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,26382638 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.”26392639 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;26402640 and before
experience of bonds and cross and death, did, to those lips so full
of guile, not deny the kiss of peace.26412641 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.”26422642 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
530God
their mind, while they were suffering in the flesh all that
exquisite cruelty could devise in its mind.