PL 39 · cols. 1909–1912

Appendix to Augustine's Sermones: Sermones supposititii, Sermones 77-93

Sermons LXXXV–LXXXVI

PL 39:1909

vive, ut quotidie merearis accipere. Qui non meretur quotidie accipere, non meretur post annum accipere. Quomodo sanctus Job quotidie pro filiis offerebat sacrificium, ne forte aliquid vel in corde vel in sermone peccassent. Ergo tu audis, quod quotiescumque offertur sacrificium, mors Domini, resurrectio Domini, elevatio Domini significetur, et remissio peccatorum, et panem istum vitae nostrae quotidianum non assumis? Qui vulnus habet, medicinam requirit. Vulnus est, quia sub peccato sumus: medicina est coeleste et venerabile Sacramentum. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie. Quotidie si accipis, quotidie tibi hodie est. Tibi hodie est Christus, tibi quotidie resurgit. Quomodo? Filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te (Psal. II, 7). Hodie est, quando Christus resurgit. Heri et hodie ipse est (Hebr. XIII, 8), Paulus apostolus ait. Sed et alibi dicit, Nox praecessit, dies autem appropinquavit (Rom. XIII, 12). Nox hesterna praecessit, dies hodiernus appropinquavit.

live that you may deserve to receive daily. He who does not deserve to receive daily does not deserve to receive after a year. Just as holy Job daily offered sacrifice for his sons, lest perhaps they had sinned in anything, either in heart or in speech. So you hear that whenever the sacrifice is offered, the death of the Lord, the resurrection of the Lord, the lifting up of the Lord is signified, and the remission of sins, and do you not take this daily bread of our life? He who has a wound seeks medicine. The wound is that we are under sin: the medicine is the heavenly and venerable Sacrament. Give us this day our daily bread. If you receive daily, daily it is today for you. For you Christ is today, for you He rises daily. How? Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee (Ps. 2:7). It is today when Christ rises. He is yesterday and today (Heb. 13:8), says Paul the apostle. But elsewhere too he says, The night has gone before, but the day has drawn near (Rom. 13:12). Yesterday's night has gone before, today's day has drawn near.

4. Aliis dimittendum, ut nobis dimittat Deus. Qui se Deo committit in tentationibus, diabolum non timet. Sequitur, Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Debitum quid est, nisi peccatum? Ergo si non accepisses alieni fenoris pecuniam, non egeres: et ideo peccatum tibi imputatur. Habuisti pecuniam, cum qua dives nascereris. Dives eras, ad imaginem Dei et similitudinem factus; perdidisti quod habebas, hoc est, humilitatem: dum arrogantiam desideras vindicare, perdidisti pecuniam. Sicut Adam nudus es factus, accepisti a diabolo debitum, quod non erat necessarium: et ideo qui eras liber in Christo, debitor factus es diabolo. Cautionem tuam tenebat inimicus: sed eam Dominus crucifixit, et suo cruore delevit; abstulit debitum tuum, reddidit libertatem. Bene ergo ait, Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Vide quid dicas. Quomodo ego dimitto, sic et tu dimitte mihi. Si dimiseris, bene convenit, ut dimittatur tibi: si non dimittis, quomodo eum convenis? Et ne patiaris nos induci in tentationem quam ferre non possumus: sed libera nos a malo. Vide quid dicat, quam ferre non possumus. Non dicit, Non inducas nos in tentationem; sed quasi athleta talem vult tentationem, quam ferre possit humana conditio, et unusquisque ut a malo, hoc est, ab inimico, et a peccato liberetur. Potens est autem Dominus qui abstulit peccatum vestrum, et delicta vestra donavit, tueri et custodire vos adversum diaboli adversantis insidias, ut non vobis obrepat inimicus, qui culpam generare consuevit. Sed qui Deo se committit, diabolum non timet: si enim Deus pro nobis, quis contra nos (Id. VIII, 31)? Ipsi ergo laus et gloria a saeculis, et nunc et semper, et in omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

