Suffering and Virtue

Θαυμάζειν δὲ ἄξιον και τῶν Στωικῶν, οἴτινές φασι, μηδὲν τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ σώματος διατιθεσθαι, μήτε πρός κακιαν ὑπὸ τῆς νόσου μήτε πρὸς ἀρετὴν ὑπὸ τῆς ὑγιειας, ἀλλ᾽ ἀμφύτερα ταῦτα λέγουσιν ἀδιάφορα εἷναι. Καιτοι και Ἰοβ, ἐγκρατειας ὑπερβολῇ και πιστεως ὑπεροχῇ πένης μὲν ἐκ πλουσιου, ἄτιμος δὲ ἐξ ἐνδόξου, αἰσχρὸς δὲ ἐκ καλοῦ, και νοσερὸς ἐξ ὑγιεινοῦ γενόμενος, ἡμιν τέ ἐστι παράδειγμα ἀγαθὸν ἀναγεγπραμμένος, δυσωπων τὸν πειρὰσαντα, εὐλογων τὸν πλασαντα· φέρων οὕτω τὰ δεύτερα, ὠς και τὰ προτερα· διδάσκων εῦ μαλα τοις περιστατικοις ἄπασιν οἶόν τε εἶναι καλως χρῆσθαι τὸν γνωστικον. Και ὅτι ψε εἰκόνες τὰ παλαιὰ κατορθώματα εἰς τὰ ἡμεδαπα ἐπανορθώματα ἔκκαινται, ἐμφαινων ὁ ᾽Αποστολος, Ωστε τοὺς δεσμούς μου, φησι, φανεποὺς ἐν Χριστῷ γενέσθαι ἐν ὅλῳ τῳ πραιτωριῳ και τοίς λοιποις πᾶσι, και τοὺς πλειονας τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐν Κυριῳ πεποιθότας, τοις δεσμοις μου περισσοτέπως τολμᾷν ἀφοβως τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ λαλειν· ἐπει και τα μαρτύρια ἐπιστροφῆς ἐστι παραδειγματα, ἐνδάξως ἡγιασμενα. Ὄσα γὰρ ἡ Γραφὴ λέγει, εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν δασκαλιαν ἐγραφη, ἴνα διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς και τῆς παρακλήσεως τῶν Γραφῶν τὴν ἐλπιδα ἔχωμεν τῆς παρακλήσεως. Ἔοικε δέ πως, παρσύσης ἀλγνδόνος, ἡ ψυχὴ νεύειν ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς, και τιμιον ἡ εἰσθαι τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τῆς παρούσης ὀδύνης. Ἀμέλει κατ᾽ ἐκεινο καιροῦ, και μαθημάτων ῥᾳθυμει, ὁπηνικα και αἰ ἄλλαι ἀπημὲληνται ἀρεται. Και οὐ δήπου τὴν ἀρετὴν αὐτὴν πάσχειν φαμέν· οὐδε γὰρ νόσει ἡ αρετή· ὁ δὲ ἀμφοιν μετεσχηκὼς, ἀρετῆς και νόσου, ὑπὸ τοῦ κατεπεινοντος θλιβεται· κὰν μὴ καταμεγαλοφρονῶν τύχῃ ὁ μηδέπω τὴν ἕξιν τῆς ἐγκρατειας περιποιησάμνος, ἐξισταται, ἵσον τε εὑρισκεται τῷ φεύγειν τὸ μὴ οὐ ὑπομειναι.  Κλημεντος του Αλεξανδρεως, Στρωματεων.

Worthy to be admired are the Stoics, who say the soul is not imposed upon by the body, whether vice on account of disease, or virtue on account of health; but both these things are indifferent. And indeed Job, by an excess of self possession, and excellence of faith, when from wealth he came to poverty, from prosperity to dishonour, from being feted to ashamed, and to sickness from being healthy, is depicted to us as a good example, shaming the Tempter, blessing the Creator; bearing later things just as he did former things, and so teaching well that the wise man may make an excellent use of all circumstances. And that the achievements of old are proposed as images for our correction, the Apostle makes clear: 'So that my chains in Christ, he says, have become manifest in all the magistrate's hall, and to all the rest; and several of the brethren in the Lord, growing confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak fearlessly the word of God.'1 Martyrs' testimonies are examples of conversion gloriously sanctified. 'For which things the Scripture say were written for our instruction, that through suffering and the consolation of the Scriptures, we may have the hope of consolation.'2 How it seems that when pain is present, the soul appears to recede, and to deem release from the present distress a worthy thing. At that moment it slackens from studies, when the other virtues also are neglected. And yet we do not assume that it is virtue itself which suffers, for virtue does not sicken. But he who is a partaker of both, of virtue and the disease, is troubled by the pressure of the latter; and if he who has not yet attained the habit of self-command and be not a high-souled man, he is distraught; and flight is found as valuable as endurance. Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book 4, Ch 5.  1 Phil 1. 13-14  2 Rom 15.4