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when they first believed. He ought, then, to have asked the contrary, that he might receive the Holy Spirit; but he, since he had no care for this, asks that he might give it to others. And yet they did not receive this so as to give it; but this man wished to become more distinguished than Philip, being among the disciples. Your money perish with you. This is not the language of one cursing, but of one correcting. For since he did not use it for what was needed, "Let it be yours," he says, "to such a one as you." As one might say, "Let it perish along with your purpose, because you think so little of the gift of God, that you expected the matter to be altogether human; it is not this." If, then, he had approached as he ought to have approached, he would have been accepted, he would not have been driven away as a pest. Do you see that he who imagines small things about great things sins doubly? He commands him two things, then: Repent and pray, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. So evil was the thing he had thought of. For this reason he also said, "If perhaps it may be forgiven you," because he knew he was incorrigible. But he again fears the multitude, and is afraid to refuse. And yet if he had not been troubled, he would have said, "I did not know, I acted out of simplicity;" but he was astonished, first by that, that he was captured by the signs; and second by this, that the things in his mind were made manifest. For this reason he then went far away to Rome, as if the Apostle would not reach there. And they preached the gospel, it says, to many villages of the Samaritans. See how even their journeys were full of action; they did not make them simply. We too ought to make such journeys abroad. And why do I say journeys abroad? Many have villages and estates, and they do not care, nor do they give any thought to them; but how there might be a bath-house, and how the revenues might be increased, and how courtyards, and how buildings might be constructed, they take great pains; but how souls might be cultivated, no longer. And you, if you see thorns beside the field, you cut, burn, and destroy them, so as to rid the land of the damage from them; but seeing the farmers themselves full of thorns, and not cutting them out, do you not fear and 60.147 tremble, tell me, at Him who will demand an account from you for these things also? For should not each of the faithful build a church, get a teacher to assist, and before all things consider this, how all might be Christians? How, tell me, will the farmer be a Christian, seeing you so neglectful of his salvation? You cannot perform signs and persuade? Persuade with what you have, with kindness, with patronage, with gentleness, with courtesy, with all other things. And many build marketplaces and bath-houses, but not churches; and everything else rather than this. Therefore I exhort and beseech and ask it as a favor, or rather I even lay it down as a law, that no one be found having an estate destitute of a church. Do not tell me: "It is nearby, it is in the neighborhood; the expense is great, the income is