7. Though indeed the welfare even of the body is then more providently consulted for if its temporal life and welfare be disregarded for righteousness’ sake, and its pain or death most patiently for righteousness’ sake endured. Since it is of the body’s redemption which is to be in the end, that the Apostle speaks, where he says, “Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting the adoption of sons, the redemption of our body.”9    Rom. viii. 23–25 Then he subjoins, “For in hope are we saved. But hope which is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he also hope for? But if what we see not we hope for, we do by patience wait for it.” When therefore any ills do torture us indeed, yet not extort from us ill works, not only is the soul possessed through patience; but even when through patience the body itself for a time is afflicted or lost, it is unto eternal stability and salvation resumed, and hath through grief and death an inviolable health and happy immortality laid up for itself. Whence the Lord Jesus exhorting his Martyrs to patience, hath promised of the very body a future perfect entireness, without loss, I say not of any limb, but of a single hair. “Verily I say unto you,” saith He, “a hair of your head shall not perish.”10    Luke xxi. 18 That so, because, as the Apostle says, “no man ever hated his own flesh,”11    Eph. v. 29 a faithful man may more by patience than by impatience take vigilant care for the state of his flesh, and find amends for its present losses, how great soever they may be, in the inestimable gain of future incorruption.

7. Quanquam et ipsi corpori tunc providentius consulatur, si temporalis salus ejus pro justitia contemnatur, et poena vel mors ejus patientissime pro justitia sufferatur. De corporis quippe redemptione quae in fine futura est, loquitur Apostolus, ubi ait: Et ipsi in nobismetipsis ingemiscimus, adoptionem filiorum exspectantes redemptionem corporis nostri. Deinde subjunxit: Spe enim salvi facti sumus. Spes autem quae videtur, non est spes: quod enim videt quis, quid et sperat ? Si autem quod non videmus speramus, per patientiam exspectamus (Rom. VIII, 23-25).

CAPUT VIII.

Patientiae usus in animo et in corpore. Cum ergo torquent aliqua mala, sed non extorquent opera mala, non solum anima per patientiam possidetur; verum etiam cum per patientiam corpus ipsum ad tempus affligitur vel amittitur, in aeternam stabilitatem salutemque resumitur, et ei per dolorem et mortem inviolabilis sanitas et felix immortalitas comparatur. Unde Dominus Jesus ad patientiam exhortans martyres suos, etiam ipsius corporis integritatem futuram sine cujusquam, non dicam membri, sed capilli amissione, promisit. Amen dico vobis, inquit, capillus capitis vestri non peribit (Luc. XXI, 18). Ut quoniam nemo unquam, sicut Apostolus dicit, carnem suam odio habuit (Ephes. V, 29), magis homo fidelis per patientiam quam per impatientiam pro statu suae carnis invigilet, et futurae incorruptionis inaestimabili lucro quantalibet ejus praesentia damna compenset.