Letter 841: Wealth is a tool, not a treasure.

To Paulos. For the sake of money and office, and so as to yield none of these things to anyone, people often dare deeds greater than [any] pardon or punishment [can answer for]. For when they wish to acquire these things, they acquire them through countless evils; and when they fear to lose them, they undertake things far more grievous. For supposing that to lose [a thing] is more dreadful than never to have acquired it, they contrive measures still harsher. We must therefore master the passions at their very beginnings, lest in the end we be caught suffering from an incurable disease.

Συγγνώμης καὶ τιμωρίας μείζονα πολλάκις τολμῶσιν ἄνθρωποι χρημάτων ἕνεκεν καὶ ἀρχῆς, καὶ τοῦ μηδενὶ τούτων παραχωρῆσαι. Κτήσασθαι μὲν γὰρ αὐτὰ βουλόμενοι, διὰ μυρίων κακῶν κτῶνται, καὶ φοδούμενοι ἀποβαλεῖν, πολλῷ ἀργαλεωτέροις ἐγχειροῦσι. Νομίζοντες γὰρ τὸ ἀποβαλεῖν τοῦ μηδὲ κτήσασθαι δεινότερον εἶναι, χαλεπώτερα μηχανῶνται· χρὴ οὖν ἐν προοιμίοις περιγίνεσθαι τῶν παθῶν, ἵνα μὴ τελευτῶντες ἀνήκεστα νοσοῦντες φωραθῶμεν.