PL 38 · cols. 523–529

Augustine, Sermones 83-88 (Classis I, de Scripturis)

Sermon LXXXVI

divitibus domum; sed habetis commune coelum, communem lucem. Sufficientiam quaerite, quod sufficit quaerite, plus nolite. Caetera gravant, non sublevant; onerant, non honorant. Quaestus magnus, pietas cum sufficientia. In primis pietas. Pietas est Dei cultus. Pietas cum sufficientia. Nihil enim intulimus in hunc mundum. An attulisti hoc aliquid? Sed nec vos, divites, aliquid attulistis. Totum hic invenistis, cum pauperibus nudi nati estis. Communis est in utroque infirmitas corporis; communis vagitus, miseriarum testis. Nihil enim intulimus in hunc mundum (pauperibus loquitur); sed nec auferre aliquid possumus. Victum et tegumentum habentes, his contenti simus. Nam qui volunt divites fieri. Qui volunt fieri; non, Qui sunt. Nam qui sunt, sint. Quod ad illos pertinet audierunt, ut divites sint in operibus bonis, facile tribuant, communicent.

the rich a house; but you have a common sky, a common light. Seek sufficiency, seek what suffices, do not want more. The rest weighs down, it does not lift up; it burdens, it does not honour. Great gain is godliness with sufficiency. Godliness first of all. Godliness is the worship of God. Godliness with sufficiency. For we brought nothing into this world. Did you bring anything here? But neither did you, the rich, bring anything. You found everything here; you were born naked along with the poor. Common to both is the weakness of the body; common is the wailing, the witness of miseries. For we brought nothing into this world (he is speaking to the poor); but neither can we carry anything away. Having food and covering, let us be content with these. For those who wish to become rich. Who wish to become; not, Who are. For those who are, let them be so. What concerns them they have heard: that they be rich in good works, give readily, share.

CAPUT VI. — Audierunt ipsi. Vos qui nondum estis, audite. Qui volunt divites fieri, incidunt in tentationem et laqueos, et desideria multa et noxia. Non timetis? Audite quod sequitur: Quae mergunt homines in interitum et perditionem. Non times? Radix est enim omnium malorum avaritia. Avaritia est, velle esse divitem, non jam esse divitem. Ipsa est avaritia. Mergi non times in interitum et perditionem? Non times radicem omnium malorum avaritiam? De agro tuo exstirpas radicem spinarum, et non exstirpas de corde tuo radicem malarum cupiditatum? Purgas ⟨a⟩grum tuum, unde fructum capiat venter tuus; et non purgas cor tuum, ubi habitet Deus tuus? ⟨R⟩adix est enim omnium malorum avaritia: quam quidam sequentes, a fide pererraverunt, et inseruerunt se doloribus multis (I Tim. VI, 17-19, 6-10).

Chapter VI. — They themselves have heard. You who are not yet [rich], hear. Those who wish to become rich fall into temptation and snares, and many and harmful desires. Do you not fear? Hear what follows: Which plunge men into ruin and perdition. Do you not fear? For the root of all evils is avarice. Avarice is wanting to be rich, not being rich already. That is avarice. Do you not fear to be plunged into ruin and perdition? Do you not fear avarice, the root of all evils? From your field you root out the root of thorns, and from your heart you do not root out the root of evil desires? You clean your field, so that your belly may take fruit from it; and you do not clean your heart, where your God may dwell? For the root of all evils is avarice: following which, some have strayed from the faith and entangled themselves in many sorrows (1 Tim. 6:17–19, 6–10).

7. Conclusio. Audistis quid faciatis, audistis quid timeatis, audistis unde ematur regnum coelorum, audistis unde impediatur regnum coelorum. Omnes in verbo Dei concordate. Et divitem et pauperem Deus fecit. Scriptura loquitur: Dives et pauper occurrerunt sibi; fecit autem ambos Dominus (Prov. XXII, 2). Dives et pauper occurrerunt sibi. In qua via, nisi in ista vita? Natus est dives, natus est pauper. Occurristis vobis pariter ambulantes viam. Tu noli premere, tu noli fraudare. Iste eget, ille habet. Fecit autem ambos Dominus. Per eum qui habet, juvat egentem: per eum qui non habet, probat habentem. Audivimus, diximus: timeamus, caveamus, oremus, perveniamus.

7. Conclusion. You have heard what you are to do, you have heard what you are to fear, you have heard whereby the kingdom of heaven is bought, you have heard whereby the kingdom of heaven is hindered. All of you, be of one accord in the word of God. God made both the rich man and the poor man. Scripture says: The rich man and the poor man have met each other; but the Lord made them both (Prov. 22:2). The rich man and the poor man have met each other. On what road, if not in this life? The rich man is born, the poor man is born. You have met each other walking the road together. Do not oppress, do not defraud. This one lacks, that one has. But the Lord made them both. Through him who has, He helps the one in need; through him who has not, He tests the one who has. We have heard, we have spoken: let us fear, let us beware, let us pray, let us arrive.

SERMO LXXXVI. De verbis Evangelii Matthaei, cap. XIX, 21, Vade, vende omnia quae habes, et da pauperibus, etc.

Sermon 86. On the words of the Gospel of Matthew, chap. 19:21, Go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, etc.

CAPUT PRIMUM. — 1. Thesaurus in coelo reponendus. Sursum cor. Evangelium nos admonuit lectione praesenti, de thesauro coelesti loqui Charitati vestrae. Neque enim, sicut infideles avari putant,

Chapter I. — 1. Treasure to be laid up in heaven. Lift up your heart. The Gospel in the present reading has admonished us to speak to your Charity about heavenly treasure. For neither, as the faithless avaricious think,

Editors' notes and page, col. 523

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: diximus: timeamus› · call in col 523

Colbertinus Ms., teneamus.

