Chapter VIII.
On the exercise of grace with respect to things to be loved.
Concerning things to be loved, these things must be held: that although all divine works are very good, four things, however, are properly to be loved from charity, namely, the eternal God, what we ourselves are, our neighbor, and our body.
In the love of these, an order and measure must be observed, so that God is loved first and above all things and for His own sake; second, what we ourselves are, under God and for God; third, our neighbor, as ourselves; fourth, our body, below us and below our neighbor, as a less excellent good.
For the fulfillment of this, there is given one habit of charity and a twofold commandment, on which hangs the whole of the Law and the Prophets, not only with respect to the Old Testament, but also with respect to the New.
Now the reason for understanding the aforesaid is this: because the first principle, by the very fact that it is first, is supreme; and by the very fact that it is supreme, it is supremely good; and by the very fact that it is supremely good, it is supremely blessed and supremely beatifying; and by the very fact that it is supremely beatifying, it is supremely to be enjoyed; and by the very fact that it is supremely to be enjoyed, one must supremely cling to it through love and rest in it as in one's end. Since, therefore, right and ordered love, which is called charity, is principally directed toward that good which it enjoys and in which it rests, and this itself is the reason for loving, it follows that charity loves that good especially as beatifying, and consequently loves the other things which through it are capable of being beatified. Since, therefore, our neighbor is born to attain beatitude together with us, and our body also is born to attain it as capable of being beatified together with the spirit, it follows that only four things are said to be loved from charity, namely, God and our neighbor, our spirit, and our body.
Again, since God is above us as the supreme good, our spirit is within us as an intrinsic good, our neighbor is beside us as a kindred good, and our body is below us as a subject good, it follows that this order must be observed in loving: first, God is to be loved above all things and for His own sake; second, our spirit, under God and above every perishable good; third, our neighbor, beside us toward a similar good; fourth, our body, below us as the lowest good. And in the same degree the body of our neighbor ought to be included, because both hold the character of a lesser good in relation to our spirit.
Finally, because love is the weight of the mind and the origin of every mental affection, which easily turns back upon itself but with difficulty tends toward one's neighbor and with still greater difficulty is raised up to God, it follows that although four things are to be loved from charity, nevertheless a twofold commandment is given: one which directs us toward God, and another which directs us toward our neighbor.
And because all precepts are referred either to God or to neighbor, as to the end and to that which is ordered to the end; hence it is that in these two commandments is enclosed the collection of the commandments and the comprehension of all the Scriptures. And charity itself is the root, form, and end of the virtues, joining all things with the ultimate end and binding all things to one another simultaneously and in order; therefore it is the weight of ordered inclination and the bond of perfect binding, order indeed preserving with respect to the diverse objects of love as regards both affection and effect, unity however having in habit as regards one end and one principal beloved, which is the reason for loving with respect to all other things, which through the bond of love are meant to be bound together in one Christ as regards head and body, which contains in itself the universality of those to be saved. This unity is now begun on the way, but is consummated in eternal glory, according to what the Lord prays, that they may be one, as we also are one: and I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one: when this unity is consummated through the bond of charity, God will be all in all in certain eternity and perfect peace, and all things will be common through love, ordered in communion and connected in ordering and indissolubly bound in connection.