And to declare that the having of riches is not forbidden, but the inordinate affection of the mind sore set upon them, the prophet saith, “If riches flow unto you, set not your heart thereupon.”  And albeit that our Lord, by the said example of the camel or cable rope to come through the needle’s eye, said that it is not only hard but also impossible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, yet he declared that though the rich man cannot get into heaven of himself, yet God, he said, can get him in well enough.  For unto men he said it was impossible, but not unto God, for “unto God,” he said, “all things are possible.”  And yet, beside that, he told of which manner of rich man he meant, who could not get into the kingdom of heaven, saying, “My babes, how hard is it for them that put their trust and confidence in their money, to enter into the kingdom of God!”

VINCENT:  This is, I suppose, uncle, very true—­and otherwise God forbid!  For otherwise the world would be in a full hard state, if every rich man were in such danger and peril.

ANTHONY:  That would it be, cousin, indeed.  And so I suppose it is yet.  For I fear me that to the multitude there are very few who long not sorely to be rich.  And of those who so long to be, there are also very few reserved who set not their heart very sorely thereon.

VINCENT:  This is, uncle, I fear me, very true, but yet not the thing that I was about to speak of.  But the thing that I would have said was this:  I cannot well perceive (the world being such as it is, and so many poor people in it) how any man can be rich, and keep himself rich, without danger of damnation for it.

For all the while he seeth so many poor people who lack, while he himself hath wherewith to give them.  And their necessity he is bound in such case of duty to relieve, while he hath wherewith to do so—­so far forth that holy St. Ambrose saith that whosoever die for default, where we might help them, we kill them.  I cannot see but that every rich man hath great cause to stand in great fear of damnation, nor can I perceive, as I say, how he can be delivered of that fear as long as he keepeth his riches.  And therefore, though he might keep his riches if there lacked poor men and yet stand in God’s favour therewith, as Abraham did and many another holy rich man since; yet with such an abundance of poor men as there is now in every country, any man who keepeth any riches must needs have an inordinate affection unto it, since he giveth it not out unto the poor needy persons, as the duty of charity bindeth and constraineth him to.

And thus, uncle, in this world at this day, meseemeth your comfort unto good men who are rich, and are troubled with fear of damnation for the keeping, can very scantly serve.

ANTHONY:  Hard is it, cousin, in many manner of things, to bid or forbid, affirm or deny, reprove or approve, a matter nakedly proposed and put forth; or precisely to say “This thing is good,” or “This thing is evil,” without consideration of the circumstances.