Bonaventure

DISTINCTIO XXIX.

Cap. I. De ordine diligendi, quid prius, quid posterius.

Post praedicta de ordine caritatis agendum est, quia dicit sponsa^p635-1: Introduxit me rex in cellam vinariam et ordinavit in me caritatem. Videamus igitur ordinem, quid prius, quid posterius esse debeat. Peccat enim qui praepostere agit. Nam scire, quid facias, et nescire ordinem faciendi non est perfectae cognitionis. Ordinis namque ignorantia conturbat meritorum formam. Ordinem autem diligendi Augustinus^p635-2 insinuat dicens: «Ipse est qui ordinatam habet dilectionem, ne aut diligat quod non est diligendum, aut non diligat quod diligendum est, aut aeque diligat quod minus vel amplius diligendum est, aut minus vel amplius quod aeque diligendum est. Omnis peccator, in quantum peccator est, non est diligendus; et omnis homo, in quantum homo est, diligendus est propter Deum; Deus vero propter se ipsum. Et Deus omni homine amplius diligendus est; et amplius quisque Deum debet diligere quam se ipsum. Item, amplius alius homo diligendus est quam corpus nostrum, quia propter Deum omnia ista diligenda sunt, et potest nobiscum Deo perfrui, quod non potest corpus, quia corpus per animam vivit, qua fruimur Deo». — Audisti aliqua de ordine caritatis, ubi expressum est, nos amplius debere diligere Deum quam omnes homines, vel nos ipsos, et amplius animam alicuius hominis quam corpus nostrum. In enumeratione etiam quatuor diligendorum, superius^p635-3 posita, prius ponitur quod supra nos est; secundo, quod nos sumus; tertio, quod iuxta nos est; quarto, quod infra nos est. Ubi ordo diligendi insinuari videtur ex ratione enumerationis. Non est autem apertum, utrum omnes homines pariter debeamus diligere et tantum, quantum nos, vel minus.

Cap. II. An omnes homines pariter diligendi sunt.

Unde super hoc saepe movetur quaestio, quam perplexam faciunt Sanctorum verba varie prolata. — Quidam enim tradere videntur, quod pari affectu omnes diligendi sint; sed in effectu, id est in exhibitione obsequii, distinctio observanda sit. Unde Augustinus^p635-4: «Omnes homines aeque diligendi sunt. Sed cum omnibus prodesse non possis, his potissimum consulendum est, qui pro locorum et temporum vel quarumlibet rerum opportunitatibus constrictius tibi quasi quadam sorte iunguntur. Pro sorte enim habendum est, quo quisque tibi temporaliter colligatius adhaeret, ex quo eligis potius illi dandum esse». Idem super Epistolam ad Galatas^p635-5: Operemur bonum ad omnes, maxime autem ad domesticos fidei, id est ad Christianos: «Omnibus enim pari dilectione vita aeterna optanda est, etsi non omnibus eadem possunt exhiberi dilectionis officia, quae fratribus maxime sunt exhibenda, quia sunt invicem membra, qui habent eundem Patrem». — His aliisque testimoniis innituntur qui dicunt, omnes homines pariter diligendos esse caritatis affectu, sed in operis exhibitione differentiam faciunt^p635-6.

Quibus obviat illud praeceptum Legis^p636-7 de diligendis parentibus: Honora patrem tuum et matrem tuam, ut sis longaevus super terram. Ut quid enim specialiter illud praeciperetur de parentibus, nisi maiori dilectione forent diligendi? — Sed hoc illi referendum dicunt ad exteriorum^p636-8 exhibitionem, in qua praeponendi sunt parentes. Unde honora, dixit, non dilige. — Obviat etiam illis quod Hieronymus super Ezechielem^p636-9 ait, scilicet «ut ordine caritatis, sicut scriptum est: Ordinavit in me caritatem, post omnium patrem, Deum, carnis quoque pater diligatur et mater, filius

et filia, frater et soror». Ambrosius^p636-1 quoque, diligendi exprimens ordinem, super illud Canticorum: Ordinavit in me caritatem, capitulo secundo ait: «Multorum caritas inordinata est: quod in primo est ponunt tertium vel quartum. Primo Deus diligendus est, secundo parentes, inde filii, post domestici, qui si boni sunt, malis filiis praeponendi sunt. Secundum hoc in Evangelio ad cuiusque dilectionem proprium ponit: Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, et ex omnibus viribus tuis et proximum tuum sicut te ipsum, et inimicos non ex tota virtute, non sicut te ipsum, sed simpliciter. Sufficit enim, quod diligimus et non odio habemus». — Ecce^p636-2 ex praemissis aperte insinuatur, quae in affectu caritatis distinctio sit habenda, ut differenti affectu, non pari, homines diligamus, et ante omnia Deum, secundo nos ipsos, tertio parentes, inde filios et fratres, post domesticos, demum inimicos diligamus.

