Question XXXII: Whether a man ought out of charity to love God more than himself

I ASSERT that he is so to be loved.

IT IS PROVED by St. Bonaventure first from Deuter. 6. Matth. 22. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. But the whole affection is commanded to be bestowed on no other: Therefore. The Holy Doctor proves the same on 14 Lucae, in these words: If anyone comes to me, and does not hate father and mother, etc. and moreover his own soul also, he cannot be my disciple.

NEXT it is proved from Sts. Augustine and Ambrose, who admonish that God is to be loved before all things, as I said in question 28.

THIRDLY it is proved by the Holy Doctor. On account of which each thing is such, that is the more such; but on account of God we love ourselves and our neighbor; and he is rightly so to be loved, because he is the supreme good: Therefore we are bound more to love God himself. The major is Aristotle: Primo post, cap. 3. et 2 Metaph. t. 4.

IT IS PROVED fourthly. The end is to be loved more than those things which are toward the end; but God is the end of all: Therefore. The major is Aristotle's 2 Phys. text. 23.

IT IS PROVED fifthly in the body. Right reason dictates that the supreme good is to be loved more than the other goods; but God is the supreme Good: Therefore. Scotus uses this argument, as I shall say in the following question.

You will OBJECT first. Perfection does not invert the order of its perfectible; but grace is the perfection of nature, which without grace loves itself more than God: Therefore grace, added, perfects but does not invert this order.

The Holy Doctor RESPONDS that nature has two things, a primitive Esse, and the defect of corruption: therefore that which is primitive and of perfection is perfected; but that which has defect is corrected and amended. Therefore disordered self-love is of corrupted nature, and so is corrected by grace.

You will OBJECT secondly. Just as if you add equals to equals, they remain equal; so if you add unequals, they remain unequal; but the love of ourselves before the advent of grace outweighs the love of God: Therefore also after its advent: Therefore according to the order of Charity we ought to love ourselves more.

The Holy Doctor RESPONDS that the Major is true if what is added as equal respect both equally; but charity respects the love of God more than that which is for oneself; hence at the advent of Charity the love of self is diminished and the love of God increased.

You will OBJECT thirdly. The affection of love follows cognition; but we know ourselves more than God: Therefore we also love ourselves more.

The Holy Doctor RESPONDS that love follows cognition not only as to Charity, but also as to the greater perfection of goodness. Therefore, although we know ourselves more clearly than God; nevertheless we acknowledge that the goodness of God is greater and to be esteemed of more worth.

You will object fourthly. As much as anyone loves God, so much does he desire to enjoy God; and as much as he desires to enjoy God, so much does he desire his own beatitude; and as much as he desires his own beatitude, so much does he love himself: Therefore he loves himself as much as he loves God.

He responds, St. Doctor, that as to the affection of concupiscence one loves God as much as he desires to enjoy God; but as to the love of friendship he loves God more, because he orders his own goodness ultimately to God, as toward an end more lovable, namely the good by essence, toward which as toward a principle the good by participation is ordered: For indeed the love of concupiscence does not make a plurality with the love of ourselves; and therefore it does not follow that by that love we love God and ourselves equally: for to love ourselves out of charity is nothing other than to wish the supreme good for ourselves.

Next he responds that the Major can be denied; because one can desire to enjoy God for the sake of God himself, and therefore love God more than his own beatitude, and this is the order of Charity.

You will object fifthly. When two things are finite, one can be intensified and the other remitted, and reduced to equality; but charity toward God and ourselves is finite: Therefore it can come about that the charity of God is remitted while the love of ourselves is intensified by Charity: Therefore, etc.

He responds, St. Doctor, that these loves are finite; nevertheless by reason of the object the love of God is infinite, and for this reason it cannot be equalled. Nor indeed is it new that the finite should infinitely exceed another finite: for thus a line infinitely exceeds a point, and so a point can never arrive at being equal to a line; indeed many, and infinite points will never make any length of a line. Thus, therefore, are created goods with respect to the supreme good for the rational soul; and so infinitely many created goods will never be so lovable, because the Divine good, even as participable by me, will always be loved as the end; and thus it will never be equalled by the love of self, or of any creature whatsoever.

You will object sixthly. Love is a unitive force; but one cannot be united to anyone more than to oneself.

He responds, St. Doctor, first, that nothing is more united to us than ourselves according to nature; but not according to affection. Therefore God can be more adhering to us in love; and in this second way love is a unitive force by affection, not by nature.

He responds secondly, that God is more intimate to us, and we depend more on him than on intrinsic principles, because God indwells nature and makes it blessed.