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 likewise to compel the votes of the people, you have a helper in God, who  arranges 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 by 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, having obtained such things with impious gifts. Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Book 1, Letter 315, to the Bishop Leontius 1 Acts 8.18-24

Cleansing The Temple

Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὸ ἱερόν καὶ ἐξέβαλεν πάντας τοὺς πωλοῦντας καὶ ἀγοράζοντας ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, καὶ τὰς τραπέζας τῶν κολλυβιστῶν κατέστρεψεν καὶ τὰς καθέδρας τῶν πωλούντων τὰς περιστεράς. Ἥν μὲν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ πληθὺς ἐμπόρων, ἀργυραμοιβοὶ, ἤτοι κολλυβισταὶ, καὶ μετ' ἐκείνων βοῶν τε καὶ προβάτων ἔμποροι, τρυγόνας τε πιπράσκοντες καὶ περιστεράς. Ταῦτα δὲ χρήσιμα ταῖς θυσίαις τῆς κατά νόμον λατρείας· ἀλλ' ἧν ἤδη ὁ καιρὸς τοῦ καταλῆξαι τὴν σκιὰν, καὶ ἀναλάμψαι τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀλήθειαν, ἄτε δὴ μετὰ τοῦ ἰδίου Πατρὸς ἐν τῷ παρ' αὐτοῦ ὄντι ναῷ τιμώμενος. Συντέλλεσθαι μὲν τὰς ἐν νόμῳ προστέταχε θυσίας, καὶ τοὺς καπνούς· οἴκον δὲ προσευχῆς ἀναδείκνυσθαι τὸν ναόν. Τὸ γὰρ ἐπιπλήττειν τοῖς ἐμπόποις καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν περιβόλων ἀποσοβειν αὐτοὺς τὰ εἰς θυσίαν χρήσιμα διαπιπράσκοντάς τισι, τοῦτο πάντως ἐστὶ, καὶ ἕτερον οὐδὲν. Ἕτερος δὲ τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν καὶ φραγέλλιον ἐκ σχοινίων ποιῆσαι λέγει τὸν᾽Ιησοῦν, καὶ πληγὰς ἐπανατείνειν αὐτοῖς· ἔδει γὰρ εἰδέναι τοὺς νομικὴν τιμῶντας λατρείαν, μετὰ τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἀνάδειξιν, ὅτι πνεῦμα δουλείας ἔχοντες, καὶ τὸ ἐλευθεροῠσθαι παραιτούμενοι ὑπὸ πάστιγας ἔσονται, καὶ ὑποκείσονται κολάσει δουλοπρεπεῖ. Ἐπιτειχίζει αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸν Ἠσαῗαν κατήγορον, λέγων· Γέγραπται· Ὁ οἴκος μου, οἴκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται· ἐδει οὖν αὐτῷ προσκυνῆσαι ὡς δεσπόζονται τοῦ ναοῦ. Οἱ δὲ τοῦτο μὲν οὐ πεπράχασιν, ἀγανακτοῦσι δὲ μᾶλλον κατ' αὐτοῦ. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον δείκνυσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ θεραπεῦσαι ποικίλα νοσήματα. Φησι γὰρ ὁ εὐαγγελιστής Καὶ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ τυφλοὶ καὶ χωλοὶ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτοὺς. Αἰνιγμα ἧν τὸ γεγονὸς, ὅτι τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐκβληθέντων ἐκ τοῦ ναοῦ σὺν ταῖς τυπικαῖς θυσίαις, οἱ τυφλοὶ καὶ χωλοὶ θεραπεύονται, οἱ τύπον ἔχοντες τῶν ἐνθῶν. Μαθέτωσαν μέντοι καὶ οἱ πωλοῦντες καὶ τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος χαρίσματα καὶ τὴν ἱερωσύνην, ὅτι τοὺς πωλοῦντας τὰς περιστερὰς ἐξέβαλεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ναοῦ μαστίξας ὁ Κύριος, καὶ παυσάσθωσαν πόρους ἑαυτοῖς ἀπὸ χειροτονιῶν ἀθροίζοντες. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Ἐξὴγησις Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαιον Εὐάγγελιον Source:  Migne PG 72.432c-433a

