Question V: On patience

Patience is defined by Bl. Bonaventure, 3. part. Centil. sect. 43.: "It is the virtue bearing with equanimity the evils of insults and of every adversity." Or: "Patience is the equanimous endurance of evils inflicted," or from Bl. Gregory, homil. 35. in Euang.: "True patience is to endure the evils of others with equanimity, and to be moved by no grief of soul against him who inflicts evils." Or: "Patience is the victorious endurance of all annoyances inflicted from elsewhere."

In the explicatorio terminorum Theol. he thus defines it: "Patience is the equanimous endurance of evils."

In the opusclo de septem donis, de dono fortitudinis, cap. 3., it is stated: "Patience is the cause of honesty and utility, the voluntary and prolonged endurance of arduous things." So also in compend. Theologicae veritatis, c. 36., and opusc. de profectu religiosi lib. 2. c. 34., from Bl. August. de patientia, cap. 2.: "Patience is that by which we bear evils with an equal mind, that is, without perturbation of justice."

Hence it is clear that it is a special virtue.

It is proved, because the reason of moral virtue is to preserve the rectitude and good of reason against the impulse of the passions: but Patience thus moderates the passions of the Irascible and Concupiscible against sadness, lest reason succumb in adversities.

It is proved by Bl. Bonaventure, ad 21. Lucae, in those words: "In your patience you will possess your souls," and Proverb. 16. "The patient man is better than the strong: and he who rules his spirit, than he who takes cities," and cap. 15. "He that is patient is governed with much wisdom," and cap. 19. "The doctrine of a man is known by patience"; Iacob 1. "Patience has a perfect work"; Heb. 10. "Patience is necessary for you, that, doing the will of God, you may receive the promise." He has similar things de septem donis, de dono fortitudinis, cap. 3.

The same he proves there from Bl. Gregory, homil. 36. in Evang. and homil. 20. in Ezech.

In cap. 8. Lucae, he proves it in those words: "Hearing the word, they retain it, and bring forth fruit in patience," and from the place of James cited above, Heb. 10.

He observes, moreover, in sermone 2. de pluribus Martyribus, that for the formal object of patience there is required adversity tolerated out of the motive of honesty, and a right will; yet it can happen out of necessity as a virtue, as on account of it Manasses in captivity attained salvation.

And in serm. 3. de sanctis Apostolis he observes, from Bl. Bernard, serm. 2. de Convers. S. Pauli, a threefold kind of patience, or three degrees of this virtue. The first is to tolerate without murmuring. The second is to tolerate willingly. The third is to go joyfully to punishments, as Act. 5. "The Apostles went rejoicing, etc."

I assert second, that Patience is a quasi-potential part of Fortitude. So Bl. Bonaventure, locis adductis, and Bl. Thomas, quaest. 136. art. 4.

It is proved, because it is concerned with difficult things together with fortitude; but it falls short of it, because it is concerned also with difficult things of less moment than death.

Note, that it is similar to longanimity, because each endures evil for the sake of some good; it differs, however, because longanimity is concerned in tending to something distant in remoteness, and thus it regards hope more than sadness; and because the longanimous man is not broken by the long hope of expectation, as the holy Doctor says, de profect. Relig. lib. 2. cap. 35., he imitates patience.

I assert third: that Patience is inferior not only to the Theological virtues, but also to the four Cardinal virtues; And as to the Theological virtues, it is clear; because they have a nobler object, God. As to the Cardinal virtues, it is plain from what was said at the beginning of disput. 1. But it can be surpassed by Fortitude, for that bears more vehement dangers of death, and thus it ought to be stronger in regulating reason; so also Temperance is recognized as better, which moderates the vehemence of the concupiscibles by touch.

It is said, however, to work a perfect work in its genus. It is also called the root of all virtues by Bl. Gregory, homil. 35. in Evang., in Bl. Bonaventure above, inasmuch as it removes the one thing that prohibits, which is sadness, as Tannerus notes, disp. 5. num. 86., and Bl. Bonaventure, in 4. dist. 22. art. 3. quaest. 1. Whence the Apostle, Heb. 12. "Let us run by patience, etc.," as St. Bonaventure has it, in Diaeta, loco citando.

I assert fourth: that perfect Patience is a gift of God. So Bl. Bonaventure in almost all the places cited, especially de septem donis, and in Diaeta, tit. 7. cap. ult.

It is proved by St. Bonaventure, because, as the Apostle says, Heb. 12., that which leads to eternal life is above nature, and a gift of God: such is patience, as I have said: Therefore. The major is proved; for means ought to be proportioned to the end, as the holy Doctor often says; but glory is supernatural.

Read the proof, or touchstone of Lydian stone, for proving true patience in Bl. Bonaventure, de profectu Religiosi, lib. 2. cap. 35. The merit and reward of Patience you have in cap. 36. The degrees and progress of Patience in cap. 37.

Most illustrious Panegyrics of Patience from the Fathers you have in Bl. Bonaventure, lib. 2. Pharetrae, cap. 33.