Quod mundus suos habet Elisios ; et eadem fides
The Vanity of Human Virtue
True virtue is not found in human pride or philosophical self-sufficiency, but only in the grace and faith of the true God.
It belongs to our time and to the fathers who came before us, and those who cultivate virtue are the spectators of this theater. The world, therefore, has its own Elysian fields, and it knows its own sun and its own stars. Virtue is, in fact, a kind of solar ray given to everyone for their use from the fountain of light, and it makes everything it touches exceptional by its own brightness. It follows that even those who seem to have been touched by the beauty of these rays—as if by a reflected image—immediately shine in the sight of those beneath them and become, in a way, glorious by the title of virtue. For it's far from the truth that anyone is truly glorious, except for the one who boasts in the Lord. The one who is approved isn't the one who commends himself or whom a human being commends, but the one whom God commends; and this is something that true and sole virtue deserves, not just any image of virtue. I believe this is what happens whenever philosophers promise themselves something excellent in their character through the benefit of nature and the exercise of the mind, apart from grace; by doing so, they've become vain in their own thoughts, trusting in their own free will, and while claiming to be wise, they've become fools and appeared as fools. Hence the ethicist says: 'It's enough to pray to Jove, who gives and takes away; let him give life, let him give wealth, I myself will provide my own character.' Another says: 'You have no divinity if prudence is present; but we make you a goddess, Fortune, and place you in the heavens.' Cato, too, though he didn't acknowledge the true God and wandered in the superstitions of the Gentiles, still despised the oracles of Jupiter in Libya—whom he worshipped—thinking himself sufficient for the things he had to do. And indeed, even the very image of virtue has a certain clarity of beauty and decorum, so that whatever is seen in it is deservedly believed to be beautiful and fitting. Yet it isn't entirely fitting if it's obscured in the darkness of ignorance; nor can anyone shine except in the faith of Him who is the true light and illuminates every man coming into this world. From this it's clear that true virtue cannot exist except in the knowledge and worship of the true God. The vision of Ezekiel didn't keep silent about this, for it asserted that those who preceded Christ and those who followed Him held the same confession. For the faith of the saints of the Old and New Testaments is distinguished in this: the latter now rejoice that what the former expected and longed to be fulfilled has been fulfilled for them. Let the image of virtue be venerable, then, provided that the substance of virtue cannot exist without faith and love.
Examples of the Faithful
The history of the faithful, from the Old Testament to the New, provides a cloud of witnesses whose lives serve as models of true virtue.
If only we could find someone among us who holds even a shadow of virtue. After all, who actually embraces virtue itself? Who even puts on the shadows of the virtues that we see the Gentiles flourishing in, even though, with Christ taken away from them, they did not grasp the fruit of true blessedness? Who imitates the diligence of Themistocles, the gravity of Fronto, the self-control of Socrates, the faith of Fabricius, the innocence of Numa, the modesty of Scipio, the patience of Ulysses, the frugality of Cato, or the piety of Titus? Who doesn't admire them with wonder? Integrity, after all, is praised but left out in the cold. Furthermore, these men and others like them were truly great and praiseworthy, shining like stars in their own eras, illuminating their times, and acting as forerunners for their contemporaries toward the justice and truth that had shone upon them by divine arrangement. Likewise, among the faithful, there have never been a lack of stars to help the human race dispel the shadows of its night and the troubles of its blindness—men noble by the title of virtue and shining with the marks of great deeds, by whose examples others are always moved toward the practice of justice; didn't Abel teach innocence, and Enoch the purity of action? What did Noah lack in the long-suffering of hope and work? What was missing from Abraham's faithful obedience? Isaac teaches the purity of marriage, and Jacob shows the endurance of labor. Joseph rewards his murderous brothers with the recompense of good, and by this he teaches that good must be returned for evil. Among the many thousands of a people who were unbelieving, hardened, and always provoking God, Moses' gentleness is shown, and the magnanimity of Joshua is declared as he faced impending adversity. Job provides an example of patience. And the Baptist, the forerunner of the Savior's grace, while preaching repentance and commanding flight from vices, draws out the confession of truth and sharpens the tongues of all the faithful for the rebuke of injury and the condemnation of iniquity. Why should I mention the fathers of the New Testament, whose examples are a discipline of character and the most upright instructions for living?
Spectators of the Worldly Theater
Those who remain faithful to God act as spectators of the world's vanity, living their lives in the sight of the Creator rather than for human applause.
These are truly among the seven thousand men the Lord has reserved for Himself, so they wouldn't bow their knees to Baal or prostitute their precious souls to any vanity at all. These are the ones the senseless consider insane, because they refuse to join in the madness of others. And they're thought to be headed for a dishonorable end, because they disdain polluting the dignity of their nature with the costume of a worldly actor. Perhaps these are the ones who, from the high peak of virtue, look down upon the theater of the world, and, despising the game of fortune, are driven by no allurements toward vanities and false madnesses. They already rejoice in their own Elysian fields; they see many things for their own benefit, and they turn everything they see back toward that end. For when a faithful soul is lifted up from the earth, it finally draws all things to itself. They contemplate the worldly comedy with Him who stands above, so that He may unceasingly watch over men, their actions, and their intentions. For when everyone is playing the actor, it's necessary that there be someone to be the spectator. No one should complain that their inner life goes unnoticed by others, since they act in the sight of God, His angels, and those few wise people who are themselves spectators of these worldly games. They should be ashamed, rather, if they behave improperly in such great light and disgrace themselves entirely through mimicry.