The Colbertinus manuscript: "teneamus" [let us hold].

(printed under page 268)

(2) ‹anchor: et da pauperibus› · call in col 523

In quibusdam libris inscribitur, de Avaritia et Luxuria. In Colbertino, de Thesauro coelesti. Vindingus autem ex Augustini verbis, n. 17, inscribendum censet, de faciendis Eleemosynis.

In some books it is entitled "On Avarice and Luxury"; in the Colbertinus, "On the Heavenly Treasure." Vindingus, however, from Augustine's words in n. 17, judges that it should be entitled "On Giving Alms."

(*) ‹anchor: SERMO LXXXVI› · call in col 523 Exemplaria habuimus tria scripta, scilicet cl. cb. s. cum excusis Ulim. Par. et Lov.

We had three manuscript copies, namely cl., cb., s., together with the printed editions Ulim., Par. and Lov.

(printed under page 268)

(a) ‹anchor: SERMO LXXXVI› · call in col 523

Alias, de Diversis 43.

Formerly, On Various Subjects 43.

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other: Q1a: misprint kept as printed: "An attulisti hoc aliquid" (hoc for huc; the English renders huc, "here"). UNSURE: o against u is not certain at this resolution; if the page prints huc, the source word is to be set huc
other: Q1a: the English opening was mended to read whole after col 522, which ends "in common with"

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Deus noster perdere nos voluit res nostras: si bene intelligatur, et pie credatur, et devote accipiatur quod praeceptum est nobis; non nobis praecepit ut perderemus, sed locum ostendit ubi poneremus. Nemo enim potest nisi cogitare de thesauro suo, et quodam cordis itinere divitias suas sequi. Si ergo in terra obruuntur, ima petit cor: si autem in coelo reservantur, sursum erit cor. Si ergo volunt facere Christiani quod norunt se etiam profiteri: neque enim hoc omnes qui audiunt noverunt; atque utinam non frustra noverint, qui noverunt: qui ergo vult cor sursum habere, ibi, ibi ponat quod amat; et in terra positus carne, cum Christo habitet corde: et sicut Ecclesiam praecessit caput ejus, sic christianum praecedat cor ejus. Quomodo membra itura sunt quo praecessit caput Christus, sic iterum resurgens iturus est quo nunc praecesserit cor hominis. Eamus ergo hinc, ex qua parte possumus: sequetur totum nostrum quo praecesserit aliquid nostrum. Domus terrena ruinosa est: domus coelestis aeterna est. Quo venire disponimus, ante migremus.

did our God will us to lose our possessions, if what has been commanded us is well understood, and piously believed, and devoutly received: He did not command us to lose them, but showed us a place where we should put them. For no one can do otherwise than think of his treasure, and follow his riches by a certain journey of the heart. If, then, they are buried in the earth, the heart seeks the depths; but if they are kept in heaven, the heart will be on high. If, then, Christians wish to do what they know they also profess (for not all who hear this know it; and would that those who know it may not know it in vain), whoever, then, wishes to have his heart on high, let him put there, there, what he loves; and, though placed on earth in the flesh, let him dwell with Christ in his heart; and as its Head went before the Church, so let his heart go before the Christian. As the members are to go where Christ the Head has gone before, so a man, rising again, is to go where his heart has now gone before. Let us, therefore, go hence by the part that we can: the whole of us will follow where something of ours has gone before. The earthly house is ruinous; the heavenly house is eternal. Where we intend to come, let us move there beforehand.

CAPUT II. — 2. Consilium salutis petens, nec lubenter audiens. Deus ipse servat quod pauperi datur. Audivimus divitem quemdam a bono magistro quaerentem consilium adipiscendae vitae aeternae. Magnum erat quod amabat, et vile erat quod contemnere nolebat. Itaque perverso corde audiens quem jam dixerat magistrum bonum, majore amore vilitatis, possessionem perdidit charitatis. Nisi vitam aeternam consequi vellet, consilium de habenda vita aeterna non requireret. Quid ergo est, fratres, ut verba ejus quem magistrum bonum ipse dixerat, de fideli doctrina sibi deprompta respueret? Magister ille bonus est antequam doceat; cum docuerit, malus? Antequam doceret, dictus est bonus. Non audivit quod voluit, sed audivit quod debuit: desiderans venerat, sed tristis abscessit. Quid, si ei diceretur, Perde quod habes? quando tristis abscessit, quia dictum est, Bene serva quod habes. Vade, inquit, vende omnia quae habes, et da pauperibus. Forte times ne perdas? Vide quid sequitur: Et habebis thesaurum in coelo. Custodem tibi thesaurorum tuorum forte servulum aliquem posuisses: custos auri tui erit Deus tuus. Qui dedit in terra, ipse servat in coelo. Fortassis non dubitasset ille Christo commendare quod habebat, et ideo contristatus est, quia dictum est ei, Da pauperibus: tanquam in corde suo dicens, Si diceres, Da mihi, ego tibi in coelo servabo; non dubitarem dare Domino meo, magistro bono: nunc autem dixisti, Da pauperibus.

