{"slug":"stoa0040.stoa077j.opp-lat1","id":"latin:ogl-pl:stoa0040.stoa077j.opp-lat1","title":"Sermo De Generalitate Eleemosynarum [Incertus]","title_source":"Sermo De Generalitate Eleemosynarum [Incertus]","author":"Augustinus","genre":"homily","date":"","tradition":"latin","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T06:07:16Z","cost_usd":0.002942},"source":{"registry_id":"latin:ogl-pl:stoa0040.stoa077j.opp-lat1","work_id":"stoa0040.stoa077j.opp-lat1","edition":"ogl-pl","language":"","license":"Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/patrologia_latina-dev/blob/master/data/stoa0040/stoa077j/stoa0040.stoa077j.opp-lat1.xml"},"stats":{"passages":5,"english_words":1150,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":4505,"commentary_units":28,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":9,"work_notes":5,"external_links":2,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"stoa0040.stoa077j.opp-lat1","abstract":"The Sermo De Generalitate Eleemosynarum is a Latin homily on almsgiving, traditionally attributed to Augustine of Hippo but now considered inauthentic. It survives only in the Maurist edition (PL 39, col. 2336–2338) with no early manuscript witness. Its style and theology point to a late 5th- or early 6th-century origin, well after Augustine's death. The sermon was included in the Maurist Opera Omnia and later reprinted in the Patrologia Latina, influencing medieval and early modern preaching. The title is a modern editorial addition. This edition reproduces the PL text without manuscript collation, so textual variants cannot be assessed.","historical_context":"The sermon was likely composed in Latin in the late 5th or early 6th century, probably in a monastic or ecclesiastical community in the western Mediterranean, possibly in North Africa or Gaul. It belongs to the genre of patristic homily, but its theology and style diverge from Augustine's authentic works. The text survives only through the Maurist edition (17th–18th c.), which collected and edited patristic writings; no earlier manuscript is known. The sermon was included in the Maurist Opera Omnia of Augustine and later reprinted in J.P. Migne's Patrologia Latina (vol. 39). Its transmission is thus entirely modern, with no trace in medieval manuscript traditions. The work's uncertain authorship and late date place it among the spuria of the Augustinian corpus, reflecting later developments in almsgiving theology.","significance":"The sermon illustrates the persistence of Augustinian themes in post-Augustinian preaching and the fluidity of authorship in the patristic corpus. Its inclusion in the Maurist edition and PL shaped medieval and early modern views on almsgiving, even though it is not by Augustine. It also highlights the challenges of textual criticism for works transmitted only through printed editions.","timeline":[{"date":"Late 5th–early 6th c.","event":"Probable composition of the sermon, based on style and theology."},{"date":"430","event":"Death of Augustine of Hippo; the sermon is later than this."},{"date":"17th–18th c.","event":"Maurist edition of Augustine's works includes the sermon, noting its uncertain authorship."},{"date":"1844–1864","event":"J.P. Migne reprints the sermon in Patrologia Latina, vol. 39."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Scholarship generally rejects Augustinian authorship, dating the sermon to the late 5th or early 6th century."}],"relations":[{"work":"Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos","relation":"Authentic Augustinian homilies; the spurious sermon imitates their style.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Augustine, De Civitate Dei","relation":"Augustine's theology of almsgiving; the sermon may draw on it indirectly.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Patrologia Latina, vol. 39","relation":"The sermon is reprinted in this collection, which is the source for the present edition.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Maurist Opera Omnia of Augustine","relation":"The sermon first appears in this edition, with a note on its uncertain authorship.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Sirach 12:4, 6 (Vulgate)","relation":"The sermon paraphrases or cites this biblical passage, though not exactly.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"wikipedia:Augustine of Hippo","label":"Augustine of Hippo","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo","reason":"The sermon was traditionally attributed to Augustine; understanding his life and works is essential for evaluating the attribution."},{"key":"wikipedia:Patrologia Latina","label":"Patrologia Latina","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrologia_Latina","reason":"The sermon is reprinted in this collection, which is the source for the present edition."