8. But although patience be a virtue of the mind, yet partly the mind exercises it in the mind itself, partly in the body. In itself it exercises patience, when, the body remaining unhurt and untouched, the mind is goaded by any adversities or filthinesses of things or words, to do or to say something that is not expedient or not becoming, and patiently bears all evils that it may not itself commit any evil in work or word. By this patience we bear, even while we be sound in body, that in the midst of the offenses of this world our blessedness is deferred: of which is said what I cited a little before, “If what we see not we hope for, we do by patience wait for it.” By this patience, holy David bore the revilings of a railer,12    2 Sam. xvi. 5–12 and, when he might easily have avenged himself, not only did it not, but even refrained another who was vexed and moved for him; and more put forth his kingly power by prohibiting than by exercising vengeance. Nor at that time was his body afflicted with any disease or wound, but there was an acknowledging of a time of humility, and a bearing of the will of God, for the sake of which there was a drinking of the bitterness of contumely with most patient mind. This patience the Lord taught, when, the servants being moved at the mixing in of the tares and wishing to gather them up, He said that the householder answered, “Leave both to grow until the harvest.”13    Matt. xiii. 30 That, namely, must be patience put up with, which must not be in haste put away. Of this patience Himself afforded and showed an example, when, before the passion of His Body, He so bore with His disciple Judas, that ere He pointed him out as the traitor, He endured him as a thief;14    John xii. 6; xiii. 29 and before experience of bonds and cross and death, did, to those lips so full of guile, not deny the kiss of peace.15    Matt. xxvi. 49 All these, and whatever else there be, which it were tedious to rehearse, belong to that manner of patience, by which the mind doth, not its own sins but any evils so ever from without, patiently endure in itself, while the body remains altogether unhurt. But the other manner of patience is that by which the same mind bears any troubles and grievances whatsoever in the sufferings of the body; not as do foolish or wicked men for the sake of getting vain things or perpetrating crimes; but as is defined by the Lord, “for righteousness’ sake.”16    Matt. v. 10 In both kinds, the holy Martyrs contended. For both with scornful reproofs of the ungodly were they filled, where, the body remaining intact, the mind hath its own (as it were) blows and wounds, and bears these unbroken: and in their bodies they were bound, imprisoned, vexed with hunger and thirst, tortured, gashed, torn asunder, burned, butchered; and with piety immovable submitted unto God their mind, while they were suffering in the flesh all that exquisite cruelty could devise in its mind.

8. Quamvis autem patientia virtus sit animi, partim tamen ea utitur animus in se ipso, partim vero in corpore suo. In se ipso utitur patientia, quando illaeso et intacto corpore aliquid quod non expediat vel non deceat, facere aut dicere quibuslibet adversitatibus aut foeditatibus rerum seu verborum stimulis incitatur , et patienter mala omnia tolerat, ne ipse mali aliquid opere vel ore committat.

CAPUT IX.

Patientia animi. Per hanc patientiam sustinemus, etiam dum corpore sani sumus, quod inter hujus saeculi scandala beatitudo nostra differtur: unde dictum est quod paulo ante commemoravi, Si quod non videmus speramus, per patientiam exspectamus. Hac patientia sanctus David conviciantis 0615 opprobria toleravit, et cum facile posset ulcisci, non solum non fecit, verum et alium pro se dolentem commotumque compescuit (II Reg. XVI, 5-12); et potestatem regiam magis adhibuit prohibendo, quam exercendo vindictam . Neque tunc ejus corpus aliquo morbo affligebatur aut vulnere, sed humilitatis tempus agnoscebatur, ac ferebatur voluntas Dei, propter quam patientissimo animo amaritudo contumeliae bibebatur. Hanc patientiam Dominus docuit, quando commotis zizaniorum permixtione servis, et volentibus ea colligere, dixit respondisse patremfamilias, Sinite utraque crescere usque ad messem (Matth. XIII, 30). Oportet enim patienter ferri, quod festinanter non oportet auferri. Hujus et ipse patientiae praebuit et demonstravit exemplum, quando ante passionem corporis sui, discipulum Judam priusquam ostenderet traditorem, pertulit furem (Joan. XII, 6, et XIII, 29); et ante experimentum vinculorum et crucis et mortis, labiis ejus dolosis non negavit osculum pacis (Matth. XXVI, 29). Haec omnia, et si qua alia sunt quae commemorare longum est, ad eum patientiae modum pertinent, quo animus non sua peccata, sed quaecumque extrinsecus mala patienter sustinet in se ipso, suo prorsus corpore illaeso.

CAPUT X.

Patientia in externis incommodis. Utraque patientia in Martyribus. Patientiae majus certamen diabolo saeviente. Alius est autem patientiae modus, quo idem ipse animus quaecumque molesta et gravia in sui corporis passionibus perfert; non sicut stulti vel maligni homines, propter adipiscenda vana vel scelera perpetranda; sed sicut a Domino definitum est, propter justitiam (Matth. V, 10). Utroque modo sancti martyres certaverunt. Nam et impiorum opprobriis saturati sunt, ubi animus corpore intacto quasdam veluti plagas suas integer sustinet; et in corporibus vincti sunt, inclusi sunt, fame ac siti affecti sunt, torti sunt, secti sunt, dilaniati sunt, incensi sunt, trucidati sunt: et pietate immobili subdiderunt Deo mentem, cum paterentur in carne quidquid exquirenti crudelitati venit in mentem.