A Treasure Prohibited

Εἰ μὲν ἀβουλήτως προήχθης πρὸς τὴν τῆς Ἐκκλησιας προστασίαν καὶ ψήφων καὶ δήμων καὶ χειρῶν σε βιασαμένων, ἔξεις ἐπίκουρον τὸν Θεὸν, πάντα πρὸ προσώπου κατευδοῦντά σοι, ὅσα πρὸς τὴν ἄνω συντείνει κατάστασιν. Εἰ δὲ χρήμασιν, ὡς θρυλλῇ, τὸν ἄπαρτον μετῆλθες θησαυρὸν, καὶ κτήσασθαι ἱερωσύνην ὡς ὁ Σίμων ἐπόθησας, οὐκ ἔστι σοι μερὶς οὐδὲ κλῆρος ἑν τούτῳ. Τὰ γὰρ ἐξῆς φειδοῖ παραλείψομαι, ἐν τοῦτο ὁρῶν, ὅτι Καιάφας ἱερωσύνην ὠνήσατο, ὅτε κατὰ Χριστοῦ ταύτην ἐξώπλισε. Πᾶς οὖν ὅστις ἱερωσύνην ἐκπρίηται, Καϊάφας Χριστοκτόνος εὑρίσκεται. Ἂ γὰρ ἔργοις πιστευθῆναι οὐ δύναται, ταῦτα δόμασιν ἀσεβέσι πορίζεται. Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Βιβλίον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΤΙΕ' Λεοντιῳ Ἐπισκοπῳ Source: Migne PG 78.380d-381a

If you were unwilling to be raised to leadership of the Church and to compel the votes of the people, you have a helper in God, arranging all things before your face which pertain to things established above. But if with money, as it is rumoured, you sought a treasure prohibited, and in the way of Simon you desired to obtain the priesthood, 1 there is no part or inheritance for you in this. Indulgently passing over what follows, I see that in this is earned the priesthood of Caiaphas, when he equipped himself against Christ. For whoever buys the priesthood is found to be one who imprisons Christ. It is not possible to be trusted with such deeds, obtaining such things with impious gifts. Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Book 1, Letter 315, to the Bishop Leontius 1 Acts 8.18-24