On Works and Alms.

 1. Many and great, beloved brethren, are the divine benefits wherewith the large and abundant mercy of God the Father and Christ both has laboured and

 2. The Holy Spirit speaks in the sacred Scriptures, and says, “By almsgiving and faith sins are purged.” Not assuredly those sins which had been previ

 3. Let us then acknowledge, beloved brethren, the wholesome gift of the divine mercy and let us, who cannot be without some wound of conscience, heal

 4. Finally, beloved brethren, the divine admonition in the Scriptures, as well old as new, has never failed, has never been silent in urging God’s peo

 5. The remedies for propitiating God are given in the words of God Himself the divine instructions have taught what sinners ought to do, that by work

 6. Neither, beloved brethren, are we so bringing forward these things, as that we should not prove what Raphael the angel said, by the testimony of th

 7. Therefore in the Gospel, the Lord, the Teacher of our life and Master of eternal salvation, quickening the assembly of believers, and providing for

 8. In fine, He calls those the children of Abraham whom He sees to be laborious in aiding and nourishing the poor. For when Zacchæus said, “Behold, th

 9. If you dread and fear, lest, if you begin to act thus abundantly, your patrimony being exhausted with your liberal dealing, you may perchance be re

 10. You are afraid lest perchance your estate should fail, if you begin to act liberally from it and you do not know, miserable man that you are, tha

 11. Are you afraid that your patrimony perchance may fall short, if you should begin to do liberally from it? Yet when has it ever happened that resou

 12. Unless you imagine that he who feeds Christ is not himself fed by Christ, or that earthly things will be wanting to those to whom heavenly and div

 13. Wherefore do you applaud yourself in those vain and silly conceits, as if you were withheld from good works by fear and solicitude for the future?

 14. You are mistaken, and are deceived, whosoever you are, that think yourself rich in this world. Listen to the voice of your Lord in the Apocalypse,

 15. But you who are such as this, cannot labour in the Church. For your eyes, overcast with the gloom of blackness, and shadowed in night, do not see

 16. But neither let the consideration, dearest brethren, restrain and recall the Christian from good and righteous works, that any one should fancy th

 17. Thus that widow in the third book of Kings, when in the drought and famine, having consumed everything, she had made of the little meal and oil wh

 18. Moreover, also, (you say) there are many children at home and the multitude of your children checks you from giving yourself freely to good works

 19. Neither should you think that he is father to your children who is both changeable and infirm, but you should obtain Him who is the eternal and un

 20. Be rather such a father to your children as was Tobias. Give useful and saving precepts to your pledges, such as he gave to his son command your

 21. What sort of gift is it, beloved brethren, whose setting forth is celebrated in the sight of God? If, in a gift of the Gentiles, it seems a great

 22. And that the indolent and the barren, and those, who by their covetousness for money do nothing in respect of the fruit of their salvation, may be

 23. What do we reply to these things, dearest brethren? With what reason do we defend the minds of rich men, overwhelmed with a profane barrenness and

 24. And therefore, dearest brethren, whose fear is inclined towards God, and who having already despised and trampled under foot the world, have lifte

 25. Let us consider, beloved brethren, what the congregation of believers did in the time of the apostles, when at the first beginnings the mind flour

 26. What, dearest brethren, will be that glory of those who labour charitably—how great and high the joy when the Lord begins to number His people, an

5. The remedies for propitiating God are given in the words of God Himself; the divine instructions have taught what sinners ought to do, that by works of righteousness God is satisfied, that with the deserts of mercy sins are cleansed. And in Solomon we read, “Shut up alms in the heart of the poor, and these shall intercede for thee from all evil.”12    Ecclus. xxix. 12. And again: “Whoso stoppeth his ears that he may not hear the weak, he also shall call upon God, and there will be none to hear him.”13    Prov. xxi. 13. For he shall not be able to deserve the mercy of the Lord, who himself shall not have been merciful; nor shall he obtain aught from the divine pity in his prayers, who shall not have been humane towards the poor man’s prayer. And this also the Holy Spirit declares in the Psalms, and proves, saying, Blessed is he that considereth of the poor and needy; the Lord will deliver him in the evil day.”14    Ps. xli. 1. Remembering which precepts, Daniel, when king Nebuchodonosor was in anxiety, being frightened by an adverse dream, gave him, for the turning away of evils, a remedy to obtain the divine help, saying, “Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to thee; and redeem thy sins by almsgivings, and thine unrighteousness by mercies to the poor, and God will be patient15    Some editors read “parcens” instead of “patiens,” making the meaning “sparing to thy sins.” to thy sins.”16    Dan. iv. 27. And as the king did not obey him, he underwent the misfortunes and mischiefs which he had seen, and which he might have escaped and avoided had he redeemed his sins by almsgiving. Raphael the angel also witnesses the like, and exhorts that alms should be freely and liberally bestowed, saying, “Prayer is good, with fasting and alms; because alms doth deliver from death, and it purgeth away sins.”17    Tob. xii. 8, 9. He shows that our prayers and fastings are of less avail, unless they are aided by almsgiving; that entreaties alone are of little force to obtain what they seek, unless they be made sufficient18    Some have read for “satientur,” “farciantur,” and others “socientur,” “be filled up,” or “be associated.” by the addition of deeds and good works. The angel reveals, and manifests, and certifies that our petitions become efficacious by almsgiving, that life is redeemed from dangers by almsgiving, that souls are delivered from death by almsgiving.

V. Remedia propitiando Deo ipsius Dei verbis data sunt, quid deberent facere peccantes magisteria divina docuerunt, operationibus justis Deo satisfieri, misericordiae meritis peccata purgari. Et apud Salomonem legimus: Conclude eleemosynam in corde pauperis , et haec pro te exorabit ab omni malo. Et iterum: 0605CQui obturat aures ne audiat imbecillum, et ipse invocabit Deum, et non erit qui exaudiat eum (Prov. XXI, 0606A 13). Neque enim promereri misericordiam Domini poterit qui misericors ipse non fuerit, aut impetrabit de divina pietate aliquid in precibus qui ad precem pauperis non fuerit humanus. Quod item in Psalmis Spiritus sanctus declarat et probat dicens: Beatus qui intelligit super egenumet pauperem, in die mala liberabit eum Dominus (Psal. XL, 2). Quorum praeceptorum memor Daniel, cum rex Nabuchodonosor adverso somnio territus aestuaret, pro avertendis malis ad divinam opem impetrandam remedium dedit dicens: Propterea, rex, consilium meum placeat tibi, et peccata tua eleemosynis redime et injustitias tuas miserationibus pauperum, et erit Deus parcenspeccatis tuis (Dan. IV, 24). Cui rex non obtemperans, adversa quae viderat et infesta perpessus est: quae evadere et 0606B vitare potuisset, si peccata sua eleemosynis redemisset. Raphael quoque angelus paria testatur, et ut eleemosyna libenter ac largiter fiat hortatur dicens: Bona est oratiocum jejunio et eleemosyna: quia eleemosyna a morte liberat, et ipsa purgat peccata (Tob. XII, 8). Ostendit orationes nostras ac jejunia minus posse nisi eleemosynis adjuventur , deprecationes solas parum ad impetrandum valere, nisi factorum et operum accessione satientur . Revelat Angelus et manifestat et firmat eleemosynis petitiones nostras efficaces fieri, eleemosynis vitam de periculis redimi, eleemosynis animas a morte liberari.