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Dist. 30

Book III: On the Incarnation of the Word · Distinction 30

Textus Latinus
p. 655

DISTINCTIO XXX.

Cap. unicum. Si melius sit diligere inimicos quam amicos.

Hic solet quaeri, quid potius sit plurisque meriti, diligere amicos, an diligere inimicos. Sed haec comparatio implicita est. Si enim conferatur dilectio amicorum tantum dilectioni amicorum et etiam inimicorum, perspicua est absolutio. Sed si in aliquo uno homine, qui diligit simul amicum et inimicum, quid horum potius sit, quaeratur; obscura est responsio, quia de motu mentis agitur, de quo non est nobis facile iudicium, an unus et idem motus sit erga amicum et inimicum, sed erga amicum intensior; an duo, unus erga inimicum, qui dicitur difficilior, alter erga amicum, qui videtur ferventior. Nec incongrue putatur melior qui est ferventior; vel si unus idemque est, idemp655-1 potior, ubi est ardentior, non improbe aestimatur. — Augustinus tamen sentire videtur, maius esse diligere inimicum quam amicum; quip655-2 perfectorum esse dicit diligere inimicos et benefacere eis; neque hoc a tanta multitudine impleri, quanta exauditur in oratione dominica, cum dicitur: Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Illam enim sponsionem dicit a multis impleri, qui nondum diligunt inimicos. Ait enim sicp655-3: «Magnum est erga eum qui tibi nihil mali fecerit, esse benevolum et beneficum; illud multo grandius et magnificentissimae bonitatis est, ut tuum quoque inimicum diligas, et ei qui tibi malum vult et, si potest, facit, tu semper bonum velis faciasque quod possis, audiens dicentem Iesum: Diligite inimicos vestros, et benefacite his qui oderunt vos, et orate pro persequentibus et calumniantibus vos. Sed quoniam perfectorum filiorum Dei est istud, quo quidem se debet omnis fidelis extendere et humanum animum ad hunc affectump655-4, orando Deum secumque agendo luctandoque, perducere; tamen, quia hoc tam magnum bonum tantae multitudinis non est, quantam credimus exaudiri, cum in oratione dicitur: Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris, procul dubio verba sponsionis huius implentur, si homo, qui nondum ita profecit, ut etiam diligat inimicum, tamen, quando rogatur ab homine, qui peccavit in eum, ut ei dimittat, dimittit ex corde; qui etiam sibi roganti vult dimitti, cum orat et dicit: sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris». «Quicumque vero rogat hominem, in quem peccavit, si peccato suo movetur, ut roget, non est adhuc deputandus inimicus, ut eum diligere sit difficile, sicut erat, quando inimicitias exercebat. Quisquis vero roganti et poenitenti non dimittit, non existimetp655-5 a Domino sua peccata dimitti; quia mentiri Veritas non potest, quae, cum docuisset orationem, hanc in ea positam sententiam commendavit dicens: Si dimiseritis hominibus peccata eorum, dimittet et vobis Pater vester. Si vero non dimiseritis, nec Pater vester dimittet vobis peccata vestra». — Ecce hinc haberi videtur, quod et praetaxavimus, scilicet maioris virtutis esse diligere inimicum et benefacere ei, quam illum qui nihil mali nobis fecit, vel amicum. — Quod si quis simpliciter concedere noluerit dicens: intensius diligitur amicus quam inimicus, et ideo illudp655-6 potius isto; determinet ista secundum praemissam intelligentiam dicens, ibi comparationem esse factam inter dilectionem, qua diligitur tantum amicus, et illam qua amicus et inimicus diligitur. — Illud vero, quod sequitur, magis nos movet, quod scilicet dicit, non esse tantae multitudinis diligere inimicos, quanta exauditur, cum dicitur: Dimitte nobis etc; tibi daturp655-7 intelligi, quod alicui a Deo dimittuntur peccata non diligenti inimicum, si tamen fratri roganti, qui in se peccavit, dimittit. Sed cum peccata non dimittantur alicui adulto, nisi caritatem habeat; sequitur, ut caritatem habeat qui non diligit inimicum. Quomodo ergo nomine proximi omnis homo intelligitur in illo mandatop655-8: Diliges proximum tuum sicut te ipsum? Si enim omnis homo proximus est, tunc et inimicus: praecipimur ergo et inimicos diligere. Et quia illud praeceptum generale est, omnibus praecipitur omnes homines diligere, etiam inimicos. — Quidam quod hic dicitur simpliciter tenere volentes, illud praeceptum determinant dicentes, illic perfectis dari in praeceptum diligere omnem hominem, etiam inimicum; minoribus vero in consilium, in praeceptum vero eos diligere, qui nihil mali fecerunt eis, et inimicos non odire. — Sed melius est, ut intelligatur, omnibus illo mandato praecipi cunctos diligere, etiam inimicos; cui sensui attestantur superius positae auctoritates et aliae multae. Illud vero Augustini novissime positum, de perfecta caritate dictum intelligitur, quae tantum perfectorum est, qui non solum amicos, sed etiam inimicos perfecte diligunt eisque benefaciunt; quae perfectio dilectionis non est tantae multitudinis, quanta exauditur in oratione dominica. Et hoc re vera grande est et eximiae bonitatis, scilicet perfecte diligere inimicum; ita et, cum dicitp655-9: «impleri verba illius sponsionis ab homine, qui non ita profecit, ut diligat inimicum»; de dilectione perfecta accipiendum est.

