Letter 157: It is wise — what you call unreasonable — that we do not have knowledge of all things.

To priests afflicted with love of money. If you serve at the altar of Christ, conduct your liturgy according to his laws, appearing gentle and humble of heart. For you are not wielding some political authority, inflamed with arrogance and boasting, but a ministry that is peaceful and untroubled. But if unjust wealth, having been gathered, exalts you, it will soon be disgorged, having a nature that flows away and is unstable; while you will provide much laughter, having attached yourself to passing things as though they were permanent.

Πρὸς ἱερεῖς φιλαργυρίαν νοσοῦντας. Εἰ τῷ Χριστοῦ διακονεῖς θυσιαστηρίῳ, μετὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ νόμων μετέρχῃ (52) την λειτουργίαν σου, πρᾶος καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ φαινόμενος. Οὐ γὰρ πολιτικήν τινα χειρίζεις ἡγεμονίαν, τύφῳ καὶ κόμπῳ φλεγμαίνουσαν· ἀλλὰ διακονίαν εἰρηνικὴν καὶ ἀτά- ραχον. Εἰ δὲ πλοῦτος ἄδικος συναχθεὶς ὑπεραίρει σε, αὐτὸς μὲν θᾶττον ἐξεμεθήσεται, ῥευστὴν ἔχων τὴν φύσιν καὶ ἄστατον· σὺ δὲ πολὺν ἀφλήσεις τὸν γέλωτα, τοῖς παρατρέχουσιν ὡς ἑστῶσι προσθέμενος ΝΕΙΛΟ. Χρή, ὡς ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ, θάπτειν τὸ σῶμα, και ὁσιοῦν εἰς τὸν τόπον, εἰς ὃν καὶ ἐτελεύτησε. Γυναικείας γὰρ οἶμαι καὶ μικρᾶς διανοίας τὸ ἀπὸ πόλεων εἰς πόλεις μετακομίζει, καὶ τὰ μυστήρια τῆς φύσεως δημο- σιεύειν, πάσης τῆς γῆς πατρίδος οὔσης. ΡΛΔ΄. – ΑΝΔΡΟΝΙΚΩ Τοῦ ἐλέγχειν φθονεῖν, κέρδος ὑμῖν, ὅσον διαβαίνειν.