not much." If you have anything to spend on the poor, spend it there; it is better there than here; support a teacher, support a deacon and a priestly order. As if taking a wife or a bride, or giving a daughter, so be disposed toward the Church; give it a dowry. Thus your estate will be filled with blessing. For what good thing will not be there? is it a small thing, tell me, for the winepress to be blessed? is it a small thing, for God to receive first a portion and firstfruits from all your fruits? This is useful for the peace of the farmers. The presbyter will then be respected, and this will contribute to the security of the estate. There will be continual prayers there because of you, hymns and gatherings because of you, an offering every Lord's Day. What a greater wonder it is, for others to build splendid tombs, so that those after may hear that so-and-so built it, but for you to raise up churches! Consider that until the coming of Christ you who have raised up an altar of God will have the reward. 5. For tell me, if a king ordered you to build a house, that he might lodge there, would you not have done everything? Now then, the building of the church is a palace of Christ. Do not look at the expense, but reckon the fruit; they cultivate the land, you cultivate their souls;

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ὅτε πρῶτον ἐπίστευσαν. ∆έον οὖν τοὐναντίον αἰτῆσαι, ἵνα λάβῃ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον· ὁ δὲ, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἔμελεν αὐτῷ τούτου, ἵνα διδῷ ἑτέροις αἰτεῖ. Καίτοι ἐκεῖνοι οὐκ ἔλαβον τοῦτο ὥστε διδόναι· ἀλλ' ἤθελεν οὗτος Φιλίππου γενέσθαι λαμπρότερος, ὁ ἐν τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὤν. Τὸ ἀργύριόν σου σὺν σοὶ εἴη εἰς ἀπώλειαν. Οὐκ ἐπαρωμένου ταῦτά ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ παιδεύοντος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰς δέον αὐτῷ οὐκ ἐχρήσατο, Σοὶ, φησίν, ἔστω τῷ τοιούτῳ. Ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις· Συναπόλοιτο μετὰ τῆς προαιρέσεώς σου, ὅτι οὕτω μικρὰ φρονεῖς περὶ τῆς δωρεᾶς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι προσεδόκησας ὅλως ἀνθρώπινον εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα· οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο. Εἰ γοῦν προσῆλθεν, ὡς ἔδει προσελθεῖν, κἂν ἀπεδέχθη, κἂν ὡς λοιμὸς οὐκ ἠλάθη. Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι ὁ μικρὰ περὶ μεγάλων φανταζόμενος διπλᾶ ἁμαρτάνει; ∆ύο τοίνυν αὐτῷ κελεύει· Μετανόησον καὶ δεήθητι, εἰ ἄρα ἀφεθήσεταί σοι ἡ ἐπίνοια τῆς καρδίας σου. Οὕτως ἦν ἐπινοήσας τι πονηρόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ εἶπεν, Εἰ ἄρα ἀφεθήσεταί σοι, ὅτι ᾔδει ἀδιόρθωτον ὄντα. Ὁ δὲ πάλιν δέδοικε τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ φοβεῖται ἀρνήσασθαι. Καίτοι εἰ μὴ ἐθορυβήθη, εἶπεν ἂν, ὅτι Οὐκ ᾔδειν, ὅτι ἀφελῶς ἐποίησα· ἀλλ' ἐξεπλάγη, πρώτῳ μὲν ἐκείνῳ, ὅτι ἑάλω τοῖς σημείοις· δευτέρῳ δὲ τούτῳ, τῷ τὰ ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ αὐτοῦ φανερὰ γενέσθαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μακρὰν καὶ ἀπῄει λοιπὸν εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην, ὡς