Sed adhuc non sufficit istud, immo et totam virtutem et fortitudinem Deo dare oportet; ideo dicebat propheta, fortitudinem meam ad te custodiam. Aliqui enim sunt qui per suam fortitudinem tribuunt ad peccandum et in hoc suam fortitudinem manifestant; contra quos Isa., vae qui potentes estis ad bibendum vinum. Aliqui ostendant suam fortitudinem in nocendo proximis, cum debeant illam ostendere in subveniendo eisdem, Prov. erue eos qui ducuntur ad mortem. Igitur ad diligendum Deum danda sunt ista Deo scilicet intentio, voluntas, mens et fortitudo. But that is not enough. One must give God all one’s power and strength: I will guard my strength with you. (Ps 59:9 [58:10]). For there are some who use their strength to sin, thereby displaying their power. Against these it is said: woe to you who are heroes at drinking wine, valiant men at mixing strong drink (Isa 5:22). Others show their power or strength to hurt their neighbors, whereas they should have displayed it by helping them: rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter (Prov 24:2). So to love God, the following must be given to God: intention, will, mind, and strength. Capitulum 6 Chapter 6 VII. De dilectione proximi VII. On the Love of Neighbor Christus interrogatus quod esset maximum mandatum, uni interrogationi duas dedit responsiones. Et prima fuit, diliges Dominum Deum tuum etc., de quo dictum est; secunda vero, et proximum tuum sicut teipsum. Ubi considerandum est quod qui hoc servat totam legem adimplet; Apostolus, plenitudo legis est dilectio. Sed sciendum quod ad dilectionem proximi quatuor nos inducunt. When Christ was asked which is the greatest commandment, he gave two answers to the one question. The first was you shall love the Lord your God, which we have talked about. The second was: and your neighbor as yourself. At this point we should point out that whoever observes this fulfills the whole law. As the Apostle says: the fulfilment of the law is love (Rom 13:10). There are four motives for loving our neighbor. Primo divinus amor quia, sicut dicitur in canonica Ioannis, qui dicit se Deum diligere et fratrem suum non diligit mendax est. Qui enim dicit se diligere aliquem et suum filium aut membra eius odio habet mendax est; omnes autem fideles filii Dei et membra Christi sumus. Apostolus, vos estis Christi et membra de membro. Et ideo qui odit proximum non diligit Deum. The first is divine love, since it is said: if anyone says that he loves God, while he hates his brother, he is a liar (1 John 4:20). For anyone who says he loves someone, while hating his son or his members is a liar. But all of us faithful are sons of God and members of Christ. As the Apostle says: you are the body of Christ, and each of you a member of it (1 Cor 12:27). Therefore, anyone who hates his neighbor does not love God. Secundum est divinum praeceptum. Christus enim in suo recessu discipulis inter omnia alia istud praeceptum principaliter commendavit, hoc est praeceptum meum, inquid, ut diligatis invicem etc. Nullus enim divina praecepta servat qui proximum odit. Unde istud est signum observantiae divinae legis dilectio proximi; ideo dicit Christus, in hoc cognoscent omnes quia mei discipuli estis si dilectionem etc. Non enim dicit in suscitatio mortuorum, non in aliquo evidenti signo, sed hoc est signum, si dilectionem habueritis ad invicem. Et hoc est quod beatus Ioannes recte considerabat, unde et dicebat, nos scimus quoniam translati sumus de morte ad vitam, et quare? Quoniam, inquid, diligimus fratres. The second motive is the divine precept. For when Christ was going away, he stressed this commandment to his disciples above all other commandments, saying: this is my commandment, he says, that you love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12). For no one is observing the divine commandments if he hates his neighbor. So the sign of observing the divine law is love of neighbor; and therefore Christ says: by this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35). He does not point to raising the dead or any other glaring sign, but this is the sign: if you have love for one another. The blessed John weighed this well when he said, we know that we have been transferred from death to life. And why? Because, he says, we love the brothers (1 John 3:14). Tertium est