}],"cautions":["The sermon's attribution to Augustine is almost certainly false; it was composed after his death.","No early manuscript survives; the text is known only from the Maurist printed edition.","The title Sermo De Generalitate Eleemosynarum is a modern editorial addition, not found in ancient or medieval sources.","The date of composition is uncertain, with only stylistic and theological evidence pointing to the late 5th or early 6th century.","Textual variants or omissions cannot be assessed because the edition does not collate manuscripts."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.00048,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:07:16Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Open Greek and Latin Patrologia Latina","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/patrologia_latina-dev/blob/master/data/stoa0040/stoa077j/stoa0040.stoa077j.opp-lat1.xml"}],"checks":{"work":"stoa0040.stoa077j.opp-lat1","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":5,"translated":5,"commentary_passages":5,"commentary_units":28,"english_words":1150,"source_letters":4493,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The sermon survives only in the Maurist edition (PL 39, col. 2336–2338) and is not attested in any early manuscript. Its ascription to Augustine is doubted by modern scholars.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The sermon’s style and theology suggest a date in the late 5th or early 6th century, well after Augustine’s death (430). No external evidence fixes its composition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Despite its inauthenticity, the sermon was included in the Maurist Opera Omnia and later reprinted in PL, influencing medieval and early modern preaching on almsgiving.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This edition reproduces the PL text without collation against manuscripts. Variants or omissions in the manuscript tradition cannot be assessed from this source alone.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The sermon’s title, Sermo De Generalitate Eleemosynarum, is a modern editorial addition. No ancient or medieval source uses this title for the work.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: homily in Latin; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 5 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: ogl-pl — Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":5},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"SERMO DE GENERALITATE ELEEMOSYNARUM.\n\nEditus a Sirmundo in Appendice post Augustinianos quadraginta.\n\nStipem peccatoribus Manichæi negant, et quare. Timent alii ne peccatoribus largiendo Deum offendant. Omnibus eroganda est. Justi præponendi. Nec despiciendi inimici. Non qnia peccatores, sed quia homines. Peccatoribus stipem non negavit Christus.\n\nSunt qui existimant elecmosynas justis tantummodo esse præbendas; peccatoribus autem nihil t'jusmodi dari oportere. In hoc errore primum sacrilegii locum Manichæi tenent, qui credunt in quocumque ribo Dei membra permixta cl colligata dctincri: quibus censent esse parcendum, ne a peccatoribus polluantur, et nodis miscrioribus implicentur. Hæc insania minus digne fortasse refellitur, quam sanorum omnium sensus offendit, si tantummodo proponatur. Nonnulli autem nihil tale sentientes, ideo peccalores putant non esse pascendos, ne contra Dominum conemur, cujns in eis indignatio declaratur: tanquam ex hoc etiam nohis possit irasci, quia eis volumus subvenire, quos vult ipse punire. Adhibent et testimonia Scripturarum sanctarum, ubi legimus, Dn misericordiam, et tre suscipias peccatorem, et iMpiis et peccatoribus redde vindictam. Bene fuc humili, et ne dederis impio; quoniam et Altissimus odio habet peccatores, et impiis reddet vindictam ( Eccli. XII, 4, 6, ).","english":"SERMON ON THE GENERALITY OF ALMS.\n\nPublished by Sirmond in the Appendix after the forty Augustinian sermons.\n\nThe Manichaeans deny alms to sinners, and why. Others fear that by giving to sinners they offend God. Alms are to be distributed to all. The just are to be preferred. Enemies are not to be despised. Not because they are sinners, but because they are human beings. Christ did not deny alms to sinners.\n\nThere are those who think that alms ought to be given only to the just; but that nothing of this kind ought to be given to sinners. In this error the Manichaeans hold the first place of sacrilege, who believe that in any food the members of God are mixed and bound together and held captive: which they think must be spared, lest they be polluted by sinners and entangled in more wretched bonds. This madness is perhaps less worthily refuted than it offends the sense of all sane people, if it is merely set forth. Some, however, feeling nothing of this sort, think that sinners ought not to be fed, lest we strive against the Lord, whose indignation is declared against them: as if from this he could also be angry with us, because we wish to help those whom he himself wishes to punish. They also adduce testimonies from the holy Scriptures, where we read, \"Have mercy, and do not receive the sinner,\" and \"To the impious and sinners render vengeance.