Sed inquiunt illi, quae de ordine dilectionis supra dicuntur esse referenda ad operum exhibitionem, quae differenter proximis exhibenda sunt: primo parentibus, inde filiis, post domesticis, demum inimicis, Deum vero tam affectu quam obsequii exhibitione ante omnia diligendum. — Quorum etiam nonnulli tradunt, affectu caritatis tantum proximos esse diligendos, quantum nos ipsos diligimus. Quod confirmant auctoritate Augustini^p636-3, qui ait: «Nec illa iam quaestio moveat, quantum caritatis fratri debeamus impendere, quantum Deo. Incomparabiliter plus Deo quam nobis; fratri vero, quantum nobis. Nos autem tanto magis diligimus, quanto magis diligimus Deum». — Ex hoc et praemissis testimoniis Augustini asserunt, omnes homines pariter diligendos a nobis et tantum, quantum nos, Deum autem plus quam nos, corpus vero nostrum minus quam nos, vel proximos. Nec in enumeratione praemissa quatuor diligendorum ordinem diligendi assignari dicunt, sed tantum quae sunt diligenda.

Verum quia praemissa verba Ambrosii ordinem diligendi secundum affectum magis quam secundum effectum diligenter intuentibus explicare videntur, non indocte alii dicunt, non modo in exhibitione operis, sed etiam in affectu caritatis ordinem differentem esse statutum, ut ante omnia diligamus Deum, secundo nos, tertio parentes, quarto filios vel fratres et huiusmodi, postea domesticos, demum inimicos. Quod vero Augustinus dicit, pariter omnes esse diligendos, et pari dilectione omnibus vitam optandam, ita accipi potest, ut paritas non ad affectum^p636-4 referatur, sed ad bonum, quod eis optatur, quia caritatem omnibus optare debemus, ut paria bona mereantur; sicut Apostolus dicit: Volo, omnes vos esse sicut me. Optanda est enim minoribus perfectio maiorum, ut ipsi fiant perfecti et sic parem mereantur beatitudinem; vel pari dilectione, id est eadem dilectione, omnes diligendi sunt. Item, quod ait: Ut tantum diligamus fratres, quantum nos, ita intelligi potest, id est ad tantum bonum diligamus fratres, ad quantum nos, ut tantum bonum eis optemus in aeternitate, quantum nobis, etsi non tanto affectu; vel ibi quantum similitudinis est, non quantitatis.

Solet etiam quaeri: si parentes nostri mali sunt, vel filii, vel fratres, an magis vel minus diligendi sint aliis bonis, hac ratione nobis non copulatis. — Videtur, quod magis sint diligendi boni, qui nobis carne non sunt coniuncti, quam mali carne coniuncti; quia nobis sunt coniuncti corde glutino caritatis. Sanctior est enim copula cordium quam corporum. Unde Beda^p636-5 de illis verbis Domini: Mater mea et fratres mei hi sunt, qui verbum Dei faciunt; ait: «Non iniuriose negligit matrem, nec mater negatur, quae etiam de cruce agnoscitur, sed religiosiores monstrantur copulae mentium quam corporum». — Verumtamen latebrosa quaestio est haec nec a nobis plene absolvenda, properantibus ad alia. Movemur enim super verbis illis^p636-6: «Inimicos non ex tota virtute, non sicut te ipsum iubet diligere, sed simpliciter. Sufficit enim, quod diligimus et non odio habemus». Quod non ita accipiendum est, quasi sufficiat tibi diligere inimicum et non sicut te ipsum, quia omnes, amicos et inimicos sicut te ipsum diligere debes. Sed ad ostendendum gradus diligendi Deum et proximum et inimicum, qui tamen proximus est, propria Dominus ponit, cum ait^p636-7b: Diliges Deum ex tota virtute et proximum sicut te ipsum, non ait, ex tota virtute, ut ostendat, proximum diligendum minus quam Deum. Dicit etiam: Diligite inimicos, nec addit ex tota virtute nec sicut te ipsum, sed simpliciter. Sufficit enim, quod diligimus et non odio habemus, id est, sufficit dicere, ut diligamus et non odio habeamus, non quin eos diligere debeamus sicut nos, quia proximi sunt; sed sufficit, si eos minus diligimus quam alios proximos; quod dilectionis genus^p636-8b innuit.

Quaeri etiam solet, «cur Dominus praeceperit diligere inimicos, cum alibi praecipiat odio habere parentes et filios^p636-9b». — Ad quod dicendum est, duo esse diligenda in homine: naturam et virtutem, vitium vero et peccatum odiendum. Et parentes ergo, in quantum mali sunt, odiendi sunt, et inimici diligendi, in quantum homines. Diligamus ergo inimicos lucrandos regno Dei, et odiamus in propinquis^p636-10, si impediunt a regno Dei, et in omnibus communiter naturam diligamus, quam Deus fecit.

