St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

That amor, and dilectio, are of indifferent vse in the scriptures, both for good and euill. CHAP. 7.

FOr hee that is resolued to loue GOD, and his neighbor according vnto

God and not Man: for this loue, is called a Man of a good will, and this is called more commonly, charity, in the scriptures, though some-times it bee called loue therein also. For the Apostle will haue his magistrate to bee a louer of good. And our LORD asking Peter thus: Symon the sonne of Ionah, louest thou me (a) more then these, hee answered, Lord, (b) thou knowest that I loue thee: hee asked him so againe, and hee answered so againe, then they asked him the third time, by 〈◊〉〈◊〉, amo whereas he had vsed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, diligo, in the other two, onely to shew, that dili∣gere, and amare were both one, to loue, as Peter had vsed the one, in all the three questions. This I thought, worth recitall, but some say (c) dilectio, charity, is one thing, and amor, loue, another: and that the first is (d) vsed in the good, and the la∣ter in the badde: But sure it is that the profane authors neuer vsed them so. But let the Philosophers looke to their distinctions. For their bookes vse amor loue, in good senses, and in reference to GOD, most frequently. But wee were to (e) shew that our scriptures whome wee place farre aboue their authorities, doe not vse amor and dilectio with any such distinct difference: for wee haue shewne that they vse amor in a good sence. If any one thinke, it is vsed both in good respect and bad, and dilectio, onely in the good, let him looke in that of the Psalme: Hee that loueth [diligit] iniquity hateth his owne soule: here is diligo, vp∣on * 1.1 a badde subiect. And here the Apostle Iohn: If any man loue [Dilexerit] the vvorld, the loue [dilectio] of the Father is not in him. Behold here dilectio in one place, in both the respects. But if any one seeke to know whether amor be vsed in e∣uill (wee haue shewne it in good,) let him reade this: Men shalbe louers of them∣selues, * 1.2 &c. Louers of pleasures more then louers of GOD. For, an vp right will is good loue, and a peruerse will is badde loue. Loue then desyring too en∣ioy that it loueth is desire: and enioying it, is ioy: flying what it hateth it is feare, feeling it, it is sorrow.

These are euills if the loue bee euill: and good if it bee good. What wee say let vs prooue by scripture. The Apostle aesires to bee dissolued, and to bee vvith Christ: And, My heart breaketh for the continuall desire I haue vnto thy iudgements. * 1.3 (f) Or if this bee better: My soule hath coueted to desire thy iudgements? And, desire of wisdome leadeth to the Kingdome: yet custome hath made it a law, that where * 1.4 concupiscentia, or cupiditas is vsed without addition of the obiect, it is euer taken * 1.5 in a badde sence. But Ioy, or Gladnesse the Psalme vseth well: Bee glad in the LORD, and reioyce you righteous, and thou hast giuen gladnesse to mine heart, and, * 1.6 In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioye. Feare, is also vsed by the Apostle in a good * 1.7 sence: Worke out your saluation vvith feare, and trembling: and, Be not high minded, but feare: and, But I feare least as the serpent beguiled Eue through his suttlety, so * 1.8 that your mindes should be corrupted from the chastity that is in Christ. But as for that sorrow (which Tully had rather call (g) egritude, and Virgill, dolour; where hee saith, dolent{que}, gaudent{que}, yet (h) I had rather call it tristitia, sadnesse, because egritude, and dolour, are oftner vsed for bodily affects: the question whether it be vsed in a good sence or no, is fit to bee more curiously examined.

L. VIVES.

MOre (a) then these] Then these doe: to auoide ambiguity. (b) Then kn•…•… 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is here translated diligo, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, am•…•…, both to loue. (c) Some] Orig. h•…•…. 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉

C•…•…. The scripture (I thinke) being carefull (saith he) to keepe the readers in the tract of true vnderstanding it, for the capacity of the weaker, called that Charity, or Dilectio, which they thinke wise men called loue. (d) Is vsed.] The Latinists vse these two words farre other-wise: •…•…ing Diligo for a light loue, and amo for a seruent one. Dol obellam antea diligebam, nunc 〈◊〉〈◊〉, •…•…ith Tully, and elsewher, more plainely Clodius Tribu. Pleb. valde me diligit, seu vt 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 * 1.9 〈◊〉〈◊〉 addam, valde me amat. I grant that amor is the meaner word, and oftener vsed in ob∣•…•…y then dilectio. The same difference that the latines put betweene amo and diligo, the same 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Greekes put between 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (e) To shew.] The places here cited prooue nothing vnlesse that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 be both vsed in a good or an euil sence: for y^e latine translation is the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the interpretor not of the author: But perhaps he desired to shew it, because he delt ag•…•… Grecian, namely, Origen. (f) Or, if.] For so the 70. translated it. Here begins he to shew that none of the foure affects are bad of them-selues. (g) Egritude.] Tusc quaest. 3. and 4. (h) I had rather. Tully (a) Tusc. qu. 2.) calleth bodily vexation, dolor, and (Iusc. 4.) defendeth egritudo, to be in the mind, as egrotatio is in the body: and affirmeth (lib. 3.) that it hath not any dis∣tinct name from sorrow.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psa. 11 1 Io. 2
• * 1.2

  2. Tim. 3, 2 4.
• * 1.3

  Phil. 1 Psa. 119, 20
• * 1.4

  Wis. 6, 20
• * 1.5

  Psa. 31
• * 1.6

  Psa. 4
• * 1.7

  Psal. 16, 11
• * 1.8

  Rom. 11. 20
• * 1.9

  Amo and Di•…•…o, dif∣f•…•….