Question III: Whether charity is properly the friendship of God

From the fact that God in himself is the object of Charity, it seems that charity is a friendship between God and men.

Some have denied that there is friendship between God and men.

Yet the true opinion is affirmative. So D. Bonav. 3. dist. 27. art. 2. quaest. 2. and in 1. dist. 48. quaest. ult. argumento 3. which D. Thom. concedes quaest. 23. art. 1., whom others commonly follow, as Valencia reports disp. 3. quaest. 1. p. 2., Casp. Tract. 17. disp. 1. sect. 2., Mastrius disp. 6. quaest. 20. num. 535., Tannerus disp. 2. quaest. 2. dub. 1., Fulgent. lib. 3. cap. 8., Bassaeus v. Charit. I discussed this question p. 1. tract. 1. disp. 17. quaestione 3.

I assert with this opinion that there is friendship between God and just men.

It is proved by D. Bonav. ad 14. Ioan. with those words: You are my friends.

It is proved secondly by S. Doct. loc. cit. in 3. and by Aristotle 8. Eth. cap. 10, where he says: The friendship of sons toward parents, and of men toward God, is like that toward something excellent. And in lib. 10. cap. 8 he says: The wise, whose Wisdom extends to an honest life, are most dear to the Gods.

Now friendship is not of equality, but of excellence toward one supernal end, by communicating in goods; for equality is not essential to friendship; a Geometric proportion suffices. Moreover, Scripture asserts this friendship of God with men: Iudit. 8. Abraham was made the friend of God. Psal. 138. Exceedingly honored are your friends, O God. Sap. 7. They were made partakers of the Friendship of God. Isa. 41. The seed of Abraham, my friends. Lucae 12. But I say to you, my friends, where he also adds the mutual love of benevolence, which is the foundation of friendship, according to Ioan. 16. The Father himself loves you, because you have loved me.

Then Ioan. 15. at those words: I will no longer call you servants, but friends, he puts another condition of friendship, which is communication in goods, and therefore says: All things whatsoever I have heard from the Father, I have made known to you. Hence also D. Peter: You shall be made partakers of the divine nature. And Rom. 8. You have received the spirit of adoption, in which we cry: Abba (Father.)

That he be loved by the Lord for our own good is proved from the form of the precept: You shall love the Lord your God, etc. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.

That this love exists, fourthly, is clear from Rom. 8. The Spirit gives testimony to our spirit, etc., that is, in that moral mode by which it can stand firm while we are on earth.

Thus the conditions of friendship, set out broadly by Aristotle 8. Eth. c. 3. 4. 5. and 9. and D. Thom. here, are proved. See Gregory of Valencia disp. 3. quaest. 1. puncto 2.