Bonaventure

DISTINCTIO XXVII.

Cap. I. De caritate Dei et proximi, quae et in Christo et in nobis est.

Cum autem Christus fidem et spem non habuerit, dilectionem tamen habuit in quantum homo tantam, qua maior esse non valet; qui ex caritate eximia animam posuit pro amicis et inimicis^p586-1. Habuit enim in corde caritatem, quam opere nobis exhibuit, ut exhibitionis forma nos ad diligendum instrueret. — Hic aliquid dicendum est de caritate et modo et ordine diligendi Deum et proximum.

Cap. II. Quid sit caritas.

Caritas est dilectio, qua diligitur Deus propter se et proximus propter Deum vel in Deo^p587-1. Haec habet duo mandata, unum pertinens ad dilectionem Dei, quod est maximum in Lege mandatum, et alterum pertinens ad diligendum proximum, illi simile. Primum est: Diliges Deum ex toto corde, ex tota mente et ex tota anima, quod scriptum est in Deuteronomio^p587-2. Secundum est: Diliges proximum tuum sicut te ipsum. In his duobus praeceptis tota Lex pendet, et Prophetae. Finis enim praecepti est dilectio; et ea gemina, id est Dei et proximi est.

Cap. III. Si eadem caritate diligitur Deus et proximus.

Hic quaeritur, si ex ea ipsa dilectione diligitur Deus, qua diligitur proximus, an alia sit dilectio Dei, et alia proximi. — Eadem sane est dilectio, qua diligitur Deus et proximus; quae Spiritus sanctus est, ut supra^p587-3 dictum est, quia Deus caritas est. Unde Augustinus: «Ioannes ait: Non potest Deum diligere, quem non videt, qui fratrem, quem videt, non diligit. Sed si eum quem videt humano visu, spirituali caritate diligeret; videret Deum, qui est ipsa caritas, visu interiori, quo videri potest. Qui igitur fratrem, quem videt, non diligit, Deum, qui est dilectio, qua caret qui fratrem non diligit, quomodo potest diligere? Ex una enim eademque caritate Deum proximumque diligimus, sed Deum propter Deum, nos vero et proximum propter Deum».

Cap. IV. Quare dicuntur duo mandata caritatis.

Si vero una eademque caritas est Dei et proximi, quare dicitur gemina? Propter duo dilecta, id est Deum et proximum. Etsi enim una sit caritas, duo tamen diversa ea diliguntur, scilicet Deus et homo vel Angelus. Pro quo etiam et duo sunt mandata, quia, cum eadem caritas utroque commendetur, diversa tamen diligi praecipiuntur. Unde Augustinus^p587-4: «Arbitror, ideo Spiritum sanctum bis datum, semel in terra et iterum de caelo, ut commendarentur nobis duo praecepta caritatis, scilicet Dei et proximi. Una est caritas et duo praecepta, unus Spiritus et duo data, quia alia caritas non diligit proximum, nisi illa quae diligit Deum. Qua ergo caritate proximum diligimus, ipsa Deum diligimus. Sed quia aliud est Deus, aliud est proximus, etsi una caritate diliguntur»; ideo forte duo praecepta dicuntur, et alterum maius, et alterum minus; vel propter duos motus, qui in mente geruntur, dum Deus diligitur et proximus. Movetur enim mens ad diligendum Deum, movetur et ad diligendum proximum, et multo magis erga Deum quam erga proximum.

Cap. V. De modo diligendi.

Consequenter modum utriusque dilectionis advertamus. «Haec regula, ut ait Augustinus^p587-5, dilectionis divinitus constituta est», ut Deum propter se et toto corde, et proximum diligas sicut te ipsum, id est, ad quod et propter quod te ipsum diligere debes. In bono enim et propter Deum te ipsum diligere debes, in bono ergo diligendus est proximus, non in malo, et propter Deum; proximum vero omnem hominem oportet intelligi, quia nemo est, cum quo sit operandum male. Qui ergo amat homines, «vel quia iusti sunt, vel ut iusti sint, amare debet, hoc est in Deo vel propter Deum; sic enim et se ipsum amare debet, scilicet in Deo vel propter Deum, id est, quia iustus est, vel ut iustus sit. Qui enim aliter se diligit, iniuste se diligit, quia ad hoc se diligit, ut sit iniustus, ad hoc ergo, ut sit malus: non ergo iam se diligit. Qui enim diligit iniquitatem odit animam suam^p587-6».

