Question XVIII: Whether charity is to be loved out of charity

I ASSERT that not only God, who is Charity, but also the habit and act of Charity are willed and loved by the very act of Charity itself.

It is PROVED by St. Bonavent. first, from St. Augustine 8. de Trinitate, chapter 7, on which St. Thomas also relies.

It is PROVED second by the same argument that St. Thomas uses. The object of the will is universal good. Therefore whatever falls under the aspect of good can be the object of the will and of its acts; and because the very willing of good is a certain good, the will, which is perfected when it reflects upon itself, can will this good; but that very willing of this good is supernatural, because it is willed in order to a supernatural friendship with God, while we wish this good of Charity to all; and similarly in ourselves, while we love love itself; indeed, we refer that love by Charity to the Divine friendship, and to God in himself, as Tannerus notes, disput. 2. quest. 3. dub. 1.

It is PROVED third. We love our neighbor because we see him to have Charity: Therefore also Charity itself, on account of which we love that neighbor; because on account of which a thing is such, that thing is more so. But we love these by Charity because they are in order to God to be loved in himself.

You OBJECT first from St. Augustine Lib. 1. de doctrina Christiana, cap. 23: There are only four things lovable by Charity: God, ourselves, our neighbor, and the neighbor's body.

The Saintly Doctor answers that St. Augustine speaks of things to be loved with the love of friendship, that is, of those to whom good is wished; thus also St. Thomas.

You OBJECT second. Charity is loved either with the love of concupiscence or of friendship; not of friendship, for this is between likes; not of concupiscence, because this concerns things not possessed.

It is ANSWERED that there is complacency in the Charity possessed. Moreover, spiritual love of the good, and its possession, excites to desiring while it refreshes; and it refreshes while it excites, as St. Gregory says, homil. 36. in Evang. and St. Augustine Lib. 1. de doctrina Christiana, cap. 38.; and the Saintly Doctor runs on to those words Ioan. 4: He who drinks of the water that I will give him, etc.

You OBJECT third. As Faith is related to believing, and hope to hoping, so Charity to loving; but no one having Faith believes Faith, because, as St. Augustine says, 13. de Trinitate, cap. 1: believing, he knows that he believes, and sees that he believes; but credence is of things not seen; similarly no one hopes hope itself, but has it: Therefore neither does he love Charity.

The Saintly Doctor answers that the act of Faith declares imperfection, and likewise the act of Hope; whence, if either habit were reflected upon itself, it would diminish from the reason of a habit: Wherefore he who believes credence does not have it; and hope likewise; but love is a perfect act, like knowledge. Hence as he knows perfectly who knows that he knows, so he loves perfectly who loves the love with which he loves.

You OBJECT fourth. If Charity loves Charity, either she loves it by another love or by herself. If by another: Therefore that one too by another, and so on to infinity; if by the same: dem. Contra: No special form reflects upon itself unless it is among the first intensions, such as unity, truth, goodness; hence it is not said: whiteness whitens: Therefore neither: beloved love is.

St. Bonaventure answers: to love with the same habit, but by another act. To the point about reflection he answers that reflection sometimes comes from nature, and thus it is in universals; sometimes it comes from the reason of that in which it is; and thus it is in forms which are in potencies born to convert upon themselves, and insofar as they are converted upon themselves; and because the cognitive potency knows itself, and the will is an instrument moving itself; therefore by science one knows his science, and by Charity he loves himself, as loving that very love.