4. Others must be forgiven, so that God may forgive us. He who commits himself to God in temptations does not fear the devil. There follows, And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. What is a debt, except sin? So if you had not received money at another's interest, you would not be in want: and therefore sin is imputed to you. You had money, with which you would have been born rich. You were rich, made to the image and likeness of God; you lost what you had, that is, humility: while you desire to lay claim to arrogance, you lost the money. Like Adam you were made naked; you received from the devil a debt which was not necessary: and so you who were free in Christ were made a debtor to the devil. The enemy held your bond: but the Lord crucified it, and blotted it out with His blood; He took away your debt, He restored freedom. Well then does he say, Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. See what you are saying: As I forgive, so do Thou also forgive me. If you have forgiven, it is fitting that it be forgiven you: if you do not forgive, how do you call Him to account? And do not suffer us to be led into temptation which we cannot bear: but deliver us from evil. See what he says: which we cannot bear. He does not say, Lead us not into temptation; but like an athlete he wants such temptation as the human condition can bear, and that each one may be freed from evil, that is, from the enemy, and from sin. Now the Lord, Who took away your sin and pardoned your offences, is able to protect and guard you against the snares of the opposing devil, so that the enemy, who is accustomed to engender guilt, may not creep up on you. But he who commits himself to God does not fear the devil: for if God is for us, who is against us (Rom. 8:31)? To Him therefore be praise and glory from the ages, both now and always, and unto all ages of ages. Amen.

SERMO LXXXV. De verbis Evangelii Lucae, cap. XI, Quis vestrum habebit amicum, etc. deque Joannis cap. XVI, Usque modo nihil petistis, etc.

Sermon 85. On the words of the Gospel of Luke, chapter 11, Which of you shall have a friend, etc., and on John chapter 16, Until now you have asked nothing, etc.

1. Orandi Dei incitamenta. Pius et dives Deus. Facilis accessus. Angeli prompti ad nuntiandum Domino quis janua⟨m⟩ pulsaverit. Oratio sit instans et perseverans. Suavis Dominus et mitis, fratres charissimi, habet januam pietatis, nec repellit inde pulsantes, sed culpat potius negligentes. Neque enim aliquid petitur quod non habeat, ut cum non dederit, erubescat. Dives est et pius, affluens et benignus; dat et non improperat: imo tunc thesauri domus ejus tristitiam patiuntur, quando desunt delectabilia fastidia petitionum.

1. Incentives to praying to God. God loving and rich. Easy access. The angels ready to announce to the Lord who has knocked at the door. Let prayer be urgent and persevering. The Lord is sweet and gentle, dearest brethren; He has a door of loving-kindness, and does not drive away from it those who knock, but rather blames the negligent. For nothing is asked which He does not have, so that, when He has not given, He should blush. He is rich and loving, abounding and kind; He gives and does not upbraid: nay rather, the treasures of His house suffer sadness at the time when there are lacking the delightful importunities of petitions.

Editors' notes and page, col. 1909

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 1909

In manuscriptis nonnullis, quotidie

In some manuscripts: quotidie ("daily").

(printed under page 217)

(2) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 1909

Manuscripti non pauci, arrogantia. Duo alii, dum te per arrogantiam.

Not a few manuscripts: arrogantia ("by arrogance"). Two others: dum te per arrogantiam ("while you, through arrogance").

(printed under page 217)

(a) ‹anchor: SERMO LXXXV› · call in col 1909

Alias, de Tempore 171.

Formerly On the Season 171.

(printed under page 217)

(b) ‹anchor: nihil petistis, etc.› · call in col 1909

In Appendice nunc primum collocatur. Dubius in Lovaniensium editione remanserat: supposititius postea Verlini et Vindingi sententia declaratus est, neminem jam, opinamur, qui in Augustini lectione tantisper versatus fuerit, vindicem habiturus.

Now placed in the Appendix for the first time. In the Louvain edition it had remained doubtful; afterwards, in the judgement of Verlinus and Vindingus, it was declared spurious, and it will now, we think, find no defender in anyone who has spent even a little time reading Augustine.

