Chapter 4 (99)
114 | THE SENTENCES, BOOK 3
same, and it is the Holy Spirit, as was said above,' because God is love.'
—AUGUSTINE, ON THE TRINITY, IN BOOK 8. Hence Augustine: "John says:
He who does not love his brother, whom he sees, cannot love God, whom he does not see.' But if he loved with spiritual charity the one whom he sees with human sight, he would see God, who is charity itself, with the inner sight by which he can be seen. And so, how can he who does not love his brother, whom he sees, love God, who is the very love which he lacks by not loving his brother? Therefore we love God and our neighbour by one and the same charity; but we love God for the sake of God, and ourselves and our neighbours for the sake of God.'"
Chapter 4 (99) 1. WHY CHARITY IS CALLED TWOFOLD. But if the love of God and neighbour is one and the same, why is it called 'twofold'?'—For the two who are loved, that is, God and neighbour. For although the charity is one, yet two diverse objects are loved, namely God and man or an angel.
2. FOR THIS SAME REASON, IT HAS TWO COMMANDMENTS. For the same reason, there are two commandments, because even though the same charity is commended by both, yet diverse objects are commanded to be loved.
—AUGUSTINE, IN A SERMON ON THE ASCENSION. Hence Augustine: "And so I judge that the Holy Spirit was given twice,' once on earth and then again from heaven, so that the two commandments of love should be commended to us, namely one of God and the other of neighbour. The charity is one, but the commandments are two; there is one Spirit, but two gifts given. It is not another charity that loves our neighbour, but only the same one which loves God. And so we love our neighbour by the same charity with which we love God. But because God is one thing and our neighbour another, even though they are loved by the same charity,"' that is perhaps the reason why the commandments are said to be two, and one is called greater and the other lesser. Or perhaps because of the two movements which are felt in the mind when God and neighbour are loved; for the mind is moved to love God, and it is moved to love our neighbour, and much more toward God than toward neighbour.
'Dist. 23 c9 n2.
*1 Jn. 4, 8 and 16.
'1 Jn. 4, 20.
"Augustine, De Trinitate, bk 8 c8 n12.
'See Augustine's words, above, at the end of c2.
"Ct Im 20, 22 Act. 2.4:
*Augustine, Sermo 265, c8 n9.