Chapter XII.—Certain Other Divine Precepts. The Apostolic Description of Charity. Their Connection with Patience.

As regards the rule of peace, which119    i.e. peace. is so pleasing to God, who in the world that is prone to impatience120    Impatientiæ natus: lit. “born for impatience.” Comp. de Pæniten. 12, ad fin. “nec ulli rei nisi pænitentiæ natus.” will even once forgive his brother, I will not say “seven times,” or121    Oehler reads “sed,” but the “vel” adopted in the text is a conjecture of Latinius, which Oehler mentions. “seventy-seven times?”122    Septuagies septies. The reference is to Matt. xviii. 21, 22. Compare de Orat. vii. ad fin. and the note there. Who that is contemplating a suit against his adversary will compose the matter by agreement,123    Matt. v. 25. unless he first begin by lopping off chagrin, hardheartedness, and bitterness, which are in fact the poisonous outgrowths of impatience? How will you “remit, and remission shall be granted” you124    Luke vi. 37. if the absence of patience makes you tenacious of a wrong? No one who is at variance with his brother in his mind, will finish offering his “duteous gift at the altar,” unless he first, with intent to “reconciliate his brother,” return to patience.125    Matt. v. 23, 24. If “the sun go down over our wrath,” we are in jeopardy:126    Eph. iv. 26. Compare de Orat. xi. we are not allowed to remain one day without patience. But, however, since Patience takes the lead in127    Gubernet. every species of salutary discipline, what wonder that she likewise ministers to Repentance, (accustomed as Repentance is to come to the rescue of such as have fallen,) when, on a disjunction of wedlock (for that cause, I mean, which makes it lawful, whether for husband or wife, to persist in the perpetual observance of widowhood),128    What the cause is is disputed. Opinions are divided as to whether Tertullian means by it “marriage with a heathen” (which as Mr. Dodgson reminds us, Tertullian—de Uxor. ii. 3—calls “adultery”), or the case in which our Lord allowed divorce.  See Matt. xix. 9. she129    i.e. patience. waits for, she yearns for, she persuades by her entreaties, repentance in all who are one day to enter salvation? How great a blessing she confers on each!  The one she prevents from becoming an adulterer; the other she amends. So, too, she is found in those holy examples touching patience in the Lord’s parables. The shepherd’s patience seeks and finds the straying ewe:130    Luke xv. 3–6. for Impatience would easily despise one ewe; but Patience undertakes the labour of the quest, and the patient burden-bearer carries home on his shoulders the forsaken sinner.131    Peccatricem, i.e. the ewe. That prodigal son also the father’s patience receives, and clothes, and feeds, and makes excuses for, in the presence of the angry brother’s impatience.132    Luke xv. 11–32. He, therefore, who “had perished” is saved, because he entered on the way of repentance. Repentance perishes not, because it finds Patience (to welcome it).  For by whose teachings but those of Patience is Charity133    Dilectio = ἀγάπη. See Trench, New Testament Syn., s. v. ἀγάπη; and with the rest of this chapter compare carefully, in the Greek, 1 Cor. xiii. [Neander points out the different view our author takes of the same parable, in the de Pudicit. cap. 9, Vol. IV. this series.]—the highest sacrament of the faith, the treasure-house of the Christian name, which the apostle commends with the whole strength of the Holy Spirit—trained? “Charity,” he says, “is long suffering;” thus she applies patience: “is beneficent;” Patience does no evil: “is not emulous;” that certainly is a peculiar mark of patience:  “savours not of violence:”134    Protervum = Greek περπερεύεται. she has drawn her self-restraint from patience: “is not puffed up; is not violent;”135    Proterit = Greek ἀσχημονεῖ. for that pertains not unto patience:  “nor does she seek her own” if, she offers her own, provided she may benefit her neighbours: “nor is irritable;” if she were, what would she have left to Impatience? Accordingly he says, “Charity endures all things; tolerates all things;” of course because she is patient. Justly, then, “will she never fail;”136    Excidet = Greek ἐκλείπει, suffers eclipse. for all other things will be cancelled, will have their consummation. “Tongues, sciences, prophecies, become exhausted; faith, hope, charity, are permanent:” Faith, which Christ’s patience introduced; hope, which man’s patience waits for; charity, which Patience accompanies, with God as Master.

CAPUT XII.

Quod ad pacis gratissimae Deo attinet discplinam, quis omnino impatientiae natus vel semel ignoscet fratri suo (non dicam septies, sed et septuagies septies (Matth., XVIII)? quis judicium cum adversario suo dirigens, (Luc., VI; Matth., V), negotium convenientia solvet, nisi prius animi dolorem, duritiam, amaritudinem, venena scilicet impatientiae amputarit? Quomodo remittes, et remittetur tibi, si tenax injuriae per absentiam patientiae fueris? 1267C Nemo convulsus animum in fratrem suum munus 1268A apud altare perficiet, nisi prius reconciliando fratri reversus ad patientiam fuerit. Sol super iram nostram si occiderit, periclitamur. Non licet nobis una die sine patientia manere. Atenim cum omnem speciem salutaris disciplinae gubernet (Eph., IV.), quid mirum quod etiam poenitentiae ministrat, solitae lapsis subvenire, cum, disjuncto matrimonio, ex ea tamen causa, qua licet feu viro, seu foeminae ad viduitatis perseverantiam sustineri, haec exspectat , haec exoptat, haec exorat poenitentiam quandoque inituris salutem. Quantum boni utrique confert! alterum non adulterum facit , alterum emendat. Sic et illis dominicarum similitudinum exemplis de patientia sanctis adest. Erroneam ovem patientia pastoris requirit et invenit. Nam impatientia 1268B unam facile contemneret. Sed laborem inquisitionis patientia suscipit, et humeris insuper advehit bajulus patiens peccatricem derelictam. Illum quoque prodigum filium patientia patris et recipit, et vestit, et pascit, et apud impatientiam irati fratris excusat. Salvus est igitur qui perierat, quia poenitentiam iniit. Poenitentia non perit , quia patientiam invenit. Nam dilectio summum fidei sacramentum, Christiani nominis thesaurus, quam Apostolus totis viribus Sancti Spiritus commendat, cujus nisi patientiae disciplinis eruditur? Dilectio, inquit, magnanimis est. Ita patientiam sumit. Benifica est; malum patientia non facit. Non aemulatur; id quidem patientiae proprium est. Nec protervum sapit; 1268C modestiam de patientia traxit. Non inflatur, non proterit 1269A ; non enim ad patientiam pertinet. Nec sua requirit, si offert sua , dum alteri prosit: nec incitatur; caeterum quid impatientiae reliquisset? Ideo, inquit, dilectio omnia sustinet, omnia tolerat, utique quia patiens. Merito ergo nunquam excidet; nam caetera evacuabuntur, consummabuntur. Exhauriuntur linguae, scientiae, prophetiae; permanent fides, spes, dilectio: fides, quam Christi patientia induxit: spes, quam hominis patientia exspectat; dilectio, quam, Deo magistro, patientia comitatur.