Chapter II. — 2. One who asks counsel for salvation, yet does not hear it gladly. God Himself keeps what is given to the poor. We have heard of a certain rich man asking a good master for counsel on gaining eternal life. Great was what he loved, and vile was what he was unwilling to despise. And so, hearing with a perverse heart him whom he had already called good master, through a greater love of vileness he lost the possession of charity. Had he not wished to attain eternal life, he would not have sought counsel about having eternal life. What then is it, brethren, that he should reject the words, drawn out for him from faithful teaching, of Him whom he himself had called good master? Is that master good before He teaches, and bad when He has taught? Before He taught, He was called good. He did not hear what he wanted, but he heard what he ought: he had come desiring, but he went away sad. What if he had been told, Lose what you have? when he went away sad because he was told, Keep well what you have. Go, He says, sell all that you have, and give to the poor. Perhaps you fear lest you lose it? See what follows: And you will have treasure in heaven. As guardian of your treasures you would perhaps have set some little slave: the guardian of your gold will be your God. He Who gave on earth Himself keeps in heaven. Perhaps that man would not have hesitated to entrust to Christ what he had, and was therefore saddened because he was told, Give to the poor; as if saying in his heart, If You said, Give to Me, I will keep it for you in heaven, I would not hesitate to give to my Lord, the good master; but now You have said, Give to the poor.

CAPUT III. — 3. Deus in paupere accipit. Fenus pium et fenus iniquum. Nemo timeat erogare pauperibus; nemo putet eum accipere cujus manum videt. Ille accipit qui jussit ut dares. Neque hoc ex nostro corde aut humana conjectura dicimus: ipsum audi et te monentem, et tibi securitatem scribentem. Esurivi, inquit, et dedistis mihi manducare. Et cum enumeratis officiis eorum respondissent, Quando te vidimus esurientem? ille respondit, Cum uni ex minimis

Chapter III. — 3. God receives in the poor man. Godly interest and wicked interest. Let no one fear to pay out to the poor; let no one think that he receives whose hand he sees. He receives Who commanded you to give. Nor do we say this out of our own heart or by human conjecture: hear Him Himself both warning you and writing you a guarantee. I was hungry, He says, and you gave Me to eat. And when, their services having been enumerated, they had answered, When did we see You hungry? He replied, When to one of the least

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meis fecistis, mihi fecistis. Mendicat pauper, sed accipit dives : das ei qui consumat, accipit ille qui reddat. Neque hoc redditurus quod accipit : fenerari se voluit, plus promittit quam dederis. Exsere nunc avaritiam tuam, te puta feneratorem. Certe si esses, objurgareris ab Ecclesia, confutareris verbo Dei, exsecrarentur te omnes fratres tui, tanquam crudelem feneratorem, de lacrymis alienis acquirere cupientem. Esto fenerator, nemo te prohibet. Pauperi vis dare, qui quando reddiderit planget : da idoneo, qui etiam hortatur ut recipias quod promittit.

of Mine you did it, you did it to Me. The poor man begs, but the rich Man receives: you give to one who consumes, He receives who will repay. And He will not merely repay what He receives: He has willed to borrow at interest, He promises more than you will have given. Bring out your avarice now, consider yourself a moneylender. Certainly, if you were one, you would be rebuked by the Church, refuted by the word of God, all your brothers would execrate you as a cruel moneylender, desiring to gain from the tears of others. Be a moneylender; no one forbids you. You want to give to a poor man, who will lament when he repays: give to a sound [debtor], who even urges you to receive what He promises.

CAPUT IV. — 4. Deus creditores ipse ut recipiant convenit. Da Deo, et conveni Deum. Imo da Deo, et ut recipias conveneris. Certe in terra quaerebas debitorem tuum : quaerebat et ille, sed ubi se absconderet a facie tua. Adieras judicem et dixeras : Jube illum debitorem meum conveniri. Ille audito hoc, discedit, et nec salutare te quaerit : cui forte egenti salutem commodando praestiteras. Habes ergo cui eroges. Da Christo; ipse te convenit ultro, ut recipias, et mirantem quia aliquid a te accepit. Nam illis ad dexteram positis ultro ipse dicet : Venite, benedicti Patris mei. Quo? Venite, percipite regnum quod vobis paratum est ab origine mundi. Pro qua re? Esurivi, et dedistis mihi manducare; sitivi, et dedistis mihi potum; nudus eram, et vestistis me; hospes, et adduxistis; aeger et in carcere, et visitastis. Et illi : Domine, quando te vidimus? Quid est hoc? Convenit debitor, et creditores excusant. Non vult eos fidelis debitor falli. Recipere dubitatis? Accepi, et ignoratis? Et respondet quemadmodum accepit : Cum uni ex minimis meis fecistis, mihi fecistis (Matth. XXV, 34-40). Non accepi per me : accepi per meos. Quod illis datum est, ad me pervenit : securi estote, non perdidistis. Minus idoneos attendebatis in terra : idoneum habetis in coelo. Ego, inquit, accepi, ego reddam.

Chapter IV. — 4. God Himself summons His creditors to receive. Give to God, and summon God. Rather, give to God, and you will be summoned to receive. Certainly on earth you used to look for your debtor: and he too was looking, but for where he might hide from your face. You had gone to the judge and had said: Order this debtor of mine to be summoned. Having heard this, he goes away, and does not even seek to greet you, though perhaps, when he was in need, you had furnished him with safety by lending. So you have One to whom you may pay out. Give to Christ; He summons you of His own accord, that you may receive, and you marvelling that He received anything from you. For to those placed at the right hand He Himself will say of His own accord: Come, blessed of My Father. To where? Come, receive the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the origin of the world. For what? I was hungry, and you gave Me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was naked, and you clothed Me; a stranger, and you brought [Me] in; sick and in prison, and you visited. And they: Lord, when did we see Thee? What is this? The debtor summons, and the creditors excuse themselves. The faithful debtor does not want them to be mistaken. Do you hesitate to receive? I received, and you do not know? And He answers how He received: When you did it to one of the least of Mine, you did it to Me (Matt. 25:34–40). I did not receive through Myself: I received through My own. What was given to them came to Me: be secure, you have not lost it. On earth you were looking to less sound [debtors]: you have a sound One in heaven. I, He says, received, I will repay.