\" \"Do good to the humble, and do not give to the impious; for the Most High hates sinners, and will render vengeance to the impious\" (Ecclus. XII, 4, 6).","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"Editus a Sirmundo in Appendice post Augustinianos quadraginta","severity":"info","text":"This note, likely added by a later editor, indicates the sermon was published by Jacques Sirmond in an appendix following forty authentic Augustinian sermons, signaling its uncertain authorship.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Manichaei","severity":"info","text":"The Manichaeans, a dualist sect, believed divine light was trapped in matter, including food; thus they avoided almsgiving to sinners to prevent polluting divine elements.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Eccli. XII, 4, 6","severity":"info","text":"The citation refers to Sirach 12:4, 6 (Vulgate numbering), but the quoted phrases are not exact; the author may be paraphrasing or using a variant Latin version.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Sunt qui existimant ... peccatoribus autem nihil t'jusmodi dari oportere","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin text has a typographical mark 't'jusmodi' likely for 'huiusmodi'; the English draft reads 'nothing of this kind,' which is correct.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"SERMO DE GENERALITATE ELEEMOSYNARUM","severity":"info","text":"The title and the initial summary (Stipem peccatoribus ...) function as a thematic heading and a brief outline of the sermon's arguments, a common feature in medieval manuscript rubrics.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact source of the scriptural citations is uncertain; they may be from a Vetus Latina version of Sirach rather than the Vulgate.","The attribution to Augustine is doubtful; the sermon is classified as 'Incertus' in the source edition."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Hæc verba quemadmodum accipienda siut uon intelligentes, detestabili crudelitate induuntur. Undo nos opertet de hac re, patres, vestram alloqui Charitatem: ne cogitat one perversa cum diviua voluntate non consentiatis.\n\nOmnibus esse impertiendam misericordiam docet apostolus Paulus apertissime dicens: Infatigabiles. inquit, cum tempus habemus, operemur bonum ad omnes, maxime autem ad domesticos fidei (Galat. vi, 10). Unde revera satis apparet, in hujusmodi opcribus justos esse præponendos Quos enum alios inlelligamus domesticos lidci, cum alibi aperte sit positu II, utus ex fide vivit (Hebr. X, 38)? Nun tamen aliis hominibus, etiam peccatoribus misericordiæ claudenda sunt viscera, lice si etiam adversum nos hostilem animum gerant: ipso nostro Salvatore dicente ac monente, Diligite inimicos vestros, benefacite his qui oderunt vos (Matth. v, 44). Neque hoc in libris vcteribus tacitum est. Ihi enim legitur, Si esurierit inimicus tuus, ciba illum; si sitit, potum du illi (Prov. xxv, 21). Quo etiam in Novo et Apostolus usus est (Rom. XII, 20).","english":"These words, not understanding how they are to be taken, they clothe themselves with detestable cruelty. Therefore it is necessary for us, fathers, to address your Charity concerning this matter, lest you consent to a perverse thought contrary to the divine will.\n\nThat mercy is to be bestowed upon all, the Apostle Paul teaches most openly, saying: \"Let us be untiring,\" he says, \"when we have time, let us work good for all, but especially for the household of the faith\" (Galatians 6:10). Whence it truly appears sufficiently that in such works the just are to be preferred. For whom else do we understand as the household of the faith, when elsewhere it is clearly set down: \"Let us live from faith\" (Hebrews 10:38)? Nevertheless, the bowels of mercy are not to be closed to other men, even sinners, even if they bear a hostile mind against us; our Savior Himself saying and admonishing: \"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you\" (Matthew 5:44). Nor is this passed over in silence in the Old Books. For there it is read: \"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink\" (Proverbs 25:21). Which also in the New Testament the Apostle used (Romans 12:20).","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Galat. vi, 10","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'Galat. vi, 10' corresponds to Galatians 6:10, but the quoted text resembles Galatians 6:10 (Vulgate: 'operemur bonum ad omnes') with an interpolation from 2 Timothy 2:4 ('infatigabiles').","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Hebr. X, 38","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'Hebr. X, 38' is erroneous; Hebrews 10:38 does not exist. The phrase 'ut ex fide vivit' echoes Hebrews 10:38? Possibly a misprint for Hebrews 11:6 or a conflation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Prov. xxv, 21","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'Prov. xxv, 21' corresponds to Proverbs 25:21, but the quoted text ('Si esurierit inimicus tuus, ciba illum') is not found in the Vulgate Proverbs; it may be a loose paraphrase or a variant reading.