Read the original Latin
est nostri temporis et praecedentium patrum, et uirtutis cuLtores inspectores sunt theatri huius. Mundus igitur suos habet Elisios, solemque suum et sua sidera nouit. Virtus siquidem solaris quidam radius est a fonte claritatis omnibus datus in usum et qui omnia quae attingit claritate sui facit eximia. Inde est quod etiam illi quos huius radii uenustas quasi repercussa specie sui uidetur afflasse, statim in subiectorum conspectu clarescunt fiuntque quodammodo uirtutis titulo gloriosi. Absit enim ut quisquam uere sit gloriosus, nisi qui in Domino gloriatur. Non enim qui se ipsum aut quem homo commendat, ille probatus est, sed quem Deus commendat; quod utique uera et sola uirtus meretur, non quantacumque uirtutis imago. Hoc autem esse arbitror, quicquid in moribus egregium de naturae beneficio et exercitio mentis citra gratiam philosophi sibi repromittunt eoque ipso euanuerunt in cogitationibus suis de libero confisi arbitrio, et dicentes se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt stultique apparuerunt. Vnde ethicus: Satis est orare louem qui donat et aufert; det uitam, det opes, animum michi ego ipse parabo.
Alius quoque: Nullum numen habes si sit prudentia; sed nos te facimus, fortuna, deam celoque locamus. Cato quoque, licet uerum non agnouisset Deum gentiumque superstitionibus aberraret, in Libia tamen louis, quem colebat, contempsit oracula, se ad ea, quae sibi gerenda erant, sufficere arbitratus. Et quidem etiam ipsa imago uirtutis suam quandam habet uenustatis decorisque clarid tatem, ut quicquid in ea cemitur eius merito uenustum credatur et decorum. Non tamen usquequaque decorum est quod in tenebris ignorantiae obscuratur; nec potest quisquam clarescere nisi in fide illius qui lux uera est et illuminat omnem hominem uenientem in hunc mundum. Ex quo patet quod nisi in ueri Dei notitia et cultu uera uirtus esse non possit. Quod et uisio Ezechielis non tacuit, qui eorum qui praecedebant et qui sequebantur Christum eandem confessionem esse asseruit. Sanctorum quippe ueteris et noui testamenti in eo distinguitur fides, quod isti iam sibi gaudent impleta quae illi expectabant et desiderabant implenda. Sit ergo uenerabilis imago uirtutis, dum a sine fide et dilectione substantia uirtutis esse non possit.
Et utinam inueniatur in nobis qui uel uirtutis imaginem teneat. Quis enim uirtutem amplectitur ipsam? H Quis etiam umbras uirtutum induit, quibus uidemus floruisse gentiles, licet eis subtracto Christo uerae beatitudinis non apprehenderint fructum? Quis Temistoclis diligentiam, Frontonis grauitatem, continentiam Socratis, Fabricii fidem, innocentiam Numae, pudicitiam Scipionis, longanimitatem Vlixis, Catonis parcitatem, Titi pietatem imitatur? Quis non cum admiratione ueneratur? probitas siquidem laudatur et alget. Porro praedicti et consimiles magni quidem et laudabiles uiri quasi quaedam seculorum suorum sidera splenduerunt, illustrantes tempora sua, praeambuli coetaneorum suorum in id iustitiae et ueritatis quod dispositione diuina illuxerat eis. Sic quoque in successionibus fidelis populi numquam humano generi ad noctis suae tenebras cecitatisque molestias depellendas sua sidera defuerunt, uiri quidem uirtutis titulo nobiles magnorumque operum fulgentes insignibus, quorum exemplis ad cultum iustitiae semper alii prouehantur, Nonne Abel innocentiam docuit, Enoch munditiam actionis?
Quid de longanimitate spei et operis non habuit Noe? Quid de obedientia fideliter implenda defuit Abrahae? Isaac coniugii castimoniam instruit, et lacob laboris tolerantiam ostendit. loseph parricidas fratres boni retributione remunerat, eoque docet a bonis bona pro malis tribuenda. In multis milibus increduli indurati et Deum semper exacerbantis populi Moysi mansuetudo ostenditur, et imminentibus aduersis confidentis losuae magnanimitas declaratur. lob patientiae indicit exemplum. Et praeambulus gratiae Baptista Saluatoris, dum penitentiam praedicat et uitiis indicit fugam, confessionem eruit ueritatis et ad increpationem iniuriae et condempnationem iniquitatis omnium fidelium linguas exacuit. Quid noui testamenti referam patres, quorum exempla sunt disciplina morum et rectissima instituta duiuendi?
Hi quidem sunt in septem milibus uirorum, quos sibi Dominus reseruauit ut non curuarent genua sua ante Baal aut cuicumque uanitati prostituant animas pretiosas. Hi sunt qui inter insensatos habentur insani, quia alienae insaniae nolunt esse partieipes. Et finem sine honore creduntur habituri, quia dignitatem naturae mundani histrionis habitu polluere dedignantur. Hi sunt forte qui de alto uirtutum culmine theatrum mundi despiciunt ludumque fortunae contempnentes nullis illecebris impelluntur ad uanitates et insanias falsas. Hi iam in suis gaudent Elisiis, ad utilitatem suam uident plurima et ad eam omnia uisa retorquent. Cum enim fidelis anima exaltatur a terra, tunc demum omnia trahit ad seipsam. Speculantur isti comediam mundanam cum eo qui desuper astat ut homines actusque eorum et uoluntates indesinenter a prospiciat. Cum enim omnes exerceant histrionem, aliquem esse necesse est spectatorem.
Nec queratur aliquis motus 8U0S ab aliquo non uideri, cum in conspectu Dei agat angelorumque eius paucorumque sapientum, qui et ipsi ludorum istorum circensium spectatores sunt. Erubescat potius, si quis in tanta luce indecenter moueatur et se o totum exercitatione mimica deuenustet.
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