5. Quid pro terrenis reddat. Et quid accepi? quid reddo? Esurivi, inquit, et dedistis mihi manducare, et caetera. Terram accepi, coelum dabo : temporalia accepi, aeterna restituam : panem accepi, vitam dabo. Imo etiam hoc dicamus, Panem accepi, panem dabo : potum accepi, potum dabo : hospitium accepi, domum dabo : aeger visitatus sum, salutem dabo : in carcere visus sum, libertatem dabo. Panis quem dedistis pauperibus meis, consumptus est : panis quem ego dabo, et reficit et non deficit. Det ergo nobis panem, panis ille qui de coelo descendit. Cum panem dabit, se ipsum dabit.

5. What He repays for earthly things. And what did I receive? What do I repay? I was hungry, He says, and you gave Me to eat, and the rest. I received earth, I will give heaven: I received temporal things, I will restore eternal ones: I received bread, I will give life. Rather, let us even say this: I received bread, I will give bread: I received drink, I will give drink: I received hospitality, I will give a home: I was visited when sick, I will give health: I was seen in prison, I will give liberty. The bread which you gave to My poor has been consumed: the bread which I will give both refreshes and does not run out. Let Him therefore give us bread, that bread which came down from heaven. When He gives bread, He will give Himself.

CAPUT V. — Quid enim volebas, quando fenerabas? Nummos dare, et nummos accipere : sed pauciores dare, plures accipere. Ego tibi, inquit Deus, omnia quae dedisti, in melius commutabo. Si enim dares libram argenti et reciperes libram auri, quanto capereris gaudio? Inspice, et interroga avaritiam : Libram argenti dedi, libram auri recipio. Quid

Chapter V. — For what did you want when you lent at interest? To give coins and to receive coins: but to give fewer, to receive more. I, says God, will exchange for the better all that you have given. For if you gave a pound of silver and received a pound of gold, with how great a joy would you be seized? Look, and question avarice: I gave a pound of silver, I receive a pound of gold. What

Editors' notes and page, col. 525

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 525

Editi, et ut recipias conveni. Pauloque post, sed ubi se absconderat. Castigantur subsidio Corbeiensis manuscripti.

The printed editions: "and, that you may get it back, I have summoned." And a little further on: "but where he had hidden himself." They are corrected with the help of the Corbie manuscript.

(printed under page 269)

(2) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 525

Sic Mss. Editi vero, cui forte te quaerenti commodando salutem egenti praestiteras.

So the manuscripts. The printed editions, however: "to whom perhaps, when he sought you out, by lending you had afforded relief in his need."

(printed under page 269)

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simile argentum et aurum? Magis ergo, quid simile terra et coelum? Et aurum et argentum hic erat relicturus: tu autem hic non perpetuo mansurus. Et aliud dabo, et plus dabo, et melius dabo, et aeternum dabo. Sic ergo compescatur avaritia nostra, fratres, ut alia quae sancta est, inflammetur. Omnino quae vos prohibet ne bene faciatis, male vos alloquitur: dominae malae servire vultis, non agnoscentes Dominum bonum. Et aliquando duae dominae occupant cor, et servum malum dignum servire talibus, in diversa discindunt.

likeness have silver and gold? All the more, then, what likeness is there between earth and heaven? He was going to leave both the gold and the silver here, and you are not going to remain here for ever. "I will both give something else, and give more, and give better, and give what is eternal." So then let our avarice be restrained, brethren, so that the other one, which is holy, may be set on fire. Indeed she who forbids you to do good speaks evilly to you: you want to serve a bad mistress, not recognizing the good Lord. And sometimes two mistresses take possession of the heart, and tear apart in different directions the bad servant, who is worthy to serve such ones.

CAPUT VI. — 6. Dominae duae contraria jubentes, avaritia et luxuria. Aliquando possident hominem duae dominae contrariae, avaritia et luxuria. Avaritia dicit, Serva: luxuria dicit, Eroga. Sub duabus dominis diversa jubentibus, diversa exigentibus, quid facturus es? Habent allocutiones suas ambae. Et quando coeperis nolle obtemperare, et in libertatem tuam ire; quia jubere non possunt, blandiuntur. Et plus sunt cavenda earum blandimenta, quam jussa. Quid dicit avaritia? Serva tibi, serva filiis tuis. Si egebis, nemo tibi dabit. Noli ad tempus vivere: consule tibi in futurum. Contra luxuria: Vive cum vivis, fac bene cum anima tua. Moriturus es, et quando nescis: cui relicturus es, an sit possessurus ignoras. Tu demis et subtrahis gutturi tuo: ille forte cum mortuus fueris, calicem super te non ponet; aut si forte calicem ponet, ipse inebriabitur, ad te nulla stilla descendet. Fac ergo bene cum anima tua, quando potes, cum potes. Aliud jubebat avaritia: Serva tibi, consule tibi in posterum. Aliud luxuria: Eroga, fac cum anima tua bene.

Chapter VI. — 6. Two mistresses giving contrary commands, avarice and luxury. Sometimes two contrary mistresses possess a man, avarice and luxury. Avarice says, "Save"; luxury says, "Spend." Under two mistresses commanding different things, demanding different things, what are you going to do? Both have their own ways of addressing you. And when you begin to be unwilling to obey, and to go off into your freedom, since they cannot command, they coax. And their coaxings are more to be guarded against than their commands. What does avarice say? "Save for yourself, save for your children. If you are in want, no one will give to you. Do not live for the moment: provide for yourself for the future." Luxury on the other hand: "Live while you live, do well by your soul. You are going to die, and you do not know when; you do not know whether the one to whom you are going to leave it will possess it. You take it away and withhold it from your own throat: he perhaps, when you have died, will not set a cup over you; or if perhaps he does set a cup, he himself will get drunk, and not a drop will come down to you. So do well by your soul when you can, while you can." Avarice was commanding one thing: "Save for yourself, provide for yourself for the future." Luxury another: "Spend, do well by your soul."

