thou hold it so tightly, when in the time of trial it profiteth thee nothing? If it has power
when thou fallest into a strait, let it come to thy aid, but if it then runs away what need hast
thou of it? events themselves bear witness. What profit was there in it? The sword was
whetted, death was impending, an army raging: there was apprehension of imminent peril;
and yet wealth was nowhere to be seen. Where did the runaway flee? It was itself the cause
which brought about all these evils, and yet in the hours of necessity it runs away. Neverthe-
less many reproach me saying continually thou fasteneth upon the rich: while they on the
other hand fasten upon the poor. Well I do fasten upon the rich: or rather not the rich, but
those who make a bad use of their riches. For I am continually saying that I do not attack
the character of the rich man, but of the rapacious. A rich man is one thing, a rapacious
man is another: an affluent man is one thing, a covetous man is another. Make clear distinc-
tions, and do not confuse things which are diverse. Art thou a rich man? I forbid thee not.
Art thou a rapacious man? I denounce thee. Hast thou property of thy own? enjoy it. Dost
thou take the property of others? I will not hold my peace. Wouldest thou stone me for this?
I am ready to shed my blood: only I forbid thy sin. I heed not hatred, I heed not war: one
thing only do I heed, the advancement of my hearers. The rich are my children, and the
poor also are my children: the same womb has travailed with both, both are the offspring
of the same travail-pangs. If then thou fastenest reproaches on the poor man, I denounce
thee: for the poor man does not suffer so much loss as the rich. For no great wrong is inflicted
on the poor man, seeing that in his case the injury is confined to money; but in thy case the
injury touches the soul. Let him who wills cast me off, let him who wills stone me, let him
who wills hate me: for the plots of enemies are the pledges to me of crowns of victory, and
the number of my rewards will be as the number of my wounds.
4. So then I fear not an enemy’s plots: one thing only do I fear, which is sin. If no one
convicts me of sin, then let the whole world make war upon me. For this kind of war only
renders me more prosperous. Thus also do I wish to teach you a lesson. Fear not the devices
of a potentate, but fear the power of sin. No man will do thee harm, if thou dost not deal a
blow to thyself. If thou hast not sin, ten thousand swords may threaten thee, but God will
snatch thee away out of their reach: but if thou hast sin, even shouldest thou be in paradise
thou wilt be cast out. Adam was in paradise yet he fell; Job was on a dung hill, yet he was
crowned victorious. What profit was paradise to the one? or what injury was the dung hill
to the other? No man laid snares for the one, yet was he overthrown: the devil laid snares
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for the other, and yet he was crowned. Did not the devil take his property? Yes, but he did
not rob him of his godliness. Did he not lay violent hands upon his sons? yes: but he did
not shake his faith. Did he not tear his body to pieces? yes but he did not find his treasure.
Did he not arm his wife against him? yes but he did not overthrow the soldier. Did he not
hurl arrows and darts at him? yes but he received no wounds. He advanced his engines but
could not shake the tower; he conducted his billows against him, but did not sink the ship.
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Homily II. After Eutropius having been found outside the Church had been…