§1De patientia locuturus, fratres dilectissimi, et utilitates eius et commoda praedicaturus unde potius incipiam, quam quod nunc quoque ad audientiam uestram patientiam uideo esse necessariam, ut nec hoc ipsum quod auditis et discitis sine patientia facere possitis? tunc enim demum sermo et ratio salutaris efficaciter discitur, si patienter quod dicitur audiatur.
When about to speak of patience, my beloved brethren, and to preach its utilities and advantages, from what point should I rather begin than from this: that even now I see patience is necessary for your listening, so that you may not even do this very thing which you hear and learn without patience? For only then is a saving sermon and reasoning effectively learned, if what is said is listened to patiently.
nec inuenio, fratres dilectissimi, inter ceteras disciplinae caelestis uias quibus ad consequenda diuinitus praemia spei ac fidei nostrae secta dirigitur quid magis sit uel utilius ad uitam uel maius ad gloriam quam ut qui praeceptis dominicis obsequio timoris ac deuotionis innitimur patientiam maxime tota obseruatione tueamur.
Nor do I find, my beloved brethren, among the other paths of heavenly discipline by which the sect of our hope and faith is directed toward attaining divinely given rewards, what is either more useful for life or greater for glory than that we, who lean upon the divine precepts with the obedience of fear and devotion, should protect patience above all with wholehearted observance.
§2Hanc se sectari philosophi quoque profitentur, sed tam illic patientia falsa est quam et falsa sapientia est.
Philosophers also profess that they pursue this patience, but there patience is just as false as their wisdom is false.
unde enim uel sapiens esse uel patiens possit qui nec sapientiam nec patientiam Dei nouit? quando ipse de his qui sibi sapere in mundo uidentur moneat et dicat: perdam sapientiam sapientium et prudentiam prudentium reprobabo, item beatus apostolus Paulus plenus Spiritu sancto et uocandis formandisque gentibus missus contestetur et instruat dicens: uidete ne qui uos depraedetur per philosophiam et inanem fallaciam secundum traditionem hominum, secundum elementa mundi et non secundum Christum, quia in ipso habitat omnis plenitudo diuinitatis. et alio loco, nemo se, inquit, decipiat.
For how could he be either wise or patient who knows neither the wisdom nor the patience of God? Since He Himself warns concerning those who seem to themselves to be wise in the world, and says: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the prudence of the prudent I will reject.' Likewise, the blessed apostle Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit and sent to call and form the Gentiles, testifies and instructs, saying: 'See that no one despoils you through philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition, according to the elements of the world and not according to Christ, because in Him dwells all the fullness of divinity.' And in another place he says: 'Let no one deceive himself.
si qui putat sapientem se esse in uobis, mundo huic stultus fiat ut fiat sapiens.
If anyone thinks he is wise among you, let him become a fool to this world so that he may become wise.
sapientia enim huius mundi stultitia est aput Deum.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
scriptum est enim: reprehendens sapientes in astutia ipsorum. et iterum: cognouit Deus cogitationes sapientium quia sunt stultae quare si sapientia illic uera non est, esse non potest et uera patientia.
For it is written: "He catches the wise in their own craftiness." And again: "God knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are foolish."' Therefore, if wisdom there is not true, true patience also cannot exist.
nam si patiens ille est qui est humilis et mitis, philosophos autem nec humiles uidemus esse nec mites sed sibi multum placentes et hoc ipso quod sibi placeant Deo displicentes, apparet illic non esse patientiam, ubi sit insolens adfectatae libertatis audacia et exerti ac seminudi pectoris inuerecunda iactantia.
For if he is patient who is humble and mild, but we see that philosophers are neither humble nor mild, but greatly self-pleasing, and displeasing to God by this very fact that they please themselves, it is apparent that patience is not there, where there is the insolent boldness of an affected liberty and the shameless boasting of a bared and half-naked breast.
§3Nos autem, fratres dilectissimi, qui philosophi non uerbis sed factis sumus, nec uestitu sapientiam sed ueritate praeferimus, qui uirtutum conscientiam magis quam iactantiam nouimus, qui non loquimur magna sed uiuimus, quasi serui et cultores Dei patientiam quam magisteriis caelestibus discimus obsequiis spiritalibus praebeamus.
But we, my beloved brethren, who are philosophers not in words but in deeds, and do not display wisdom by our dress but by truth, who know the consciousness of virtues rather than their boasting, who do not speak great things but live them, let us, as servants and worshippers of God, offer with spiritual obediences the patience which we learn from heavenly teachings.
est enim nobis cum Deo uirtus ista communis.
For this virtue is common to us with God.
inde patientia incipit, inde claritas eius et dignitas caput sumit.
From Him patience begins, from Him its brightness and dignity take their head.
origo et magnitudo patientiae Deo auctore procedit.
The origin and greatness of patience proceed with God as its author.
diligenda res homini quae Deo cara est: bonum quod amat maiestas diuina commendat.
A thing is to be loved by man which is dear to God; the divine majesty commends the good which it loves.
si dominus nobis et pater Deus est, sectemur patientiam domini pariter et patris, quia et seruos esse oportet obsequentes et filios non decet esse degeneres.
If God is our lord and father, let us pursue the patience of our lord and father alike, because it behooves servants to be obedient, and it does not become sons to be degenerate.