22 THE TREATISES OF CYPRIAN.
shouldI ratherhegin than this,that I seethateven at this
time,for your audience of me, patienceisneedful,as you
cannot even dischargethisduty of hearingand learningwith
out patience? For wholesome discourseand reasoningare
then effectuallylearnt,if what is said be patientlyheard.
Nor do I find,beloved brethren,among the rest of the
ways of heavenly disciplinewherein the path of our hope
and faithisdirectedto the attainmentof the divinerewards,
anything of more advantage,eitheras more usefulfor life
or more helpfulto glory,than thatwe who are labouringin
the preceptsof the Lord with the obedienceof fear and
devotion,should especially,with our whole watchfulness,be
carefulof patience.
2. Philosophersalsoprofessthat they pursue thisvirtue;
but in theircasethe patienceisas falseas theirwisdom also
is. For whence can he be eitherwise or patient,who has
neitherknown the wisdom nor the patienceof God ? since
He Himself warns us,and says of thosewho seem to them
selvesto be wise in thisworld," I willdestroythe wisdom of
the wise,and I willreprove the understanding of the pru
dent."1 Moreover, the blessedApostle Paul, filledwith the
Holy Spirit,and sentforthforthecallingand trainingof the
heathen, bears witnessand instructsus, saying," See that
no man despoilyou through philosophyand vain deceit,after
the traditionof men, afterthe elementsof theworld,and not
after Christ,because in Him dwelleth all the fulness of
divinity."2 And in another place he says: " Let no man
deceivehimself; ifany man among you thinketh himself to
be wise,lethim become a foolto thisworld,that he may
become wise. For the wisdom of thisworld is foolishness
with God. For it iswritten,I willrebuke the wise in their
own craftiness."And again: " The Lord knoweth the
thoughtsof the wise,thatthey are foolish."3 Wherefore if
the wisdom among them be not true,the patiencealsocannot
be true. For if he iswise4who islowlyand meek — but we
do not see that philosophersare eitherlowly or meek, but
1Isa.xxix.14. 2 Col.ii.8,10. 8 1 Cor.iii.18-20.
1The Oxfordedition,andmany others,read" patient."