Chapter III.

The rule given about not seeking one’s own gain is established, first by the examples of Christ, next by the meaning of the word, and lastly by the very form and uses of our limbs. Wherefore the writer shows what a crime it is to deprive another of what is useful, since the law of nature as well as the divine law is broken by such wickedness. Further, by its means we also lose that gift which makes us superior to other living creatures; and lastly, through it civil laws are abused and treated with the greatest contempt.

15. If, then, any one wishes to please all, he must strive in everything to do, not what is useful for himself, but what is useful for many, as also Paul strove to do. For this is “to be conformed to the image of Christ,”587    Rom. viii. 29. namely, when one does not strive for what is another’s, and does not deprive another of something so as to gain it for oneself. For Christ our Lord,588    Phil. ii. 6, 7. though He was in the form of God, emptied Himself so as to take on Himself the form of man, which He wished to enrich with the virtue of His works. Wilt thou, then, spoil him whom Christ has put on? Wilt thou strip him whom Christ has clothed? For this is what thou art doing when thou dost attempt to increase thine own advantage at another’s loss.

16. Think, O man, from whence thou hast received thy name—even from the earth,589    The text here runs as follows: “Considera, O homo, unde nomen sumseris; ab humo utique.” which takes nothing from any one, but gives freely to all, and supplies varied produce for the use of all living things. Hence humanity is called a particular and innate virtue in man, for it assists its partner.

17. The very form of thy body and the uses of thy limbs teach thee this. Can one limb claim the duties of another? Can the eye claim for itself the duties of the ear; or the mouth the duties of the eye; or the hand the service of the feet; or the feet that of the hands? Nay, the hands themselves, both left and right, have different duties to do, so that if one were to change the use of either, one would act contrary to nature. We should have to lay aside the whole man before we could change the service of the various members: as if, for instance, we were to try to take food with the left hand, or to perform the duties of the left hand with the right, so as to remove the remains of food—unless, of course, need demanded it.

18. Imagine for a moment, and give to the eye the power to withdraw the understanding from the head, the sense of hearing from the ears, the power of thought from the mind, the sense of smell from the nose, the sense of taste from the mouth, and then to assume them itself, would it not at once destroy the whole order of nature? Wherefore the Apostle says well: “If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?”590    1 Cor. xii. 17. So, then, we are all one body, though with many members, all necessary to the body. For no one member can say of another: “I have no need of thee.” For those members which seem to be more feeble are much more necessary and require greater care and attention. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.591    1 Cor. xii. 26.

19. So we see how grave a matter it is to deprive another, with whom we ought rather to suffer, of anything, or to act unfairly or injuriously towards one to whom we ought to give a share in our services. This is a true law of nature, which binds us to show all kindly feeling, so that we should all of us in turn help one another, as parts of one body, and should never think of depriving another of anything, seeing it is against the law of nature even to abstain from giving help. We are born in such a way that limb combines with limb, and one works with another, and all assist each other in mutual service. But if one fails in its duty, the rest are hindered. If, for instance, the hand tears out the eye, has it not hindered the use of its work? If it were to wound the foot, how many actions would it not prevent? But how much worse is it for the whole man to be drawn aside from his duty than for one of the members only! If the whole body is injured in one member, so also is the whole community of the human race disturbed in one man. The nature of mankind is injured, as also is the society of the holy Church, which rises into one united body, bound together in oneness of faith and love. Christ the Lord, also, Who died for all, will grieve that the price of His blood was paid in vain.

20. Why, the very law of the Lord teaches us that this rule must be observed, so that we may never deprive another of anything for the sake of our own advantage. For it says: “Remove not the bounds which thy fathers have set.”592    Prov. xxii. 28. It bids a neighbour’s ox to be brought back if found wandering.593    Ex. xxiii. 4. It orders a thief to be put to death.594    Ex. xxii. 2. It forbids the labourer to be deprived of his hire,595    Lev. xix. 13. and orders money to be returned without usury.596    Deut. xxiii. 19. It is a mark of kindly feeling to help him who has nothing, but it is a sign of a hard nature to extort more than one has given. If a man has need of thy assistance because he has not enough of his own wherewith to repay a debt, is it not a wicked thing to demand under the guise of kindly feeling a larger sum from him who has not the means to pay off a less amount? Thou dost but free him from debt to another, to bring him under thy own hand; and thou callest that human kindliness which is but a further wickedness.