Notula. «Sic condita est mens humana, ut nunquam sui non meminerit, nunquam se non intelligat, nunquam se non diligat. Sed quoniam qui odit aliquem nocere illi studet, non immerito et mens hominis, quando sibi nocet, odisse se dicitur. Nesciens enim sibi vult male, dum non putat sibi obesse quod vult; sed tamen male sibi vult, quando id vult, quod obsit sibi; unde illud scriptum est: Qui diligit iniquitatem odit animam suam. Qui ergo se diligere novit Deum diligit; qui vero non diligit Deum etiam se non diligit, quod ei naturaliter inditum est. Tamen non incongrue se odisse dicitur, cum id agit, quod sibi adversatur et se ipsum tanquam suus inimicus insequitur».

«Modus ergo diligendi praecipiendus est homini, id est, quomodo se diligat, ut prosit sibi. Quin autem se diligat et prodesse sibi velit, dubitare dementis est^p587-7». Modus autem praecipitur, cum ait: sicut te ipsum, ut proximum diligas, ad quod te ipsum. Si ergo te non propter te diligere debes, sed propter illum, ubi dilectionis tuae rectissimus finis est; non succenseat alius aliquis homo, si et ipsum propter Deum diligis. Huius dilectionis modum Veritas insinuat dicens: Mandatum novum do vobis, ut diligatis invicem, sicut dilexi vos, id est, ad quod dilexi vos, scilicet ut filii sitis et vitam habeatis.

Dilectionis autem Dei modus insinuatur, cum dicitur: «Ex toto corde, id est ex toto intellectu; ex tota anima, id est voluntate; ex tota mente, id est memoria^p588-1», «ut omnes cogitationes et omnem vitam et omnem intellectum in illum conferas, a quo habes ea quae confers». Haec dicens, «nullam partem vitae nostrae reliquit, quae vacare debeat, sed quidquid venerit in animum, illuc rapiatur, quo dilectionis impetus currit». Et diligere Deum propter se modus est diligendi Deum. Et sunt isti duo modi diligendi Deum, ut quibusdam placet.

Cap. VI. De impletione illius mandati: Diliges Deum ex toto corde.

Illud autem praeceptum non penitus impletur ab homine in hac mortali vita, sed ex parte, non ex toto, quia ex parte diligimus, sicut ex parte cognoscimus; in futuro autem implebitur ex toto. Unde Augustinus^p588-2: «Cum adhuc est aliquid carnalis concupiscentiae, non omni modo ex tota anima diligitur Deus. Caro tamen non dicitur concupiscere, nisi quia carnaliter anima concupiscit. Cum autem venerit quod perfectum est, ut destruatur quod ex parte est, id est, ut iam non ex parte sit, sed ex toto; caritas non auferetur, sed augebitur et implebitur. In qua plenitudine illud praeceptum caritatis implebitur: Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde etc. Tunc erit iustus sine peccato, quia nulla erit lex repugnans menti; tunc prorsus toto corde, tota anima, tota mente diliges Deum, quod est summum praeceptum».

«Sed cur praecipitur homini ista perfectio, cum in hac vita eam nemo habeat? Quia non recte curritur, si quo currendum est, nesciatur. Quomodo autem sciretur, si nullis praeceptis ostenderetur^p588-3»? — Ecce habes, cur illud praeceptum est, quod hic penitus impleri non potest; impletur tamen ex parte, scilicet secundum perfectionem viae. Alia est enim perfectio currentis, alia pervenientis. Facit hoc mandatum, ut cursor, qui Deum ante omnia et prae omnibus diligit, nec tamen omnino perficit.

Cap. VII. Quod alterum mandatum in altero est.

«Cum autem duo sint praecepta caritatis, pro utroque saepe unum ponitur, nec immerito^p588-4», «quia nec Deus sine proximo, nec proximus sine Deo diligi potest. Unde Apostolus omne mandatum Legis dicit instaurari, id est contineri et impleri, in hoc verbo: Diliges proximum tuum sicut te ipsum». «Et Christus dilectionem proximi specialius commemorat dicens: Mandatum novum do vobis, ut diligatis invicem, sicut dilexi vos; ubi illud maius mandatum dilectionis Dei videtur praetermissum. Sed bene intelligentibus utrumque invenitur in singulis, quia qui diligit Deum non potest eum contemnere, quem Deus praecepit diligi, et qui diligit proximum quid in eo diligit nisi Deum? Ipsa est dilectio ab omni mundana dilectione discreta, quam distinguens Dominus ait: Sicut dilexi vos. Quid enim nisi Deum dilexit in nobis, non quem habebamus, sed ut haberemus, sicut medicus aegros? Et quid in eis diligit nisi salutem, quam cupit revocare, non morbum, quem venit expellere? Sic et nos invicem diligamus, ut, quantum possumus, invicem ad habendum Deum in nobis ex dilectione attrahamus».