And Jesus went into the temple and He cast out all the sellers and money changers in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the bankers, and all the seats of the sellers of sparrows. 1 In the temple there were many sellers and money changers, or dealers in coin, and with these sellers of cattle and sheep, and sellers of turtles doves and doves. For these were employed for the cult of the sacrifice of the law; but now it was time to dispel the shadow, and for the truth of Christ to shine forth, certainly that He be honoured with His Father in the true temple. He commanded the rejection of the smoke of the sacrifices of the law, and showed that the temple was a house of prayer; He drove out the sellers and those around eager for sacrifice, who sold those things needed for sacrifice, which without could not be. And another Evangelist says that Jesus made a whip from ropes and threatened them with blows. 2 For He would have known that those who honoured the Law, after receiving the showing of truth, should have a spirit of service, and entreat freedom from future blows which befits subject servants worthy of punishment. And He strengthens their admonishment when He says from Isaiah: 'It is written: My house is a house of prayer.' 3 He was worthy of adoration as the Lord of the temple, they, however, not only did not give it, but they were even indignant. But not only did He show His power in this way, but then He cured many of the sick. For the Evangelist says: And there came to Him the blind and lame in the temple and He cured them. 4 It was a mystery that was done here,  the ejection of the Jews from the temple with the figures of their sacrifices, and the curing of the blind and the lame, who are a figure of the Gentiles. And let those who sell the anointing of the Spirit and the priesthood learn that the Lord has cast out with a whip those who sell doves in the temple; and so let them cease to collect money for themselves by their consecrations. Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Matthew, Fragment 1 Mt 21.12 2 Jn 2.18 3 Mt 21.13, Isaiah 56.7 4 Mt 21.14

Taking Gifts

Πολλοί σε κωμῳδουσῖν, ὡς χρήμασιν, ἀλλ' οὐ Πνεύματι τὰς χειροθεσίας τῆς μυσταγωγίας ἐπιτρέποντα. Καὶ εἰ μὲν συκοφαντοῦσι, καθ' ἑαυτῶν ἐπεσπάσαντο τὴν δίκην, ἐπειδὴ ἀπολεῖ Κύριος πάντας τοὺς λαλοῦντας τὸ ψεῦδος. Εἰ δὲ ἀληθεύουσι, γνῶθι οἷ τελευτᾷ τὸ κακὸν, ὅτι μικροῦ κέρδους τὸ εἰς Θεὸν ὑβρίζειν ἀντήλλαξας. Καὶ τίς προσεύξεται περὶ σοῦ, ἐπειδὴ μήτε περὶ Ὀφνὴ καὶ Φινεὲς, εἰς Θεον καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτόντων ἱερωσύνην, εὑρέθη τις πρεσβευόμενος, ἀλλ' εἰς ἔσχατον ὄλεθρον, ὡς τὸ γέρας προπίνοντες τῆς ἱερωσύνης, ἐδόθησαν; Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Βιβλίον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολή ΚϚ' Εὐσεβιῳ Ἐπισκοπῳ Source: Migne PG 78. 197C-200A

Many ridicule you saying that for money and not for the Spirit you give the laying on of hands in the sacred initiations. And if indeed they calumniate, the Divine vengeance shall fall upon them, since 'The Lord destroys every one who speaks a lie.' 1 But if they are speaking the truth, know how this evil ends, when for a little wealth you have insulted God. Who shall pray for you, who will be found to defend, when Ophni and Phinees, who sinned in the priesthood against God, 2, to final ruin were given, having betrayed the dignity of the priesthood? Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Book 1, Letter 26, To The Bishop Eusebius 1 Ps 5.7 2 1 Kings 2.34; 4.11

A Bishop Warned

'Σκοπόν σε δέδωκα,' φησὶν ἡ θεία Γραφὴ, 'καὶ ὅψει τὴν ῥομθαίαν ἐρχομένην, καὶ ἀναγγελεῖς.' Καὶ εἰ μὲν νήψουσιν ἐξυπισθέντες, καὶ πρὸς ἀρετὴν ὑπήκοοι γρηγορήσουσι, καὶ σοὶ κὰκείνοις σωτηρίας γενήσεται ὅνησις. Εἰ δὲ τὰ ὦτα βύσουσιν ὡς ἀσπίδες, αὐτὸς τό γε ἥκον ἐπὶ σοὶ ἐξετέλεδας. Σκόπει τοίνυν μὴ μόνον φωνῇ μαρτυρούμενος φανῇς, τοῖς ἔργοις ἡττώμενος, ἐνδιδοὺς τὰς ἤνίας τῆς ἀρχῆς, τοῖς περὶ σὲ, καὶ πιπράσκων τὴν χάριν ἀσεβῶς. Οὖτε γὰρ χρυσίῳ ἔστιν ἐπιτρέπειν χειροθεσίας, οὔτε ἀγνοεῐν τὸν τῶν προσαγομένων βίον, οὔτε ἑτέρους προβάλλεσθαι τῆς ἁμαρτίας αἰτίος, ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀδεκάστου καὶ φριχτοῦ κριτηρίου. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸν Ἀδὰμ τῆς μέμψεως καὶ τῆς δίκης ἀπέλυσεν ἡ περὶ τῆς γυναικὸς ἀπόκρισις καὶ σκῆψις, τῇ αὐτῆς ὑποθέσει μετειληφέναι τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων ἀπολογούμενον.   Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολή Λ', Εὐσεβιῳ Ἐπισκοπῳ