(none in col 1910) (printed under page 217)

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Ipse Dominus dicit, Usque modo nihil petistis; Petite, et accipietis, pulsate, et aperietur vobis. Ego sum ostium et janua. Quare trepidat pulsando manus vestra, et dormitat in mendicitate conscientia vestra? Ego sum janua vitae, non horresco sordidum pulsatorem, non pauperem repudio petitorem: tantum nemo suam negligat paupertatem. Pulsate, et aperietur. Stant Angeli ad januam; ut introducant, non ut repellant; ut suggerant, non ut terreant. Nulla est pompa in janua mea. Ego sum janua, qui sustinui crucis ignominiam. Quare timeant petentes egentiam, cum nulli aliquando denegavit misericordiam? Quis speravit in Domino, et confusus est? Si pulsant qui desiderant castitatem, dat eis continuo gratiam et sanctitatem, et dicit eis, Nolite ambulare polluti, nolite incedere maculosi. Sancti estote, quia ego sanctus sum (Levit. XIX, 2). Si accedat pupillus parva manu pulsare januam paternam, nuntiant eum Angeli Domino: Pupillus pulsat, defensionis pietatem exspectat, responde illi, Domine: Tibi enim derelictus est pauper, pupillo tu eris adjutor (Psal. X, 14, secundum Hebraeos). Respondet illi qui dives est, misericordia plenus, qui miseris pater est: Ego sum judex viduarum, et pater orphanorum. Nemo laedat quos ego suscipio, nemo exspoliet quos ego defendo. Et qui accesserint ad ipsam januam, quamvis dividant vocem disparis precis, tamen ab unius divitis patrisfamilias domo omnes accipiunt pietatem. Hoc amat janua Salvatoris, ut pulsatoribus semper abundet opportunis, importunis. Propterea ipse Dominus videns januam suam a petitorum voce, a pulsantium clamore silere, invitat omnes ad orationem, omnibus paratus tribuere pietatem. Petite; et si non acceperitis, adhuc petite, et perseverate pulsare. Nolite deficere; quia non necat Deus fame animam justi. Qui tamen voluerit esse dulciter humilis et benignus, securus tanquam in tutissimo portu consistit.

The Lord Himself says: Until now you have asked nothing; ask, and you will receive; knock, and it will be opened to you. I am the doorway and the door. Why does your hand tremble in knocking, and your conscience slumber in beggary? I am the door of life; I do not shrink from a filthy knocker, I do not reject a poor petitioner: only let no one neglect his own poverty. Knock, and it will be opened. Angels stand at the door, to bring in, not to drive back; to prompt, not to terrify. There is no pomp at My door. I am the door that endured the ignominy of the cross. Why should those who ask fear [their] want, when He has never denied mercy to anyone? Who has hoped in the Lord, and been confounded? If those who desire chastity knock, He gives them at once grace and holiness, and says to them: Do not walk about polluted, do not go about stained. Be holy, because I am holy (Lev. 19:2). If an orphan comes to knock with his small hand at his father's door, the Angels announce him to the Lord: An orphan knocks, he awaits the kindness of protection; answer him, Lord: For to Thee the poor man has been left, to the orphan Thou wilt be a helper (Ps. 10:14, according to the Hebrews). He Who is rich, full of mercy, Who is father to the wretched, answers him: I am the judge of widows and the father of orphans. Let no one harm those whom I take up, let no one despoil those whom I defend. And those who come to that door, though they divide their voice in differing prayer, yet all receive kindness from the house of the one rich father of the household. This is what the Saviour's door loves, that it should always abound with knockers, in season, out of season. Therefore the Lord Himself, seeing His door fall silent from the voice of petitioners, from the clamour of knockers, invites all to prayer, ready to bestow kindness on all. Ask; and if you have not received, ask still, and persevere in knocking. Do not lose heart; for God does not kill the soul of the just man with hunger. Yet whoever wishes to be sweetly humble and kind stands secure as in the safest harbour.

2. Trinitatis mysterium. Opponit ergo parabolam cujusdam hominis, cujus hospes improvisus advenit, et hospes hospitem excepit: passus est verecundiam, abiit continuo ad domum divitis magnam; non sine sacramento tres petit panes; quia unus hospes erat gratia pietatis, sed substantia Trinitatis. Nonne unus hospes erat in tribus, qui venit ad patrem Abraham? Hospes et amicus, pransor et mansor; et omnia illi in trinitate sunt exhibita humanitatis obsequia, quia Trinitatis gloria refulget. Trimum attulit vitulum pater, tres mensuras similaginis conspersit futura mater, paritura filium pro quo pater mactaret agnum, et ipsa corpus Christi in trinitate jam fecerat sacramentum. Ita et iste amicus, veniente hospite; pergit ad domum divitis, et trium panum allegat necessitatem: pulsat, et nullus respondet de janitoribus, quia omnes tenuerat somnus; non Angeli, non Archangeli, non Prophetae, non ministri. Et ille pulsat, quamvis nemo respondeat.

