14. But patience, beloved brethren, not only keeps watch over what is good, but it also repels what is evil. In harmony with the Holy Spirit, and associated with what is heavenly and divine, it struggles with the defence of its strength against the deeds of the flesh and the body, wherewith the soul is assaulted and taken. Let us look briefly into a few things out of many, that from a few the rest also may be understood. Adultery, fraud, manslaughter, are mortal crimes. Let patience be strong and stedfast in the heart; and neither is the sanctified body and temple of God polluted by adultery, nor is the innocence dedicated to righteousness stained with the contagion of fraud; nor, after the Eucharist carried in it,34 The older editions have “gustatam,” “tasted,” instead of “gestatam,” “carried,” as above. [See page p. 350, supra. Also St. Cyril. Elucidation VIII.] is the hand spotted with the sword and blood.
XIV. Patientia autem, fratres dilectissimi, non tantum bona custodit, sed et repellit adversa. Spiritui sancto favens et coelestibus ac divinis cohaerens contra facta carnis et corporis, quibus anima expugnatur et capitur , virtutum suarum propugnaculo reluctatur. Inspiciamus denique pauca de multis, ut de paucis intelligantur et caetera. Adulterium, fraus, homicidium, mortale crimen est. Sit fortis et stabilis in corde patientia ; et nec adulterio sanctificatum corpus et Dei templum polluitur, nec justitiae dicata innocentia 0631C contagione fraudis inficitur, nec post gestatam Eucharistiam manus gladio et cruore maculatur.