Cap. VIII. Quae caritate diligenda sint.

Sed quae hac dilectione diligenda sint, iam inquiramus. «Non enim omnia, ut ait Augustinus^p588-5, quibus utendum est, diligenda sunt, sed ea sola, quae vel nobiscum societate quadam referuntur in Deum, sicut est homo vel Angelus, vel ad nos relata beneficio Dei per nos indigent, ut corpus», «quod ita praecipiendum est diligi, ut ei ordinate prudenterque consulatur».

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Cap. I. On the charity of God and neighbor, which is both in Christ and in us.

But although Christ had not faith and hope, yet he had so great a love, in so far as he was man, than which none can be greater; who out of exceeding charity laid down his life for friends and enemies^p586-1. For he had charity in his heart, which he showed forth to us by deed, that by the form of the showing-forth he might instruct us to love. — Here something must be said concerning charity and the manner and order of loving God and neighbor.

Cap. II. What charity is.

Charity is the love by which God is loved for his own sake and neighbor for the sake of God or in God^p587-1. This has two commandments, one pertaining to the love of God, which is the greatest commandment in the Law, and the other pertaining to the loving of neighbor, like to it. The first is: Thou shalt love God with thy whole heart, with thy whole mind, and with thy whole soul, which is written in Deuteronomy^p587-2. The second is: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments dependeth the whole Law and the Prophets. For the end of the commandment is love; and that twofold, that is, of God and of neighbor.

Cap. III. Whether God and neighbor are loved by the same charity.

Here it is asked whether God is loved by that very love by which neighbor is loved, or whether the love of God is one and the love of neighbor another. — The love is plainly the same by which God and neighbor are loved; which is the Holy Spirit, as was said above^p587-3, because God is charity. Hence Augustine: «John saith: He cannot love God, whom he seeth not, who loveth not his brother, whom he seeth. But if he were to love with spiritual charity the one whom he sees by human sight, he would see God, who is charity itself, with that interior sight by which he can be seen. He therefore who loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, who is the love which he lacks who loveth not his brother? For by one and the same charity we love God and neighbor, but God for the sake of God, and ourselves indeed and our neighbor for the sake of God».

Cap. IV. Why two commandments of charity are spoken of.

But if the charity of God and of neighbor is one and the same, why is it called twofold? On account of the two things loved, that is, God and neighbor. For although the charity be one, yet two diverse things are loved by it, namely God and man or Angel. For which reason also there are two commandments, since, although the same charity is commended in both, yet diverse things are commanded to be loved. Hence Augustine^p587-4: «I think the Holy Spirit was for this reason given twice, once on earth and again from heaven, that the two commandments of charity might be commended to us, namely of God and of neighbor. There is one charity and two commandments, one Spirit and two gifts, because no other charity loves neighbor save that which loves God. By whatever charity therefore we love neighbor, by that same we love God. But because God is one thing and neighbor another, even though they are loved by one charity»; therefore perhaps two commandments are spoken of, the one greater and the other lesser; or on account of the two motions which are stirred in the mind, while God is loved and neighbor. For the mind is moved to love God, and is moved also to love neighbor, and much more toward God than toward neighbor.

Cap. V. On the manner of loving.

Next let us consider the manner of each love. «This rule of love, as Augustine says^p587-5, is divinely appointed», namely that thou love God for his own sake and with thy whole heart, and neighbor as thyself, that is, unto that and for the sake of which thou oughtest to love thyself. For thou oughtest to love thyself in good and for the sake of God; in good therefore is neighbor to be loved, not in evil, and for the sake of God; but by neighbor every man must be understood, since there is no one with whom one ought to act wickedly. He therefore who loves men «ought to love them either because they are just, or that they may be just, that is, in God or for the sake of God; for so also ought one to love himself, namely in God or for the sake of God, that is, because he is just, or that he may be just. For he who loves himself otherwise, loves himself unjustly, because he loves himself unto this, that he be unjust, therefore unto this, that he be evil: he no longer therefore loves himself. For he who loveth iniquity hateth his own soul^p587-6».