naturae communicatio. Sicut enim dicitur Eccli., omne animal diligit sibi simile. Unde cum omnes homines sint in natura similes ad invicem se diligere debent. Et ideo odire proximum non solum est contra legem divinam sed contra naturalem. The third motive is our sharing in the same nature. For as it is said: every animal loves its like (Sir 13:19). Since all men are alike in nature, they should love one another. So to hate one’s neighbor is not only against the divine law, but also against the law of nature. Quartum est utilitatis consecutio. Omnia enim alterius alii fiunt utilia per caritatem. Haec est enim quae unit Ecclesiam et omnia communia facit; Ps., particeps ego sum omnium timentium te etc. The fourth motive is the advantages it brings. For everything that one person has is useful to another through charity. For this is what unites the Church and makes everything common: I am a companion of all who fear you and keep your precepts (Ps 119 [118]:63). VIII. De eodem VIII. On the Love of Neighbor, Continued Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum etc. Istud est secundum praeceptum legis et est de dilectione proximi. Quare autem proximum diligere debeamus iam dictum est, et ideo dicendum restat de modo dilectionis qui quidem innuitur cum dicitur sicut teipsum. Circa quod verbum quinque considerare possumus quae in dilectione proximi observare debemus. Love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:39). That is the second commandment of the law, and it concerns love of neighbor. We have discussed the fact that we must love our neighbor. Now we must turn to the way we must love him, and that is indicated in the words as yourself. Regarding this, there are five points we must observe in loving our neighbor: Primum est quod debemus eum diligere vere sicut nos; tunc autem hoc facimus quando propter seipsum eum diligimus et non propter nos. Et ideo notandum quod triplex est amor quorum duo non veri, tertius autem verus est. Primus est qui est propter utile; unde in Prov., est amicus socius mensae. Sed certe hic non est verus amor; deficit enim deficiente utilitate. Et tunc nolumus bonum proximo, sed potius bonum utilitatis ipsius volumus nobis. Est et alius amor qui est propter delectabile, et hic etiam non est verus quia et eo deficiente deficit. Et iterum nolumus bonum propter hoc proximo principaliter, sed potius bonum suum volumus nobis. Tertius est amor qui est propter virtutem, et iste solus est verus. Tunc enim non diligimus proximum propter bonum nostrum sed propter suum. The first is that we must love him really as ourselves. We do this if we love him for his own sake, not because of our own interest. Here recall that there are three kinds of love, of which two are false and one is true. The first is utilitarian: he is a friend at table, but will not be around on the day of need (Sir 6:10). That is certainly not true love. It vanishes when the advantage vanishes. In that case we do not wish good for our neighbor, but rather our own advantage. There is another love directed at what is pleasurable. This too is not true love, because when the pleasure vanishes it vanishes. In that case we do not wish good primarily for our neighbor, but rather we want his good for ourselves. The third kind of love is for the sake of virtue, and only that is true love. For then we do not love our neighbor in view of our own good, but for his own good. Secundum est quod debemus eum diligere ordinate, ut scilicet non diligamus eum supra Deum nec quantum Deum sed iuxta, sicut et teipsum debes diligere, Cant., ordinavit in me caritatem. Hunc ordinem docet Dominus dicens, qui amat patrem aut matrem plus quam me, non est me dignus. The second point is that we must love ordinately; that is, we must not love him above God or as much as God, but next to him in the way you must love yourself: he ordered love in me (Song 2:4). The Lord taught this order, saying: whoever loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me (Matt 10:37). Tertium est quod debemus eum diligere efficaciter. Non enim solum te diligis sed etiam procuras tibi studiose bona et vitas mala. Sic quoque debes facere proximo, Ioan., non diligamus verbo neque lingua etc. Sed certe illi pessimi sunt qui ore diligunt et corde nocent, de quibus Ps., qui loquuntur