111. But it befits the priest especially to adorn
the temple of God with fitting splendour, so that the court of the Lord
may be made glorious by his endeavours. He ought always to spend
money as mercy demands. It behoves him to give to strangers what
is right. This must not be too much, but enough; not more than,
but as much as, kindly feeling demands, so that he may never seek
another’s favour at the expense of the poor, nor show himself as
either too stingy or too free to the clergy. The one act is
unkind, the other wasteful. It is unkind if money should be
wanting for the necessities of those whom one ought to win back from
their wretched employments. It is wasteful if there should be too
much over for pleasure.