“Execute mercy to the wicked, but not because he is wicked. Do not receive the wicked, in so far as he is wicked, that is, do not receive him because you have an inclination and love toward for his iniquity. For it is forbidden to give to a sinner and to receive sinners. Yet how do we hear, "Give to every one that asks of you," and this, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him"? This is seemingly contradictory, but it is opened to those who knock in the name of Christ and will be clear to those who seek. "Do not help a sinner," and, "Do not give to the ungodly," and yet, "Give to every one who asks of you." But it is a sinner who asks of me. Give, not as though you were giving to a sinner. When do you give as though you were giving to a sinner? When that which makes him a sinner pleases you so that his sin becomes the reason that you give.”

“For the mind should first be prepared for patience, and then either much or all be bestowed in bounty, lest, the inroad of want being borne with but little equanimity, both the reward of previous bounty be lost, and subsequent murmuring bring worse ruin on the soul. Lest they should give nothing at all to those on whom they ought to bestow something, let them hear what is written, "Give to every man that asketh of thee." Lest they should give something, however little to those on whom they ought to bestow nothing at all, let them hear what is written. "Give to the good man, and receive not a sinner: do well to him that is lowly, and give not to the ungodly." And again, "Set out thy bread and wine on the burial of the just, but eat and drink not thereof with sinners." For he gives his bread and wine to sinners who gives assistance to the wicked for that they are wicked. For which cause also some of the rich of this world nourish players with profuse bounties, while the poor of Christ are tormented with hunger. He, however, who gives his bread to one that is indigent, though he be a sinner, not because he is a sinner, but because he is a man, does not in truth nourish a sinner, but a poor righteous man, because what he loves in him is not his sin, but his nature. Those who already distribute compassionately what they possess are to be admonished also that they study to keep careful guard, lest, when they redeem by alms the sins they have committed, they commit others which will still require redemption; lest they suppose the righteousness of God to be saleable, thinking that if they take care to give money for their sins, they can sin with impunity.”

“The impious and sinners who have no intention of repenting of their impiety or iniquity will be condemned at the end to eternal torments, while to those who have repented God will lavish his mercy. This is what is written in the book of Ecclesiasticus: "The Most High has mercy on the penitent and will inflict punishment on the impious and sinners." Further, in the same book it is said, "Remember that wrath will not be late in coming. Humble yourself to the utmost, because fire and worms fill up the punishment of the ungodly." Again, Isaiah says that "their fire shall not be quenched, and their worm shall not die." It is also written in Ecclesiasticus, "A synagogue of sinners is like a bundle of oak, and their end will be the flame of fire. The way of sinners is full of offenses, and, at the end, there will be the fiery pit, darkness and pains."”

“Like a wild beast fallen onto a noble and delicate body incapable of defending itself, thus vanity has sunk its heavy teeth into you and injected its poison and diffused a great stench. It has thrown away some parts, after having mutilated them; other parts it has torn to pieces, again others devoured. And, if it were possible for someone to see vanity and the church in the same arena, the pitiful spectacle might have looked like this—although much more distressing than what happens in the arena—the body thrown away with the beast towering over it and watching over every part of it. The beast drives back anyone who assaults it and does not distance itself or abandon that body. Who then will chase this wild animal away? It is the duty of him who wages this battle to send his angels, invoked by us, and, after they have closed this beast's daring and impudent mouth as if with braces, they will chase it away. But when he waged the battle it was under the condition that once it was chased away, we would not go after it. And so, after he sends it away, ordering that terrible beast to stay away from us, if we—even after we have been saved from its clutches and it has been chased into its cave—covered with a thousand wounds still go looking for it again and get it roused up and excited again, then he will not have further pity on us, and he will not save us: "Who, in fact, will have pity on a snake charmer bitten by a serpent and on those who get close to the wild beasts?"”