pacem cum proximo suo etc. Contra quos Apostolus, dilectio sine simulatione. The third point is that we must love our neighbor in practice. For you do not only love yourself, but you also take care to provide good for yourself and avoid evil. You must do the same for your neighbor: let us not love in words or with our tongue, but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:18). But certainly the worst people are those who love with their mouth but do harm in their hearts: Who speak peace with their neighbor, but evils are in their hearts (Ps 28 [27]:3). Against them the Apostle says: love without pretense (Rom 12:9). Quartum est quod debemus eum diligere perseveranter, sicut et te perseveranter diligis, Prov., omni tempore diligit qui amicus est, scilicet tam tempore adversitatis quam etiam tempore prosperitatis. Immo tunc scilicet tempore adversitatis maxime probatur amicus, sicut dicitur in Prov. Sed sciendum quod duo sunt quae iuvant ad amicitiam conservandam; primum est patientia, vir enim iracundus suscitat rixas etc., ut dicitur in Prov.; secundum est humilitas quae etiam causat primum, et ideo dicitur in Prov., inter superbos semper iurgia sunt. Qui enim confidit de se et despicit alium non potest defectus illius pati. Et ideo expedit magis occurrere ursae etc. The fourth point is that we must persevere in loving our neighbor, just as you persevere in loving yourself: a friend loves at all times (Prov 17:17); that is, he loves in bad times as much as he does in good times. Moreover, a friend is really proven in a time of adversity, as it says in Proverbs 17:17. But note that two things help preserve friendship. The first is patience: a quarrelsome man enkindles strife (Prov 26:21). The second is humility, which causes the former, and therefore it is said: among the proud there is always strife (Prov 13:10). For anyone who thinks highly of himself and despises another cannot endure the latter’s shortcomings. And therefore it is better to meet a bear robbed of her whelps, than a fool trusting in his own folly (Prov 17:12). Quintum est quod debemus eum diligere sancte, ut scilicet eum non diligamus ad peccandum, quia nec te sic diligere debes cum Deum ex hoc amittas. Unde Ioan., dilectio mea in vobis sit, de qua Sap., ego mater pulchrae dilectionis etc. The fifth point is that we must love with holiness, so that we do not love to bring him to sin, because you should not love yourself that way, since by doing so you lose God. Thus it is said: remain in my love (John 15:9). This is the love spoken of: I am the mother of beautiful love (Sir 24:24). IX. De eodem On the Love of Neighbor, Continued Diliges proximum tuum etc. Hoc praeceptum Iudaei et Pharisaei male intelligebant, credentes quod Deus praeciperet quod homo deberet diligere amicos et odio habere inimicos, et ideo proximos intelligebant tantum amicos. Hunc autem intellectum intendit Christus reprobare dicens diligite inimicos vestros. Sciendum autem quod quicumque odit aliquem non est in statu salutis, Ioan., qui odit fratrem suum homicida est; et iterum qui odit fratrem suum in tenebris est. Love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:39). This precept the Jews and Pharisees badly understood, believing that God commanded them to love their friends and hate their enemies. Therefore, by neighbors they understood only friends. Christ meant to repudiate this understanding when he said: love your enemies (Matt 5:44). Note that whoever hates his brother is not in the state of salvation: he who hates his brother is a murderer (1 John 3:15); and again: he who hates his brother is in the darkness (1 John 2:9). Tamen si super hoc consideremus quae scripta sunt invenitur quaedam contrarietas, nam sancti aliquos oderunt; Ps., perfecto odio oderam illos etc.; Christus etiam dicit, qui non odit patrem etc.; item Ps., odisti omnes qui operantur iniquitatem. Et ideo sciendum quod in omnibus factis nostris factum Christi debet esse exemplum nobis; Deus enim et diligit et odit. Quia in quolibet homine duo consideranda sunt, scilicet natura et vitium, natura quidem diligi debet in omnibus, vitium vero sive peccatum odiri. Unde si quis vellet hominem esse in inferno odiret naturam, si vero vellet ipsum esse bonum tunc odiret peccatum quod semper odiendum est, Ps., perdes omnes