do I think of it, because of God and his Church, lest I should excite
persecution for them and all of us, and lest the name of the Lord
should be blasphemed through me; for it is written, "Woe to the man
through whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed." For though I am
unskilled in names, I have endeavored to be careful even with my
Christian brethren, and the virgins of Christ, and devout women, who
freely gave me gifts, and cast of their ornaments upon the altar; but I
returned them, though they were offended with me because I did so. But
I, for the hope of immortality, guarded myself cautiously in all
things, so that they could not find me unfaithful, even in the smallest
matter, so that unbelievers could not defame or detract from my
ministry in the least.

But when it happened that I baptized so many thousand men, did I expect
even half a "screpall" from them? Tell me, and I will return it to
you. Or when the Lord ordained clergy through my humility and
ministry, did I confer the grace gratuitously? If I asked of any of
them even the value of my shoe, tell me, and I will repay you more. I
rather spent for you as far as I was able; and among you and everywhere
for you I endured many perils in distant places, where none had been
further or had ever come to baptize, or ordain the clergy, or confirm
the people. By the grace of the Lord I labored freely and diligently
in all things for your salvation. At this time also I used to give
rewards to kings, whose sons I hired, who travelled with me, and who
understood nothing but [to protect] me and my companions. And on one
day they wished to kill me; but the time had not come yet; but they put
me in irons, and carried off all we possessed. But on the fourteenth
day the Lord released me from their power, and what was ours was
restored to us through God and through the friends we had before
secured.