2. The mystery of the Trinity. He sets forth, then, the parable of a certain man to whom a guest came unexpectedly, and the host received the guest: he suffered shame, and went at once to the great house of a rich man; not without a mystery he asks for three loaves; because the guest was one by the grace of kindness, but [three] by the substance of the Trinity. Was there not one guest in three, who came to father Abraham? Guest and friend, diner and lodger; and all the services of hospitality were shown to him in a trinity, because the glory of the Trinity shines forth. The father brought a three-year-old calf, the future mother kneaded three measures of fine flour, she who was to bear the son for whom the father would sacrifice a lamb, and she herself had already made the body of Christ a sacrament in a trinity. So also this friend, when the guest comes, goes to the house of the rich man and pleads the need of three loaves: he knocks, and none of the doorkeepers answers, because sleep had overtaken them all; not Angels, not Archangels, not Prophets, not ministers. And he knocks, although no one answers.

3. Pulsandum quandoque ad importunitatem, ut aperiat Paterfamilias. Quandoque Paterfamilias ad importunitatem pulsantis respondit illi de interioribus sacris, de throno quietis: Quid pulsas sine tempore, qui piger fuisti cum tempore? Dies fuit, et in lumine non ambulasti; nox supervenit, et pulsare coepisti. Excusat tempus quod improbus quaerit affectus: jam pueri quiescunt, et non est dignum ut propter te injuriam patiantur: antequam venires, diutius vigilaverunt: modo pro tempore quieverunt, non est qui possit tibi dare responsum. Et ille: Domine, a te peto, ad te pulso, imo te pulso: tu es janua, tu surge, da mihi misericordiam, qui non es dedignatus de luto limi formare viscera mea. Ministerio non indiges, quia omnia potes. Sed si pueri tui dormiunt, tu non dormis, qui custodis Israel. Gratis peto, sub gratia mendico, non sub Lege praesumo. Sed si Lex et Prophetae usque ad Joannem; sed tua gratia non habet finem. Qu⟨o⟩ devenerunt pueri tui, Pro⟨p⟩hetae tui, et ego novi: sed tu, Domine, qui es initium et finis, primus et novissimus (Apoc. XXII, 13), noli ad me taediare novissima

3. One must sometimes knock to the point of importunity, so that the Father of the household may open. Sometimes the Father of the household, at the importunity of the knocker, answered him from the inner sanctuary, from the throne of rest: Why do you knock out of time, you who were idle when there was time? It was day, and you did not walk in the light; night has come on, and you have begun to knock. The hour excuses what a shameless desire seeks: the servants are already at rest, and it is not right that they should suffer wrong on your account: before you came, they kept watch a long while: now, as the hour requires, they have gone to rest; there is no one who can give you an answer. And he: Lord, from Thee I ask, at Thee I knock, nay, Thee I knock: Thou art the door, do Thou rise, give me mercy, Thou Who didst not disdain to form my inward parts from the mud of clay. Thou needest no service, for Thou canst do all things. But if Thy servants sleep, Thou dost not sleep, Who keepest Israel. Freely I ask, under grace I beg, not under the Law do I presume. But if the Law and the Prophets [were] until John; yet Thy grace has no end. Whither Thy servants, Thy Prophets have gone, I too know: but Thou, Lord, Who art the beginning and the end, the first and the last (Rev. 22:13), do not grow weary of me at the last

Editors' notes and page, col. 1910

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hora noctis petentem, qui nocte medi⟨a⟩ captivam duxisti captivitatem. Quid faciet Paterfamilias ta⟨n⟩ti perseveratoris voce constrictus? Non excitat prophetam, non immittit angelum, non archangelum: ipse surget, et dabit illi quantum desiderat. Be⟨n⟩e pertinax ille petitor et nocturnus mendicator ad hospitem proprium repedavit, dives factus refecit; nec hospes ab hospite irrefectus discessit.

hour of the night as I ask, Thou Who in the middle of the night didst lead captivity captive. What will the Householder do, bound by the voice of so persevering a petitioner? He does not rouse a prophet, He does not send an angel, nor an archangel: He Himself will rise, and will give him as much as he desires. Well did that persistent petitioner and nightly beggar return to his own guest; made rich, he refreshed him; nor did the guest depart from his host unrefreshed.