21. It is in this very matter that we stand before all other living creatures, for they do not understand how to do good. Wild beasts snatch away, men share with others. Wherefore the Psalmist says: “The righteous showeth mercy and giveth.”597    Ps. xxxvii. [xxxvi.] 21. There are some, however, to whom the wild beasts do good. They feed their young with what they get, and the birds satisfy their brood with food; but to men alone has it been given to feed all as though they were their own. That is so in accordance with the claims of nature. And if it is not lawful to refuse to give, how is it lawful to deprive another? And do not our very laws teach us the same? They order those things which have been taken from others with injury to their persons or property to be restored with additional recompense; so as to check the thief from stealing by the penalty, and by the fine to recall him from his ways.

22. Suppose, however, that some one did not fear the penalty, or laughed at the fine, would that make it a worthy thing to deprive another of his own? That would be a mean vice and suited only to the lowest of the low. So contrary to nature is it, that while want might seem to drive one to it, yet nature could never urge it. And yet we find secret theft among slaves, open robbery among the rich.

23. But what so contrary to nature as to injure another for our own benefit? The natural feelings of our own hearts urge us to keep on the watch for all, to undergo trouble, to do work for all. It is considered also a glorious thing for each one at risk to himself to seek the quiet of all, and to think it far more thankworthy to have saved his country from destruction than to have kept danger from himself. We must think it a far more noble thing to labour for our country than to pass a quiet life at ease in the full enjoyment of leisure.

CAPUT III.

Praemissum de non quaerendo proprio emolumento praeceptum urgetur, primum a Christi exemplo, tum ab interpretatione nominis, denique ab ipsa membrorum forma et usibus. Unde ostendit quam flagitiosum sit alienae utilitati detrahere; cum hoc scelere 0149Cnaturalis lex aeque ac divina violetur, atque insuper illud amittatur quo praestamus caeteris animantibus, ad postremum leges civiles cum summa infamia conculcentur.

15. Si quis igitur vult placere omnibus, per omnia quaerat non quod sibi utile est, sed quod multis, sicut quaerebat et Paulus. Hoc est enim conformari Christo, alienum non quaerere, nihil alteri detrahere, ut acquirat sibi (Philipp. II, 6 et seq.). Christus enim Dominus cum esset in Dei forma, exinanivit se, ut formam susciperet hominis, quam operum suorum locupletaret virtutibus. Tu ergo spolias, quem Christus induit? Tu exuis, quem vestivit Christus? Hoc enim agis, quando alterius detrimento tua commoda augere expetis.

0149D 16. Considera, o homo, unde nomen sumpseris; ab humo utique, quae nihil cuiquam eripit, sed omnia largitur omnibus, et diversos in usum omnium animantium fructus ministrat. Inde appellata humanitas specialis et domestica virtus hominis, quae consortem adjuvet.

17. Ipsa te doceat forma tui corporis, membrorumque usus. Numquid membrum tuum alterius 0150A membri officia sibi vindicat, aut oculus officium oris, aut os oculi officium sibi vindicat, aut manus pedum ministerium, aut pes manuum? Quin etiam ipsae manus dextera ac sinistra dispartita habent officia pleraque, ut si usum commutes utriusque, adversum naturam sit; priusque totum hominem exuas, quam membrorum tuorum ministeria convertas: si aut de sinistra cibum suggeras, aut de dextera fungaris ministerio sinistrae, ut reliquias ciborum abluas nisi forte poscat necessitas.

18. Finge hanc et da oculo virtutem, ut possit detrahere sensum capiti, auditum auribus, 112 menti cogitationes, odoratum naribus, ori saporem, et sibi conferat; nonne omnem statum dissolvet naturae? Unde pulchre Apostolus ait: Si totum corpus oculus, 0150Bubi auditus? Si totum auditus, ubi odoratus (I Cor. XII, 17)? Omnes ergo unum corpus sumus et diversa membra, sed omnia corpori necessaria; non enim potest membrum de membro dicere: Non est mihi necessarium. Quin etiam ipsa quae videntur infirmiora membra esse, multo magis necessaria sunt, et majorem plerumque tuendi se requirunt sollicitudinem. Et si quid dolet membrum unum, compatiuntur ei membra omnia.