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Rom. XII, 20","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'Rom. XII, 20' is likely a misprint for Romans 12:20, which does not exist; the reference may intend Romans 12:14-21 or a similar passage on charity toward enemies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Manichaeans","severity":"info","text":"The opening reference to 'these words' and 'detestable cruelty' likely targets Manichaean teaching that alms should be denied to sinners, a polemic common in Augustine's anti-Manichaean works.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Hæc verba","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'Hæc verba' lacks a clear antecedent in the surviving passage; the previous passage (not extant in this edition) may have contained the scriptural words being misinterpreted.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The scriptural citations (Galatians 6:10, Hebrews 10:38, Proverbs 25:21, Romans 12:20) contain inaccuracies or conflations, possibly due to scribal error or loose quotation from memory.","The identity of 'these words' (Hæc verba) is unclear without the preceding context."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Nec ideo tamen falsa sunt quæ supra posuimus; quia et ipsa divina precepta sunt, Da misericordiam, et ne suscipins peccatorem. Illa enim ob hoc dicta sunt, ne eniquam peccaturi propterea bene facias, quia peccator est: ut bene quid facias ci qui te odit, non quia peccator est, sed quia homo est. Ita ulruinque præceptum tenebis, nec ad judicandum remissus, nec ad subveniendum inhumanus. Omnis enim qui reclc arguit peccatorem, quid aliud quam nun vult eum esse peccatorem? Odit ergo homo quod et Deus odit: ut per imatur quod homo fecit, et liberetur quod Deus lec it. Peccatum quippe homo fecit, ipsum et hominem Deus. Et duo ista nomina cum dicimus, Homo peccator, non utique frustra dicuntur. Quia peccator est, corripc; quia homo est, miserere. Nee omnino liberabis hominem, nisi cum persecutus fueris peccatorem. II iic officio omnis invigilat disciplina, sicut cui ne regent apta et accommodata est; non solum episcopo regenti pelebem suam, sed etiam pauperi regenti domum suam, marito regenti cunjugem siiam, patri regenti protem suam, judici regenti provincam suam, regi rege nli gentem suam: omnes ilicum boni sunt, cis quos regunt bene utique volunt. Et servi juata impertitam al universorum Domino potestatem, qui etiam regentes regit, dant operam, ut illi quos regunt, et conserventur homines, et pereant peccato-. res.","english":"Yet the statements we set forth above are not false for that reason, because both are divine precepts: \"Give alms\" and \"Do not support a sinner.\" For those were said so that you would not do good to anyone about to sin because he is a sinner, but so that you would do good to one who hates you, not because he is a sinner, but because he is a human being. Thus you will hold both precepts, neither lax in judging nor inhuman in helping. For everyone who rightly rebukes a sinner, what else does he want but that the sinner not be a sinner? Therefore he hates what God also hates, so that what the human being made may be destroyed, and what God made may be set free. For sin is what the human being made; the human being is what God made. And when we say these two names, \"sinner human being,\" they are certainly not said in vain. Because he is a sinner, correct him; because he is a human being, have mercy. Nor will you free the human being at all unless you have pursued the sinner. This duty pervades all discipline, as it is fitting and appropriate to every ruler: not only the bishop ruling his people, but also the poor man ruling his household, the husband ruling his wife, the father ruling his child, the judge ruling his province, the king ruling his nation. All these are good rulers; they certainly wish well for those whom they rule. And servants, according to the power granted by the universal Lord, who also rules the rulers, take care that those whom they rule both be preserved as human beings and that sinners perish.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Da misericordiam, et ne suscipins peccatorem","severity":"info","text":"The preacher reconciles two apparently contradictory precepts: give alms and do not support a sinner. The resolution is that one should help the sinner as a human being, not as a sinner.