4. Hospes in nocte, gratia in ignorantia. Hospes de coelo, bona cogitatio. Christus. Quis est iste hospes rogo vos, fratres, qui in nocte venit, et imparatum hospitem invenit: imo ideo nocte venit ho⟨s⟩pes in perpetua et deficiente paupertate? In nocte venit hospes, gratia in summa ignorantia, in magna egentia: immittit tristitiam, quando dicit nocturnus petitor, In tribulatione invocavi Dominum, et exaudivit me in latitudine (Psal. CXVII, 5): et iterum, Multae tribulationes justorum, et de omnibus his liberavit eos Dominus (Psal. XXXIII, 20), quoniam proximus est. Ideo hospes supervenit improvisus subito, cum quispiam taedio afficitur pressurarum. Supervenit illi orandi desiderium, flendi arripiens votum. Illa hora hospes venit gratia, ut compungat conscientiam, ne in sua moriatur egentia: sed eat et petat ad divitem, non suis meritis, sed meritis hospitis venientis, et accipiat tres panes, ut in Patre et Filio et sancto Spiritu possit et ipse pascere caeteros indigentes. Quidquid boni cogitaverit homo subito corde percussus, sciat quia hospes ille venit de coelo. Et bene venit, qui nocte venit: in tribulatione subvenit, non ingerens taedium, sed affectum. Et quia Dominus Christus ad discipulos suos clausis ostiis in tribulatione venit, non speratus, sed optatus, salutavit in pace, et hospes hospites suos refecit in pace (Joan. XX, 19): nonne est iste hospes qui dicit, Ecce sto et pulso; si quis aperuerit mihi, intrabo et coenabo cum illo, ego et Pater meus (Apoc. III, 20)? Quam bona domus, ubi Pater et Filius ingreditur hospes amicus, qui et Spiritus sanctus! Ipse ibi exhibet in domo pauperis, in hospitio puritatis diversa pulmentaria; propter coenam Dominicam. Quae sunt ista pulmentaria? Gaudium, longanimitas, continentia, fides, castitas. Tantummodo non pigeat hospitem suscipere Dominum: ipse secum portat dulcedines deliciarum, ut pascat ibi laetantes exercitus Angelorum. Cum illo hospite pax est et jucunditas: qui venit ad hospitem suum, non torquere, sed pascere; non exspoliare, sed vestire; non p⟨e⟩rcutere, sed sanare. Ipsum hospitem semper apertis cordis nostri januis suscipiamus, et nunquam nobis dominetur tyrannus inimicus, et in omnibus, Christo donante, ejus mandata servemus.

4. The guest in the night, grace in ignorance. The guest from heaven, a good thought. Christ. Who is this guest, I ask you, brethren, who comes in the night and finds his host unprepared: nay rather, is it not for this reason that the guest comes by night, in perpetual and failing poverty? The guest comes in the night, grace in the deepest ignorance, in great want: he sends in sorrow, when the nightly petitioner says, In tribulation I called upon the Lord, and He heard me in a broad place (Ps. 117:5); and again, Many are the tribulations of the just, and from all these the Lord has delivered them (Ps. 33:20), since He is near. Therefore the guest arrives suddenly and unforeseen, when someone is wearied by the weariness of his afflictions. There comes upon him the desire to pray, seizing upon the wish to weep. At that hour grace comes as a guest, to prick the conscience, so that he may not die in his want: but that he may go and ask of the rich man, not by his own merits but by the merits of the guest who comes, and may receive three loaves, so that in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit he too may be able to feed the other needy. Whatever good a man thinks when suddenly struck in heart, let him know that that guest has come from heaven. And he comes well who comes by night: he brings help in tribulation, bringing not weariness but affection. And since the Lord Christ came to His disciples in their tribulation when the doors were shut, not hoped for, yet longed for, He greeted them in peace, and as a guest refreshed His hosts in peace (John 20:19): is not this the guest Who says, Behold, I stand and knock; if anyone opens to Me, I will come in and sup with him, I and My Father (Rev. 3:20)? How good is the house where the Father and the Son enter as a friendly guest, Who is also the Holy Spirit! He Himself sets out there, in the house of the poor man, in the lodging of purity, various dishes, for the Lord's supper. What are those dishes? Joy, long-suffering, continence, faith, chastity. Only let it not irk the host to receive the Lord: He Himself brings with Him the sweetnesses of delights, to feed there the rejoicing hosts of Angels. With that guest there is peace and gladness: He Who comes to His host not to torment but to feed, not to despoil but to clothe, not to strike but to heal. Let us always receive that guest with the doors of our heart open, and let the enemy tyrant never lord it over us, and in all things, Christ granting it, let us keep His commandments.

