11. You say that you are wealthy and rich, and you think that you should use those things which God has willed you to possess. Use them, certainly, but for the things of salvation; use them, but for good purposes; use them, but for those things which God has commanded, and which the Lord has set forth. Let the poor feel that you are wealthy; let the needy feel that you are rich.  Lend your estate to God; give food to Christ. Move Him by the prayers of many26    The meaning is,—gifts to the poor will induce them to pray for the virgin, and in answer to their prayers, God will grant her the glory of virginity. [Luke xvi. 9.] to grant you to carry out the glory of virginity, and to succeed in coming to the Lord’s rewards.  There entrust your treasures, where no thief digs through, where no insidious plunderer breaks in. Prepare for yourself possessions; but let them rather be heavenly ones, where neither rust wears out, nor hail bruises, nor sun burns, nor rain spoils your fruits constant and perennial, and free from all contact of worldly injury. For in this very matter you are sinning against God, if you think that riches were given you by Him for this purpose, to enjoy them thoroughly, without a view to salvation. For God gave man also a voice; and yet love-songs and indecent things are not on that account to be sung. And God willed iron to be for the culture of the earth, but not on that account must murders be committed. Or because God ordained incense, and wine, and fire, are we thence to sacrifice to idols? Or because the flocks of cattle abound in your fields, ought you to immolate victims and offerings to the gods?  Otherwise a large estate is a temptation, unless the wealth minister to good uses; so that every man, in proportion to his wealth, ought by his patrimony rather to redeem his transgressions than to increase them.

XI. Locupletem te dicis et divitem, et utendum putas iis quae possidere te Deus voluit. Utere, sed ad res salutares; utere, sed ad bonas artes ; utere, sed ad illa quae Deus praecipit, quae Dominus ostendit. 0449B Divitem te sentiant pauperes, locupletem te sentiant indigentes; patrimonio tuo Deo foenera: Christum ciba. Ut virginitatis perferre gloriam liceat, ut ad Domini praemia venire contingat, multorum precibus exora. Commenda illic thesauros tuos ubi fur nullus effodiat, quo nullus insidians grassator irrumpat. Possessiones tibi sed coelestes magis compara, ubi fructus tuos juges ac perennes et ab omni contactu injuriae saecularis immunes nec rubigo atterat, nec grando caedat, nec sol urat, nec pluvia corrumpat. Nam delinquis et hoc ipso in Deum, si ad hoc tibi ab illo divitias datas credis ut illis non salubriter perfruaris. Nam et vocem Deus homini dedit , et tamen non sunt idcirco amatoria cantanda nec turpia; et 0450A ferrum esse ad culturam terrae Deus voluit, nec homicidia sunt idcirco facienda; aut quia thura et merum et ignem Deus instituit, sacrificandum est inde idolis; vel quia abundant pecudum greges in agris tuis, victimas et hostias diis immolare debebis. Alioqui tentatio est patrimonium grande, nisi ad usus bonos census operetur, ut patrimonio suo unusquisque locupletior magis redimere debeat quam augere delicta.