78

to God all such persons. For those who receive from such persons and support widows and orphans will be held accountable at the judgment seat of God, just as also Adonias the prophet in Kings, who disobeyed God and ate bread and drank water in the place where the Lord had forbidden him on account of the impiety of Jeroboam, and was killed by a lion. For the bread served to widows from honest labor is more righteous, even if it be small and little, than that from slander and from injustice, even if it be much and well-prepared; for the scripture says: “Better is a little that the righteous has than the great riches of the wicked.” And if a widow eats from the impious and being filled prays for them, she will not be heard, because God, who knows the heart, has declared with judgment concerning the impious, saying: “If Moses and Samuel stood before my face on their behalf, I would not hear them; and do not pray for this people, nor ask that they be pitied, nor approach me concerning them, because I will not hear you.” Moreover, not only will those who are in sin and have not repented not be heard when they pray, but they also provoke God by reminding Him of their own wickedness. Avoid, therefore, such ministries as the price of a dog and the wages of a prostitute; for both are forbidden by the laws. For neither did Elisha accept the things brought from Hazael, nor Ahijah those from Jeroboam; and if the prophets of God did not accept gifts from the impious, it is right that neither should you, O bishops. But also Simon the magician, offering money to me, Peter, and to John, tried to receive the priceless grace for a price; which we, not accepting, bound him with eternal curses, because he thought to obtain the gift of God not with goodwill toward God, but by an exchange of money. Flee, therefore, the contributions from a bad conscience to the altar of God; “For,” it says, “keep yourself from the unrighteous, and you will not be afraid, and terror will not come near you.” But if you say that these are the ones who give the alms, and if we do not receive from them, from where will the widows be served by us and the needy of the people be fed? You will hear from us that for this reason you received the gifts of the Levites, the fruit-offering of the people among you, so that you may have enough both for yourselves and for those in need, and not, being constrained by lack, receive from wicked men. But if the churches are so destitute, it is better for someone to perish, than from

78

Θεῷ πάντας τοὺς τοιούτους. Oἱ γὰρ παρὰ τοιούτων δεχόμενοι καὶ τρέφοντες χήρας καὶ ὀρφανοὺς ὑπεύθυνοι τῷ κριτηρίῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ γενήσονται, ὥσπερ καὶ Ἀδωνίας ὁ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείοις προφήτης παρακούσας Θεοῦ καὶ φαγὼν ἄρτον καὶ πιὼν ὕδωρ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ᾧ ἀπεῖπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος διὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἱεροβοὰμ ἀσέβειαν, καὶ ὑπὸ λέοντος ἀναιρεθείς. Ὁ γὰρ ἐκ κόπου διακονούμενος ἄρτος χήραις γνησίως δίκαιος μᾶλλον, κἂν ᾖ βραχὺς καὶ ὀλίγος, ἢ ὁ ἐκ συκοφαντίας καὶ ἐξ ἀδικίας, κἂν ᾖ πολὺς καὶ ἐξησκημένος· λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή· «Κρεῖσσον ὀλίγον τῷ δικαίῳ ὑπὲρ πλοῦτον ἁμαρτω λῶν πολύν.» Eἰ δὲ καὶ ἐξ ἀσεβῶν φαγοῦσα χήρα καὶ ἐμπλησθεῖσα προσεύξεται ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, οὐκ εἰσακουσθήσεται, ὅτι ὁ καρδιογνώστης Θεὸς μετὰ κρίσεως ἀπεφήνατο περὶ τῶν ἀσεβῶν λέγων· «Ἐὰν στῇ Μωϋσῆς καὶ Σαμουὴλ πρὸ προσώπου μου ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι αὐτῶν καὶ σὺ μὴ προσεύχου περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου καὶ μὴ ἀξίου ἐλεηθῆ ναι αὐτοὺς καὶ μὴ προσέλθῃς μοι περὶ αὐτῶν, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσακούσομαί σου.» Oὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις γενόμενοι καὶ μὴ μεταγνόντες οὐ μόνον οὐκ εἰσα κουσθήσονται προσευχόμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν παροξυ νοῦσιν ὑπομιμνήσκοντες αὐτὸν τῆς ἑαυτῶν μοχθηρίας. Περιΐστασθε οὖν τὰς τοιαύτας διακονίας ὡς ἄλλαγμα κυνὸς καὶ μίσθωμα πόρνης· ἑκάτερα γὰρ τοῖς νόμοις ἀπη γόρευται. Oὔτε γὰρ Ἐλισσαῖος τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Ἀζαὴλ προσκομισθέντα ἐδέξατο, οὔτε Ἀχίας τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Ἱερο βοάμ· εἰ δὲ οἱ τοῦ Θεοῦ προφῆται τὰ παρὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν οὐ προσήκαντο ξένια, δίκαιον μήτε ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἐπίσκοποι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ Σίμων ὁ μάγος ἐμοὶ Πέτρῳ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ χρήματα προσενεγκὼν ἐπειρᾶτο ὠνητὴν τὴν ἀτίμητον χάριν λήψεσθαι· ἅπερ μὴ προσηκάμενοι ἀραῖς αἰωνίοις αὐτὸν ἐδησάμεθα, ὅτι τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ εὐνοίᾳ τῇ πρὸς Θεόν, ἀλλὰ χρημάτων ἐναλλαγῇ ἐνόμισεν κτᾶσθαι. Φεύγετε οὖν τὰς δυσσυνειδήτους εἰς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσφοράς· «Ἄπεχε γάρ, φησίν, ἀπὸ ἀδίκου, καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσῃ καὶ τρόμος οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ σοι.» Ἀλλ' ἐὰν λέγητε, ὅτι οἱ διδόντες τὰς ἐλεημοσύνας οὗτοί εἰσιν, κἂν μὴ λάβωμεν παρ' αὐτῶν, πόθεν αἱ χῆραι ὑπηρετηθήσονται παρ' ἡμῶν καὶ οἱ ἐνδεεῖς τοῦ λαοῦ διατρα φῶσιν; Ἀκούσεσθε παρ' ἡμῶν, ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο ἐλάβετε δόματα λευϊτῶν, τὴν καρποφορίαν τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν λαοῦ, ἵνα ἐπαρκῆτε καὶ ἑαυτοῖς καὶ τοῖς δεομένοις, καὶ μὴ ἐνδείᾳ συνεχόμενοι παρὰ πονηρῶν λαμβάνητε. Eἰ δὲ οὕτως ἀποροῦσιν αἱ ἐκκλησίαι, λυσιτελεῖ τινα διαφθαρῆναι, ἢ παρ'