SERMO LXXXVI. De verbis Evangelii Lucae, cap. XII, 16-21, Hominis cujusdam divitis uberes attulit possessio fructus, etc.

Sermon 86. On the words of the Gospel of Luke, ch. 12:16-21, The land of a certain rich man brought forth plentiful fruits, etc.

1. Avari caecitas. — Hominis cujusdam divitis uberes attulit possessio fructus, et cogitavit apud se, dicens: Quid faciam, quoniam non habeo quo colligam fructus meos? Et dixit: Hoc faciam; destruam apothecas meas et horrea, et majora aedificabo: ut illuc congregem fructus meos; et dicam animae meae, Habes multa bona reposita, gaude et jucundare. Dixit autem illi Deus: Stulte, hac nocte exposcitur a te anima tua: ea quae congregasti, cujus erunt? O caecitas avari, fratres dilectissimi! Una nox ei superabat, et de multorum annorum vita satagebat. Gaudebat, quia multum sibi nascendum videbat; et non noverat quia nihil secum tollebat, sed hic omnia dimittebat. Nox ei vitam fugabat; et de crastino cogitabat. Quod in aliis exspectabat,

1. The blindness of the miser. The land of a certain rich man brought forth plentiful fruits, and he thought within himself, saying: What shall I do, since I have nowhere to gather my fruits? And he said: This I will do; I will pull down my storehouses and barns, and I will build greater ones, so that I may gather my fruits there; and I will say to my soul, You have many goods laid up; rejoice and be glad. But God said to him: Fool, this night your soul is demanded of you: the things you have gathered, whose will they be? O the blindness of the miser, dearest brethren! One night remained to him, and he was busying himself about a life of many years. He rejoiced because he saw that much was growing for him; and he did not know that he was taking nothing with him, but was leaving everything here. The night was putting his life to flight; and he was thinking about the morrow. What he expected in others,

Editors' notes and page, col. 1911

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: Nox ei vitam fugabat› · call in col 1911

In Ms. v., Nox enim fugabat. In aliis, Nox autem fugabat. In nullis vox, vitam.

In the manuscript v.: Nox enim fugabat ("for the night was driving away"). In others: Nox autem fugabat ("but the night was driving away"). In none is there the word vitam ("life").

(printed under page 218)

(a) ‹anchor: SERMO LXXXVI› · call in col 1911

Alias, 48 ex Homiliis 50.

Formerly no. 48 of the Fifty Homilies.

(printed under page 218)

(b) ‹anchor: possessio fructus, etc.› · call in col 1911

In Appendice nunc primum collocatur. Lovaniensibus dubius, Verlino et Vindingo spurius est. Quod hic n. 3 de decimis concionator admonet, in aetatem Augustini haudquaquam quadrat.

Now placed in the Appendix for the first time. To the Louvain editors it is doubtful, to Verlinus and Vindingus spurious. What the preacher urges here in no. 3 about tithes by no means fits the age of Augustine.