οὐ φθάνοντος ἐκεῖ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου. Πολλάς τε, φησὶ, κώμας τῶν Σαμαρειτῶν εὐηγγελίσαντο. Ὅρα, πῶς καὶ αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῖς ἔμπρακτοι ἦσαν· ἀλλ' οὐχὶ ἁπλῶς ἐποιοῦντο αὐτάς. Τοιαύτας καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀποδημίας ἔδει ποιεῖσθαι. Καὶ τί λέγω ἀποδημίας; Πολλοὶ κώμας ἔχουσι καὶ χωρία, καὶ οὐ μέλει αὐτοῖς, οὐδὲ ποιοῦνταί τινα λόγον· ἀλλ' ὅπως μὲν βαλανεῖον γένοιτο, καὶ ὅπως τὰ τιμήματα ἐπιταθείη, καὶ ὅπως αὐλαὶ, καὶ ὅπως οἰκοδομήματα κατασκευασθείη, πολλὴν σπουδὴν ποιοῦνται· ὅπως δὲ ψυχαὶ γεωργηθεῖεν, οὐκέτι. Καὶ σὺ μὲν, ἂν ἀκάνθας παρὰ τὴν ἄρουραν ἴδῃς, τέμνεις, καίεις, ἀφανίζεις, ὥστε τὴν γῆν ἀπαλλάξαι τῆς ἐντεῦθεν λύμης· ὁρῶν αὐτοὺς δὲ τοὺς γεωργοὺς ἀκανθῶν γέμοντας, καὶ οὐκ ἐκτέμνων, οὐ δέδοικας καὶ 60.147 φρίττεις, εἰπέ μοι, τὸν μέλλοντά σε καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτων ἀπαιτεῖν λόγον; Οὐ γὰρ ἐχρῆν ἕκαστον τῶν πιστῶν ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖν, διδάσκαλον λαμβάνειν πρὸς τὸ συναίρεσθαι, πρὸ πάντων τοῦτο σκοπεῖν, ὅπως ἅπαντες εἶεν Χριστιανοί; Πῶς, εἰπέ μοι, Χριστιανὸς ἔσται ὁ γεωργὸς, ὁρῶν σὲ οὕτως ἀμελοῦντα τῆς αὑτοῦ σωτηρίας; Οὐ δύνασαι ποιῆσαι σημεῖα καὶ πεῖσαι; Οἷς ἔχεις πεῖσον, φιλανθρωπίᾳ, προστασίᾳ, ἡμερότητι, κολακείᾳ, τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι. Καὶ ἀγορὰς μὲν καὶ βαλανεῖα ποιοῦσιν οἱ πολλοὶ, ἐκκλησίας δὲ οὐχί· καὶ πάντα μᾶλλον, ἢ τοῦτο. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ καὶ ἀντιβολῶ καὶ χάριν αἰτῶ, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ νόμον τίθημι, ὥστε μηδένα ὀφθῆναι ἔρημον ἐκκλησίας χωρίον ἔχοντα. Μή μοι εἴπῃς· Πλησίον ἐστὶν, ἐκ γειτόνων ἐστί· πολλή ἐστιν ἡ δαπάνη, οὐ πολλὴ ἡ πρόσοδος. Εἴ τι ἔχεις εἰς πένητας ἀναλῶσαι, ἐκεῖ ἀνάλωσον· βέλτιον ἐκεῖ, ἢ ἐνταῦθα· θρέψον διδάσκαλον, θρέψον διάκονον καὶ ἱερατικὸν σύστημα. Ὡσανεὶ γυναῖκα ἀγαγὼν ἢ νύμφην, ἢ δοὺς θυγατέρα, οὕτω τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ διάκεισο· προῖκα ἐπίδος αὐτῇ. Οὕτω σοι εὐλογίας τὸ χωρίον πληρωθήσεται. Τί γὰρ οὐκ ἔσται ἐκεῖ τῶν ἀγαθῶν; μικρὸν, εἰπέ μοι, τὸν ληνὸν εὐλογεῖσθαι; μικρὸν, ἐξ ὅλων τῶν καρπῶν τῶν σῶν τὸν Θεὸν πρότερον ἀπόμοιραν καὶ ἀπαρχὰς λαμβάνειν; Πρὸς εἰρήνην τῶν γεωργούντων τοῦτο χρήσιμον. Αἰδέσιμος ἔσται καὶ ὁ πρεσβύτερος λοιπὸν, καὶ πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τοῦ χωρίου συμβαλεῖται τοῦτο. Εὐχαὶ ἐκεῖ διηνεκεῖς διὰ σὲ, ὕμνοι καὶ συνάξεις διὰ σὲ, προσφορὰ καθ' ἑκάστην Κυριακήν. Οἷόν ἐστιν εἰς θαῦμα μεῖζον, τοῦ τάφους μὲν ἑτέρους οἰκοδομῆσαι λαμπροὺς, ἵνα οἱ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀκούωσιν, ὅτι ὁ δεῖνα ᾠκοδόμησε, σὲ δὲ ἐκκλησίας ἀναστῆσαι! Ἐννόησον, ὅτι μέχρι τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίας σὺ τὸν μισθὸν ἕξεις ὁ ἀναστήσας θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ. εʹ. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἰ βασιλεύς σοι ἐκέλευσεν οἰκοδομῆσαι οἰκίαν, ἵνα ἐκεῖ καταλύοι, οὐκ ἂν πάντα ἐποίησας; Νῦν οὖν βασίλειά ἐστι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἡ οἰκοδομή. Μὴ τὸ ἀνάλωμα ἴδῃς, ἀλλὰ τὸν καρπὸν λόγισαι· γεωργοῦσιν ἐκεῖνοι τὴν γῆν, σὺ γεώργησον αὐτῶν τὰς ψυχάς·