Cap. III. De gradibus caritatis.

Sciendum quoque est, diversos esse gradus caritatis. Est enim caritas incipiens, proficiens, perfecta, perfectissima. Unde Augustinus^p637-1: «Perfecta caritas haec est, ut quis paratus sit pro fratribus etiam mori. Sed numquid mox, ut nascitur, iam prorsus perfecta est? Immo ut perficiatur, nascitur; cum fuerit nata, nutritur; cum fuerit nutrita, roboratur; cum fuerit roborata, perficitur; cum ad perfectionem venerit, dicit: Cupio dissolvi» etc. — Hic aperte progressus et perfectio caritatis insinuatur, quam perfectionem etiam Veritas commendat dicens: Maiorem hac dilectionem nemo habet, quam ut animam suam ponat quis pro amicis suis. Quod utique dictum est de opere dilectionis, quia maior dilectionis effectus non est quam ponere animam pro aliis. Nec te moveat quod ait pro amicis; qui enim ponit animam pro amicis, ponit et pro inimicis, ad hoc ut ipsi^p637-2 fiant amici.

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Cap. I. On the order of loving, what is prior, what posterior.

After the foregoing the order of charity is to be treated, for the bride says^p635-1: The king brought me into the wine-cellar and set charity in order in me. Let us therefore see the order, what ought to be prior, what posterior. For he sins who acts in a preposterous order. For to know what thou doest and not to know the order of doing is not of perfect knowledge. For ignorance of order disturbs the form of merits. And Augustine^p635-2 intimates the order of loving, saying: «He is the one who has love set in order, that he neither love what is not to be loved, nor not love what is to be loved, nor love equally what is to be loved less or more, nor love less or more what is to be loved equally. Every sinner, in so far as he is a sinner, is not to be loved; and every man, in so far as he is man, is to be loved for the sake of God; but God for his own sake. And God is to be loved more than every man; and each one ought to love God more than himself. Likewise, another man is to be loved more than our body, because for the sake of God all these are to be loved, and he can enjoy God together with us, which the body cannot, because the body lives by the soul, by which we enjoy God». — Thou hast heard some things concerning the order of charity, where it was expressed that we ought to love God more than all men, or than ourselves, and the soul of any man more than our body. In the enumeration also of the four things to be loved, set down above^p635-3, that which is above us is placed first; secondly, that which we are; thirdly, that which is beside us; fourthly, that which is beneath us. Where the order of loving seems to be intimated by the rationale of the enumeration. But it is not clear whether we ought to love all men equally and as much as ourselves, or less.

Cap. II. Whether all men are to be loved equally.

Whence concerning this a question is often raised, which the words of the Saints, variously brought forward, make perplexing. — For some seem to hand down that all are to be loved with equal affection; but in effect, that is in the showing of service, a distinction is to be observed. Whence Augustine^p635-4: «All men are to be loved equally. But since thou canst not be of profit to all, those especially are to be cared for who, by occasions of places and times or of any things whatever, are more closely bound to thee as by a certain lot. For that is to be held as a lot whereby anyone temporally cleaves more closely to thee, from which thou choosest that it be given rather to him». The same on the Epistle to the Galatians^p635-5: Let us work good toward all, but most of all toward those of the household of faith, that is, toward Christians: «For to all eternal life is to be wished with equal love, even if the same offices of love cannot be shown to all, which are to be shown most of all to the brethren, because they are members one of another, who have the same Father». — On these and other testimonies they rely who say that all men are to be loved equally by the affection of charity, but in the showing of work they make a difference^p635-6.

Against them stands that precept of the Law^p636-7 concerning the loving of parents: Honor thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest be long-lived upon the earth. For to what end would that be specially commanded concerning parents, unless they were to be loved with a greater love? — But they say this is to be referred to the showing of outward things^p636-8, in which parents are to be set first. Whence he said honor, not love. — There stands against them also what Jerome on Ezekiel^p636-9 says, namely «that by the order of charity, as it is written: He set charity in order in me, after the Father of all, God, the father of the flesh also be loved and the mother, the son

and the daughter, brother and sister». Ambrose^p636-1 also, expressing the order of loving, on that text of the Canticle: He set charity in order in me, in the second chapter says: «The charity of many is disordered: what is in the first place they put third or fourth. First God is to be loved, secondly parents, then children, after them members of the household, who if they are good are to be set before bad children. According to this in the Gospel he sets down for the love of each one its proper measure: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself, and enemies not with the whole power, not as thyself, but simply. For it suffices that we love and do not hold in hatred». — Behold^p636-2, from the foregoing it is plainly intimated what distinction is to be had in the affection of charity, that with differing affection, not equal, we love men, and before all things God, secondly ourselves, thirdly parents, then children and brothers, after them members of the household, lastly enemies.