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English Translation

DISTINCTION XXX.

Sole chapter. Whether it is better to love enemies than friends.

Here it is wont to be asked which is the more excellent and of greater merit: to love friends, or to love enemies. But this comparison is ambiguous. For if the love of friends only is compared with the love both of friends and of enemies, the resolution is plain. But if the question is which of these is the more excellent in some one man, who loves at once a friend and an enemy, the answer is obscure, because the matter concerns a motion of the mind, about which judgment is not easy for us — whether it is one and the same motion toward friend and enemy, but more intense toward the friend; or whether they are two motions, one toward the enemy, which is called more difficult, the other toward the friend, which seems more fervent. And it is not unfitting that the one which is more fervent be reckoned the better; or, if it is one and the same, that the samep655-1 be esteemed — not improperly — the more excellent where it is more ardent. — Augustine, however, seems to hold that it is greater to love an enemy than a friend; for hep655-2 says that to love enemies and to do good to them belongs to the perfect, and that this is not fulfilled by so great a multitude as is heard in the Lord's Prayer, when it is said: Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. For he says that that promise is fulfilled by many who do not yet love their enemies. For he speaks thusp655-3: «It is a great thing to be benevolent and beneficent toward one who has done you no harm; it is something far greater and of most magnificent goodness, that you should love even your enemy, and that toward him who wishes you evil and, if he can, does it, you should always will good and do what you can, hearing Jesus who says: Love your enemies, and do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute and slander you. But since this belongs to the perfect sons of God — to which indeed every faithful soul ought to extend itself and to bring the human spirit to this dispositionp655-4, by praying to God and by striving and wrestling with itself — yet, because this so great good is not of so great a multitude as we believe is heard when it is said in the prayer: Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors, without doubt the words of this promise are fulfilled if a man, who has not yet so advanced as even to love an enemy, nevertheless, when he is asked by the man who has sinned against him to forgive him, forgives from the heart; and who also wishes to be forgiven when he himself asks, when he prays and says: as we also forgive our debtors». «But whoever asks the man against whom he has sinned, if he is moved by his own sin to ask, is not to be reckoned still an enemy, so that to love him should be difficult, as it was when he was carrying on enmities. But whoever does not forgive one who asks and repents, let him not supposep655-5 that his own sins are forgiven by the Lord; because the Truth cannot lie, who, when he had taught the prayer, commended this sentence set within it, saying: If you forgive men their sins, your Father also will forgive you. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father forgive you your sins». — Behold, from this it seems to be gathered, what we also noted beforehand, namely that it is of greater virtue to love an enemy and to do good to him than to love one who has done us no harm, or a friend. — But if anyone is unwilling to concede this simply, saying: a friend is loved more intensely than an enemy, and therefore thatp655-6 is to be preferred to this; let him determine these things according to the aforesaid understanding, saying that there the comparison was made between the love by which only a friend is loved, and that by which both friend and enemy are loved. — But that which follows moves us more, namely that he says that to love enemies is not of so great a multitude as is heard, when it is said: Forgive us