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

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 unchanging Father of spiritual children. Assign to Him your wealth which you are saving up for your heirs. Let Him be the guardian for your children; let Him be their trustee; let Him be their protector, by His divine majesty, against all worldly injuries. The state neither takes away the property entrusted to God, nor does the exchequer intrude on it, nor does any forensic calumny overthrow it. That inheritance is placed in security which is kept under the guardianship of God.53    [“The howse shall be preserved and   never will decaye   Wheare the Almightie God is honored   and served, daye by daye.”   This motto I copied from an old oaken beam in the hall of Rockingham Castle, with date a.d. 1579. In 1875 I saw the householder kneeling under this motto, with all his family and servants, daily.] This is to provide for one’s dear pledges for the coming time; this is with paternal affection to take care for one’s future heirs, according to the faith of the Holy Scripture, which says:  “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed wanting bread. All the day long he is merciful, and lendeth;54    The original is variously read “fœnerat” and “commodat.” and his seed is blessed.”55    Ps. xxxvii. 25, 26. And again: “He who walketh without reproach in his integrity shall leave blessed children after him.”56    Prov. xx. 7. Therefore you are an unfair and traitorous father, unless you faithfully consult for your children, unless you look forward to preserve them in religion and true piety. You who are careful rather for their earthly than for their heavenly estate, rather to commend your children to the devil than to Christ, are sinning twice, and allowing a double and twofold crime, both in not providing for your children the aid of God their Father, and in teaching your children to love their property more than Christ.

XIX. Nec eum liberis tuis cogites patrem qui et temporarius et infirmus est , sed illum pares qui aeternus et firmus filiorum spiritalium pater est. Illi assigna facultates tuas quas haeredibus servas. Ille sit liberis tuis tutor, ille curator, ille contra omnes injurias saeculares divina majestate protector. Patrimonium Deo creditum nec respublica eripit, nec fiscus invadit, nec calumnia aliqua forensis evertit. In tuto haereditas ponitur quae Deo custode servatur. Hoc est charis pignoribus in posterum providere, hoc est futuris haeredibus paterna pietate consulere secundum fidem Scripturae sanctae dicentis: Junior fui , et senui, et non vidi justum derelictum, neque semen 0616Cejus egens pane . Tota die miseretur et foenerat, et semen 0617Aejus in benedictione est (Psal. XXXVI, 25). Et iterum: Qui conversatur sine vituperatione in justitia , beatos post se filios relinquet (Prov. XX, 7). Praevaricator itaque et proditor pater es, nisi filiis tuis fideliter consulas, nisi conservandis eis religiosa et vera pietate prospicias. Qui studes terreno magis quam coelesti patrimonio, filios tuos diabolo magis commendare quam Christo, bis delinquis et geminum ac duplex crimen admittis, et quod non praeparas filiis tuis Dei patris auxilium, et quod doces filios patrimonium plus amare quam Christum.