§3Et haec quidem diuinae patientiae species, quasi de longinquo, fors ut de supernis aestimetur.
And this indeed is the aspect of divine patience, as if from afar, perhaps to be estimated from heavenly things.
quid illa autem, quae inter homines palam in terris quodammodo manu adprehensa est? nasci se deus in utero patitur matris [expectat] et natus adolescere sustinet et adultus non gestit agnosci, sed contumeliosus insuper sibi est et a seruo suo tinguitur et temptatoris congressus solis uerbis repellit.
But what of that which has been as it were grasped by the hand openly on earth among men? God suffers Himself to be born in the womb of a mother, [expects,] and being born sustains to grow up, and being adult does not eagerly desire to be recognized, but is moreover insulting to Himself, and is baptized by His own servant, and repels the assaults of the tempter by words alone.
cum de deo fit magister docens hominem euadere mortem, ob salutem scilicet ueniam offensae patientiae eruditum, (non contendit, non reclamauit nec quisquam in plateis uocem eius audiuit; arundinem quassatam non fregit, linum fumigans non restinxit. ) nec enim mentitus fuerat propheta, immo ipsius dei contestatio, spiritum suum in filio cum tota patientia collocantis.
When a teacher arises from God, teaching man to escape death, learned, for the sake of salvation, in the pardon of offended patience, (He did not contend, nor cry out, nor did anyone hear His voice in the streets; He did not break the bruised reed, nor extinguish the smoking flax.) For indeed the prophet had not lied, or rather it was the contestation of God Himself, placing His own Spirit in the Son with all patience.
nullum uolentem sibi adhaerere non suscepit, nullius mensam tectumue despexit; [atquin ipse lauandis discipulorum pedibus ministrauit] non peccatores, non publicanos aspernatus est, non illi saltim ciuitati, quae eum recipere noluerat, iratus est, cum etiam discipuli tam contumelioso oppido caelestes ignes repraesentari uoluissent; ingratos curauit, insidiatoribus cessit.
He did not refuse to receive anyone wishing to adhere to Him; He despised no one’s table or roof; [atquin ipse lauandis discipulorum pedibus ministrauit] He did not reject sinners or publicans; He was not angry even with that city which had refused to receive Him, when even the disciples wished heavenly fires to be represented upon so insolent a town; He cured the ungrateful, and yielded to His insidiators.
parum hoc, si non etiam proditorem suum secum habuit nec constanter denotauit.
This is too little, if He had not also kept His own betrayer with Him, and did not constantly point him out.
cum uero traditur, cum adducitur ut pecus ad uictimam, — sic enim non magis aperit os quam agnus sub tondentis potestate — ille, cui legiones angelorum, si uoluisset, uno dicto de caelis adfuissent, ne unius quidem discentis gladium ultorem probauit.
But when He is betrayed, when He is led as a sheep to the slaughter — for thus He no more opens His mouth than a lamb under the power of the shearer — He, to whom legions of angels would have been present from heaven at a single word if He had wished, did not approve even the avenging sword of a single disciple.
patientia domini in Malcho uulnerata est.
The patience of the Lord was wounded in Malchus.
itaque et gladii opera maledixit in posterum et sanitatis restitutione ei, quem non ipse uexauerat, satisfecit per patientiam, misericordiae matrem.
Therefore, He both cursed the works of the sword for the future, and by the restoration of health satisfied him whom He Himself had not vexed, through patience, the mother of mercy.
taceo, quod figitur; in hoc enim uenerat.
I am silent about His being crucified; for to this end He had come.
numquid tamen subiendae morti etiam contumeliis opus fuerat? sed saginari uoluptate patientiae discessurus uolebat: despuitur, uerberatur, deridetur, foedis uestitur, foedioribus coronatur.
Yet, was there any need of insults also for the undergoing of death? But He, about to depart, wished to be fattened with the pleasure of patience: He is spit upon, beaten, mocked, clothed with filthy garments, crowned with filthier ones.
mira aequanimitatis fides: qui in hominis figura proposuerat latere, nihil de impatientia hominis imitatus est.
Wondrous fidelity of equanimity: He who had purposed to lie hid in the figure of man, imitated nothing of the impatience of man.
hinc uel maxime, Pharisaei, dominum agnoscere debuistis; patientiam huiusmodi nemo hominum perpetraret.