19. Unde quam grave est ut detrahamus aliquid ei, cui nos compati oportet: et cui debemus consortium ministerii, ei fraudi et noxae simus! Haec utique lex naturae est, quae nos ad omnem astringit humanitatem, ut alter alteri tamquam unius partes corporis invicem deferamus. Nec detrahendum quidquam 0150C putemus, cum contra naturae legem sit non juvare. Sic enim nascimur ut consentiant membra membris, et alterum alteri adhaereat, et obsequantur sibi mutuo ministerio. Quod si unum desit officio suo, impediantur caetera: ut si eruat oculum manus, nonne sibi operis sui usum negavit? Si pedem vulneret, quantorum sibi actuum profectum inviderit? Et quanto gravius est totum hominem quam unum membrum detrahi? Jam si in uno membro totum corpus violatur, utique in uno homine communio totius humanitatis solvitur; violatur natura generis humani, et sanctae Ecclesiae congregatio, quae in unum connexum corpus atque compactum unitate fidei et charitatis assurgit: Christus quoque Dominus, qui pro universis mortuus est, mercedem sanguinis 0150D sui evacuatam dolebit.

20. Quid! quod etiam ipsa lex Domini hanc formam tenendam edocet, ut nihil alteri detrahas, tui commodi servandi gratia, cum dicit: Non transferas terminos, quos statuerunt patres tui (Prov. XXII, 28); cum vitulum errantem fratris tui reducendum praecipit (Exod. XXIII, 4), cum furem mori jubet (Exod. XXII, 2), cum vetat mercenarium debita mercede 0151A fraudari, cum pecuniam sine usuris reddendam censuit (Levit. XIX, 13). Subvenire enim non habenti humanitatis est: duritiae autem plus extorquere quam dederis (Deut. XXIII, 19). Etenim si ideo auxilio tuo erit opus, quia non habuit unde de suo redderet; nonne impium est ut sub humanitatis simulatione amplius ab eo poscas, qui non habebat unde minus solveret? Absolvis igitur alteri debitotorem, ut condemnes tibi: et hanc humanitatem vocas, ubi est iniquitatis auctio?

21. Hoc praestamus caeteris animantibus, quod alia genera animantium conferre aliquid nesciunt: ferae autem eripiunt, homines tribuunt. Unde et Psalmista ait: Justus miseretur, et tribuit (Psal. XXXVI, 21). Sunt tamen quibus et ferae conferant. Si quidem collatione 0151B sobolem suam nutriunt, et aves cibo suo pullos satiant suos: homini autem soli tributum est, ut omnes tamquam suos pascat. Debet istud ipso naturae jure. Quod si non licet non dare, quomodo detrahere licet? Nec ipsae leges 113 nos docent? ea quae detracta sunt alicui, cum injuria personae, aut rei ipsius cumulo, restitui jubent; quo furem a detrahendo, aut poenis deterreant, aut mulcta revocent.

22. Pone tamen quod aliquis possit aut poenam non timere, aut mulctae illudere; numquid dignum est ut aliqui alteri detrahant? Servile hoc vitium, et familiare ultimae conditioni; adeo contra naturam, ut inopia magis hoc extorquere videatur, quam natura suadere. Servorum tamen occulta furta, divitum rapinae publicae.

0151C 23. Quid autem tam contra naturam, quam violare alterum tui commodi causa; cum pro omnibus excubandum, subeundas molestias, suscipiendum laborem naturalis affectus persuadeat: et gloriosum unicuique ducatur, si periculis propriis quaerat universorum tranquillitatem: multoque sibi unusquisque arbitretur gratius excidia patriae repulisse, quam propria pericula: praestantiusque esse existimet quod operam suam patriae impenderit, quam si in otio positus tranquillam vitam voluptatum copiis functus egisset.