'A watchman I have given you,' says Scripture and you shall see the sword coming and you shall announce it.'1 And if from sleep they arise sober and obediently attendant to virtue, to you and them shall be profitable salvation, but if in the manner of the serpent ears are closed, 2 you certainly, for your part, shall be marked. Consider, therefore, lest you appear to testify by the voice alone, and not by the deed itself, you who have been given the reins of rule and yet sell grace impiously to those around you. For in the incorruptible and fearful tribunal it is not allowed  to impose hands for gold, nor to induct into the sacred orders those of unknown life, nor to offer it to the authors of sin. For Adam was not released from blame and punishment by answering that his wife was excuse, that by her proposal accepted the one accused had his defence. 3 Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Book 1, Letter 30, To the Bishop Eusebius 1 Ez 33.3 2 Ps 57.5  3 Gen 3.12

Worthy Of Double Punishment

Τό οὔν περὶ αὐτοῦ γράμμα ὁ μὲν συνεγνωκὼς ἑαυτῷ δεξάσθω ὡς ἴαμα, ὁ δέ μὴ συνεγνωκὼς ὡς προφυλακτήριον· ὁ δὲ ἀδιάφορος, ὀπερ ἀπεύχομαι ἐφ’ ὑμῖν εὑρεθῆναι, ὡς διαμαρτυρίαν. Τί δέ ἐστιν ὁ λέγω; φασί τινας ὑμων παρὰ τῶν χειροτονουμένων λαμβάνειν χρήματα· ἐπισκιάζειν δὲ ὀνόματι εὐσεβείας. Τοῦτο δὲ χεῖρον ἐστιν. Ἐὰν γὰρ τις τὸ κακόν έν προσχὴματι τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ποιῇ. διπλασίονος τιμωρίας ἐστὶν ἀξιος· διότι αὐτό τε τὸ οὐκ ἀγαθὸν ἐργάζεται, καὶ κέχρηται εἰς τὸ τελέσαι τὴν ἄμαρτίαν, ὡς ἄν εἰποι τις, τῷ καλῷ συνεργῷ. Ταύτα εἰ οὔτως ἔχει, τοῦ λοιποῦ μὴ γινέσθω, ἀλλὰ διοργωθήτω· ἐπεὶ ἀνάγκη λέγειν πρός τὸν δεχόμενον τὸ ἀργύριον, ὃπερ ἐῥῥήθη παρὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων πρὸς τὸν θέλοντα δοῦναι, ἲνα Πνεύματος ἀγίου μετουσίαν ὠνήσηται· Τό ἀργύριον σου σὺν σοὶ εἴη εἰς ἀπώλειαν. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος Καισαρείας, Ἐπιστολη ΗΓ’, Χωρεπισκόποις Source: Migne PG 32.391a-b

About that which I am writing, may it be received by the one who is guilty as medicine, and by the one who is not guilty as a warning, and by the one who is indifferent, where I would not wish to find any of you, as an obstructive plea. Of what do I speak? It is said that some of you take money for ordination and cover it up under the name of religion. This is worse, for if someone does evil under the mask of good then he is worthy of double punishment, since he does what is not good and to accomplish a further sin, as someone might say, with a good work. If these things have been so, let them not be hereafter, but let there be improvement, since it must be said to those who have received such money, what was said by the Apostles to the man who wished to give money to buy association with the Holy Spirit: 'Your money perish with you.' 1 Saint Basil of Caesarea, from Letter 53, To the Suffragan Bishops 1 Acts 8.20