CAPUT VII. — 7. Ab earum jugo Christus liberat. Taedeat te, o liber in libertatem vocate; taedeat te talium dominarum servitus. Agnosce Redemptorem tuum, Manumissorem tuum. Illi servi: faciliora jubet, contraria non jubet. Amplius audeo dicere. Contraria jubebant avaritia et luxuria, ita ut ambabus obtemperare non posses: et dicebat una, Serva tibi, et consule in posterum: dicebat alia, Eroga, fac bene cum anima tua. Procedat Dominus tuus eadem dicturus, et contraria non dicturus Redemptor tuus. Si nolueris, domui ejus non est necessarius qui servit invitus. Attende Redemptorem tuum, attende pretium tuum. Venit ut redimat, sanguinem fudit. Charum te habuit, quem tam caro emerat. Agnoscis qui emerit, attende unde redimat. Taceo de caeteris superbe in te dominantibus vitiis: innumerabilibus enim malis dominis serviebas. Has duas dico jubentes contraria, in diversa rapientes, avaritiam et luxuriam. Eripe te ab his, veni ad Deum tuum. Si servus eras iniquitatis, esto servus justitiae. Verba quae tibi dicebant, et contraria jubebant, ipsa audis a Domino tuo, et non contraria jubet. Verba earum non tollit: sed potestatem tollit. Quid tibi dicebat avaritia? Serva tibi, consule in posterum. Verbum non mutatur, homo mutatur. Jam si placet, compara consulentes. Illa avaritia est, ista justitia.

Chapter VII. — 7. Christ frees from their yoke. Let it weary you, O free man called into freedom; let the servitude of such mistresses weary you. Recognize your Redeemer, your Emancipator. Serve Him: He commands easier things, He does not command contrary things. I dare to say more. Avarice and luxury were commanding contrary things, so that you could not obey both: and the one was saying, "Save for yourself, and provide for the future"; the other was saying, "Spend, do well by your soul." Let your Lord come forward, who will say the same things, and your Redeemer, who will not say contrary things. If you are unwilling, he who serves unwillingly is not needed in His house. Consider your Redeemer, consider your price. He came to redeem, He shed His blood. He held you dear, whom He had bought so dearly. You recognize Who bought you; consider from what He redeems. I say nothing of the other vices proudly lording it over you: for you were serving innumerable bad masters. I speak of these two which command contrary things, which drag you in different directions, avarice and luxury. Rescue yourself from them, come to your God. If you were the servant of iniquity, be the servant of justice. The very words which they were saying to you, while commanding contrary things, you hear from your Lord, and He does not command contrary things. He does not take away their words, but He takes away their power. What was avarice saying to you? "Save for yourself, provide for the future." The word is not changed; the man is changed. Now, if you please, compare the counsellors. The one is avarice, the other justice.

8. Avaritiae consilium imprudens. Ipsa contraria discute.

8. The counsel of avarice is imprudent. Examine the contrary things themselves.

Editors' notes and page, col. 526

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Serva tibi, inquit avaritia. Pene te velle obtemperare: interroga ubi serves. Illa tibi monstratura est munitum locum, muratum cubiculum, arcam ferream. Omnia muni: forte domesticus fur etiam interiora perrumpet; et cum pecuniae tuae consulis, vitae tuae timebis. Forte dum multum servas, qui vult eripere, cogitat et occidere. Postremo adversus fures licet quocumque munimine thesaurum tuum et vestem tuam communias; communi ea adversus rubiginem et tineam. Quid facturus es? Non est foris hostis auferens, sed est intus absumens.

"Keep for yourself," says avarice. Suppose that you are willing to comply: ask where you are to keep it. It will show you a fortified place, a walled chamber, an iron chest. Fortify everything: perhaps a thief of your own household will break even into the inner parts; and while you provide for your money, you will fear for your life. Perhaps, while you keep much, he who wants to snatch it is planning to kill as well. Finally, granted that you fortify your treasure and your clothing against thieves with whatever defence you like, fortify them against rust and moth. What are you going to do? It is not an enemy outside carrying it off, but one within consuming it.

CAPUT VIII. — 9. Aliud stolidum consilium. Non ergo bonum consilium dedit avaritia. Ecce jussit ut serves, et non invenit dare locum ubi serves. Dicat etiam consequentia, Consule in posterum. In quantum posterum? In dies paucos et incertos. Dicit, Consule in posterum, homini fortassis victuro nec in crastinum. Sed ecce vivat quantum putat avaritia, non quantum ostendit, non quantum docet, non quantum fidit: sed quantum putat vixerit, senuerit, finierit; adhuc senex incurvus, baculo innixus, lucrum quaerit, et audit avaritiam dicentem, Consule in posterum. In quod posterum? Jam exspirans loquitur. Propter filios tuos, inquit. Utinam vel illos senes non avaros haberemus, qui filios non habent. Etiam ipsis, etiam talibus, etiam iniquitatem suam nulla pietatis imagine excusantibus non cessat dicere, Consule in posterum. Sed forte ipsi cito erubescunt: illos videamus qui filios habent, utrum certi sint filios suos possessuros esse quae reliquerint. Intendant cum vivunt, filios aliorum, alios alienis improbitatibus quod habuerant amittentes, alios propria nequitia quod possederant consumentes: et remanent inopes filii divitum. Parcite nasci servi avaritiae. Sed possidebunt hoc, inquit, filii mei. Incertum est: non dico, Falsum est; sed quod feceris, incertum est. Postremo, fac certum: quid eis vis relinquere? Quod acquisisti tibi. Certe quod acquisisti relictum non erat, et habes. Si tu habere potuisti quod tibi relictum non est, poterunt ergo habere et illi quod tu non reliqueris.

