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On the Advantage of Patience

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 2

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

2. Philosophers also profess that they pursue this virtue;

‹ Section 1 Section 3 ›

but

in

their

case

the

patience

is

as

false

as

their

wisdom

also

is

.

For

whence

can

he

be

either

wise

or

patient

,

who

has

neither

known

the

wisdom

nor

the

patience

of

God

?

since

He

Himself

warns

us

,

and

says

of

those

who

seem

to

themselves

to

be

wise

in

this

world

,

“

I

will

destroy

the

wisdom

of

the

wise

,

and

I

will

reprove

the

understanding

of

the

prudent

.

”

Moreover

,

the

blessed

Apostle

Paul

,

filled

with

the

Holy

Spirit

,

and

sent

forth

for

the

calling

and

training

of

the

heathen

,

bears

witness

and

instructs

us

,

saying

,

“

See

that

no

man

despoil

you

through

philosophy

and

vain

deceit

,

after

the

tradition

of

men

,

after

the

elements

of

the

world

,

and

not

after

Christ

,

because

in

Him

dwelleth

all

the

fulness

of

divinity

.

”

And

in

another

place

he

says

:

“

Let

no

man

deceive

himself

;

if

any

man

among

you

thinketh

himself

to

be

wise

,

let

him

become

a

fool

to

this

world

,

that

he

may

become

wise

.

For

the

wisdom

of

this

world

is

foolishness

with

God

.

For

it

is

written

,

I

will

rebuke

the

wise

in

their

own

craftiness

.

”

And

again

:

“

The

Lord

knoweth

the

thoughts

of

the

wise

,

that

they

are

foolish

.

”

Wherefore

if

the

wisdom

among

them

be

not

true

,

the

patience

also

cannot

be

true

.

For

if

he

is

wise

who

is

lowly

and

meek

—

but

we

do

not

see

that

philosophers

are

either

lowly

or

meek

,

but

greatly

pleasing

themselves

,

and

,

for

the

very

reason

that

they

please

themselves

,

displeasing

God

—

it

is

evident

that

the

patience

is

not

real

among

them

where

there

is

the

insolent

audacity

of

an

affected

liberty

,

and

the

immodest

boastfulness

of

an

exposed

and

half

-

naked

bosom

.

Notes

3
Isa. xxix. 14.
4
Col. ii. 8, 10.
5
1 Cor. iii. 18–20.
6
The Oxford edition (Treatise ix.), and many others read “patient.”