S. AURELII AUGUSTINI HIPPONENSIS EPISCOPI DE PATIENTIA LIBER UNUS .

 CAPUT PRIMUM.

 CAPUT II.

 CAPUT III.

 CAPUT V.

 CAPUT VI.

 CAPUT VII.

 7. Quanquam et ipsi corpori tunc providentius consulatur, si temporalis salus ejus pro justitia contemnatur, et poena vel mors ejus patientissime pro

 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

 9. Majus sane patientiae certamen est, quando non visibilis inimicus persequendo atque saeviendo urget in nefas, qui palam et aperte a non consentient

 CAPUT XIII.

 CAPUT XIV.

 CAPUT XV.

 CAPUT XVI.

 CAPUT XVII.

 CAPUT XVIII.

 CAPUT XIX.

 CAPUT XX.

 CAPUT XXI.

 CAPUT XXII.

 CAPUT XXIII.

 CAPUT XXIV.

 CAPUT XXV.

 23. Si quis autem non habens charitatem, quae pertinet ad unitatem spiritus et vinculum pacis, quo catholica Ecclesia congregata connectitur, in aliqu

 CAPUT XXVII.

 25. Proinde sicut negandum non est hoc esse donum Dei, ita intelligendum est alia esse Dei dona filiorum illius Jerusalem, quae sursum libera est mate

 CAPUT XXIX.

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 brunt of many horrible sufferings, they much admonish us how great things ought to be borne for the sake of a good life, that it may also hereafter be eternal life, and without any bound of time, without waste or loss of any advantage, in true felicity secure. The Lord saith, “In your patience ye shall possess your souls:”8    Luke xxi. 19 He saith not, your farms, your praises, your luxuries; but, “your souls.” If then the soul endures so great sufferings that it may possess that whereby it may be lost, how great ought it to bear that it may not be lost? And then, to mention a thing not culpable, if it bear so great sufferings for saving of the flesh under the hands of chirurgeons cutting or burning the same, how great ought it to bear for saving of itself under the fury of any soever enemies? Seeing that leeches, that the body may not die, do by pains consult for the body’s good; but enemies by threatening the body with pains and death, would urge us on to the slaying of soul and body in hell.

CAPUT VII.

6. Pro aeterna salute quanta sufferre debent pii, si tanta pro temporali vita patiuntur mali. Non animae tantum, sed ipsi quoque corpori consulitur ferendo mortem et dolores. Verumtamen cum pro libidinibus, vel etiam sceleribus, cum denique pro ista temporali vita ac salute multa homines horrenda mirabiliter sufferunt; satis nos admonent quanta sufferenda sint pro vita bona, ut etiam postea possit esse aeterna, et sine ullo temporis termino, sine utilitatis ullius detrimento vera felicitate secura. Dominus ait, 0614 In vestra patientia possidebitis animas vestras (Luc. XXI, 19): non ait, villas vestras, laudes vestras, luxurias vestras; sed, animas vestras. Si ergo tanta suffert anima ut possideat unde pereat, quanta debet sufferre ne pereat? Deinde, ut illud dicam quod culpabile non est, si tanta suffert pro salute carnis suae inter manus secantium sive urentium medicorum, quanta debet sufferre pro salute sua inter furores quorumlibet inimicorum? Cum medici, ne corpus moriatur, per poenas corpori consulant; inimici autem poenas et mortem corpori comminando, ut anima et corpus in gehenna occidatur impellant.