῶς δὲ ἔχει τὴν κτῆσιν, ὧν τὴν χρῆσιν οὐκ ἔχει μετὰ ἀδείας, οὐδὲ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν; Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις οὐ πᾶσι πάντα ἐπιτάττειν ὁ Παῦλος εἴωθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων ἀσθενείᾳ συγκαταβαίνει, καθάπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐποίησε. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνῳ τῷ πλουσίῳ προσελθόντι, καὶ περὶ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῷ διαλεγομένῳ οὐκ εἶπεν. Ὕπαγε, πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, ἀλλ' ἀφεὶς τοῦτο, περὶ ἑτέρων αὐτῷ ἐντολῶν διελέγετο· εἶτα ἐπειδὴ ἐκεῖνος αὐτὸν προεκαλέσατο, καί φησιν· Τί ἔτι μοι λείπει; οὐδὲ τότε ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, ἀλλ', Εἰ θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι, ὕπαγε, πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα· ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ τίθημι γνώμῃ, σὲ κύριον ποιῶ τῆς προαιρέσεως, οὐκ εἰς ἀνάγκην ἄγω. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος οὐδὲν περὶ πενίας τοῖς πλουτοῦσι διελέγετο, ἀλλὰ περὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης, διά τε τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῶν ἀκουόντων, καὶ τὸ σφόδρα εἰδέναι, ὅτι τὸ μετριάζειν καὶ ἀπονοίας ἀπηλλάχθαι ποιήσει ταχέως αὐτοὺς καὶ τῆς περὶ τοῦ πλουτεῖν ἀπαλλαγῆναι σπουδῆς. Εἶτα παραινέσας μὴ ὑψηλοφρονεῖν, ἐδίδαξε καὶ τὸν τρόπον, καθ' ὃν δυνήσονται μὴ ὑψηλοφρονεῖν. Τίς δὲ οὗτός ἐστιν; Εἰ τοῦ πλούτου τὴν φύσιν καταμάθοιεν, ὡς ἄδηλός τίς ἐστι καὶ ἄπιστος, διὰ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγε· Μηδὲ ἠλπικέναι ἐπὶ πλούτου ἀδηλότητι. Πλούσιός ἐστιν οὐχ ὁ πολλὰ κεκτημένος, ἀλλ' ὁ πολλὰ διδούς· πλούσιος ἦν ὁ Ἀβραὰμ, ἀλλ' οὐ φιλάργυρος· οὐ γὰρ περιεσκόπει τὴν τοῦ δεῖνος οἰκίαν, οὐδὲ περιειργάζετο τὴν τοῦ δεῖνος οὐσίαν· ἀλλ' ἐξιὼν περιεσκόπει μή που ξένος, μή που πένης, ὥστε διορθῶσαι τὴν πενίαν, ὥστε ὑποδέξασθαι τὸν ὁδίτην. Οὐ χρυσῷ τὸν ὄροφον ἤλειφεν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν δρῦν ἐκείνην τὴν καλύβην πηξάμενος, τῇ τῶν φύλλων ἠρκεῖτο σκιᾷ· καὶ οὕτω λαμπρὸν ἦν αὐτῷ τὸ καταγώγιον, ὡς μηδὲ ἀγγέλους ἐπαισχυνθῆναι τὴν παρ' ἐκείνῳ μονήν· οὐ γὰρ λαμπρότητα οἰκίας ἐπεζήτουν, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς ἀρετήν. Τοῦτον δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς μιμησώμεθα, ἀγαπητοὶ, καὶ τὰ ὄντα εἰς τοὺς δεομένους ἀναλίσκωμεν. Ἐσχεδιασμένον ἦν ἐκεῖνο τὸ καταγώγιον, ἀλλὰ τῶν βασιλικῶν αὐλῶν λαμπρότερον ἦν. Βασιλεὺς οὐδεὶς οὐδέποτε ἀγγέλους ὑπεδέξατο, ὁ δὲ ὑπὸ 49.41 τὴν δρῦν καθήμενος ἐκείνην καὶ καλύβην πηξάμενος ἠξιώθη τῆς τιμῆς ταύτης, οὐ διὰ τὴν εὐτέλειαν τῆς οἰκίας τιμηθεὶς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν πολυτέλειαν τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τὸν ἐναποκείμενον πλοῦτον αὐτῇ ταύτης ἀπολαύσας τῆς δωρεᾶς. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν μὴ τὰς οἰκίας καλλωπίζωμεν, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῆς οἰκίας τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ αἰσχρὸν μαρμάροις μὲν περιβάλλειν τοὺς τοίχους εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην, τὸν δὲ Χριστὸν γυμνὸν περιερχόμενον περιορᾷν; Τί σοι τῆς οἰκίας ὄφελος, ἄνθρωπε; μὴ γὰρ λαβὼν αὐτὴν ἀπελεύσῃ; Οὐ ταύτην λαβὼν ἀπελεύσῃ, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ἀπελεύσῃ πάντως λαβών. Ἰδοὺ τοιοῦτος κίνδυνος κατέλαβε νῦν· παραστήτωσαν ἡμῖν αἱ οἰκίαι, λυσάτωσαν ἡμῖν τὸν ἐπηρτημένον κίνδυνον· ἀλλ' οὐ δυνήσονται. Καὶ μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς οἱ καταλιμπάνοντες αὐτὰς ἐρήμους, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐρημίαν ἀποτηδῶντες, καθάπερ παγίδας καὶ δίκτυα δεδοικότες. Βοηθείτω τὰ χρήματα νῦν·