Chapter XXVI.

How long standing an evil love of money is, is plain from many examples in the Old Testament. And yet it is plain, too, how idle a thing the possession of money is.

129. But man’s habits have so long applied themselves to this admiration of money, that no one is thought worthy of honour unless he is rich.527    Cic. de Off. II. 20, § 71. This is no new habit. Nay, this vice (and that makes the matter worse) grew long years ago in the hearts of men. When the city of Jericho fell at the sound of the priests’ trumpets, and Joshua the son of Nun gained the victory, he knew that the valour of the people was weakened through love of money and desire for gold. For when Achan had taken a garment of gold and two hundred shekels of silver and a golden ingot528    “linguam auream.” Other readings are: “lineam auream,” or “regulam auream.” from the spoils of the ruined city, he was brought before the Lord, and could not deny the theft, but owned it.529    Josh. vii. 21.

130. Love of money, then, is an old, an ancient vice, which showed itself even at the declaration of the divine law; for a law was given to check it.530    Ex. xx. 17. On account of love of money Balak thought Balaam could be tempted by rewards to curse the people of our fathers.531    Num. xxii. 17. Love of money would have won the day too, had not God bidden him hold back from cursing. Overcome by love of money Achan led to destruction all the people of the fathers. So Joshua the son of Nun, who could stay the sun from setting, could not stay the love of money in man from creeping on. At the sound of his voice the sun stood still, but love of money stayed not. When the sun stood still Joshua completed his triumph, but when love of money went on, he almost lost the victory.

131. Why? Did not the woman Delilah’s love of money deceive Samson, the bravest man of all?532    Judg. xvi. 6. So he who had torn asunder the roaring lion with his hands;533    Judg. xiv. 6. who, when bound and handed over to his enemies, alone, without help, burst his bonds and slew a thousand of them;534    Judg. xv. 14, 15. who broke the cords interwoven with sinews as though they were but the slight threads of a net; he, I say, having laid his head on the woman’s knee, was robbed of the decoration of his victory-bringing hair, that which gave him his might. Money flowed into the lap of the woman, and the favour of God forsook the man.535    Judg. xvi. 20.

132. Love of money, then, is deadly. Seductive is money, whilst it also defiles those who have it, and helps not those who have it not. Supposing that money sometimes is a help, yet it is only a help to a poor man who makes his want known. What good is it to him who does not long for it, nor seek it; who does not need its help and is not turned aside by pursuit of it? What good is it to others, if he who has it is alone the richer for it? Is he therefore more honourable because he has that whereby honour is often lost, because he has what he must guard rather than possess? We possess what we use, but what is beyond our use brings us no fruit of possession, but only the danger of watching.

101 CAPUT XXVI.

Quam vetus malum sit avaritia, multis veteris testamenti exemplis clarum esse; hincque praeterea patere quam inanis sit pecuniarum possessio.

0137D 129. Caeterum ita incubuerunt mores hominum admiratione divitiarum, ut nemo nisi dives honore dignus putetur. Neque hic recens usus: sed jamdudum, quod pejus est, inolevit hoc vitium humanis mentibus. Siquidem cum Hiericho magna civitas 0138A tubarum sacerdotalium sono corruisset, et Jesus Nave potiretur victoria, cognovit infirmatam esse virtutem populi per avaritiam, atque auri cupiditatem. Nam cum de spoliis urbis incensae sustulisset Achar vestem auream, et ducenta argenti didrachmata, et linguam auream, oblatus Domino negare non potuit, sed prodidit furtum (Josue VII, 19 et seq.).

130. Vetus igitur et antiqua avaritia est, quae cum ipsius divinae legis coepit oraculis, immo propter ipsam reprimendam lex delata est. Propter avaritiam Balach putavit Balaam praemiis posse tentari, ut malediceret populum patrum: et vicisset avaritia, nisi Dominus a maledicto eum abstinere jussisset (Num. XXII, 7 et seq.). Propter avaritiam praecipitatus Achar, in exitium deduxerat totam plebem 0138B parentum. Itaque Jesus Nave, qui potuit solem statuere, ne procederet (Josue X, 12, 13), avaritiam hominum non potuit sistere, ne serperet. Ad vocem ejus sol stetit, avaritia non stetit. Sole itaque stante, confecit Jesus triumphum: avaritia autem procedente, pene amisit victoriam.

131. Quid fortissimum omnium Samson, nonne Dalilae mulieris avaritia decepit? Itaque ille qui rugientem leonem manibus discerpsit suis, qui vinctus et alienigenis traditus, sine ullo adjutore solus dissolutis vinculis, mille ex his peremit viros: qui funes intextis nervis velut mollia sparti fila disrupit; is super genua mulieris inflexa cervice truncatus, invicti crinis ornatum, praerogativam suae virtutis amisit. Influxit pecunia in gremium mulieris, et a 0138C viro discessit gratia (Judic. XVI, 5 et seq.).

132. Feralis igitur avaritia, illecebrosa pecunia, quae habentes contaminat, non habentes non juvat . Esto tamen ut aliquando adjuvet pecunia, inferiorem tamen et ipsam desiderantem. Quid ad eum qui non desiderat, qui non requirit, qui auxilio ejus non indiget, studio non flectitur? Quid ad alios, si sit ille copiosior qui habet? Numquid idcirco honestior; quia habet quo honestas plerumque amittitur, quia habet quod custodiat magis quam quod possideat? Illud enim possidemus quo utimur: 102 quod autem ultra usum est, non utique habet possessionis fructum, sed custodiae periculum.