Letter 53

53. To the chorepiscopi.

The strangeness of the matter about which I write — the very fact that it was so much as suspected and spoken of — filled my soul with pain; and for a while it seemed to me past belief. Let the letter concerning it, therefore, be received by the man who is conscious of guilt as a remedy, by the man who is not conscious of it as a safeguard, and by the man who is indifferent — which I pray may not be found in your case — as a solemn warning.

What is it that I am speaking of? They say that some of you take money from those being ordained, and screen it under the name of piety. This is the worse fault. For if a man does evil under the guise of good, he deserves a double punishment: both because he does the thing that is not good, and because, to accomplish his sin, he has used, as one might say, good as his accomplice. If these things are so, let them be done no more in the future, but let them be corrected; since one must say to him who receives the money what was said by the apostles to the man who wished to give money, that he might purchase a share of the Holy Spirit: "Your money perish with you." For lighter is the guilt of him who through ignorance wishes to buy than of him who sells the gift of God. For a sale was made; and what you received freely, if you sell it, you shall be stripped of the grace, as one sold to Satan. For you bring trafficking into spiritual things, and into the Church where we have been entrusted with the body and blood of Christ. These things ought not so to be done. As for the trick they use, I will tell it: they think they do not sin because they do not take beforehand, but take after the ordination. But to take is to take, whenever it may be.

I exhort you, therefore: lay aside this revenue, or rather this approach that leads to hell; and do not, by defiling your hands with such takings, make yourselves unworthy to perform the holy mysteries. Pardon me — first as having disbelieved, and then, now that I am convinced, as threatening. If anyone after this letter of mine should do any such thing, he shall withdraw from the altars here, and shall seek out some place where, buying the gift of God, he can sell it again. For we and the Churches of God do not have such a custom.

I will add one thing and have done. These things happen through love of money; and love of money is both the root of all evils and is named idolatry. Do not, then, honour idols before Christ for a little silver; nor again imitate Judas, betraying for gain a second time him who was once crucified for us. For both the fields and the hands of those who receive the fruits of these things shall be called Akeldama.