(printed under page 218)

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in se non sperabat. Utique viderat et ille morientes, viderat possidentes; viderat neminem secum tollere terram. Quanti sunt et modo qui sic dicunt: Tantum habeo, tantum facio, tantum valeo! Quibus respondendum est, Stulte, hac nocte anima tua aufertur a te: quae congregasti, cujus erunt? Laetatur dives stultus, nocte moriturus. Quantumcumque cupiditas radices suas ubique distendat, quantumcunque rapiat, necesse est in una hora totum dimittat.

he did not hope for in himself. Certainly he too had seen people dying, he had seen people possessing; he had seen that no one takes the land with him. How many there are even now who speak thus: So much I have, so much I do, so much I am worth! To them one must answer, Fool, this night your soul is taken from you: the things you have gathered, whose will they be? The foolish rich man rejoices, though he is to die in the night. However far greed may stretch out its roots everywhere, however much it may seize, it must necessarily let go of the whole in a single hour.

2. Avarus filios non amat, Filiorum cura Deo committenda. Sed dicturus es: Habeo filios quibus laborem, habeo quibus prospiciam, habeo quibus curam maximam geram. Quam curam geris filiorum, ut eos obruas lacrymis miserorum? Non est hoc filios amare, sed potius jugulare. Nescis quia arbor in fruge dignoscitur? Nescis quia quod in radice celatur, in ramis declaratur; et quod latet in foliis, enitescit in pomo? Nolo te talem patrem sentiant liberi tui: nolo sic provideas, ut magis invideas. O quanti pauperes nascuntur, et postmodum divites efficiuntur! quanti quibus magna haereditas dimittitur, et postmodum ad penuriam rediguntur! Si ergo Dei est pauperem facere, Dei est ditare, cur providus filiorum existis? Cur rapis, quae post te si forte maneant nescis; et tibi perpetuam poenam nutris, et filiis tuis dolorem dimittis? Dicit enim sapientissimus ille Salomon, Qui congregat aliena, relinquit filiis dolorem (Eccli. XIV, 15). Et rursum dicitur in Psalmis, Verumtamen in imagine Dei perambulat homo, vane conturbatur. Thesaurizat, et nescit cui congregat ea (Psal. XXXVIII, 7). Quid thesaurizas, avare, quod nescis? Quid auri argentique pondere delectaris, et condis? Quid imaginem regis sculptam servas in solidis; et imaginem Conditoris in hominibus detestaris.

2. The avaricious man does not love his children. The care of children is to be entrusted to God. But you are going to say: I have children for whom I labour, I have those for whom I provide, I have those for whom I bear the greatest care. What sort of care for your children do you bear, that you overwhelm them with the tears of the wretched? This is not to love one's children, but rather to slaughter them. Do you not know that a tree is recognized by its fruit? Do you not know that what is hidden in the root is made plain in the branches; and what lies concealed in the leaves shines forth in the fruit? I do not want your children to find you such a father: I do not want you to provide in such a way that you rather begrudge. O how many are born poor, and afterwards are made rich! how many there are to whom a great inheritance is left, and afterwards they are reduced to want! If then it belongs to God to make poor, and belongs to God to enrich, why do you set yourself up as provider for your children? Why do you seize things of which you do not know whether they will perhaps remain after you; and you nourish perpetual punishment for yourself, and leave sorrow to your children? For that most wise Solomon says, He who gathers what belongs to others leaves sorrow to his children (Sir. 14:15). And again it is said in the Psalms, Yet man walks about in the image of God, he is troubled in vain. He lays up treasure, and does not know for whom he gathers it (Ps. 38:7). Why do you lay up treasure, miser, when you do not know [for whom]? Why do you delight in the weight of gold and silver, and store it away? Why do you keep the image of the king engraved on gold coins; and detest the image of the Creator in human beings.

