John Cassian, on Acts 5:5

“And Ananias hearing these words, fell down, and gave up the ghost. And there came great fear upon all that heard it.”

“And so if against those who did not covet other persons' goods but tried to be sparing of their own, and had no desire to acquire but only the wish to retain, there went forth so severe a sentence, what should we think of those who desire to amass wealth, without ever having had any of their own, and, making a show of poverty before people, are before God convicted of being rich, through the passion of avarice?”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.