On Loving God II: 6-III: 7
On Loving God II: 6-III: 7
6. But see now, in trying to show that they who do not know Christ are sufficiently informed by natural law,36 seen in the perfection of man's mind and body, to be obliged to love God for his own sake, we have lost sight of our subject.
To state briefly what has been said, we repeat: is there an in fidel who does not know that he has received the necessities for bodily life, by which he exists, sees, and breathes, from him who gives food to all flesh,37 who makes his sun rise on the good and the bad, and his rain fall on the just and the un just?38 Who, again, can be wicked enough to think the author of his human dignity, which shines in his soul, is any other than he who says in the book of Genesis: "Let us make man to our own image and likeness?"39 Who can think that the giver of knowledge is somebody different from him who teaches man knowledge?40 Or again, who believes he has re ceived or hopes to receive the gift of virtue from any other source than the hand of the Lord of virtue? Hence Godjdeserves to be loved for his own sake even by the infidel who, although he is ipnorant .of Christ vet knows himself. Everyone, there fore, even the infidel, is inexcusable if he Fails to love the Lord his God with all his heart, all his soul, all his might.41 For an innate justice, not unknown to reason, cries interiorly to him that he ought to love with his whole being the one to whom he owes all that he is. Yet it is difficult, impossible for a man, by his own power of free will, once he has received all things from God, to turn wholly to the will of God and not rather to his own will42 and keep these gifts for himself as his own, as it is written: "All seek what is their own,"43 and further:
". . . man's feelings and thoughts are inclined to evil."44
III. 7. The faithful, on the contrary, know how totally they need Jesus and him crucified.45 While they admire and embrace in him that charity which surpasses all knowledge,46 they
36. Cf Rom 1 : 1 9ff; 2:14-15. 42. See Gra 23; OB 3:103; CF 19.
37. Ps 135:25. 43. Phil 2:21.
38. Mt 5:45. 44. Gen 8:21.
39. Gen 1:26. 45. 1 Cor 2: 2.
40. Ps 93: 10. 46. F.ph 3: 19. Cf. Csi 5: 28; OB 3:491 ; CF 37 41. Mk 12:30.