qui loquuntur mendacium etc., et in Sap., nihil odisti eorum quae fecisti. Ecce ergo quod Deus diligit et odit, diligit quidem naturam sed odit vitium. We must be aware, however, of texts to the contrary. For the saints hated some people: I hated them with perfect hatred (Ps 139 [138]:22). For Christ says: if anyone does not hate his father etc. (Luke 14:26); again: you hate all the workers of iniquity (Ps 5:6 [7]). We should realize that in all that we do, what Christ did should be our example. For God both loves and hates. In any man two things should be considered: nature and defect. What is nature in all men should be loved, but what is defect or sin should be hated. So if anyone wished a person to be in hell, he would be hating his nature, but if he wished him to be good, he would be hating the sin, which should always be hated: you will destroy all who speak a lie (Ps 5:6 [7]); and: you hate nothing which you have made (Wis 11:25). See, then, what God loves and hates: he loves nature and hates defect. Sciendum vero quod homo sine peccato potest aliquando malum facere, quando scilicet sic facit ut velit bonum quia et Deus sic facit; sicut cum homo infirmatur convertitur ad bonum qui in sanitate erat malus; We should realize, however, that sometimes a person can do evil without sinning; that is, when he does evil so that he may desire good, because God also does this. For instance, when a man is sick and is converted to good, whereas while he was well he was evil. item in adversitate aliquis convertitur et est bonus qui in prosperitate erat malus iuxta illud, vexatio dat intellectum auditui. In the same way, someone can be converted to good when he meets adversity, after being evil while living in prosperity, according to the text: terror alone shall convey the message (Isa 28:19). Item si desideras malum tyranni destruentis Ecclesiam, inquantum desideras bonum Ecclesiae quod esset per destructionem tyranni, unde Mach., benedictus Deus per omnia qui tradidit impios etc. Et hoc omnes debent velle non solum voluntate sed etiam opere. Non enim est peccatum suspendere iuste malos; ministri enim Dei sunt tales secundum Apostolum. Et servant isti dilectionem quia poena aliquando fit propter castigationem aliquando propter maius bonum et divinius; melius est enim bonum civitatis quam vita unius hominis. Another case is to desire the evil of a tyrant destroying the Church, inasmuch as you desire the good of the Church through the destruction of the tyrant; thus: blessed in every way be God who has punished the wicked (2 Macc 1:17). And all must want this not just by willing it, but also by doing it. For it is not a sin justly to hang the evil; for they are ministers of God who do this, according to the Apostle (Rom 13:4), and these people are acting in love, because punishment is given at times to castigate evil, and at times for the sake of a greater and divine good; for the good of a city is a better good than the life of one man. Sed sciendum quod non sufficit non velle malum, sed oportet velle bonum scilicet emendationem suam et vitam aeternam. Duobus enim modis quis vult bonum alteri, generali modo inquantum scilicet creatura Dei est et participabilis vitae aeternae, et speciali inquantum est socius vel amicus. A generali autem dilectione nullus excluditur, debet enim quis pro quolibet orare et cuilibet in necessitate ultima subvenire. Praeterea non cum quolibet teneris habere familiaritatem nisi peteret veniam, quia tunc esset amicus et si refutares haberes odio amicum. Et ideo Christus in Matth., si dimiseritis hominibus peccata etc., et ideo dicitur in oratione dominica, dimitte nobis debita etc. But note that it is not enough not to wish evil, but one must also wish good, that is, his correction and eternal life. For someone can wish the good of another in two ways. One way is general, in so far as the person is a creature of God and is capable of partaking in eternal life. The other way is special, insofar as the person is a friend or companion. No one is excluded from a general love, for everyone should pray for everyone, and help anyone in extreme need. But you are not held to be familiar with everyone, unless he asks pardon, because then he would be your friend; and if you refused him you would be hating a friend. And therefore