A little note. «So is the human mind constituted, that it never fails to remember itself, never fails to understand itself, never fails to love itself. But since he who hates someone is eager to harm him, not without reason is the mind of man, when it harms itself, said to hate itself. For unknowingly it wishes itself evil, while it does not think that what it wills harms it; yet nevertheless it wishes itself evil, when it wills that which harms it; whence it is written: He who loveth iniquity hateth his own soul. He therefore who knows how to love himself loves God; but he who loves not God also loves not himself, which was naturally implanted in him. Yet not incongruously is he said to hate himself, when he does that which is opposed to him and pursues himself as his own enemy».

«The manner therefore of loving must be commanded to man, that is, how he should love himself, so as to profit himself. But that he loves himself and wills to profit himself, to doubt is the part of a madman^p587-7». But the manner is commanded when he says: as thyself, that thou love neighbor, unto that to which thou lovest thyself. If therefore thou oughtest to love thyself not for thy own sake but for the sake of him in whom is the most upright end of thy love; let no other man be displeased, if thou love him too for the sake of God. This manner of love the Truth intimates, saying: A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that is, unto that to which I have loved you, namely that ye be sons and have life.

But the manner of the love of God is intimated, when it is said: «With thy whole heart, that is with thy whole intellect; with thy whole soul, that is the will; with thy whole mind, that is the memory^p588-1», «that thou bring together all thy thoughts and all thy life and all thy understanding upon him from whom thou hast the things which thou bringest». In saying this, «he left no part of our life which ought to be void, but whatever shall have come into the mind, let it be caught up thither, whither the impulse of love runs». And to love God for his own sake is the manner of loving God. And these are the two manners of loving God, as it pleases some.

Cap. VI. On the fulfilment of that commandment: Thou shalt love God with thy whole heart.

But that commandment is not wholly fulfilled by man in this mortal life, but in part, not in whole, because we love in part, as we know in part; in the future, however, it will be fulfilled in whole. Hence Augustine^p588-2: «While there is still something of carnal concupiscence, God is not loved in every way with the whole soul. Yet the flesh is not said to lust, save because the soul lusts carnally. But when that which is perfect shall have come, that that which is in part may be destroyed, that is, that it may now not be in part, but in whole; charity will not be taken away, but will be increased and fulfilled. In which fulness that commandment of charity will be fulfilled: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart etc. Then will he be just without sin, because there will be no law repugnant to the mind; then wholly with the whole heart, whole soul, whole mind shalt thou love God, which is the highest commandment».

«But why is this perfection commanded to man, since in this life no one has it? Because one does not run rightly, if it be not known whither one must run. And how would it be known, if it were shown by no commandments^p588-3»? — Behold thou hast why that is commanded, which here cannot be wholly fulfilled; it is fulfilled, however, in part, namely according to the perfection of the way. For there is one perfection of the runner, another of the one who arrives. This commandment brings it about, that the runner, who loves God before all things and above all things, yet does not wholly perfect it.

Cap. VII. That the one commandment is in the other.

«But since there are two commandments of charity, for both there is often put one, and not without reason^p588-4», «because neither can God be loved without neighbor, nor neighbor without God. Hence the Apostle says that every commandment of the Law is restored, that is contained and fulfilled, in this word: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself». «And Christ commemorates more specially the love of neighbor, saying: A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you; where that greater commandment of the love of God seems to be passed over. But to those who understand well, both are found in each, because he who loves God cannot despise him whom God has commanded to be loved, and he who loves neighbor — what does he love in him save God? This is the love set apart from every worldly love, which the Lord distinguishing says: As I have loved you. For what did he love in us save God, not the one we were, but that we might be, as a physician loves the sick? And what does he love in them save the health which he desires to recall, not the disease which he came to expel? So let us also love one another, that, as much as we can, we may draw one another by love unto having God in us».

Cap. VIII. What things are to be loved with charity.

But let us now inquire what things are to be loved with this love. «For not all things, as Augustine says^p588-5, which are to be used, are to be loved, but only those which either are referred to God together with us by a certain fellowship, as is man or Angel, or, being related to us by the kindness of God, have need through us, as the body», «which is to be commanded to be loved in such a way that it be provided for in an ordered and prudent manner».

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