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a solemn protest. What is it that I am saying? Some say that certain of you receive money from those who are ordained, but they disguise it under the name of piety. This is worse. For if someone does evil under the pretense of good, he is worthy of double punishment, because he both works what is not good and uses, as one might say, the good as an accomplice to complete the sin. If these things are so, let it happen no more in the future, but be corrected, since it is necessary to say to the one receiving the money what was said by the Apostles to the one wanting to give, that he might buy a share of the Holy Spirit: "May your money perish with you." For the one wanting to buy out of inexperience is less blameworthy than the one selling the gift of God. For a sale has taken place, and if you sell what you received freely, as if sold to Satan, you will be deprived of the grace. For you are introducing commerce into spiritual matters and into the Church, where we have been entrusted with the body and blood of Christ. These things ought not to happen. What the artifice is, I will tell you. They think they do not sin by not taking it beforehand, but by taking it after the ordination. But to take is to take, whenever it is taken. 53.2 I beg you, therefore, put away this income, or rather, this path that leads to Gehenna, and do not, by staining your hands with such gains, make yourselves unworthy to perform the holy mysteries. But forgive me. First as one who disbelieves, and then as one who is convinced, I threaten. If anyone after this letter of mine does such a thing, he will depart from the altars here, and will seek a place where he can buy and resell the gift of God. For we and the Churches of God have no such custom. And adding one thing, I will stop. These things happen because of avarice. But avarice is both the root of all evils and is called idolatry. Do not, therefore, prefer idols to Christ for a little money, nor again imitate Judas, betraying for a second time for gain the one who was once crucified for us. For both the fields and the hands of those who receive these fruits will be called Akeldama.

54. To the Chorepiscopi

54.1 It grieves me very much that the canons of the Fathers have now been abandoned and

all exactness has been driven from the Churches, and I fear lest, as this indifference gradually proceeds on its way, the affairs of the Church may come into complete confusion. The custom which of old prevailed in the Churches of God used to accept those who ministered to the Church after testing them with all exactness; and their whole conduct was carefully scrutinized, whether they were not revilers, not drunkards, not quick to fight, whether they disciplined their own youth, so as to be able to achieve the sanctification, without which no one will see the Lord. And presbyters and deacons who lived with them would examine this, and report to the chorepiscopi, who, having received the votes from those who testified truthfully and having informed the bishop, thus enrolled the minister in the sacerdotal order. But now, first you have thrust us aside and do not deign even to report to us, you have taken all the authority upon yourselves. Then, growing negligent in the matter, you have permitted presbyters and deacons to bring into the Church unworthy men whom they wished, from an unexamined life, through partiality, or relationship, or some other friendship. Therefore many ministers are counted in each village, but no one is worthy of the ministry of the altar, as you yourselves testify, being at a loss for men in the elections. Since, therefore, I see the matter is now proceeding to an incurable point, especially now, with most out of fear

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διαμαρτυρίαν. Τί δέ ἐστιν ὃ λέγω; Φασί τινές τινας ὑμῶν παρὰ τῶν χειροτο νουμένων λαμβάνειν χρήματα, ἐπισκιάζειν δὲ ὀνόματι εὐσεβείας. Τοῦτο δὲ χεῖρόν ἐστιν. Ἐὰν γάρ τις τὸ κακὸν ἐν προσχήματι τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ποιῇ, διπλασίονος τιμωρίας ἐστὶν ἄξιος, διότι αὐτό τε τὸ οὐκ ἀγαθὸν ἐργάζεται καὶ κέχρηται εἰς τὸ τελέσαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, τῷ καλῷ συνεργῷ. Ταῦτα εἰ οὕτως ἔχει, τοῦ λοιποῦ μὴ γινέσθω, ἀλλὰ διορθωθήτω, ἐπεὶ ἀνάγκη λέγειν πρὸς τὸν δεχόμενον τὸ ἀργύριον ὅπερ ἐρρήθη παρὰ τῶν Ἀποστόλων πρὸς τὸν θέλοντα δοῦναι, ἵνα Πνεύματος Ἁγίου μετουσίαν ὠνήσηται· «Τὸ ἀργύριόν σου σὺν σοὶ εἴη εἰς ἀπώλειαν». Κου φότερος γὰρ ὁ δι' ἀπειρίαν ὠνήσασθαι θέλων, ἢ ὁ πιπράσκων τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεάν. Πρᾶσις γὰρ ἐγένετο, καί, ὃ σὺ δωρεὰν ἔλαβες, ἐὰν πωλῇς, ὡσανεὶ πεπραμένος τῷ Σατανᾷ ἀφαιρεθήσῃ τοῦ χαρίσματος. Καπηλείαν γὰρ ἐπεισάγεις τοῖς πνευματικοῖς καὶ τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἔνθα πεπιστεύμεθα σῶμα καὶ αἷμα Χριστοῦ. Ταῦτα οὕτω γίνεσθαι οὐ χρή. Ὃ δέ ἐστι τὸ τέχνασμα, λέγω. Νομίζουσι μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν τῷ μὴ προλαμβάνειν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὴν χειροτονίαν λαμβάνειν. Λαβεῖν δὲ ἔστιν ὅτε δή ποτε τὸ λαβεῖν. 53.2 Παρακαλῶ οὖν, ταύτην τὴν πρόσοδον, μᾶλλον δὲ τὴν προσαγωγὴν τὴν ἐπὶ γέενναν ἀπόθεσθε, καὶ μή, τὰς χεῖρας μολύναντες τοιούτοις λήμμασιν, ἑαυτοὺς ἀναξίους ποιή σητε τοῦ ἐπιτελεῖν ἅγια μυστήρια. Σύγγνωτε δέ μοι. Πρῶτον μὲν ὡς ἀπιστήσας, εἶτα δὲ ὡς πεισθεὶς ἀπειλῶ. Εἴ τις μετὰ ταύτην μου τὴν ἐπιστολὴν πράξειέ τι τοιοῦ τον, τῶν μὲν ἐνταῦθα θυσιαστηρίων ἀναχωρήσει, ζητήσει δὲ ἔνθα τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεὰν ἀγοράζων μεταπωλεῖν δύνα ται. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ καὶ αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοιαύτην συνήθειαν οὐκ ἔχομεν. Ἓν δὲ προσθεὶς παύσομαι. ∆ιὰ φιλαργυρίαν γίνεται ταῦτα. Ἡ δὲ φιλαργυρία καὶ ῥίζα πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστι καὶ ὀνομάζεται εἰδωλολατρεία. Μὴ οὖν τοῦ Χριστοῦ προτιμήσητε τὰ εἴδωλα διὰ μικρὸν ἀργύ ριον, μηδὲ πάλιν τὸν Ἰούδαν μιμήσησθε, λήμματι προδι δόντες δεύτερον τὸν ἅπαξ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν σταυρωθέντα. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ χωρία καὶ αἱ χεῖρες τῶν τοὺς καρποὺς τούτους δεχομένων Ἀκελδαμὰ κληθήσονται.

