Edition ausblenden
De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput VII: Amorem et dilectionem indifferenter et in bono et in malo apud sacras litteras inueniri.

Nam cuius propositum est amare deum et non secundum hominem, sed secundum deum amare proximum, sicut etiam se ipsum: procul dubio propter hunc amorem dicitur uoluntatis bonae, quae usitatius in scripturis sanctis caritas appellatur; sed amor quoque secundum easdem sacras litteras dicitur. nam et amatorem boni apostolus dicit esse debere, quem regendo populo praecipit eligendum, et ipse dominus Petrum apostolum interrogans cum dixisset: diligis me plus his? ille respondit: domine, tu scis quia amo te; et iterum dominus quaesiuit, non utrum amaret, sed utrum diligeret eum Petrus; at ille respondit iterum: domine, tu scis quia amo te; tertia uero interrogatione et ipse Iesus non ait: diligis me? sed: amas me? ubi secutus ait euangelista: contristatus est Petrus, quia dixit ei tertio: amas me? cum dominus non tertio, sed semel dixerit: amas me? bis autem dixerit: diligis me? unde intellegimus, quod etiam cum dicebat dominus: diligis me? nihil aliud dicebat quam: amas me? Petrus autem non mutauit huius unius rei uerbum, sed etiam tertio: domine, inquit, tu omnia scis, tu scis quia amo te. hoc propterea commemorandum putaui, quia nonnulli arbitrantur aliud esse dilectionem siue caritatem, aliud amorem. dicunt enim dilectionem accipiendam esse in bono, amorem in malo. sic autem nec ipsos auctores saecularium litterarum locutos esse certissimum est. sed uiderint philosophi utrum uel qua ratione ista discernant; amorem tamen eos in bonis rebus et erga ipsum deum magni pendere, libri eorum satis loquuntur. sed scripturas religionis nostrae, quarum auctoritatem ceteris omnibus litteris anteponimus, non aliud dicere amorem, aliud dilectionem uel caritatem, insinuandum fuit. nam et amorem in bono dici iam ostendimus. sed ne quis existimet amorem quidem et in malo et in bono, dilectionem autem nonnisi in bono esse dicendam, illud adtendat quod in psalmo scriptum est: qui autem diligit iniquitatem, odit animam suam, et illud apostoli Iohannis: si quis dilexerit mundum, non est dilectio patris in illo. ecce uno loco dilectio et in bono et in malo. amorem autem in malo - quia in bono iam ostendimus - ne quisquam flagitet, legat quod scriptum est: erunt enim homines se ipsos amantes, amatores pecuniae. recta itaque uoluntas est bonus amor, et uoluntas peruersa malus amor. amor ergo inhians habere quod amatur, cupiditas est, id autem habens eoque fruens laetitia; fugiens quod ei aduersatur, timor est, idque si acciderit sentiens tristitia est. proinde mala sunt ista, si malus amor est; bona, si bonus. quod dicimus, de scripturis probemus. concupiscit apostolus dissolui et esse cum Christo; et: concupiuit anima mea desiderare iudicia tua, uel si adcommodatius dicitur: desiderauit anima mea concupiscere iudicia tua; et: concupiscentia sapientiae perducit ad regnum. hoc tamen loquendi obtinuit consuetudo, ut, si cupiditas uel concupiscentia dicatur nec addatur cuius rei sit, nonnisi in malo possit intellegi. laetitia in bono est: laetamini in domino et exultate iusti; et: dedisti laetitiam in cor meum; et: adinplebis me laetitia cum uultu tuo. timor in bono est apud apostolum, ubi ait: cum timore et tremore uestram ipsorum salutem operamini; et: noli altum sapere, sed time; et: timeo autem, ne, sicut serpens Euam seduxit astutia sua, sic et uestrae mentes corrumpantur a castitate, quae est in Christo. de tristitia uero, quam Cicero magis aegritudinem appellat, dolorem autem Vergilius, ubi ait: dolent gaudent que - sed ideo malui tristitiam dicere, quia aegritudo uel dolor usitatius in corporibus dicitur - scrupulosior quaestio est, utrum inueniri possit in bono.