But those others say that what is said above concerning the order of love is to be referred to the showing of works, which are to be shown differently to neighbors: first to parents, then to children, after them to the household, lastly to enemies, but God is to be loved before all things both in affection and in the showing of service. — Of whom some also hand down that by the affection of charity neighbors are to be loved only as much as we love ourselves. Which they confirm by the authority of Augustine^p636-3, who says: «Let not that question now be moved, how much of charity we ought to bestow on a brother, how much on God. Incomparably more on God than on ourselves; but on a brother, as much as on ourselves. But we love ourselves so much the more, the more we love God». — From this and the foregoing testimonies of Augustine they assert that all men are to be loved equally by us and as much as ourselves, but God more than ourselves, and our body less than ourselves, or than neighbors. Nor in the foregoing enumeration of the four things to be loved do they say that an order of loving is assigned, but only what things are to be loved.

But because the foregoing words of Ambrose seem to set forth the order of loving according to affection rather than according to effect to those who attend diligently, others not unlearnedly say that not only in the showing of work, but also in the affection of charity a differing order has been established, that before all things we love God, secondly ourselves, thirdly parents, fourthly children or brothers and the like, afterward members of the household, lastly enemies. But as for what Augustine says, that all are to be loved equally, and that life is to be wished to all with equal love, it can be so understood, that the equality be referred not to affection^p636-4, but to the good which is wished them, because we ought to wish charity to all, that they may merit equal goods; as the Apostle says: I wish all of you to be as I am. For the perfection of the greater is to be wished for the lesser, that they may become perfect and so merit equal blessedness; or with equal love, that is with the same love, all are to be loved. Likewise, as to what he says: That we love brothers as much as ourselves, it can be so understood, that is, let us love brothers unto so great a good as ourselves, so that we wish them so great a good in eternity as to ourselves, even if not with so great an affection; or there the as much is of likeness, not of quantity.

It is also wont to be asked: if our parents are bad, or children, or brothers, whether they are to be loved more or less than other good men not joined to us by this bond. — It seems that the good who are not joined to us in the flesh are to be loved more than the bad joined to us in the flesh; because to us they are joined in heart by the glue of charity. For the bond of hearts is holier than that of bodies. Whence Bede^p636-5 on those words of the Lord: My mother and my brethren are they who do the word of God; says: «He does not injuriously neglect his mother, nor is the mother denied, who is even acknowledged from the cross, but bonds of minds are shown to be more religious than those of bodies». — Yet this is a hidden question and not to be fully settled by us, hastening to other matters. For we are moved by those words^p636-6: «He bids enemies to be loved not with the whole power, not as thyself, but simply. For it suffices that we love and do not hold in hatred». Which is not so to be taken as if it sufficed thee to love an enemy and not as thyself, since all, friends and enemies, thou oughtest to love as thyself. But to show the degrees of loving God and neighbor and enemy, who is nonetheless a neighbor, the Lord sets down their proper measures, when he says^p636-7b: Thou shalt love God with the whole power and the neighbor as thyself, he does not say with the whole power, to show that the neighbor is to be loved less than God. He says also: Love enemies, and he adds neither with the whole power nor as thyself, but simply. For it suffices that we love and do not hold in hatred, that is, it suffices to say that we love and do not hold in hatred, not but that we ought to love them as ourselves, because they are neighbors; but it suffices if we love them less than other neighbors; which kind^p636-8b of love he intimates.

It is also wont to be asked, «why the Lord commanded enemies to be loved, since elsewhere he commands parents and children to be held in hatred^p636-9b». — To which it must be said that two things are to be loved in man: nature and virtue, but vice and sin are to be held in hatred. And therefore parents, in so far as they are bad, are to be held in hatred, and enemies to be loved, in so far as they are men. Let us therefore love enemies as to be won for the kingdom of God, and let us hate in kinsfolk^p636-10, if they hinder from the kingdom of God, and in all things let us love in common the nature which God made.

Cap. III. On the degrees of charity.

It is also to be known that there are diverse degrees of charity. For there is charity beginning, advancing, perfect, most perfect. Whence Augustine^p637-1: «This is perfect charity, that one be ready to die even for the brethren. But is it at once, as soon as it is born, already wholly perfect? Nay rather, it is born that it may be perfected; when it has been born, it is nourished; when it has been nourished, it is strengthened; when it has been strengthened, it is perfected; when it has come to perfection, it says: I desire to be dissolved» etc. — Here the progress and perfection of charity is plainly intimated, which perfection Truth also commends, saying: Greater love hath no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. Which indeed was said of the work of love, because there is no greater effect of love than to lay down one's life for others. Nor let it move thee that he says for friends; for he who lays down his life for friends lays it down also for enemies, to the end that they themselves^p637-2 may become friends.

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