Dist. 28
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/3/d/28/q/bon-sent-III-d28-littera
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### Cap. I. *Whether we are commanded to love the whole neighbor and our whole selves.*

Here it can be asked whether by that commandment of the love of neighbor we are commanded to love the whole neighbor, that is, soul and body, and our whole selves. — To which we say that every kind of things to be loved is contained in those two commandments. «For four things are to be loved, as Augustine says: one, which is above us, namely God; another, which we ourselves are; a third, which is beside us, namely neighbor; a fourth, which is beneath us, namely the body. Concerning the second and the fourth no commandments were to be given», namely that we should love ourselves, or our body; but God is commanded to be loved, and neighbor. «But that each one should love himself, there is no need of a commandment». «For however much a man may fall away from the truth, there remains to him the love of himself and the love of his own body, because *no one ever hated his own flesh*. For just men, who torment their own body, hate not the body, but its corruptions and burden». — Here Augustine seems to teach that by the commandment we are not bound to love ourselves, or our body. But if this is so, not every kind of things to be loved is contained in those two precepts: for, since we ought to love both ourselves and our body, to what end is the precept necessary, since it is written: *He who loveth iniquity hateth his own soul?* But a special precept concerning this was not to be given, nor was there need of a special precept that this be handed down, that each one should love himself or his own body, because this is contained in that precept: *Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.* For there thou oughtest to understand both the whole neighbor and thy whole self. Hence Augustine in the same place: «If thou understand thy whole self, that is soul and body, and the whole neighbor, that is soul and body — for man consists of soul and body — no kind of things to be loved is passed over in these two precepts. For since the love of God runs before, and the manner of that love appears prescribed, and the love of neighbor follows; concerning thy own love nothing seems to have been said. But when it was said: *Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,* at the same time the love of thyself by thee was not passed over». — Behold, here he plainly says that in that precept not only the love of neighbor, but also of myself is contained, and of the whole neighbor and of my whole self. — From which it appears that what was said concerning the second and

the fourth — that is, concerning the love of ourselves and of our body — that no precepts were to be given, is so to be understood, namely special and divided precepts, because in that one all is contained, «and because that which we are, and that which is beneath us, yet pertaining to us, we love by the law of nature, which is even in beasts. And therefore concerning that which is above us, and concerning that which is beside us, we have taken divided precepts»; in the other of which the love of that which we are, and of that which is beneath us, is contained.

### Cap. II. *That in the love of neighbor is included the love of Angels.*

«But a question arises here concerning Angels, whether to that precept of the love of neighbor the love of Angels also pertains. For that he who commanded neighbor to be loved excepted no man, the Lord shows in the parable of the half-dead man left behind, calling him neighbor who was merciful toward him. Then he adds: *Go, and do thou likewise*»: as it is, the Lord saying: *Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you*». «It is manifest therefore that every man is to be reckoned neighbor». «But the name of neighbor is relative to something, nor can anyone be neighbor save to a neighbor». «Whence it follows that both he to whom the office of mercy is to be shown and he by whom it is to be shown are rightly called neighbor. It is manifest therefore that by the precept of the love of neighbor the holy Angels also are contained, by whom so great offices of mercy are bestowed upon us. From which the Lord also willed to be called our neighbor, as he signifies in the parable of the wounded man and in the Prophet: *As a neighbor and as our brother so was I well-pleased.* But because the divine substance is more excellent and above our nature, the precept of the love of God is distinguished from the love of neighbor». And therefore, although God bestows all benefits upon us, yet he is not included under the name of neighbor in that precept; whom we ought to love not as ourselves, but more than ourselves with the whole heart and the whole soul; but Christ, in so far as he is man, we ought to love as ourselves, and his love according to his manhood is contained in that commandment; whom also according to his manhood we ought to love more than ourselves, but not as much as God, because in so far as he is man, he is less than God.

### Cap. III. *Who is the neighbor.*

«That we may understand him to be neighbor to whom the office of mercy is to be shown, if he is in need, or would be shown, if he were in need. But that no one is excepted to whom the office of mercy is to be denied, who does not see, since it is extended even to enemies

### Cap. IV. *In what ways one is called neighbor.*

Here it is to be noted that «one is called neighbor in diverse ways, namely by the condition of first nativity, by the hope of conversion, by the nearness of kinship, by reason of the showing-forth of benefit».

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