Question XXVIII: Whether it is fitting that four things to be loved out of charity are enumerated

D. AUGUSTINE, lib. 1. de doctrina Christiana, c. 23., enumerates four things to be loved with Charity. One above us, that is, God; one, which we ourselves are; a third next to us, that is, the Neighbor; a fourth below us, that is, our Body.

The SUFFICIENCY is taken from the very nature of Charity; for since this is a supernatural friendship, consisting in the communication of beatific life, in that communication there intervenes first God, the cause of beatitude and the end to which we wish all good things. Second, others to whom we wish this good of beatitude, in which we may communicate: and these either communicate and participate directly, and they are Man and Angel; and this includes ourselves, and souls, and Angels, who are neighbors: or they participate indirectly by redundancy, and these are our bodies. So also D. Thomas loc. cit., where see Malderus, Sylvius, and Tanner disp. 2. quaest. 3. dub. 1. Laym. lib. 2. tract. 3. cap. 3. Filliucius, tract. 28. num. 8. with Richard 3. dist. 28. art. 1.

The sufficiency of things to be loved is also taken from COMPARISON with the one loving; for the one loving either has respect to that which is above himself, namely God; or to himself; or to his companions next to him, or to that which is below him; and in this way not only are the lovable objects enumerated, but also the order of love.

You will OBJECT first: Things of the same species make one; but we and our neighbor are such: Therefore.

The Holy Doctor REPLIES: they are one by nature, yet Charity first moves us on account of ourselves toward beatitude; then it regards the neighbor in order to beatitude; for the neighbor is less pertaining to us.

You will OBJECT second: Scripture enumerates sufficiently the things to be loved, God and neighbor.

The Holy Doctor REPLIES: in these precepts we ourselves are included as to soul and body, as I showed quaest. 21. and 22.

You will OBJECT third: Nothing is blessed besides three: God by essence, the soul by influence, and the body by redundancy, which are only three.

St. Bonaventure REPLIES: Charity regards its objects in an ordered way. For it is most orderly: hence it regards first ourselves, then those placed next to us.

You will OBJECT fourth: D. Ambrose, in the Gloss on that Canticle 2, He set charity in order within me, enumerates six things to be loved: God, ourselves, Parents, sons and Brothers, Domestics, and Enemies.

The Holy Doctor REPLIES: Ambrose distinguishes the neighbor by an accidental distinction, according as he is joined to us; but D. Augustine distinguishes according to the order of Charity in itself; hence it is considered according to the principal differences of good. See the Holy Doctor also dist. 29. dub. 3. litt.

You will OBJECT fifth: As our own body is to be loved, so also the neighbor's: If therefore our soul and the soul of the neighbor distinguish two members: Therefore also the bodies.

The Holy Doctor REPLIES: our bodies and those of our neighbors are below us in the same order; hence they constitute one; but our soul and the soul of the neighbor are related in a different manner, because one is intrinsic, the other extrinsic, in the account of charity.

You will OBJECT sixth: That which is against us is also to be loved out of charity.

It is REPLIED: that it is contained in the neighbor, who nevertheless is not loved as against us by reason of fault, but as next to us by reason of communication in the beatific life.