On Patience

 1. That virtue of the mind which is called Patience, is so great a gift of God, that even in Him who bestoweth the same upon us, that, whereby He wait

 2. The patience of man, which is right and laudable and worthy of the name of virtue, is understood to be that by which we tolerate evil things with a

 3. Look we then, beloved, what hardships in labors and sorrows men endure, for things which they viciously love, and by how much they think to be made

 4. Nay more for is it not so that even for open wickednesses, not to punish but to perpetrate them, men put up with many most grievous troubles? Do n

 5. When therefore thou shall see any man suffer aught patiently, do not straightway praise it as patience for this is only shown by the cause of suff

 6. But yet, seeing that for lusts’ sake, or even wickednesses, seeing, in a word, that for this temporal life and weal men do wonderfully bear the bru

 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

 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 pati

 9. It is indeed a greater fight of patience, when it is not a visible enemy that by persecution and rage would urge us into crime which enemy may open

 10. To this man let them look who put themselves to death when they are sought for to have life put upon them and by bereaving themselves of the pres

 11. Let then the Saints hear from holy Scripture the precepts of patience: “My son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand thou in righteousnes

 12. But concerning true patience, worthy of the name of this virtue, whence it is to be had, must now be inquired. For there are some who attribute it

 13. But they answer and speak, saying, “If the will of man without any aid of God by strength of free choice bears so many grievous and horrible distr

 14. They which say these things, do not understand that as well each one of the wicked is in that measure for endurance of any ills more hard, in what

 15. For, as the Divine utterances testify, “God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God dwelleth in him.” Whoso therefore conte

 16. Here some man shall say “If the concupiscence of the bad, whereby it comes that they bear all evils for that which they lust after, be of the wor

 17. Now this election the Apostle demonstrating to be, not of merits going before in good works, but election of grace, saith thus: “And in this time

 18. Whence also the just of old, before the Incarnation of the Word, in this faith of Christ, and in this true righteousness, (which thing Christ is u

 19. Since the case is so, what is man, while in this life he uses his own proper will, ere he choose and love God, but unrighteous and ungodly? “What,

 20. Let thus much have been said with regard to charity, without which in us there cannot be true patience, because in good men it is the love of God

 21. But if it be goaded on and inflamed with deceitful visions and unclean incentives by the devilish spirit, associated and conspiring therewith in m

 22. But the pleasure of the Creator, of which is written, “And from the river of Thy pleasure wilt Thou give them to drink,” is of far other kind, for

 23. But if moreover any not having charity, which pertaineth to the unity of spirit and the bond of peace whereby the Catholic Church is gathered and

 24. But it may well be asked, whether this patience likewise be the gift of God, or to be attributed to strength of the human will, by which patience,

 25. So then, as we are not to deny that this is the gift of God, we are thus to understand that there be some gifts of God possessed by the sons of th

 26. Cry we therefore with the spirit of charity, and until we come to the inheritance in which we are alway to remain, let us be, through love which b

12. But concerning true patience, worthy of the name of this virtue, whence it is to be had, must now be inquired. For there are some24    Pelagians who attribute it to the strength of the human will, not which it hath by Divine assistance, but which it hath of free-will. Now this error is a proud one: for it is the error of them which abound, of whom it is said in the Psalm, “A scornful reproof to them which abound, and a despising to the proud.”25    Ps. cxxiii. 4 It is not therefore that “patience of the poor” which “perisheth not forever.”26    Ps. ix. 18 For these poor receive it from that Rich One, to Whom is said, “My God art Thou, because my goods Thou needest not:”27    Ps. xvi. 2 of Whom is “every good gift, and every perfect gift;”28    James i. 17 to Whom crieth the needy and the poor, and in asking, seeking, knocking, saith, “My God, deliver me from the hand of the sinner, and from the hand of the lawless and unjust: because Thou art my patience, O Lord, my hope from my youth up.”29    Ps. lxxi. 4, 5 But these which abound, and disdain to be in want before God, lest they receive of Him true patience, they which glory in their own false patience, seek to “confound the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his hope.”30    Ps. xiv. 6 Nor do they regard, seeing they are men, and attribute so much to their own, that is, to the human will, that they run into that which is written, “Cursed is every one who putteth his hope in man.”31    Jer. xvii. 5 Whence even if it chance them that they do bear up under any hardships or difficulties, either that they may not displease men, or that they may not suffer worse, or in self-pleasing and love of their own presumption, do with most proud will bear up under these same, it is meet that concerning patience this be said unto them, which concerning wisdom the blessed Apostle James saith, “This wisdom cometh not from above, but is earthly, animal, devilish.”32    James iii. 15 For why may there not be a false patience of the proud, as there is a false wisdom of the proud? But from Whom cometh true wisdom, from Him cometh also true patience. For to Him singeth that poor in spirit, “Unto God is my soul subjected, because from Him is my patience.”33    Ps. lxii. 5

CAPUT XV.

12. Patientia non venit ex liberi arbitrii viribus, sed ex divino adjutorio. Sed vera patientia quae hujus est nomine digna virtutis, quaerendum est unde sumatur. Sunt enim qui eam tribuant viribus voluntatis humanae, non quas habent ex divino adjutorio, sed quas ex libero arbitrio. Error autem iste superbus est: eorum est enim qui abundant, de quibus dicitur in Psalmo: Opprobrium eis qui abundant, et despectio superbis (Psal. CXXII, 4). Non ergo est ista patientia pauperum, quae non perit in aeternum (Psal. IX, 19). Hi enim pauperes ab illo eam divite accipiunt, cui dicitur, Deus meus es tu, quoniam bonorum 0618meorum non eges (Psal. XV, 2); a quo est omne datum optimum, et omne donum perfectum (Jacobi I, 17); ad quem clamat egenus et pauper, qui laudat nomen ejus, et petendo, quaerendo, pulsando, dicit: Deus meus, eripe me de manu peccatoris, et de manu legem praetereuntis et iniqui: quoniam tu es patientia mea, Domine, spes mea a juventute mea (Psal. LXX, 4 et 5). Isti autem qui abundant, et egere ad Deum dedignantur, ne ab illo accipiant veram patientiam, de sua falsa gloriantes, consilium inopis volunt confundere, quoniam Dominus spes ejus est (Psal. XIII, 6). Nec attendunt cum homines sunt, et suae, id est, humanae voluntati tantum tribuunt, in illud se incurrere quod scriptum est: Maledictus omnis qui spem suam ponit in homine (Jerem. XVII, 5). Unde etiamsi eis contingat ut aliqua dura et aspera, vel ne displiceant hominibus, vel ne graviora patiantur, vel sibi placendo et amando praesumptionem suam, eadem ipsa superbissima voluntate sustineant; hoc illis dicendum est de patientia, quod de sapientia beatus Jacobus apostolus dicit: Non est ista sapientia desursum descendens; sed terrena, animalis, diabolica (Jacobi III, 15). Cur enim non sit superborum falsa patientia, sicut superborum est falsa sapientia ? A quo est autem vera sapientia, ab illo est et vera patientia. Huic enim cantat ille spiritu pauper: Deo subjecta est anima mea, quoniam ab ipso est patientia mea (Psal. LXI, 6).