Dist. 29
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/29/q/bon-sent-III-d29-littera
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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: *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 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, 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: «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: *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.

Against them stands that precept of the Law 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*, in which parents are to be set first. Whence he said *honor,* not *love.* — There stands against them also what Jerome on Ezekiel 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 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, 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, 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*, 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 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: «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: *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* 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». — 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, 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: «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 may become friends.

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