Chapter VIII. — 9. Another foolish counsel. So avarice has not given good counsel. See, it has ordered you to keep, and it has not found a place to give you where you may keep. Let it say also what follows: "Provide for the future." For how much of a future? For a few uncertain days. It says, "Provide for the future," to a man who will perhaps not live even until tomorrow. But look, let him live as long as avarice supposes, not as long as it shows, not as long as it teaches, not as long as it trusts: but as long as it supposes, let him have lived, grown old, come to his end; still, an old man bent over, leaning on a staff, he seeks gain, and hears avarice saying, "Provide for the future." For what future? He is already breathing his last as he speaks. "For the sake of your sons," it says. Would that we at least had those old men free of avarice who have no sons. Even to them, even to such as these, who excuse their iniquity with no semblance of fatherly devotion, it does not cease to say, "Provide for the future." But perhaps they themselves quickly blush: let us look at those who have sons, whether they are certain that their sons will possess what they have left. Let them observe, while they are living, the sons of others, some losing what they had had through the dishonesty of others, some consuming what they had possessed through their own wickedness: and the sons of the rich remain destitute. Refrain from being born, slaves of avarice. "But my sons," it says, "will possess this." It is uncertain: I do not say, "It is false"; but what you will have done is uncertain. Finally, make it certain: what do you want to leave them? What you acquired for yourself. Surely what you acquired had not been left to you, and you have it. If you could have what was not left to you, then they too will be able to have what you will not have left them.

CAPUT IX. — 10. Consilium Dei id jubentis quod avaritia. Refutata sunt consilia avaritiae: sed Dominus eadem dicat, justitia jam loquatur: ipsa erunt verba, non ipsa sententia. Serva tibi, ait Dominus tuus, consule in posterum. Et hunc interroga, Ubi servabo? Habebis thesaurum in coelo: ubi fur non accedet, neque tinea corrumpet. In quantum posterum servabis? Venite, benedicti Patris mei, percipite regnum quod vobis paratum est ab origine mundi. Hoc regnum quantorum dierum est, ostendit finis ipse sententiae. Cum de sinistris diceret, Sic ibunt illi in ambustionem aeternam; ait de dexteris, Justi autem in vitam aeternam (Matth. XXV, 34, 46). Hoc est consulere

Chapter IX. — 10. The counsel of God commanding the same thing as avarice. The counsels of avarice have been refuted: but let the Lord say the same things, let justice now speak: the words will be the same, the meaning not the same. "Keep for yourself," says your Lord, "provide for the future." Ask Him too, "Where shall I keep it?" "You will have treasure in heaven": where no thief will approach, nor moth corrupt. For how much of a future will you keep it? "Come, blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the origin of the world." Of how many days this kingdom is, the very end of the sentence shows. When He was speaking about those on the left, "So those will go into everlasting burning"; He said about those on the right, "But the just into life everlasting" (Matt. 25:34, 46). This is providing

Editors' notes and page, col. 527

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: quod possederant consumentes› · call in col 527

Editi, alios alienis improbitatibus quod possederant consumentes. Melius Mss., propria nequitia.

The printed editions: "others consuming what they had possessed through other men's villainies." Better the manuscripts: "through their own wickedness."

(printed under page 270)

(2) ‹anchor: servi avaritiae› · call in col 527

Iste locus corruptus videtur. An ita legendum, Parci, tenaces, servi avaritiae? — Lov. in margine ferunt hanc lectionis varietatem: « Alias, Parcite nosci servi avaritiae. » M.

This place seems corrupt. Should it be read thus: "Sparing, tight-fisted, slaves of avarice"? — The Louvain editors give this variant reading in the margin: "Otherwise, Forbear to be known as slaves of avarice." M.

(printed under page 270)

(3) ‹anchor: sed quod feceris› · call in col 527

Corbeiensis Ms., sed feceris; omisso, quod.

The Corbie manuscript: "sed feceris," with "quod" omitted.

(printed under page 270)

(a) ‹anchor: Jam exspirans› · call in col 527

Forte, exspiranti.

Perhaps "exspiranti" [to one breathing his last].

(printed under page 270)

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in posterum. Posterum, quod posteriora non habeat. Dies illi sine fine, dicti sunt dies, et dictus est dies. Ait enim quidam, Ut habitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum (Psal. XXII, 6), cum de illis diebus diceret. Et dies dictus est, Ego hodie genui te (Psal. II, 7). Et illi dies unus dies; quia jam nec tempus: dies ille nec ab hesterno praeceditur, nec crastino excluditur. Ergo in ipsum posterum consulamus: et non diversa sunt verba, quae tibi dicebat avaritia; et eversa est avaritia.

for the hereafter. A hereafter which has nothing after it. Those days without end have been called days, and it has been called a day. For someone says, That I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days (Ps. 22:6), when he was speaking of those days. And it has been called a day: Today have I begotten Thee (Ps. 2:7). And those days are one day, for now there is not even time: that day is neither preceded by yesterday nor shut out by tomorrow. Therefore let us take counsel for that hereafter itself: and the words which avarice used to say to you are not different; and avarice has been overthrown.

11. — Avarorum falsa pietas in filios. Filio mortuo sua pars est transmittenda. Restat ut dicas: Et quid ago de filiis meis? Audi et inde consilium Domini tui. Si tibi dicat Dominus tuus, Melius ego cogito qui creavi, quam tu qui generasti: forte quod dicas non habebis. Sed divitem illum aspecturus es qui tristis abscessit, et in Evangelio reprehensus est; et dices tibi forte: Ille dives ideo male fecit non vendere omnia, et dare pauperibus, quia filios non habebat: ego autem habeo filios; habeo quibus servem. Et in hac infirmitate consistit tibi Dominus tuus.