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"peccator","severity":"info","text":"The term 'peccator' (sinner) is used to denote the person's sinful state, which is to be corrected, while 'homo' (human being) denotes the God-given nature to be preserved.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Da misericordiam, et ne suscipins peccatorem","severity":"info","text":"The precepts 'Give alms' and 'Do not support a sinner' echo biblical injunctions on charity and moral discernment, though not direct quotations. The passage reflects a pastoral application of scriptural principles.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"omnis invigilat disciplina","severity":"info","text":"The list of rulers (bishop, poor man, husband, father, judge, king) reflects a hierarchical social order common in late antique Christian thought, where authority is seen as a duty to correct sin while preserving humanity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Nec ideo tamen falsa sunt","severity":"info","text":"This passage serves as a rebuttal to a potential misinterpretation of earlier precepts, using a dialectical structure: objection, clarification, and application to various rulers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"omnes ilicum boni sunt","severity":"info","text":"The text's emphasis on the duty of rulers to correct sin while preserving humanity influenced later medieval discussions on the limits of authority and the ethics of punishment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ne suscipins peccatorem' is ambiguous: 'suscipio' can mean 'support' or 'receive', and the exact nuance here is 'do not support' in the sense of enabling sin.","The Latin 'ilicum' is unclear; it may be a scribal error for 'illorum' or 'illic', but the context suggests 'illorum' (of those)."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Ita impleul quod scriptum est, Da miscricordiam, et ne suscipias peccatorem: ne hoc in illo salvum, quod peccator est, velint. Et impiis et peccatoribus redde vindictam: et in hoc ipsum, quod impii et peccatores sunt, deleatur in eis. Bene fac humili, propter hoc quod humilis est; et ne dederis impio, propter hoc quod impius est: quia ob hoc Altissimus odit peccatores, ei impiis reddet vindictam (Eccli. XII, 4. 6). Qui tamen, quia non solum peccatores et impii, verum etiarn et nomines sunt, facit oriri solem suum super bonos et malos, et pluit super justos et injustos (Matth. v, 45). Ita nulli hominum claudenda misericordia: nulli peccatori peccata impunita relaxanda sunt.\n\nHinc itaque maxime intelligendum est, quoniam non sit contemnenda eleelnosyna, quæquibusque pauperibus jure humanitatis impenditur; quandoquideni Domninus sublevabat indigentiam pauperum, ctiam ex iis loculis, quos ex opibus implebat aliorum. Quod si forte quis dixerit, nec illos debiles et mendicos, quos Dominus jussit politis imitari, nec illos quibus solebat de loculis erogare, peccalorcs fuisse; idco non esse cousequens, ut propter hæc evangelica testimonia.","english":"Thus I fulfilled what is written, \"Give alms, and do not support a sinner\": lest that in him be preserved which is a sinner. And to the impious and sinners render vengeance: and in this very thing, that they are impious and sinners, let it be destroyed in them. Do good to the humble, on account of the fact that he is humble; and do not give to the impious, on account of the fact that he is impious: because on this account the Most High hates sinners, and will render vengeance to the impious (Ecclus. 12:4, 6). Yet He, because they are not only sinners and impious, but also men, makes His sun rise over both good and bad, and rains upon the just and unjust (Matt. 5:45). Thus mercy is to be closed to no man: the sins of no sinner are to be left unpunished.\n\nHence it is especially to be understood that almsgiving is not to be despised, which is bestowed upon whatever poor by right of humanity; since the Lord relieved the need of the poor, even from those purses which He filled from the wealth of others. But if perhaps someone should say that neither those weak and beggars whom the Lord commanded to be imitated by the powerful, nor those to whom He used to dispense from the purses, were sinners; therefore it does not follow that on account of these evangelical testimonies.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Da misericordiam, et ne suscipias peccatorem","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'Da misericordiam, et ne suscipias peccatorem' is attributed to Ecclesiasticus 12:4, 6, but the Vulgate text differs; the phrasing may be a loose quotation or a conflation from memory.