54.τ ΧΩΡΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΙΣ

54.1 Πάνυ με λυπεῖ ὅτι ἐπιλελοίπασι λοιπὸν οἱ τῶν Πατέρων κανόνες καὶ

πᾶσα ἀκρίβεια τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἀπελήλαται, καὶ φοβοῦμαι μή, κατὰ μικρὸν τῆς ἀδιαφορίας ταύτης ὁδῷ προϊούσης, εἰς παντελῆ σύγχυσιν ἔλθῃ τὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πράγματα. Τοὺς ὑπηρετοῦντας τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ἡ πάλαι ταῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίαις ἐμπολιτευομένη συνήθεια μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας δοκιμάζουσα παρεδέχετο· καὶ ἐπολυπραγ μονεῖτο πᾶσα αὐτῶν ἡ ἀναστροφή, εἰ μὴ λοίδοροί εἰσιν, εἰ μὴ μέθυσοι, εἰ μὴ πρόχειροι πρὸς τὰς μάχας, εἰ παιδαγω γοῦσιν ἑαυτῶν τὴν νεότητα, ὥστε κατορθοῦν δύνασθαι τὸν ἁγιασμόν, οὗ χωρὶς οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸν Κύριον. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐξήταζον μὲν πρεσβύτεροι καὶ διάκονοι οἱ συνοικοῦντες αὐτοῖς, ἐπανέφερον δὲ τοῖς χωρεπισκόποις, οἵ, τὰς παρὰ τῶν ἀληθινῶς μαρτυρούντων δεξάμενοι ψήφους καὶ ὑπο μνήσαντες τὸν ἐπίσκοπον, οὕτως ἐνηρίθμουν τὸν ὑπηρέ την τῷ τάγματι τῶν ἱερατικῶν. Νῦν δὲ πρῶτον μὲν ἡμᾶς παρωσάμενοι καὶ μηδὲ ἐπαναφέρειν ἡμῖν καταδεχόμενοι, εἰς ἑαυτοὺς τὴν ὅλην περιεστήσατε αὐθεντίαν. Ἔπειτα καταρρᾳθυμοῦντες τοῦ πράγματος, πρεσβυτέροις καὶ δια κόνοις ἐπετρέψατε οὓς ἂν ἐθέλωσιν ἀπὸ ἀνεξετάστου βίου, κατὰ προσπάθειαν, ἢ τὴν ἀπὸ συγγενείας, ἢ τὴν ἐξ ἄλλης τινὸς φιλίας, ἐπεισάγειν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τοὺς ἀναξίους. ∆ιὸ πολλοὶ μὲν ὑπηρέται ἀριθμοῦνται καθ' ἑκάστην κώμην, ἄξιος δὲ λειτουργίας θυσιαστηρίου οὐδείς, ὡς ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ μαρτυρεῖτε, ἀποροῦντες ἀνδρῶν ἐν ταῖς ψηφοφορίαις. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁρῶ τὸ πρᾶγμα λοιπὸν εἰς ἀνήκεστον προϊόν, μάλιστα νῦν, τῶν πλείστων φόβῳ