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

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 measure the lust of the world is mightier in him; as also that each one of the just is in that measure for endurance of any ills more brave, in what measure in him the love of God is mightier. But lust of the world hath its beginning from choice of the will, its progress from enjoyableness of pleasure, its confirmation from the chain of custom, whereas “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts,”35    Rom. v. 5 not verily from ourselves, but “by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.” And therefore from Him cometh the patience of the just, by Whom is shed abroad their love (of Him). Which love (of charity) the Apostle praising and setting off, among its other good qualities, saith, that it “beareth all things.”36    1 Cor. xiii. 4, 7 “Charity,” saith he, “is magnanimous.”37    Magnanima And a little after he saith, “endureth all things.” The greater then is in saints the charity (or love) of God, the more do they endure all things for Him whom they love, and the greater in sinners the lust of the world, the more do they endure all things for that which they lust after. And consequently from that same source cometh true patience of the righteous, from which there is in them the love of God; and from that same source the false patience of the unrighteous, from which is in them the lust of the world. With regard to which the Apostle John saith; “Love not the world, neither the things that be in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him: because all that is in the world, is lust of the flesh, and lust of the eyes, and pride of life;38    Ambitio sæculi which is not of the Father, but is of the world.”39    1 John ii. 15, 16 This concupiscence, then, which is not of the Father, but is of the world, in what measure it shall in any man be more vehement and ardent, in that measure becometh each more patient of all troubles and sorrows for that which he lusteth after. Therefore, as we said above, this is not the patience which descendeth from above, but the patience of the godly is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. And so that is earthly, this heavenly; that animal, this spiritual; that devilish, this Godlike.40    Deifica Because concupiscence, whereof it cometh that persons sinning suffer all things stubbornly, is of the world; but charity, whereof cometh that persons living aright suffer all things bravely, is of God. And therefore to that false patience it is possible that, without aid of God, the human will may suffice; harder, in proportion as it is more eager of lust, and bearing ills with the more endurance the worse itself becometh: while to this, which is true patience, the human will, unless aided and inflamed from above, doth not suffice, for the very reason that the Holy Spirit is the fire thereof; by Whom unless it be kindled to love that impassible Good, it is not able to bear the ill which it suffereth.

CAPUT XVII.

14. Solutio: iniquos duritiem excupiditate, pios fortitudinem ex charitate habere. Patientiae falsae sufficit voluntas humana, non autem verae. Qui haec dicunt, non intelligunt et quemque iniquorum tanto esse ad quaecumque mala perferenda duriorem, quanto in eo major est cupiditas mundi; et quemque justorum tanto esse ad quaecumque mala perferenda fortiorem, quanto in eo est major charitas 0619 Dei. Sed cupiditas mundi initium habet ex arbitrio voluntatis, progressum ex jucunditate voluptatis, firmamentum ex vinculo consuetudinis: Charitas autem Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris, non utique ex nobis, sed per Spiritum sanctum qui datus est nobis (Rom. V, 5). Proinde ab illo est patientia justorum, per quem diffunditur charitas eorum . Quam charitatem laudans atque commendans Apostolus, inter caetera ejus bona dixit eam et cuncta sufferre. Charitas, inquit, magnanima est. Et paulo post ait: Omnia tolerat (I Cor. XIII, 4 et 7). Quanto ergo major est in sanctis charitas Dei, tanto magis pro eo quod diligitur, et quanto major est in peccatoribus cupiditas mundi, tanto magis pro eo quod concupiscitur, omnia tolerantur. Ac per hoc inde est patientia vera justorum, unde est in eis charitas Dei; et inde est patientia falsa iniquorum, unde est in eis cupiditas mundi. Propter quod dicit Joannes Apostolus: Nolite diligere mundum, nec ea quae in mundo sunt. Si quis dilexerit mundum, dilectio Patris non est in ipso: quia omne quod in mundo est, concupiscentia carnis est, et concupiscentia oculorum, et ambitio saeculi; quae non est ex Patre, sed ex mundo est (I Joan. II, 15 et 16). Haec igitur concupiscentia quae non est ex Patre, sed ex mundo, quanto fuerit in homine vehementior et ardentior, tanto fit quisque pro eo quod concupiscit, omnium molestiarum dolorumque patientior. Idcirco, sicut supra diximus, non est ista patientia desursum descendens: patientia vero piorum desursum est, descendens a Patre luminum. Itaque illa terrena est, ista coelestis; illa animalis, ista spiritualis; illa diabolica, ista deifica. Quoniam concupiscentia, qua fit ut peccantes omnia pertinaciter patiantur, ex mundo est; charitas autem, qua fit ut recte viventes omnia fortiter patiantur, ex Deo est. Et ideo illi falsae patientiae potest sine adjutorio Dei voluntas humana sufficere; tanto durior, quanto cupidior; et eo tolerabilius mala sustinens, quo ipsa fit pejor: huic autem, quae vera patientia est, ideo voluntas humana, nisi desuper adjuta et inflammata, non sufficit, quia Spiritus sanctus est ignis ejus; quo nisi accensa diligat impassibile bonum, ferre non potest quod patitur malum.