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JOSEPH: As was said a little before, we must look not only at the thing
which is done, but also at the character of the mind and the purpose of the
doer. And therefore if you weigh with a careful scrutiny of heart what is
done by each man and consider with what mind it is done or from what
feeling it proceeds, you will see that the virtue of patience and
gentleness cannot possibly be fulfilled in the opposite spirit, i.e., that
of impatience and rage. Since our Lord and Saviour, when giving us a
thorough lesson on the virtue of patience and gentleness (i.e., teaching us
not only to profess it with our lips, but to store it up in the inmost
recesses of the soul) gave us this summary of evangelical perfection,
saying: "If any one smites thee on thy right cheek, offer him the other
also" (doubtless the "right" cheek is mentioned, as another "right"
cheek cannot be found except in the face of the inner man, so to speak), as
by this He desires entirely to remove all incitement to anger from the
deepest recesses of the soul, i.e., that if your external right cheek has
received a blow from the striker, the inner man also humbly consenting may
offer its right cheek to be smitten, sympathizing with the suffering of the
outward man, and in a way submitting and subjecting its own body to wrong
from the striker, that the inner man may not even silently be disturbed in
itself at the blows of the outward man. You see then that they are very far
from evangelical perfection, which teaches that patience must be
maintained, not in words but in inward tranquillity of heart, and which
bids us preserve it whatever evil happens, that we may not only keep
ourselves always from disturbing anger, but also by submitting to their
injuries compel those, who are disturbed by their own fault, to become
calm, when they have had their fill of blows; and so overcome their rage by
our gentleness. And so also we shall fulfil these words of the Apostle: "Be
not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." And it is quite
clear that this cannot be fulfilled by those who utter words of gentleness
and humility in such a spirit and rage that they not only fall to lessen
the fire of wrath which has been kindled, but rather make it blaze up the
more fiercely both in their own feelings and in those of their enraged
brother. But these, even if they could in some way keep calm and quiet
themselves, would yet not bear any fruits of righteousness, while they
claim the glory of patience on their part by their neighbour's loss, and
are thus altogether removed from that Apostolic love which "Seeketh not her
own," but the things of others. For it does not so desire riches in
such a way as to make profit for itself out of one's neighbour's loss, nor
does it wish to gain anything if it involves the spoiling of another.
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