Letter 480: Wealth, Paul, does not belong to its possessor in the way that his virtues belong to him.

To Paul. Zeal for virtue is nourished by the hope of acclaim. Good hope gives strength. [The letter opens with this Latin summary line before the Greek body.] Know this: it is not possible to persevere in the labors of virtue from the beginning all the way to the end unless the expectation of the rewards is gently blended into the sweat, and bit by bit, painlessly and lightly, and in a certain way with gladness, escorts one on to the end of the contests. If, then, you should see a man fleeing the labors of virtue and the pleasures of luxury for the sake of his enemies, know that good hope does not flower in him. It is a fearful thing, and exceedingly fearful, to be ordained to the priesthood at the present time. For one of two things will befall such a man: either, living according to the ancient and apostolic canons, he will be hated and plotted against by those who guard the now prevailing, grasping, and lawless custom as if it were a divine law, and who ostracize those who live rightly; or else, bending himself low in submission and being careless of his own salvation, he will scandalize many others as well, for whom he will pay the most severe penalties. Blessed indeed is it never even to be caught by such a longing. But if a man, without being caught by it, should be ordained, let him hold fast to his former aim, and with boldness let him renew the ancient and apostolic practices, not joining in the offenses of those who now toast the priesthood away [i.e. dispense it as if pledging a cup at a banquet] and think that everything may be both said and done. For it is better to be plotted against and deposed from office than to be ranked among such men.

Virtutis studium præconii spe alitur. Spes bona dat vires. Ἴσθι, ὅτι τοῖς τῆς ἀρετῆς πόνοις ἐκ πρώτης μέχρι τελευτῆς ἐγκαρτερῆσαι οὐκ οἷόν τε, μὴ τῆς προσδο- κίας τῶν γερῶν κιρναμένης ἠρέμα τῷ ἱδρῶτι, καὶ κατὰ βραχὺ ἀλύπως τε καὶ κούφως, καὶ τρόπον τινὰ μετ’ εὐφροσύνης παραπεμπούσης ἐπὶ τὸ τῶν ἀγώνων τέλος. Εἰ τοίνυν θεάσοιο ἄνθρωπον τοὺς πόνους τῆς ἀρετῆς, τὰς τῆς τρυφῆς τοῖς ἐχθροῖσιν ἡδονάς, φεύγοντα, ἴσθι ὅτι ἐλπὶς αὐτῇ χρηστὴ οὐκ ἀνθεῖ. Φοβερὸν ἔστι, καὶ λίαν φοβερὸν τὸ εἰς ἱερωσύνην νυνὶ τελέσαι. Δυοῖν γὰρ αὐτῷ θάτερον συμβήσεται· ἢ κατὰ τοὺς ἀρχαίους καὶ ἀποστολικοὺς κανόνας ζῶντα μισηθῆναι καὶ ἐπιβουλευθῆναι παρὰ τῶν τὴν νυνὶ ἐπιπολάσασαν ἐπιλαβῆ καὶ παράνομον συνήθειαν ὡς νόμον θεῖον φυλαττόντων, καὶ τοὺς ὀρθῶς βιοῦντας ἐξοστρακιζόντων· ἢ ὑποτακλίζοντα ἑαυτὸν, καὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀφειδῆσαι σωτηρίας, καὶ ἄλλους πολλοὺς σκανδαλίσει, ὑπὲρ ὧν καὶ δίκας σφοδροτάτας δώσει. Μακάριον μὲν οὖν τὸ μηδὲ ἁλῶναι ποτὲ τῷ τοιούτῳ ἔρωτι. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἁλοὺς χειροτονηθείη, ἐχέστω τοῦ προτέρου σκοποῦ, καὶ μετὰ παρῥησίας τὰ ἀρχαῖα καὶ ἀποστολικὰ πράγματα ἀνανεούτω, μὴ τοῖς νῦν προπίνουσι τὴν ἱερωσύνην, καὶ πάντα καὶ λέγειν καὶ πράττειν ἐξεῖναι νομίζουσιν, εἰς τὰ πταίσματα συμπράττων. Κρεῖττον γὰρ τὸ ἐπιβουλευθῆναι καὶ ἀποχειροτονηθῆναι, τοῦ μετὰ τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν τετάχθαι.