XXIV. You may even go against wealth. Say, “Certainly Christ does not debar me from property. The Lord does not envy.” But do you see yourself overcome and overthrown by it? Leave it, throw it away, hate, renounce, flee. “Even if thy right eye offend thee,” quickly “cut it out.”31 Matt. v. 9. Better is the kingdom of God to a man with one eye, than the fire to one who is unmutilated. Whether hand, or foot, or soul, hate it. For if it is destroyed here for Christ’s sake, it will be restored to life yonder.
24.1 ∆ύνασαι καὶ τῶν χρημάτων ἐπίπροσθεν εἶναι; φράσον καὶ οὐκ ἀπάγει σε Χριστὸς τῆς κτήσεως, ὁ κύριος οὐ φθονεῖ. ἀλλ' ὁρᾷς σεαυτὸν ἡττώμενον ὑπ' αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνατρεπόμενον; ἄφες, ῥῖψον. 24.2 μίσησον, ἀπόταξαι, φύγε· "κἂν ὁ δέξιός σου ὀφθαλμὸς σκανδαλίζῃ σε, ταχέως ἔκκοψον αὐτόν·" αἱρετώτερον ἑτεροφθάλμῳ βασιλεία θεοῦ ἢ ὁλοκλήρῳ τὸ πῦρ· κἂν χεὶρ κἂν ποὺς κἂν ἡ ψυχή, μίσησον αὐτήν. ἂν γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ἀπόληται ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, ἐκεῖ σωθήσεται.