[That Both the Law and the Gospel Prescribe Offerings.]

XXXV. Now you ought to know, that although the Lord has delivered you from the additional bonds, and has brought you out of them to your refreshment, and does not permit you to sacrifice irrational creatures for sin-offerings, and purifications, and scapegoats, and continual washings and sprinklings, yet has He nowhere freed you from those oblations which you owe to the priests, nor from doing good to the poor. For the Lord says to you in the Gospel: “Unless your righteousness abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven.”  169  Matt. v. 20. Now herein will your righteousness exceed theirs, if you take greater care of the priests, the orphans, and the widows; as it is written: “He hath scattered abroad; he hath given to the poor; his righteousness remaineth for ever.”  170  Ps. cxii. 9. And again: “By acts of righteousness and faith iniquities are purged.”  171  Prov. xvi. 6. And again: “Every bountiful soul is blessed.”  172  Prov. xi. 25. So therefore shalt thou do as the Lord has appointed, and shalt give to the priest what things are due to him, the first-fruits of thy floor, and of thy wine-press, and sin-offerings, as to the mediator between God and such as stand in need of purgation and forgiveness. For it is thy duty to give, and his to administer, as being the administrator and disposer of ecclesiastical affairs. Yet shalt thou not call thy bishop to account, nor watch his administration, how he does it, when, or to whom, or where, or whether he do it well or ill, or indifferently; for he has One who will call him to an account, the Lord God, who put this administration into his hands, and thought him worthy of the priesthood of so great dignity.

[35] Χρὴ δὲ ὑμᾶς γινώσκειν ὅτι, εἰ καὶ ἐρρύσατο ὑμᾶς Κύριος τῆς δουλείας τῶν ἐπεισάκτων δεσμῶν καὶ ἐξήγαγεν ὑμᾶς εἰς ἀνάψυξιν, μηκέτι ἐάσας ὑμᾶς θύειν ἄλογα ζῷα περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ καθαρισμοῦ καὶ ἀποπομπαίων καὶ λουτρῶν συνεχῶν καὶ περιραντηρίων, οὐ δήπου καὶ τῶν εἰσφορῶν ὑμᾶς ἠλευθέρωσεν ὧν ὀφείλετε τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν, καὶ τῶν εἰς τοὺς δεομένους εὐποιϊῶν. Λέγει γὰρ ὁ Κύριος ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ: »Ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ὑμῶν ἡ δικαιοσύνη πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.« Οὕτως οὖν πλεονάσει ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν, ἐν τῷ πλέον ὑμᾶς πρόνοιαν ποιεῖσθαι τῶν ἱερέων καὶ τῶν ὀρφανῶν καὶ τῶν χηρῶν, ὡς γέγραπται: »Ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκεν τοῖς πένησιν, ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος.« Καὶ πάλιν: »Ἐλεημοσύναις καὶ πίστεσιν ἀποκαθαίρονται ἁμαρτίαι.« Καὶ πάλιν: »Ψυχὴ εὐλογημένη πᾶσα ἁπλῆ.« Οὕτως οὖν ποιήσεις σύ, ὡς ὁ Κύριος διετάξατο, καὶ δώσεις τῷ ἱερεῖ τὰ ὀφειλόμενα αὐτῷ, ἀπαρχὴν ἅλωνος καὶ ληνοῦ καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν, ὡς μεσίτῃ Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν δεομένων καθάρσεως καὶ παραιτήσεως. Σὲ μὲν γὰρ διδόναι προσήκει, οἰκονομεῖν δὲ ἐκεῖνον ἅτε οἰκονόμον καὶ διοικητὴν τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν πραγμάτων. Οὐ μέντοι λογιστεύσεις τὸν ἐπίσκοπον οὐδὲ παρατηρήσεις τὴν οἰκονομίαν αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἐπιτελεῖ ἢ πότε ἢ τίσιν ἢ ποῦ ἢ εἰς καλῶς ἢ φαύλως ἢ δεόντως: ἔχει γὰρ λογιστὴν Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν τὸν ἐγχειρίσαντα εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ταύτην καὶ καταξιώσαντα αὐτὸν τῆς ἱερωσύνης τοῦ τηλικούτου τόπου.