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

13. But they answer and speak, saying, “If the will of man without any aid of God by strength of free choice34    Liberi arbitrii bears so many grievous and horrible distresses, whether in mind or body, that it may enjoy the delight of this mortal life and of sins, why may it not be that in the same manner the self-same will of man by the same strength of free-choice, not thereunto looking to be aided of God, but unto itself by natural possibility sufficing, doth, in all of labor or sorrow that is put upon it, for righteousness and eternal life’s sake most patiently sustain the same? Or is it so, say they, that the will of the unjust is sufficient, without aid of God, for them, yea even to exercise themselves in undergoing torture for iniquity, and before they be tortured by others; sufficient the will of them which love the respiting of this life that, without aid of God, they should in the midst of most atrocious and protracted torments persevere in a lie, lest confessing their misdeeds they be ordered to be put to death; and not sufficient the will of the just, unless strength be put into them from above, that whatever be their pains, they should, either for beauty’s sake of very righteousness or for love of eternal life, bear the same?”

CAPUT XVI.

13. Objectio: cur voluntatis vires non sufficiunt ad patiendum pro justitia, sicut pro injustitia. Sed respondent et loquuntur dicentes: Si voluntas hominis sine ullo Dei adjutorio viribus liberi arbitrii tam multa gravia et horrenda perfert, sive in animo, sive in corpore, ut mortalis vitae hujus et peccatorum delectatione perfruatur; cur non eodem modo eadem ipsa voluntas hominis eisdem viribus liberi arbitrii, non ad hoc exspectans se divinitus adjuvari, sed sibi naturali possibilitate sufficiens, quidquid laboris vel doloris ingeritur, pro justitia et vita aeterna patientissime sustinet? An vero, inquiunt, idonea est iniquorum voluntas, Deo non adjuvante, ut se ipsi in cruciatibus pro iniquitate, et antequam ab aliis crucientur, exerceant; idonea est voluntas moras vitae hujus amantium, ut Deo non adjuvante, inter atrocissima et longa tormenta in mendacio perseverent, ne sua facinora confitentes, jubeantur occidi; et non est idonea justorum voluntas, nisi eis vires desuper suggerantur, quaslibet poenas, vel ipsius decore justitiae, vel aeternae vitae amore perferre?