11. — The false devotion of the avaricious towards their sons. When a son has died, his share must be sent on to him. It remains for you to say: And what am I to do about my sons? Hear on that too the counsel of your Lord. If your Lord should say to you, I Who created take better thought than you who begot: perhaps you will have nothing to say. But you are going to look at that rich man who went away sad and was reproved in the Gospel; and perhaps you will say to yourself: That rich man did wrong in not selling everything and giving to the poor because he had no sons; but I have sons; I have those for whom I may keep it. And in this weakness your Lord stands by you.

CAPUT X. — Audeam dicere per ejus misericordiam: audeam dicere aliquid, non de mea praesumptione, sed de ipsius miseratione. Serva et filiis tuis: sed audi me. Si, ut sunt humana, de filiis quisque suis aliquem amiserit: intendite, fratres, intendite, quia avaritia excusationem non habet, neque h⟨i⟩c, neque in futuro saeculo. Ecce et humana sunt: non enim optamus, sed exempla conspicimus. Amissus est aliquis christianus, christianum filium amisisti: non ergo amisisti, sed praemisisti. Neque enim ille decessit, sed praecessit. Interroga fidem tuam: certe et tu illo iturus es, quo ille antecessit. Rem brevem dico, cui puto quod nemo respondeat. Vivit filius tuus? Interroga fidem tuam. Si ergo vivit, quare invaditur pars ejus a fratribus ejus? Sed dices: Numquid rediturus est, et possessurus? Mittatur ergo illi quo praecessit ille: ad rem suam venire non potest, res ejus ad eum ire potest. Vide cum quo sit. Si in palatio militaret filius tuus, et amicus Imperatoris fieret, et diceret tibi, Vende ibi partem meam, et mitte mihi: numquid invenires quid responderes? Modo cum Imperatore omnium imperatorum, et cum Rege omnium regum, et cum Domino omnium dominorum est filius tuus: mitte illi. Non dico, Necessarium habet ipse: Dominus ipsius, apud quem est filius tuus, eget in terra. Hic vult accipere quod dat in coelo. Quod facere nonnulli avari solent, fac trajectitium: da in peregrinos, quod recipias in patria tua.

Chapter X. — Let me dare to speak through His mercy: let me dare to say something, not out of my own presumption, but out of His compassion. Keep [something] for your sons too: but hear me. If, as human things go, anyone has lost one of his sons: attend, brethren, attend, for avarice has no excuse, neither here nor in the world to come. See, these too are human things: for we do not wish it, but we see examples of it. Some Christian has been lost, you have lost a Christian son: then you have not lost him, but sent him on ahead. For he has not departed, but gone on before. Question your faith: surely you too are going to go there, whither he has gone ahead. I say a short thing, to which I think no one can reply. Is your son alive? Question your faith. If then he is alive, why is his share seized by his brothers? But you will say: Is he going to come back and take possession? Then let it be sent to him where he has gone before: he cannot come to his property, his property can go to him. See with whom he is. If your son were serving as a soldier in the palace, and became a friend of the Emperor, and said to you, Sell my share there and send it to me: would you find anything to answer? Now your son is with the Emperor of all emperors, and with the King of all kings, and with the Lord of all lords: send to him. I do not say, He himself has need: his Lord, with Whom your son is, is in need on earth. Here He wishes to receive what He gives in heaven. Do what some avaricious men are accustomed to do, make a remittance: give to strangers what you may receive back in your own homeland.

CAPUT XI. — 12. Mortuo debetur, quod vivo servabatur. Postremo jam de te nihil; de filio tuo loquor. Dubitas dare tuum, dubitas et reddere alienum: certe convinceris, quia non filiis tuis servabas. Ecce non das filiis tuis, quia tolles filiis tuis. Huic certe tolles. Quare indignus est accipere, quia cum digniore vivit? Merito si ille cum quo vivit nollet accipere, jam domui tuae, sed domui divinae dives. Absit ergo ut tibi dicam, Da quod habes: sed dico tibi, Redde quod

Chapter XI. — 12. What was being kept for the living is owed to the dead. Finally now, nothing about you; I speak of your son. You hesitate to give what is yours, you hesitate also to give back what is another's: surely you are convicted of not keeping it for your sons. See, you do not give to your sons, for you will take away from your sons. From this one, certainly, you will take away. Why is he unworthy to receive, because he lives with One more worthy? Rightly so, if He with Whom he lives were unwilling to receive; [but he is] rich now, [not] for your house, but for the divine house. Far be it, then, from me to say to you, Give what you have: but I say to you, Give back what

Editors' notes and page, col. 528

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: domui divinae dives› · call in col 528

Lov., si domui divinae dives. M.

Lov.: "if rich for the divine house." M.

(printed under page 270)

(a) ‹anchor: consilium Domini tui› · call in col 528

Vide supra, sermonem 9, nn. 20, 21.

See above, sermon 9, nn. 20, 21.

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debes. Sed habebunt illud, ais, fratres illius. O mala doctrina, docens filios tuos mortem optare fratribus suis! Si de re fratris sui mortui ditiores erunt, vide quemadmodum se attendant in domo tua. Quid ergo facies? Patrimonium dividis, et parricidia doces?

you owe. "But his brothers will have it," you say. O evil teaching, teaching your sons to wish death on their brothers! If they will be richer from the property of their dead brother, see how they will watch one another in your house. What then will you be doing? You divide a patrimony, and you teach parricides?

