Letter 454: Two things are generally confused by those who hold authority: the power to command and the obligation to care.

To Bishop Perapos. Not only is an accusation false, O vessel of God, but it is also entirely true, if it is brought against a father alone, that it brings destruction in travail upon the parricide, as it did upon Ham, the son of Noah; but those who kept themselves clean of it, Shem and Japheth, and he who is their fellow-contender and joint-heir, and who covered over the disgrace that came from drunkenness, will fittingly be deemed worthy of one and the same blessing. Whatever things are acquired but rarely, as being precious, and are guarded with difficulty, as being exposed to plots, and yet have the same use as things cheap and easily purchased, from these it is fitting that Christians be estranged not only in their possession but even in the sight of them; for such things bring harm to acts of kindness toward the poor, and they begrudge salvation to those who possess them.

Οὐ ψευδὴς [μόνη] κατηγορία, ὦ σκεῦος θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ κομιδὴ ἀληθὴς, εἰ κατὰ πατρὸς γένοιτο μόνον, ὄλεθρον τῷ πατραλοίᾳ ὠδίνει, ὡς τῷ Χάμ, ᾡ τοῦ Νῶε· ἧς καθαρεύσαντες Σὴμ καὶ Ἰάφεθ, καὶ οὗ ὁ ἐκείνων συναγωνιστὴς καὶ συγκληρονόμος, καὶ τὴν ἐκ μέθης σκεπάσαντες παροιμίαν, μιᾶς καὶ ὁμοίας ἀξιωθήσεσθε εὐλογίας εἰκότως. ὅσα καὶ κτᾶται σπανίως, ὡς πολύτιμα, καὶ τηρεῖται δυσκόλως, ὡς ἐπίβουλα, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει χρῆσιν τοῖς εὐτελέσι καὶ εὐώνοις, ταῦτα Χριστιανῶν οὐ κτήσεώς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὄψεως ἠλλοτριῶσθαι προσήκει· οἷα ταῖς μὲν εἰς τοὺς πένητας λυμαινόμενα εὐποιίαις· τοῖς δὲ κεκτημένοις βασκαίνοντα τῆς σωτηρίας.