Übersetzung ausblenden
The City of God

Chapter 7.--That the Words Love and Regard (Amor and Dilectio) are in Scripture Used Indifferently of Good and Evil Affection.

He who resolves to love God, and to love his neighbor as himself, not according to man but according to God, is on account of this love said to be of a good will; and this is in Scripture more commonly called charity, but it is also, even in the same books, called love. For the apostle says that the man to be elected as a ruler of the people must be a lover of good. ¹ And when the Lord Himself had asked Peter, "Hast thou a regard for me (diligis) more than these?" Peter replied, "Lord, Thou knowest that I love (amo) Thee." And again a second time the Lord asked not whether Peter loved (amaret) Him, but whether he had a regard (diligeret)for Him, and, he again answered, "Lord, Thou knowest that I love (amo) Thee." But on the third interrogation the Lord Himself no longer says, "Hast thou a regard (diligis) for me,"but "Lovest thou (amas) me?" And then the evangelist adds, "Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, "Lovest thou (amas) me?" though the Lord had not said three times but only once, "Lovest thou (amas) me?" and twice "Diligis me ?" from which we gather that, even when the Lord said "diligis," He used an equivalent for "amas." Peter, too, throughout used one word for the one thing, and the third time also replied, "Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love (amo) Thee." ²

I have judged it right to mention this, because some are of opinion that charity or regard (dilectio) is one thing, love (amor) another. They say that dilectio is used of a good affection, amor of an evil love. But it is very certain that even secular literature knows no such distinction. However, it is for the philosophers to determine whether and how they differ, though their own writings sufficiently testify that they make great account of love (amor) placed on good objects, and even on God Himself. But we wished to show that the Scriptures of our religion, whose authority we prefer to all writings whatsoever, make no distinction between amor, dilectio, and caritas; and we have already shown that amor is used in a good connection. And if any one fancy that amor is no doubt used both of good and bad loves, but that dilectio is reserved for the good only, let him remember what the psalm says, "He that loveth (diligit) iniquity hateth his own soul;" ³ and the words of the Apostle John, "If any man love (diligere) the world, the love (dilectio) of the Father is not in him." ⁴ Here you have in one passage dilectio used both in a good and a bad sense. And if any one demands an instance of amor being used in a bad sense (for we have already shown its use in a good sense), let him read the words, "For men shall be lovers (amantes) of their own selves, lovers (amatores) of money." ⁵

The right will is, therefore, well-directed love, and the wrong will is ill-directed love. Love, then, yearning to have what is loved, is desire; and having and enjoying it, is joy; fleeing what is opposed to it, it is fear; and feeling what is opposed to it, when it has befallen it, it is sadness. Now these motions are evil if the love is evil; good if the love is good. What we assert let us prove from Scripture. The apostle "desires to depart, and to be with Christ." ⁶ And, "My soul desired to long for Thy judgments;" ⁷ or if it is more appropriate to say, "My soul longed to desire Thy judgments." And, "The desire of wisdom bringeth to a kingdom." ⁸ Yet there has always obtained the usage of understanding desire and concupiscence in a bad sense if the object be not defined. But joy is used in a good sense: "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous." ⁹ And, "Thou hast put gladness in my heart." ¹⁰ And, "Thou wilt fill me with joy with Thy countenance." ¹¹ Fear is used in a good sense by the apostle when he says, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." ¹² And, "Be not high-minded, but fear." ¹³ And, "I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." ¹⁴ But with respect to sadness, which Cicero prefer to calls sickness (oegritudo), and Virgil pain (dolor) (as he says, "Dolent gaudentque" ¹⁵ ), but which I prefer to call sorrow, because sickness and pain are more commonly used to express bodily suffering,--with respect to this emotion, I say, the question whether it can be used in a good sense is more difficult.