From this especially, O Pharisees, you ought to have recognized the Lord; such patience no human being could perform.
talia tantaque documenta, quorum magnitudo penes nationes quidem detrectatio fidei est, penes nos uero ratio et structio, satis aperte non sermonibus modo in praecipiendo sed etiam passionibus domini (in) sustinendo probant his, quibus credere datum est, patientiam dei esse naturam, effectum et praestantiam ingenitae cuiusdam proprietatis.
These so many and so great proofs, the magnitude of which is indeed a detraction of faith among the nations, but among us the reason and structure, prove clearly enough, not only in words in teaching but also in the passions of the Lord in sustaining, to those to whom it is given to believe, that the patience of God is His nature, the effect and excellence of a certain innate property.
§4Igitur si probos quosque seruos et bonae mentis pro ingenio dominico conuersari uidemus, - siquidem artificium promerendi obsequium est, obsequii uero disciplina morigera subiectio est — quanto magis nos secundum dominum moratos inueniri oportet, seruos scilicet dei uiui, cuius iudicium in suos non in compede aut pilleo uertitur, sed in aeternitate aut poenae aut salutis? cui seueritati declinandae uel liberalitati inuitandae tanta obsequii diligentia opus est, quanta sunt ipsa, quae aut seueritas comminatur aut liberalitas pollicetur.
Therefore, if we see any honest and well-minded servants conduct themselves according to the character of their master — since indeed the art of deserving favor is obedience, and the discipline of obedience is compliant subjection — how much more does it behove us to be found characterized according to our Lord, being indeed the servants of the living God, whose judgment upon His own is not turned in a shackle or a cap, but in the eternity of either punishment or salvation? To avoid which severity or to invite which liberality there is need of as much diligence of obedience as are the very things which either severity threatens or liberality promises.
et tamen nos non de hominibus modo seruitute subnexis uel quolibet alio iure debitoribus obsequii, uerum etiam de pecudibus, etiam de bestiis oboedientiam exprimimus, intellegentes usibus nostris eas a domino prouisas traditasque.
And yet we wring obedience not only from men bound in servitude or by any other right debtors of obedience, but even from beasts of burden, even from wild beasts, understanding that they were provided and delivered by the Lord for our uses.
meliora ergo nobis erunt in obsequii disciplina quae nobis deus subdit? agnoscunt denique fl.
Shall those things then which God has subjected to us be better than us in the discipline of obedience?
quae oboediunt: nos cui soli subditi sumus, domino scilicet, auscultare dubitamus? at quam iniustum est, quam etiam ingratum, quod per alterius indulgentiam de aliis consequaris, idem illi, per quem consequeris, de temetipso non rependere! nec pluribus de obsequii exhibitione debiti a nobis domino deo. satis enim agnitio dei, quid sibi incumbat, intellegit.
Finally, those things which obey recognize their master: do we hesitate to listen to Him to whom alone we are subjected, namely, the Lord? But how unjust is it, how also ungrateful, not to repay to Him through whom you obtain it, concerning yourself, that which you obtain from others through the indulgence of another! Nor is there need of more words concerning the exhibition of obedience due from us to the Lord God. For the knowledge of God sufficiently understands what is incumbent upon itself.
ne. tamen ut extraneum de obsequio uideamur interfecisse, ipsum quoque obsequium de patientia trahitur.
Lest, however, we should seem to have cut off obedience as something extraneous, obedience itself is also drawn from patience.
numquis non\' patiens obsequitur aut patiens obluctatur? quam ergo dominus deus, omnium bonorum et demonstrator et acceptator, in semetipso circumtulit, quis de bono eius late retractet? cui item dubium sit omne bonum, quia ad deum pertineat, pertinentibus ad deum tota mente sectandum? per quae in expedito et quasi in praescriptionis compendio [et commendatio et exhortatio] de patientia constitutum est.
Does anyone who is not patient obey, or does anyone who is patient resist? Which patience, therefore, the Lord God, both the demonstrator and acceptor of all good things, carried about in Himself, who would broadly retract from its goodness? Who likewise would doubt that every good thing, because it belongs to God, ought to be pursued with the whole mind by those who belong to God? Through which things both the commendation and exhortation concerning patience have been established in an unimpeded way, and as it were in a compendium of prescription.