3. Decimae eleemosynae largiendae. Excusatio ab eleemosyna propter filios. — Redde, dictum est, Caesari, quae sunt Caesaris; et Deo, quae sunt Dei (Matth. XXII, 21). Majores nostri ideo copiis omnibus abundabant, quia Deo decimas dabant, et Caesari censum reddebant. Modo autem quia discessit devotio Dei, accessit indictio fisci. Noluimus partiri cum Domino decimas; modo autem totum tollitur. Hoc tollit fiscus, quod non accipit Christus: hoc magis datur, quod pauperibus non erogatur. Noli, inquit Salomon, parcere thesauris tuis (Eccli. XXIX, 13). Tribuendae sunt eleemosynae pro modo et quantitate, sicut scriptum est, Prout habueris, fili, fac eleemosynam: si exiguum habueris, ex ipso exiguo communica esurienti (Tob. IV, 8 et 9). Absconde eleemosynam in corde pauperis: et haec pro te exorabit ad Dominum (Eccli. XXIX, 15). Sed dixisti, Habeo quibus dimittam. Pone quia habebunt filii tui quod dimittis; tu nihil habebis, quia nihil ante te misisti: de filiis curam gessisti; tibi autem prodesse noluisti. Ecce post te peregrini transeunt et isti; sine causa cucurristi, cum Apostolus dicat, Nihil intulimus in hunc mundum, verum nec auferre quid possumus (I Tim. VI, 7); quia Domini est terra, et plenitudo ejus (Psal. XXIII, 1). Audis, Sursum corda; et curas dicere, Habemus ad Dominum. Si aliquid illuc misisti, habes quod ibi quaeras: si nihil misisti sursum, non habes quod ibi quaeras. In terra ubi posuisti, ibi quaere: quia scriptum est, Ubi est thesaurus tuus, ibi est et cor tuum (Matth. VI, 21).

3. Tithes and alms are to be bestowed. The excuse from almsgiving on account of one's children. — Render, it has been said, to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's (Matt. 22:21). Our ancestors abounded in all resources for this reason, because they gave tithes to God and paid the tax to Caesar. But now, because devotion to God has departed, the levy of the treasury has come in. We were unwilling to share the tithes with the Lord; but now the whole is taken away. The treasury takes what Christ does not receive: all the more is given that is not paid out to the poor. Do not, says Solomon, spare your treasures (Sir. 29:13). Alms are to be given according to measure and amount, as it is written, As you have, son, give alms: if you have little, share even of that little with the hungry (Tob. 4:8–9). Hide alms in the heart of the poor man: and it will plead for you with the Lord (Sir. 29:15). But you have said, I have those to whom I may leave it. Suppose that your children will have what you leave; you will have nothing, because you have sent nothing on ahead of you: you have taken care of your children; but you were unwilling to benefit yourself. Behold, after you these too pass on as pilgrims; you have run to no purpose, since the Apostle says, We brought nothing into this world, nor indeed can we take anything away (1 Tim. 6:7); because the earth is the Lord's, and its fullness (Ps. 23:1). You hear, Lift up your hearts; and you take care to say, We have them to the Lord. If you have sent anything there, you have something to look for there: if you have sent nothing up, you have nothing to look for there. Look for it on earth, where you put it: for it is written, Where your treasure is, there is your heart also (Matt. 6:21).

4. Fenus licitum. Debitores non nimium urgendi. Et Deus tibi audi quid dicat. Quid? Vis fenerare, minus dare et plus accipere? Ecce mihi da, dicit Dominus: ego accipio minus, et dabo plus. Quando quaeris unde crescat pecunia, hominem quaeris, qui quando accipit, gaudet; quando reddit, plangit: ut accipiat, precatur; ne reddat, calumniatur. Da quidem homini, et noli avertere faciem tuam ab eo qui mutuo

4. Lawful lending at interest. Debtors are not to be pressed too hard. And hear what God says to you. What? Do you want to lend at interest, to give less and receive more? Behold, give to Me, says the Lord: I receive less, and I will give more. When you look for a way for your money to grow, you look for a man who rejoices when he receives and laments when he repays: to receive, he begs; so as not to repay, he raises false charges. Give indeed to a man, and do not turn your face away from him who by way of loan

Editors' notes and page, col. 1912

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 1912

Mss. omnes, in poma.

All the manuscripts: in poma ("into fruits").

(printed under page 218)

(2) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 1912

Ita Mss. tres. Em. autem, imaginem Dei perambulat homo. Editi vero, in imagine pertransit homo.

So three manuscripts. But Em.: "man walks about the image of God". The printed editions, however: "man passes as an image".

(printed under page 218)

(3) ‹anchor: et curas dicere› · call in col 1912

In Mss., et curris dicere.

In the manuscripts: et curris dicere ("and you run to say").

(printed under page 218)