13. — Christus filiis annumerandus in patrimonii divisione. Sed nolo dicere de uno amisso, ne casus humanos videar minari. Melius quodam modo prosperiusque loquamur. Non dico, unum minus habebis, computa quia unum plus habes. Fac locum Christo cum filiis tuis, accedat familiae tuae Dominus tuus, accedat ad prolem Creator tuus, accedat ad numerum filiorum tuorum frater tuus. Cum enim tantum intersit, et frater esse dignatus est. Et cum sit Patri Unicus, voluit habere cohaeredes. Ecce ille quam largiter! tu quare tam steriliter? Duos filios habes, tertium illum computa: tres habes, quartus numeretur: quintum habes, sextus dicatur: decem habes, undecimus sit. Nolo amplius dicere: unius filii tui serva locum Domino tuo. Quod enim dabis Domino tuo, et tibi proderit et filiis tuis: quod autem male servas filiis tuis, et tibi oberit et filiis. Dabis autem portionem un⟨a⟩m, quam unius filii deputasti. Deputa te unum amplius genuisse.

13. — Christ to be counted among the sons in the division of the patrimony. But I do not wish to speak of one who has been lost, lest I seem to be threatening human misfortunes. Let us speak in a better and, in a way, a more prosperous manner. I do not say, "You will have one fewer"; reckon that you have one more. Make room for Christ along with your sons; let your Lord be added to your household, let your Creator be added to your offspring, let your Brother be added to the number of your sons. For though the difference is so great, He has deigned even to be a brother. And though He is the Only One of the Father, He willed to have co-heirs. See how generously He acts! Why do you act so barrenly? You have two sons: count Him a third. You have three: let Him be numbered a fourth. You have five: let Him be called a sixth. You have ten: let Him be the eleventh. I do not wish to say more: keep the place of one son of yours for your Lord. For what you give to your Lord will profit both you and your sons; but what you wrongly keep for your sons will harm both you and your sons. And you will give one portion, which you had assigned to one son. Reckon that you have begotten one more.

CAPUT XII. — 14. Avaritiae excusatio sublata. Quid m⟨a⟩gnum, fratres mei? Consilium do, numquid guttur ligo? Sicut ait Apostolus: Haec ad utilitatem vestram dico, non ut laqueum vobis injiciam (I Cor. VII, 35). Puto, fr⟨a⟩tres, quia parva et facilis cogitatio est, putare patrem filiorum habere unum filium amplius, et comparare talia pr⟨ae⟩dia quae possideas in aeternum, et ipse et filii tui. Quid dicat avaritia non habet. Clamastis ad verba ista. Loquimini contra illam, non vos vincat, non plus valeat in cordibus vestris, quam Redemptor vester. Non plus valeat in corde vestro, quam ille qui monet ut sursum corda habeamus. Jam ergo istam dimittamus.

Chapter XII. — 14. The excuse of avarice removed. What great thing [is this], my brothers? I give advice; am I tying anyone's throat? As the Apostle says: This I say for your benefit, not to cast a snare upon you (1 Cor. 7:35). I think, brothers, that it is a small and easy thought for the father of sons to consider that he has one son more, and to acquire such estates as you may possess for ever, both you yourself and your sons. Avarice has nothing to say. You cried out at these words. Speak against her; let her not overcome you, let her not prevail more in your hearts than your Redeemer. Let her not prevail more in your heart than He who admonishes us to have our hearts lifted up. Now then let us leave her.

15. — Christus contra luxuriam idem consulit quod luxuria. Dives imprudens. Luxuria quid dicit? Quid? Fac cum anima tua bene. Ecce dicit et Dominus: Fac cum anima tua bene. Quod tibi dicebat luxuria, hoc tibi dicit justitia. Sed vide et hic quomodo dicatur. Si cum anima tua vis facere bene, attende illum divitem qui ex consilio luxuriae et avaritiae volebat cum anima sua bene facere. Successit ei regio, et non habebat ubi reconderet fructus suos, et ait: Quid faciam? non habeo quo colligam. Inveni quid faciam: destruam apothecas veteres, et novas aedificabo, et replebo eas, et dicam animae meae: Habes multa bona, jucundare. Audi consilium contra luxuriam: Stulte, anima tua hac nocte auferetur abs te: quae praeparasti, cujus erunt (Luc. XII, 16-20)? Et quo itura est anima ista, quae auferetur ab illo? Hac nocte auferetur, et nescit quo itura est.

15. — Christ, against self-indulgence, counsels the same thing as self-indulgence. The foolish rich man. What does self-indulgence say? What? Do well by your soul. See, the Lord also says: Do well by your soul. What self-indulgence used to say to you, justice says to you. But see here too how it is meant. If you wish to do well by your soul, consider that rich man who, on the counsel of self-indulgence and avarice, wanted to do well by his soul. His land prospered for him, and he had nowhere to store his fruits, and he said: What shall I do? I have nowhere to gather them. I have found what I shall do: I will pull down the old storehouses, and I will build new ones, and I will fill them, and I will say to my soul: You have many goods; make merry. Hear the counsel against self-indulgence: Fool, this night your soul shall be taken from you; the things you have prepared, whose will they be? (Luke 12:16–20). And where is that soul going to go, which will be taken from him? This night it will be taken, and he does not know where it is going to go.

CAPUT XIII. — 16. Dives alter luxuriosus. Vide alium divitem luxuriosum, superbum. Epulabatur quotidie splendide, et induebatur purpura et bysso: et pauper ulcerosus jacebat ad januam, micas de

Chapter XIII. — 16. Another self-indulgent rich man. See another rich man, self-indulgent and proud. He feasted splendidly every day, and was clothed in purple and fine linen; and a poor man covered with sores lay at his gate, crumbs from

Editors' notes and page, col. 529