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| Chapter XXXVI. One of the duties of fortitude is to keep the weak from receiving injury; another, to check the wrong motions of our own souls; a third, both to disregard humiliations, and to do what is right with an even mind. All these clearly ought to be fulfilled by all Christians, and especially by the clergy.
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Chapter XXXVI.
One of the duties of fortitude is to keep the weak from
receiving injury; another, to check the wrong motions of our own souls;
a third, both to disregard humiliations, and to do what is right with
an even mind. All these clearly ought to be fulfilled by all
Christians, and especially by the clergy.
179. The glory of
fortitude, therefore, does not rest only on the strength of one’s
body or of one’s arms, but rather on the courage of the
mind.268
Nor is the law of courage
exercised in causing, but in driving away all harm. He who does
not keep harm off a friend, if he can, is as much in fault as he who
causes it. Wherefore holy Moses gave this as a first proof of his
fortitude in war. For when he saw an Hebrew receiving hard
treatment at the hands of an Egyptian, he defended him, and laid low
the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.269
Solomon
also says: “Deliver him that is led to
death.”270
180. From whence, then, Cicero and
Panætius, or even Aristotle, got these ideas is perfectly
clear. For though living before these two, Job had said:
“I delivered the poor out of the hand of the strong, and I aided
the fatherless for whom there was no helper. Let the blessing of
him that was ready to perish come upon me.”271
Was not he most brave in that he
bore so nobly the attacks of the devil, and overcame him with the
powers of his mind?272
| 272 Cf. Job i.
12, w. i. 22, and Job ii. 6, w. ii. 10. | Nor have we
cause to doubt the fortitude of him to whom the Lord said:
“Gird up thy loins like a man. Put on loftiness and
power. Humble every one that doeth wrong.”273
| 273 Job xl. 2, 5, 6 [LXX.]. | The Apostle
also says: “Ye have a strong
consolation.”274
He, then,
is brave who finds consolation in any grief.
181. And in very truth, rightly is that
called fortitude, when a man conquers himself, restrains his anger,
yields and gives way to no allurements, is not put out by misfortunes,
nor gets elated by good success, and does not get carried away by every
varying change as by some chance wind.275
| 275 Cic. de
Off. I. 20, § 68. | But what is more noble and splendid
than to train the mind, keep down the flesh, and reduce it to
subjection, so that it may obey commands, listen to reason, and in
undergoing labours readily carry out the intention and wish of the
mind?
182. This, then, is the first notion of
fortitude. For fortitude of the mind can be regarded in two
ways.276
| 276 Cic. de
Off. I. 20, § 66. | First, as it counts all externals
as very unimportant, and looks on them as rather superfluous and to be
despised than to be sought after. Secondly, as it strives after
those things which are the highest, and all things in which one can see
anything moral (or as the Greeks call it, πρέπον,) with all the
powers of the mind. For what can be more noble than to train thy
mind so as not to place a high value on riches and pleasures and
honours, nor to waste all thy care on these? When thy mind is
thus disposed, thou must consider how all that is virtuous and seemly
must be placed before everything else; and thou must so fix thy mind
upon that, that if aught happens which may break thy spirit, whether
loss of property, or the reception of fewer honours, or the
disparagement of unbelievers, thou mayest not feel it, as though thou
wert above such things; nay, so that even dangers which menace thy
safety, if undertaken at the call of justice, may not trouble thee.
183. This is the true fortitude which
Christ’s warrior has, who receives not the crown unless he
strives lawfully.277
Or does
that call to fortitude seem to thee but a poor one:
“Tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience, and
experience, hope”?278
See how
many a contest there is, yet but one crown! That call none gives,
but he who was strengthened in Christ Jesus, and whose flesh had no
rest. Affliction on all sides, fighting without and fears
within.279
And though in dangers, in countless
labours, in prisons, in deaths280
—he was not
broken in spirit, but fought so as to become more powerful through his
infirmities.
184. Think, then, how he teaches those who
enter upon their duties in the Church, that they ought to have contempt
for all earthly things: “If, then, ye be dead with Christ
from the elements of this world, why do ye act as though living in the
world? Touch not, taste not, handle not, which all are to perish
with the using.”281
And
further: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those
things which are above, not those things which are on the
earth.”282
And
again: “Mortify, therefore, your members which are on the
earth.”283
This,
indeed, is meant for all the faithful. But thee, especially, my
son, he urges to despise riches and to avoid profane and old wives
fables—allowing nothing but this: “Exercise thyself
unto godliness, for bodily exercise profiteth a little, but godliness
is profitable unto all things.”284
185. Let, then, godliness exercise thee unto
justice, continence, gentleness, that thou mayest avoid childish acts,
and that rooted and grounded in grace thou mayest fight the good fight
of faith.285
Entangle
not thyself in the affairs of this life, for thou art fighting for
God.286
For if he who fights for the
emperor is forbidden by human laws to enter upon lawsuits, to do any
legal business, or to sell merchandise; how much more ought he who
enters upon the warfare of faith to keep from every kind of business,
being satisfied with the produce of his own little bit of land, if he
has it? If he has not that, let him be content with the pay he
will get for his service. Here is a good witness to this fact,
who says: “I have been young and now am old, yet have I not
seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging
bread.”287
That is
the true rest and temperance of the mind which is not excited by the
desire of gain, nor tormented by the fear of want.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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