Christ says: if you forgive people their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you yours (Matt 6:14–15). And in the Lord’s Prayer it is said: forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us (Matt 6:9). X. De eodem On the Love of Neighbor, Continued Diliges proximum tuum etc. Dictum est quod peccas si non parcis veniam postulanti et quod perfectionis est si tu eum ad te revocas quamvis non tenearis. Sed ad hoc quod tu eum trahas ad te multae rationes inducunt. Love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:39). It has been said that you sin if you do not forgive someone who asks for pardon and that it is of perfection if you recall him to yourself, although you are not held to do this. But there are many reasons why you should bring him back to yourself. Prima est propriae dignitatis conservatio. Diversae enim dignitates diversa signa habent; nullus autem suae dignitatis signa dimittere debet. Inter omnes autem dignitates maior est quod sit quis filius Dei. Huius autem dignitatis signum est si diligas inimicum, Matt., diligite inimicos vestros, benefacite etc., ut sitis etc. Si enim diligis amicum, hoc non est signum filiationis divinae, nam publicani et ethnici hoc faciunt, ut dicitur in Matt. The first is to preserve your own status. For different statuses have different signs, and no one should throw off the sign of his own status. The highest status of all is to be a son of God. The sign of this status is to love your enemy: love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven (Matt 5:44–45). For if you love your friend, this is not a sign of divine sonship, for even the publicans and gentiles do this, as it is said in Matthew 5:46–47. Secunda est victoriae acquisitio. Omnes enim hoc naturaliter desiderant. Oportet ergo quod vel tu trahas eum qui te offendit ad dilectionem bonitate tua, et tunc vincis, vel quod alius trahat te ad odium, et tunc perdis, Rom., noli vinci a malo sed vince in bono malum. The second is the winning of victory, something everyone naturally desires. Therefore it is necessary that either you by your goodness draw him who offended you to love you, and then you have won, or that the other draw you to hate him, and then you have lost: do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21). Tertia est multiplicis utilitatis consecutio. Acquiris enim ex hoc amicos, Rom., si esurierit inimicus tuus etc., Augustinus, nulla maior provocatio ad amorem quam praevenire amando, nullus enim est ita durus qui etsi dilectionem nolit impendere nolit tamen rependere, quia amico fideli nulla est comparatio, Eccli. cum placuerint Domino viae hominis inimicos quoque eius convertet ad pacem. The third is gaining an advantage. In this way you acquire many friends: if your enemy is hungry, feed him. (Rom 12:20). Augustine says: there is no greater incentive to love than to love first, for no one is so hard that, even if he does not want to show love, he would refuse to repay it. For it is said: nothing can compare with a faithful friend (Sir 6:15). And: when the Lord is pleased with a man’s ways, even his enemies will be at peace with him (Prov 16:7). Item ex hoc preces tuae facilius exaudiuntur; unde super illud si steterint Moyses et Samuel pro populo isto etc., dicit Gregorius quod ideo mentionem maiorem fecit de isti quia rogaverunt pro inimicis. Unde et Christus rogavit pro inimicis, Matt., Pater ignosce etc. Item beatus Stephanus quia oravit magnam fecit utilitatem Ecclesiae quia Paulum convertit. Again, by so doing your prayers will easily be heard. Thus, on the passage, if Moses and Samuel stood before me (Jer 15:1), Gregory says that he made special mention of them because they prayed for their enemies. Likewise, Christ said: Father, forgive them. (Luke 23:34). And blessed Stephen, by praying for his enemies, brought a great advantage to the Church, because this converted Paul. Quarta est peccati evasio quam maxime desiderare debemus. Aliquando enim peccamus nec Deum quaerimus et Deus trahit nos ad se vel infirmitate vel aliquo huiusmodi. Prov., sepiam vias tuas spinis etc. Sic quidem Paulus tractus fuit. Ps., erravi sicut ovis quae periit etc.; Cant., trahe me etc. Hoc autem consequimur si inimicum ad nos trahimus vi id est remitentem, quia in qua mensura mensi fueritis, remetietur