etc.; you are givenp655-7 to understand that sins are forgiven by God to someone who does not love his enemy, provided nevertheless that he forgives a brother who asks, who has sinned against him. But since sins are not forgiven to any adult unless he have charity; it follows that he has charity who does not love his enemy. How then is every man understood under the name of neighbor in that commandmentp655-8: You shall love your neighbor as yourself? For if every man is a neighbor, then also an enemy: we are therefore commanded to love even enemies. And because that precept is general, it is commanded to all to love all men, even enemies. — Some, wishing to hold simply what is here said, determine that precept, saying that there it is given to the perfect as a precept to love every man, even an enemy; but to the lesser it is given as a counsel, while as a precept it is given to them to love those who have done them no harm, and not to hate enemies. — But it is better that it be understood that by that commandment all are commanded to love all, even enemies; to which sense the authorities set down above and many others bear witness. But that statement of Augustine set down last is understood as spoken of perfect charity, which belongs only to the perfect, who love perfectly and do good not only to friends but even to enemies; and this perfection of love is not of so great a multitude as is heard in the Lord's Prayer. And this is truly a great thing and of exceeding goodness, namely to love an enemy perfectly; and so too, when he saysp655-9: «that the words of that promise are fulfilled by a man who has not so advanced as to love an enemy»; it is to be taken of perfect love.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. Codd. BCDE edd. 1, 6, 8 inde, sicut etiam Erf., qui addit: alii ibi, quod etiam in nostra lectione supplendum est. Paulo superius post melior codd. CD adiciunt ille.
    Codices BCDE and editions 1, 6, 8 read inde (thence), as does the Erfurt codex, which adds: others read ibi (there), which is also to be supplied in our reading. A little above, after melior (better), codices CD add ille (that one).
  2. Vat. et edd. 4, 6, 8 quia, refragantibus etiam codd. — Locus Scripturae est Matth. 6, 12.
    The Vatican edition and editions 4, 6, 8 read quia (because), with the codices also opposing. — The scriptural passage is Matthew 6:12.
  3. August., Enchirid. c. 73, n. 19. — Loci Scripturae sunt Matth. 5, 44; Luc. 6, 27. — Vat. cum originali incipit sic: Minus magnum etc. — Seq. locus ibid. c. 74.
    Augustine, Enchiridion c. 73, n. 19. — The scriptural passages are Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27. — The Vatican edition, with the original, begins thus: Minus magnum (a lesser great thing) etc. — The following passage is in the same place, c. 74.
  4. Codd. ACE cum edd. 1, 2, 3, 7 effectum, refragante etiam originali.
    Codices ACE with editions 1, 2, 3, 7 read effectum (effect), with the original also opposing.
  5. Ita originale, codd. CE et Vat. cum ed. 4, in aliis aestimet. — Locus Scripturae est Matth. 6, 14, 15. — Pro dimittet et vobis Pater vester cod. D et edd. 1, 8 dimittentur et vobis peccata vestra, refragante etiam originali.
    Thus the original, codices CE, and the Vatican edition with edition 4; in others aestimet. — The scriptural passage is Matthew 6:14–15. — For dimittet et vobis Pater vester (your Father also will forgive you) codex D and editions 1, 8 read dimittentur et vobis peccata vestra (your sins also will be forgiven you), with the original also opposing.
  6. Supple: est, scil. diligere amicum.
    Supply: «is» — namely, to love a friend.
  7. Ita edd. 1, 8; in aliis dat. Inferius pro dimittit, edd. 1, 8 dimittit.
    Thus editions 1, 8; in others dat (he gives). Below, for dimittit (he forgives), editions 1, 8 read dimittit.
  8. Matth. 22, 37.
    Matthew 22:37.
  9. Scil. Augustinus, loco supra nota 3 cit.
    Namely Augustine, in the place cited above at note 3. ---
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