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not allowing one to think of friendship, or fellowship, or the salvation of one's own soul, but having completely turned them away from all things, it makes slaves of those it has captured, like some harsh tyranny. And the terrible thing about such a bitter slavery is that it even persuades them to be grateful; and the more they serve it, the more the pleasure increases. And in this way especially the disease becomes incurable, in this way the beast becomes hard to capture. This made Gehazi a leper instead of a disciple and a prophet; this destroyed Ananias and his companions; this made Judas a traitor; this corrupted the rulers of the Jews, who took bribes and became partners of thieves. This has brought in countless wars; filling the roads with blood, and the cities with 59.364 lamentations and wailing. This also has caused suppers to become unclean and tables accursed, and filled meals with lawlessness. For this reason Paul called it idolatry. But not even so did he cause fear. But why does he say idolatry? Many have money, and do not dare to use it, but dedicate it, passing it on untouched to their descendants and from their descendants, as if not daring to touch some votive offerings. And if they are ever forced to, they are disposed as if they had done something unlawful. And in another way too, just as the Greek reveres the wooden image, so you entrust your gold to doors and bolts, preparing a chest instead of a temple and placing it among silver vessels. But you do not worship it, as he does the wooden image? But you show every service toward it. Again, he would gladly give up his eyes and his soul, rather than the wooden image. The same is true for those who love gold. But I do not worship gold, one says. Nor does he worship the idol, he says, but the demon dwelling within. So too you, even if you do not worship the gold, you worship the demon that leaps upon your soul from the sight of the gold and from the desire for it. For the desire of avarice is more grievous than a demon, and many obey this more than others obey idols. For the latter often disobey, but the former yield in all things, and whatever it says to do, they obey. What does it say? Be an enemy, it says, an enemy of all; ignore nature, despise God, sacrifice yourself to me; and they obey in all things. And to the wooden images they sacrifice oxen and sheep; but avarice says: Sacrifice your own soul to me, and it persuades them. Do you see what kind of altars it has? What kind of sacrifices it accepts? The covetous will not inherit the kingdom of God; and not even so do they fear. And yet this desire is weaker than all others. For it is not innate, nor natural; for it would have been implanted from the beginning; but as it is, gold was not from the beginning, nor did anyone love gold. But if you wish, I will tell you whence the evil entered. Each one, envying the one before him, intensified the disease, and the one who went first provokes the one who is unwilling. For when they see splendid houses, and a multitude of fields, and herds of slaves, and silver vessels, and a great heap of clothes, they do everything to surpass them; so that the first become the cause for the second, and they for those after them. But if they wished to be sober-minded, they would not become teachers to others, or rather, not even for these is there an excuse. For there are also others who despise money. And who, he says, despises it? For the terrible thing is that because of great evil it seems to have become impossible, and no one is believed to be succeeding. I will tell you, then, of many in the cities, and in the mountains. And what is the profit? For not even by these will you become better. Besides, our subject is not now about these things, that you should empty your possessions; though I would wish it; but since your burden is greater, I do not compel you; but I advise you not to desire what belongs to others, so that you may share from your own possessions. We shall find many such men who are content with their own, who take care of their own affairs, and live from just labors. Why do we not envy and imitate these men? Let us consider those before us; have not their possessions remained, preserving only their names? So-and-so's bath, 59.365 and so-and-so's suburb,

