§14Qui haec dicunt, non intellegunt et quemque iniquorum tanto esse ad quaecumque mala perferenda duriorem, quanto in eo maior est cupiditas mundi, et quemque iustorum tanto esse ad quaecumque mala perferenda fortiorem. quanto in eo maior est caritas dei.
Those who say these things do not understand both that each of the unjust is so much harder to endure any evils as the desire of the world is greater in him, and each of the righteous is so much stronger to endure any evils as the charity of God is greater in him.
sed cupiditas mundi initium habet ex arbitrio uoluntatis, progressum ex iucunditate uoluptatis, firmamentum ex uinculo consuetudinis; caritas autem dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris, non utique ex nobis, sed per spiritum sanctum qui datus est nobis.
But the desire of the world has its beginning from the choice of the will, its progress from the sweetness of pleasure, its strength from the bond of custom; but the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, not indeed from ourselves, but through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
proinde ab illo est patientia iustorum, per quem diffunditur caritas eorum.
Therefore, from Him is the patience of the righteous, through whom their charity is poured forth.
quam caritatem laudans atque commendans apostolus inter cetera eius bona dixit eam et cuncta sufferre.
Praising and commending this charity, the Apostle among its other goods said that it also endures all things.
caritas, inquit, magnanima est, et paulo post ait: omnia tolerat. quanto ergo maior est in sanctis caritas dei, tanto magis pro eo quod diligitur, et quanto maior est in peccatoribus cupiditas mundi, tanto magis pro eo, quod concupiscitur, omnia tolerantur.
"Charity," he says, "is patient," and a little later he says: "It bears all things." Therefore, the greater the charity of God is in the holy ones, so much the more are all things endured for that which is loved, and the greater the desire of the world is in sinners, so much the more are all things endured for that which is desired.
ac per hoc inde est patientia uera iustorum, unde est in eis caritas dei; et inde est patientia falsa iniquorum, unde est in eis cupiditas mundi.
And through this, from there is the true patience of the righteous, whence is the charity of God in them; and from there is the false patience of the unjust, whence is the desire of the world in them.
propter quod dicit Iohannes apostolus: nolite diligere mundum nec ea quae in mundo sunt.
For which reason the Apostle John says: "Do not love the world, nor the things that are in the world.
si quis dilexerit mundum, dilectio patris non est in ipso, quoniam omne quod est in mundo, concupiscentia carnis est et concupiscentia oculorum et ambitio saeculi: quae non est ex patre, sed ex mundo est. haec igitur concupiscentia, quae non est ex patre, sed ex mundo, quando fuerit in homine uehementior et ardentior, tanto fit quisque pro eo, quod concupiscit, omnium molestiarum dolorumque patientior.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not from the Father, but is from the world." Therefore, when this concupiscence, which is not from the Father but from the world, becomes more vehement and burning in a man, so much the more patient does each one become of all troubles and pains for that which he desires.
idcirco, sicut supra diximus, non est ista patientia desursum descendens; patientia uero piorum desursum est descendens a patre luminum.
For this reason, as we said above, that patience is not descending from above; but the patience of the pious is descending from above, from the Father of lights.
itaque illa terrena est, ista caelestis, illa animalis, ista spiritalis, illa diabolica, ista deifica, quoniam concupiscentia, qua fit, ut peccantes omnia pertinaciter patiantur, ex mundo est; caritas autem, qua fit, ut recte uiuentes omnia fortiter patiantur, ex deo est.
Therefore, that one is earthly, this one is heavenly; that one is natural, this one is spiritual; that one is devilish, this one is deifying, because the concupiscence by which it comes to pass that sinners endure all things obstinately is from the world; but the charity by which it comes to pass that those who live rightly endure all things courageously is from God.
et ideo illi falsae patientiae potest sine adiutorio dei uoluntas humana sufficere tanto durior, quanto cupidior, et eo tolerabilius mala sustinens, quo ipsa fit peior; huic autem, quae uera patientia est, ideo uoluntas humana, nisi desuper adiuta et inflammata, non sufficit, quia spiritus sanctus est ignis eius, quo nisi accensa diligat inpassibile bonum, ferre non potest quod patitur malum.
And therefore, the human will can be sufficient for that false patience without the assistance of God, being so much harder as it is more desirous, and sustaining evils so much more tolerably as it becomes worse; but for this, which is true patience, the human will, unless assisted and inflamed from above, is not sufficient, because the Holy Spirit is its fire, and unless kindled by this so that it loves the impassible good, it cannot bear the evil that it suffers.
§15Sicut enim diuina testantur eloquia, deus caritas est, et qui manet in caritate, in deo manet, et deus in illo manet.
For as the divine utterances testify, God is charity, and he who abides in charity abides in God, and God abides in him.
quisquis ergo contendit haberi posse dei caritatem sine dei adiutorio, quid aliud contendit nisi haberi deum posse sine deo? quis autem hoc dicat Christianus, quod nullus dicere audeat insanus? exultans ergo apud apostolum uera, pia fidelisque patientia dicit ore sanctorum: quis nos separabit a caritate Christi? tribulatio? an augustia? an persecutio? an fames? an nuditas? an periculum? an gladius? sicut scriptum est, quia propter te mortificamur tota die, deputati sumus sicut oues uictimae. sed in his omnibus superuincimus per eum, qui delexit. nos; non ergo per nos, sed per eum, qui dilexit nos.
Whoever therefore contends that the charity of God can be had without the assistance of God, what else does he contend than that God can be had without God? But what Christian would say this, which no insane person would dare to say? Therefore, the true, pious, and faithful patience, exulting in the Apostle, says by the mouth of the holy ones: "Who shall separate us from the charity of Christ? Shall tribulation? Or distress? Or persecution? Or famine? Or nakedness? Or danger? Or the sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we are put to death all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.'" But in all these things we overcome through Him who loved us; therefore, not through ourselves, but through Him who loved us.
deinde sequitur et adiungit: certus sum enim, quia neque mors neque uita neque angeli neque principatus neque praesentia neque futura neque altitudo neque profundum neque creatura alia poterit nos separare a caritate dei, quae est in Christo Iesu domino nostro. haec est illa caritas dei, quae diffunditur in cordibus nostris, non ex nobis, sed per spiritum sanctum qui datus est nobis; malorum autem concupiscentia, propter quam in eis est falsa patientia, non est ex patre, sicut dicit apostolus Iohannes, sed ex mundo est.
Then he follows and adds: "For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the charity of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." This is that charity of God which is poured forth in our hearts, not from ourselves, but through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us; but the concupiscence of the wicked, because of which there is a false patience in them, is not from the Father, as the Apostle John says, but is from the world.