Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.
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Gaius Marius Victorinus
AD 400
“Do nothing,” he says, “through ambition.” For many are either prone toward ambitiousness of their own accord or moved toward ambitiousness through others. All these kinds of ambition are to be banished. There is to be no inordinate ambition, whether voluntary or constrained, since both are vicious. Some rush into this ambition through speculation; others are naturally of such temper as to be ambitious. So he advises: “do nothing through ambition.” .
Esteem others better than themselves. St. Thomas Aquinas (22. q. 162. a. 3.) puts the question, how an innocent man can with truth think himself worse than the most wicked of men? He answers, that a man who has received very extraordinary gifts from God, cannot think these gifts less than what any other has received; but he may reflect that he has nothing, and is nothing of himself. And a man truly humble considers only his own sins and failings, and is persuaded that any other person would have made better use of the same graces; which agrees with what follows, (ver. 4) not considering the things that are his own. (Witham)
If you accept that such and such a person is better than you and persuade yourself of this, not only saying it but being fully assured of it, you also will happily see him honored. And if you happily give him honor, you will not be disturbed to see him honored by others. .
Selfishness is the cause of all sorts of evils. From it come strife and rivalry. From these come jealousy and contentiousness. Out of this that love grows cool when we are in love with human glory and become enslaved to the honors of popularity. One cannot be both a slave to popularity and a true servant of God. .
He finally demands this of them, and tells them the way how this may be. Doing nothing through faction or vainglory. This, as I always say, is the cause of all evil. Hence come fightings and contentions. Hence come envyings and strifes. Hence it is that love waxes cold, when we love the praise of men, when we are slaves to the honor which is paid by the many, for it is not possible for a man to be the slave of praise, and also a true servant of God. How then shall we flee vainglory? For you have not yet told us the way. Listen then to what follows.
But in lowliness of mind, each counting other better than himself. Oh how full of true wisdom, how universal a gathering-word of our salvation is the lesson he has put forth! If you deem, he means, that another is greater than yourself, and persuadest yourself so, yea more, if you not only sayest it, but art fully assured of it, then you assign him the honor, and if you assign him the honor, you will not be displeased at seeing him honore...