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"oriri solem suum super bonos et malos, et pluit super justos et injustos","severity":"info","text":"The reference to the sun rising over good and bad and rain on just and unjust echoes Matthew 5:45, though the Vulgate reads 'super bonos et malos' in a different context; the adaptation is common in patristic moral teaching.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"vindictam","severity":"info","text":"'Vindictam' here means 'vengeance' or 'punishment' in a judicial sense, not personal revenge; the homily contrasts divine retribution with human mercy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"loculis","severity":"info","text":"'Loculis' (purses) refers to the common treasury or alms fund of the early church, from which the bishop distributed aid; the passage argues that even funds from sinners can be used charitably.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"neque illos debiles et mendicos... peccatores fuisse","severity":"caution","text":"The sentence is incomplete in the Latin, breaking off after 'non esse consequens'; the English draft supplies a conjectural ending, but the original text may be corrupt or truncated.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Hinc itaque maxime intelligendum est","severity":"info","text":"This phrase marks a transition from scriptural exegesis to a practical conclusion, emphasizing that almsgiving is obligatory regardless of the recipient's moral state.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The citation of Ecclesiasticus 12:4, 6 does not match the Vulgate exactly; the source may be a different Latin version or a paraphrase.","The final sentence is incomplete, leaving the argument unresolved; the intended conclusion is uncertain."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"e:iam percatores a misericordibus suscipi vel pasci jubeantur: illud attendat quod jam superius memoravi, quia utique peccatores ei maxime scelerati sunt, quioderunt v persequuntur Ecclesiam: de quibus tamen dicturi est, Bene facile kis, qui oderunt vos (lb.,44). Et hoc exemplo Ici Patris astruitur, qui facit solem suum oriri super boum et malos, et pluit super justos et injustos. Non ergo suscipiamus peccatores propter quod sunt peccatores; sed tamen ens ipsos, quia et homines sunt, humana consideratione tractemus. Persequamur in cis propriam iniquitatem; nli. sereamur communem conditionem: et sic infatigabiles, cum tempus habemus, operemur bonum ad omnes, maxime autem ad domesticos fidei.","english":"and sinners are ordered to be received or fed by the merciful: let him attend to what I have already mentioned above, that sinners, and especially the most wicked, are those who hate and persecute the Church; concerning whom, nevertheless, it will be said, \"Do well to those who hate you\" (cf. Lk. 6:44). And this is supported by the example of the Father, who makes his sun rise over good and evil, and rains upon the just and unjust. Therefore, let us not receive sinners because they are sinners; but nevertheless, let us treat them, because they are also men, with human consideration. Let us persecute in them their own iniquity; let us preserve the common condition; and thus, untiringly, when we have time, let us do good to all, but especially to the household of the faith.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Bene facile his, qui oderunt vos","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'Bene facile his, qui oderunt vos' is a loose Latin rendering of Luke 6:27-28, not 6:44 as the English draft suggests. The verse commands blessing one's enemies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"exemplo Ici Patris","severity":"info","text":"The example of God the Father making the sun rise over good and evil is a common patristic topos, found in Augustine and others, to illustrate divine impartiality toward sinners.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"domesticos fidei","severity":"info","text":"'Domesticos fidei' (household of the faith) is a Pauline metaphor (cf. Galatians, Ephesians) for fellow Christians, emphasizing a special obligation to coreligionists.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Persequamur ... conservemus","severity":"info","text":"The parallel imperatives 'Persequamur in eis propriam iniquitatem; conservemus communem conditionem' structure the ethical distinction: attack sin, preserve shared humanity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"e:iam","severity":"caution","text":"The opening 'e:iam' is a scribal corruption or abbreviation; likely intended as 'Et iam' (And now) or 'Eiam' for 'Etiam' (Also). The sense is adversative.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The scripture reference 'Lk. 6:44' in the English draft is erroneous; the Latin echoes Luke 6:27-28. The phrase 'e:iam' is textually uncertain."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}