32 THE TREATISES OF CYPRIAN. God in the kingdom of heaven. Take from it patience; and deprivedof it,it does not endure. Take from itthe substanceof hearing and of enduring, and it continues with no roots nor strength. The apostle,finally,when he would speak of charity,joinedto itendurance and patience. " Charity,"he says," is large-souled; charityis kind ; cha rityenviethnot, is not puffed up, isnot provoked,thinketh not evil; loveth allthings,helievethallthings,hopeth all things,bearethallthings."1 Thence he shows that it can tenaciouslypersevere,because it knows how to endure all things. And in anotherplace: " Forbearing one another," he says,"in love,using every effortto keep the unity of the spiritin the bond of peace."s He proved that neither unitynor peace couldbe kept unlessbrethrenshouldcherish one another with mutual toleration,and should keep the bond of concordby the interventionof patience. 16. What beyond ;— thatyou shouldnot swear nor curse; thatyou should not seek again your goods when taken from you ; that,when you receivea buffet,you should give your othercheek to the smiter; thatyou should forgivea brother who sinsagainstyou, not onlyseven times,but seventytimes seventimes,8but,moreover,allhissinsaltogether; thatyou should love your enemies; thatyou should offerprayer for your adversariesand persecutors? Can you accomplishthese thingsunlessyou maintain4 the stedfastnessof patienceand endurance? And thiswe see done in the caseof Stephen, who, when he was slainby the Jews with violenceand ston ing, did not ask forvengeance for himself,but for pardon for his murderers,saying,"Lord, lay not thissin to their charge."5 It behoved the firstmartyr of Christ thus to be, who, forerunningthe martyrs that should followhim in a gloriousdeath, was not only the preacher of the Lord's passion,but alsothe imitatorof His most patientgentleness. 1 1 Cor.xiii.4-7. s Eph.iv.2,3. 3 Manutius,Pamelius,andothersadd," notonlyseventytimesseyen times." 4 Or,"them withthestedfastnessofpatience,"etc. 5Actsvii.60.