Letter 131: For the ordained minister: wealth is the beauty of virtue; pleasure is self-control; luxury is contentment with...

If you give yourself to the common good, you render what is owed. If you give equally, you practice justice. If you dispute without contentiousness, you exercise wisdom. If you rejoice in truth, you partake of the divine nature. For God himself gives to all, distributes equally, reasons without passion, and rejoices in the good of every creature.

C PAA'. ΠΑΥΛΟ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ ΑΝΑΧΩΡΗΤΗ. Αὐτοὶ οἱ τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ τῆς κακίας αὐχοῦντες εἶναι διαιτηταὶ (3), τὴν νικῶσαν ψήφον δέον τῇ ἀρετῇ δοῦναι, τῇ κακίᾳ παρέχονται. Καὶ δι' ὧν τοὺς μὲν σπουδαίους ἐξοστρακίζουσι, τοὺς δὲ φαύλους συγ-κροτοῦσι, τοὺς τὰ δέοντα ποιεῖν βουλομένους, ἀθυ-μοτέρους πεποιήκασι. Καὶ τοσοῦτον πεπολεμήκασι τοὺς παῤῥησίαν ἔχοντας, ὡς σβέσαι σχεδὸν ἁπάντων τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ καλὰ ὁρμήν· λυττῶσι τοιγαροῦν οἱ κυνῶν καὶ χοίρων βίον ἔχοντες κατὰ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν τὸν βίον (4). Καὶ δέον ἐκείνους ἀποσοβεῖν, γέλωτος ὑπό-θεσιν τὰ θρήνου ἄξια ποιοῦνται, οὐ μόνον οὐδένα τῆς ἀρετῆς ποιούμενοι λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς D τῷ τοὺς ἀρετὴν ἀσκοῦντας τὰ τῶν κακίστων πάσχειν σεμνύνοντες καὶ ἀποδοχῆς ἀξιοῦντες. Τις οὖν ὁ τοῖς οὕτω διακειμένοις ἐπιτιμήσων; Τίς ὁ διορθώσων; Τις ὁ ἐλέγξων; τίς ὁ σβέσων αὐτῶν τὰ φρονήματα ; Τίς ὁ κατασπάσων τὴν ὀφρύν; Τίς ὁ παραινέσων, μὴ μόνον ἐπὶ τῇ ἀρχῇ σεμνύνέσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀρετῇ; Τίς ὁ πείσων αὐτοὺς, ὅτι χαλεπωτάτας ὑφ-έξουσι τὰς εὐθύνας; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ κριτὴς ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγε --- ΡΜΗ΄. – ΚΟΜΙΤΙ Τὴν ὀργὴν τῷ λόγῳ θεραπεύειν.