«But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; / And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; / Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: / Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; / But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.»

«And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.»

«But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.»

«A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; / Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; / One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; / (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) / Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.»

«I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: / Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.»

«For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.»

«If money be not thy servant, it will be thy master. The covetous man cannot so properly be said to possess wealth, as that may be said to possess him.»

«Be thrifty, but not covetous.»

«I knew once a very covetous, sordid fellow [perhaps William Lowndes], who used to say, `Take care of the pence, for the pounds will take care of themselves.'»

«I am not covetous for gold; but if it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul alive»