every man should love liimself and his own body,—seeing, that
22 ON CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. [BOOK I.
supposing they could do so without suffering any pain, and that they had as much siglit loft in one as they formerly had in two, unless some ol^ject was to be attained whicli would overbalance the loss. This and other indications of the same kind are sufTiciont to show tliose who candidly seek tlie truth how well-founded is the statement of the apostle when he says, " No man ever yet hated his own flesh." lie adds too,
" but nourisheth and cherisheth it. even as the Lord the
Church."^
Chap. xxv.—A man may love ftomff/dng more than his hoihj, hut does not therefore hate hii body.
26. Man, therefore, ought to be taught the due measure of loving, that is, in what measure he may love himself so as to be of service to himself. For that he does love himself, and does desire to do good to himself, nobody but a fool would doubt. He is to be taught, too, in what measure to love his body, so as to care for it wisely and within due limits. For it is equally manifest that he loves his body also, and desh^es to keep it safe and sound. And yet a man may have sometliing that he loves better than the safety and soundness of his body. For many have been found voluntarily to suffer both pains and amputations of some of their limbs that they might obtain other objects which they valued more highly. But no one is to be told not to desire the safety and health of his body because there is something he desires more. For the miser, though he loves money, buys bread for himself,—that is, he gives away money that he is very fond of and desires to heap up,—but it is because he values more highly the bodily health which the bread sustains. It is superlluous to argue longer on a point so very plain, but this is just what the error of wicked men often compels us to do.
Chat. xxvi.— The command to love God and our neighbour includes a command iolove ourselves.
27. Seeing, then, that there is no need of a command that every man should love liimself and his own body,—seeing, that is, that we love ourselves, and what is beneath us but connected with us, through a law of nature which has never been violated, and which is common to us with the beasts (for even
> Epli. V. 29.