1. Fortitude of soul ought to be understood as that which not only remains unshaken when buffeted by diverse afflictions, but also does not, dissolved by any allurements of pleasures, succumb. Otherwise, if it indeed breaks the assaults of raging evils, if it withstands any calamities dashed against it, if amid the savage things of injuries, amid the storms of crushing distresses, amid enmities and present losses, and manifold persecutions, it persists untiring, and yet boasts of its own endurance of adversaries, and exults not in the gift of God by which it is enlightened, but carnally takes delight in the favor of the crowd by which it is acclaimed; and rejoices more in being praised than in having that for which it might be praised;
and through this prefers human praise to divine gifts: who would doubt that this intention of soul cannot be called a virtue? For if it were a virtue, it would bravely fight even against such flatteries; nor would it acquiesce in soft things, which—with the Lord helping—it had overcome when they were hard or harsh. For the cupidity of the world makes some men insuperable to harsh sufferings: in whom not patience is to be praised, but hardness to be marveled at. 2. But those whom the rarity of God renders brave unto the endurance of sufferings, no delight of the flesh, no wickedly flattering pleasure corrupts. Since it matters greatly not what but for what we suffer: there is no patience in those who endure with equanimity their afflictions
but only in those whom righteousness makes endure bravely. Finally, the Lord did not say «Blessed are they who suffer persecution» (Matt. 5:10) and stop there; but He added, «for righteousness' sake»: so that He might evidently show that it is not the penalty that makes true patience, but the cause; and therefore He promised blessedness not to those who suffer persecution, but to those who suffer for righteousness' sake. And if this is so, the endurance of evils to be overcome is then true patience, if it is just: and patience is just in those whose constancy of an unconquered mind yields neither to pains nor to pleasures. But this fortitude of soul is ours from Him to whom, with the prophet, we sing: «The Lord is my strength and my praise, and He has become my salvation» (Ps.
118:14). He is our strength, because He so strengthens us with invincible protection against all vices, that neither do soft things dissolve our soul, nor do adverse things cast it down; and then the Lord becomes our praise, if we desire to have proclaimed in us not the gifts of God, but the divine gifts. Nor can those boast of their own virtue to whom the Lord has become salvation. 3. He therefore, to whom the Lord is the fortitude of soul, should yield to no carnal desires, acquiesce in no pleasures, conquer ambition and popular glory. Let not the love of money enslave him, let not the bitterness of sufferings and losses subject him.
Let God be to him his whole praise, his perfect glory, his pure delight, his sure hope, his firm security, his sound capability, his incorrupt health: so that to him whatever pleases the carnal may displease in this world; whatever seems precious may grow cheap; whatever is bright may, by contemplation of things to come, grow sordid; and let him not suffer himself to be cast down by those things which, through the grace of God, he has already cast down: because it seems baser for the soul to be conquered by those vices which it had conquered: and it profits him nothing to have overcome some things, if he lies subject to something which he has neglected to overcome; since that man is not wont to be held brave who has shone in undertaking labors and dangers, or has stood firm in bridling pleasures and taming them;
but he is to be reckoned great and sublime, he powerful and worthy of the appellation of fortitude, who has permitted no vice to rebel against him or to dominate him: provided only that cowardice be absent, lest we despair of being able to do what we can do; and that vicious presumption be absent, lest we ascribe to ourselves this which we can do through the grace of God. For whether we despair of the gift of God, by which we are made brave; or whether we boast of our own ability, we cannot be fit to resist the vices. And assuredly the fortitude of soul ought both to shake off the cowardice of despairing and to oppose boastfulness.