§22Voluptas autem creatoris, de qua scriptum est: et torrente uoluptatis tuae potabis eos, longe alterius generis est; neque enim, sicut nos, creatura est.
But the pleasure of the Creator, concerning which it is written: "And You shall make them drink of the torrent of Your pleasure," is of a far other kind; for it is not, like us, a creature.
nisi ergo amor eius detur inde nobis, non est, unde esse possit in nobis.
Unless therefore His love be given us from thence, there is no source whence it can be in us.
ac per hoc uoluntas bona, qua diligitur deus, in homine non potest esse, nisi in quo deus operatur et uelle.
And by this, a good will, by which God is loved, cannot be in man, unless in him in whom God works also the willing.
haec igitur uoluntas bona, id est uoluntas deo fideliter subdita, uoluntas sanctitate superni ardoris accensa, uoluntas, quae diligit deum et proximum propter deum, siue amore, de quo respondet apostolus Petrus: domine, tu scis quia amo te, siue timore, de quo dicit apostolus Paulus: in timore et tremore uestram ipsorum salutem operamini, siue gaudio, de quo dicit: spe gaudentes, in tribulatione patientes, siue tristitia, qualem se dicit habuisse magnam pro fratribus suis, quaecumque amara et aspera sufferat, caritas dei est, quae omnia tolerat, quae non diffunditur in cordibus nostris, nisi per spiritum sanctum, qui datus eat nobis.
This good will therefore, that is, a will faithfully subjected to God, a will inflamed by the holiness of supernal ardor, a will which loves God and neighbor for God's sake, whether by love, concerning which the Apostle Peter answers: "Lord, You know that I love You," or by fear, concerning which the Apostle Paul says: "With fear and trembling work out your own salvation," or by joy, concerning which he says: "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation," or by sadness, such as he says he had great for his brethren, whatever bitter and sharp things it may suffer, is the charity of God, which bears all things, which is not shed abroad in our hearts except through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Vnde nequaquam dubitante pietate sicut caritas sancte amantium, ita patientia pie tolerantium dei donum est.
Whence, with piety in no way doubting, as the charity of those who love holily, so the patience of those who pieously endure is the gift of God.
neque enim scriptura diuina fallit aut fallitur, quae non solum in ueteribus libris habet huius rei testimonia, cum deo dicitur: patientia mea tu es, et: ab ipso est patientia mea, et ubi alius propheta dicit accipere nos spiritum fortitudinis, uerum etiam in apostolicis litteris legitur: quia uobis donatum est pro Christo non solum ut credatis in eum, sed ut etiam patiamini pro eo. non ergo quasi de proprio faciat animum elatum quod sibi audit esse donatum.
For neither does the divine Scripture deceive or is it deceived, which not only has testimonies of this matter in the ancient books, when it is said to God: "You are my patience," and: "From Him is my patience," and where another prophet says that we receive the spirit of fortitude, but also in the apostolic letters it is read: "Because to you it has been given for Christ, not only that you should believe in Him, but also that you should suffer for Him." Therefore, let him not make his mind proud as if from his own, who hears that it is given to him.
§23Si quis autem non habens caritatem, quae pertinet ad unitatem spiritus et uinculum pacis, quo catholica ecclesia congregata conectitur, in aliquo schismate constitutus, ne Christum neget, patitur tribulationes, angustias, famem, nuditatem, persecutionem, pericula, carceres, uincula, tormenta, gladium uel flammas uel bestias uel ipsam crucem timore gehennarum et ignis aeterni, nullo modo ista culpanda sunt, immo uero et hic laudanda patientia est.
But if anyone, not having charity, which belongs to the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace, by which the Catholic Church being gathered is connected, being situated in some schism, lest he should deny Christ, suffers tribulations, distresses, hunger, nakedness, persecution, perils, prisons, chains, torments, the sword or flames or beasts or the cross itself from the fear of hell and eternal fire, these things are in no way to be blamed, but rather indeed, even here patience is to be praised.
non enim dicere poterimus melius ei fuisse, ut Christum negando nihil eorum pateretur, quae passus est confitendo, sed existimandum est fortasse tolerabilius ei futurum iudicium, quam si Christum negando cuncta illa uitaret, ut illud, quod ait apostolus: si tradidero corpus meum ut ardeam, caritatem autem non habeam, nihil mihi prodest, nihil [mihi] prodesse intellegatur ad regnum caelorum obtinendum, non ad extremi iudicii tolerabilius supplicium subeundum.
For we shall not be able to say that it would have been better for him, that by denying Christ he should suffer none of those things which he suffered by confessing Him, but it must be thought that perhaps his judgment will be more tolerable than if by denying Christ he should avoid all those things; so that that which the Apostle says: "If I should deliver my body to be burned, but have not charity, it profits me nothing," may be understood to profit nothing for obtaining the kingdom of heaven, not for undergoing a more tolerable punishment of the last judgment.
§24Sed merito quaeri potest, utrum et ista patientia donum dei sit, an uiribus tribuenda sit uoluntatis humanae, qua quisque ab ecclesia separatus non pro errore. qui eum separauit, sed pro ueritate sacramenti seu uerbi, quae apud eum remansit, timore poenarum aeternarum poenas patitur temporales.
But it may deservedly be asked, whether this patience also is the gift of God, or is to be attributed to the strength of the human will, by which anyone separated from the Church suffers temporal punishments from the fear of eternal punishments, not for the error which separated him, but for the truth of the sacrament or of the word which remained with him.
cauendum est enim, ne forte, si dei donum istam patientiam dixerimus, hi quibus inest etiam ad regnum dei pertinere credantur; si autem illam donum dei esse negauerimus, cogamur fateri sine adiutorio et munere dei in uoluntate hominis esse posse aliquid boni.
For we must beware, lest perhaps, if we shall have called this patience the gift of God, those in whom it is should be believed also to belong to the kingdom of God; but if we shall have denied that it is the gift of God, we should be compelled to confess that without the help and gift of God there can be some good in the will of man.
neque enim hoc non est bonum, ut credat homo aeterno supplicio se esse puniendum, si negauerit Christum et pro ista fide qualecumque supplicium perferat et contemnat humanum.
For neither is this not good, that a man should believe that he is to be punished with eternal torment, if he shall have denied Christ, and for this faith should endure and contemn any human torment.