etc. Et ideo dicitur Matt., dimittite et dimittetur vobis; unde ibidem dicitur, beati misericordes etc. Nulla est maior misericordia quam offendenti ignoscere. The fourth is the avoidance of sin, which we should desire very much. For sometimes we sin and do not even look for God, and then God draws us to himself by sickness or something similar: therefore I will hedge her way with thorns. (Hos 2:6). Paul was also treated this way. I wandered like a lost sheep. (Ps 119 [118]:176); draw me after you. (Song 1:3). We gain this if we draw our enemy to ourselves by force, that is, by forgiving him, for by the measure you measure out, it shall be measured back to you. (Matt 7:2). And therefore it is said: forgive, and you shall be forgiven (Matt 6:14); and in the same place it is said: blessed are the merciful (Matt 5:7). There is no greater mercy than to forgive one who has offended you. Liber II Book II De decem praeceptis On the Ten Commandments Capitulum 1 Chapter 1 XI. Primum praeceptum XI. The First Commandment Non habebis deos alienos, Exod. XX. Sicut iam dictum est tota lex Christi pendet a caritate; caritas autem pendet a duobus praeceptis quorum unum est de dilectione Dei, reliquum de dilectione proximi; et de istis duobus iam dictum est. Nunc autem sciendum quod Deus dando legem Moysi dedit decem praecepta in duabus tabulis lapideis scripta, quorum tria prima in prima tabula scripta pertinent ad amorem Dei, septem vero scripta in secunda tabula pertinent ad amorem proximi. Et ideo tota lex fundatur in duobus praeceptis. You shall not have strange gods before me (Exod 20:3). The entire law of Christ depends upon charity. And charity depends on two precepts, one of which concerns loving God and the other concerns loving our neighbor. Now God, in delivering the law to Moses, gave him ten commandments written upon two tablets of stone. Three of these commandments that were written on the first tablet referred to the love of God; and the seven commandments written on the other tablet related to the love of our neighbor. The whole law, therefore, is founded on these two precepts. Primum autem quod pertinet ad amorem Dei est non habebis deos alienos. Et ad huius intellectum sciendum est quod multipliciter antiqui hoc praeceptum transgrediebantur. Quidam enim colebant daemonia, Ps., omnes dii gentium daemonia; cuilibet enim erat deus suus. Hoc autem horribile est et inter omnia peccata maius. Nunc etiam hoc praeceptum transgrediuntur plures, omnes scilicet qui divinationibus et sortilegiis intendunt. Hoc enim secundum Augustinum fieri non possunt quin aliquod cum diabolo contrahatur pactum, Cor., nolo vos fieri socios daemoniorum et iterum, non potestis participes esse mensae Christi et daemoniorum. The first commandment which relates to the love of God is: you shall not have strange gods (Exod 20:3). For an understanding of this commandment, one must know how of old it was violated. Some worshipped demons: all the gods of the gentiles are devils (Ps 96 [95]:5), for to each one was his own god. This is the greatest and most detestable of all sins. Even now there are many who transgress this commandment: all such as practice divinations and fortune-telling. Such things, according to Augustine, cannot be done without some kind of pact with the devil: I would not that you should be made partakers with devils (1 Cor 10:20), and again: you cannot be partakers of the table of Christ and of the table of devils (1 Cor 10:21). Alii colebant caelestia corpora credentes astra esse deos, Sap., solem et lunam et gyrum stellarum deos esse putaverunt. Et ideo Moyses prohibuit Iudaeis quod non levarent oculos ad caelum nec adorarent solem et lunam et stellas. Contra hoc praeceptum peccant astrologi qui dicunt haec esse animarum rectores cum tamen propter hominem facta sint, cuius solus Deus est rector. Some worshipped the heavenly bodies, believing the stars to be gods: they have imagined the sun and the moon and the circle of the stars to be the gods that rule the world (Wis 13:2). For this reason Moses forbade the Jews to raise their eyes, or adore the sun and moon and stars. The astrologers sin against this commandment in that they say that these bodies are the rulers of souls, when in truth they were made for the use of man whose sole ruler is God.