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

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.