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οὐ φιλίαν, οὐ κοινωνίαν, οὐ τὴν τῆς οἰκείας ψυχῆς σωτηρίαν ἐννοῆσαι συγχωροῦσα, ἀλλὰ καθάπαξ πάντων ἀποστήσασα, δούλους αὐτῆς ποιεῖ τοὺς ἁλόντας, καθάπερ τις τυραννὶς χαλεπή. Καὶ τὸ δεινὸν τῆς οὕτω πικρᾶς δουλείας, ὅτι καὶ χάριν αὐτοῖς ἔχειν ἀναπείθει· καὶ ὅσῳπερ ἂν αὐτῇ μᾶλλον δουλεύσωσι, τοσούτῳ τὰ τῆς ἡδονῆς αὔξεται. Καὶ ταύτῃ μάλιστα ἀνίατον τὸ νόσημα γίνεται, ταύτῃ δυσάλωτον τὸ θηρίον. Τοῦτο τὸν Γιεζῆ λεπρὸν ἀντὶ μαθητοῦ καὶ προφήτου πεποίηκε· τοῦτο τοὺς περὶ Ἀνανίαν ἀπώλεσε· τοῦτο τὸν Ἰούδαν προδότην εἰργάσατο· τοῦτο τοὺς Ἰουδαίων ἄρχοντας διέφθειρε, λαμβάνοντας δῶρα καὶ κοινωνοὺς κλεπτῶν γενομένους. Τοῦτο μυρίους πολέμους εἰσήγαγεν· αἱμάτων μὲν τὰς ὁδοὺς, θρήνων δὲ 59.364 καὶ οἰμωγῶν τὰς πόλεις πληρῶσαν. Τοῦτο καὶ δεῖπνα ἐποίησε γενέσθαι ἀκάθαρτα καὶ τραπέζας ἐναγεῖς, καὶ ἐδέσματα παρανομίας ἐνέπλησε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸ εἰδωλολατρείαν ἐκάλεσεν ὁ Παῦλος. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐφόβησε. ∆ιατί δὲ εἰδωλολατρείαν φησίν; Ἔχουσι πολλοὶ χρήματα, καὶ χρήσασθαι αὐτοῖς οὐ τολμῶσιν, ἀλλὰ ἀφιεροῦσιν, εἰς ἐγγόνους καὶ ἐξ ἐγγόνων παραπέμποντες ἀνέπαφα, καθάπερ τινῶν ἀναθημάτων οὐ τολμῶντες ἅψασθαι. Ἐὰν δέ ποτε καὶ ἀναγκασθῶσιν, ὥσπερ ἀθέμιτόν τι πράξαντες, οὕτω διάκεινται. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ, ὥσπερ τὸ ξόανον περιέπει ὁ Ἕλλην· οὕτω σὺ τὸ χρυσίον θύραις πιστεύεις καὶ μοχλοῖς, ἀντὶ ναοῦ τὸ κιβώτιον κατασκευάζων καὶ ἐναποτιθέμενος σκεύεσιν ἀργυροῖς. Ἀλλ' οὐ προσκυνεῖς, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος τὸ ξόανον; Ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ἐπιδείκνυσαι περὶ αὐτὸ θεραπείαν. Πάλιν ἐκεῖνος ἡδέως ἂν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν πρόοιτο, ἢ τὸ ξόανον. Τοῦτο καὶ οἱ τὸ χρυσίον φιλοῦντες. Ἀλλ' οὐ προσκυνῶ τὸ χρυσίον, φησίν. Οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνος τὸ εἴδωλον, φησὶ, προσκυνεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐνοικοῦντα δαίμονα. Οὕτω καὶ σὺ, κἂν μὴ τὸ χρυσίον προσκυνῇς, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως τοῦ χρυσίου καὶ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐπιπηδῶντά σου τῇ ψυχῇ δαίμονα. ∆αίμονος γὰρ χαλεπώτερον τῆς φιλαργυρίας ἡ ἐπιθυμία, καὶ ταύτῃ πολλοὶ μᾶλλον πείθονται, ἢ ἕτεροι τοῖς εἰδώλοις. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ πολλὰ παρακούουσιν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ πάντα εἴκουσι, καὶ ὅπερ ἂν εἴπῃ ποιῆσαι, πείθονται. Τί λέγει; Πολέμιος ἔσο, φησὶν, ἐχθρὸς ἁπάντων· ἀγνόει τὴν φύσιν, καταφρόνει Θεοῦ, κατάθυσόν μοι σαυτόν· καὶ πάντα πείθονται. Καὶ τοῖς μὲν ξοάνοις βοῦς καὶ πρόβατα θύουσιν· ἡ δὲ φιλαργυρία λέγει· Θῦσόν μοι τὴν σαυτοῦ ψυχὴν, καὶ πείθει. Ὁρᾷς οἵους ἔχει βωμούς; οἷα δέχεται θύματα; Βασιλείαν Θεοῦ οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν οἱ πλεονέκται· καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτω δεδοίκασι. Καίτοι γε πάντων ἡ ἐπιθυμία αὕτη ἀσθενεστέρα. Οὐ γὰρ ἔμφυτος, οὐδὲ φυσική· ἦ γὰρ ἂν παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐνετέθη· νῦν δὲ χρυσίον οὐκ ἦν ἄνωθεν, οὐδὲ ἤρα τις χρυσίου. Ἀλλ' εἰ βούλεσθε, λέγω πόθεν εἰσῆλθε τὸ κακόν. Ἕκαστος τὸν πρὸ αὐτοῦ ζηλοῦντες ἐπέτεινον τὸ νόσημα, καὶ τὸν οὐ βουλόμενον ὁ προλαβὼν ἐρεθίζει. Ὅταν γὰρ ἴδωσιν οἰκίας λαμπρὰς, καὶ πλῆθος ἀγρῶν, καὶ ἀνδραπόδων ἀγέλας, καὶ ἀργυρᾶ σκεύη, καὶ πολὺν ἱματίων φορυτὸν, πάντα πράττουσιν, ὥστε ὑπερβαλέσθαι· ὥστε οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν δευτέρων αἴτιοι γίνονται, κἀκεῖνοι τῶν μετ' αὐτούς. Εἰ δὲ ἐβούλοντο σωφρονεῖν, οὐκ ἂν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐγίνοντο διδάσκαλοι, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τούτοις ἔστιν ἀπολογία. Εἰσὶ γὰρ καὶ ἕτεροι χρημάτων καταφρονοῦντες. Καὶ τίς, φησὶ, καταφρονεῖ; Τὸ γὰρ δεινὸν, ὅτι ὑπὸ πολλῆς κακίας εἰς ἀδύνατον δοκεῖ περιεστάναι, καὶ οὐδὲ πιστεύεταί τις κατορθῶν. Εἴπω τοίνυν πολλοὺς τοὺς ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι, καὶ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι. Καὶ τί τὸ κέρδος; οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπὸ τούτων ἔσεσθε βελτίους. Ἄλλως δὲ, οὐ περὶ τούτων ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος νῦν, ὥστε κενῶσαι τὰ ὄντα· ἐβουλόμην δέ· πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ μεῖζον ὑμῶν τὸ φορτίον, οὐκ ἀναγκάζω· ἀλλ' ὥστε μὴ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐφίεσθαι παραινῶ, ὥστε ἐκ τῶν ὄντων μεταδιδόναι. Πολλοὺς δὲ τοιούτους εὑρήσομεν τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀρκουμένους, τῶν ἑαυτῶν ἐπιμελουμένους, καὶ ἀπὸ δικαίων ζῶντας πόνων. ∆ιατί μὴ τούτους ζηλοῦμεν καὶ μιμούμεθα; Ἐννοήσωμεν τοὺς πρὸ ἡμῶν· οὐχὶ τὰ κτήματα αὐτῶν ἕστηκε, μόνον τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν διασώζοντα; τοῦ δεῖνος τὸ βαλα 59.365 νεῖον, καὶ τοῦ δεῖνος τὸ προάστειον,