XXVIII. The second in order, and not any less than this, He says, is, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,”38    Matt. xxii. 39. consequently God above thyself. And on His interlocutor inquiring, “Who is my neighbour?”39    Luke x. 29. He did not, in the same way with the Jews, specify the blood-relation, or the fellow-citizen, or the proselyte, or him that had been similarly circumcised, or the man who uses one and the same law. But He introduces one on his way down from the upland region from Jerusalem to Jericho, and represents him stabbed by robbers, cast half-dead on the way, passed by the priest, looked sideways at by the Levite, but pitied by the vilified and excommunicated Samaritan; who did not, like those, pass casually, but came provided with such things as the man in danger required, such as oil, bandages, a beast of burden, money for the inn-keeper, part given now, and part promised. “Which,” said He, “of them was neighbour to him that suffered these things?” and on his answering, “He that showed mercy to him,” (replied),40    Luke x. 36, 37. Go thou also, therefore, and do likewise, since love buds into well-doing.

28.1 ∆ευτέραν δὲ τάξει καὶ οὐδέν τι μικροτέραν ταύτης εἶναι λέγει τό· "ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν·" οὐκοῦν τὸν θεὸν ὑπὲρ 28.2 σεαυτόν. πυνθανομένου δὲ τοῦ προσδιαλεγομένου "τίς ἐστιν πλη σίον;" οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον Ἰουδαίοις προωρίσατο τὸν πρὸς αἵματος οὐδὲ τὸν πολίτην οὐδὲ τὸν προσήλυτον οὐδὲ τὸν ὁμοίως περιτετμη 28.3 μένον οὐδὲ τὸν ἑνὶ καὶ ταὐτῷ νόμῳ χρώμενον· ἀλλὰ ἄνωθεν κατα βαίνοντα ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἄγει τῷ λόγῳ τινὰ εἰς Ἱεριχὼ καὶ τοῦτον δείκνυσιν ὑπὸ λῃστῶν συγκεκεντημένον, ἐρριμμένον ἡμιθνῆτα ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ, ὑπὸ ἱερέως παροδευόμενον, ὑπὸ Λευίτου παρορώμενον, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ Σαμαρείτου τοῦ ἐξωνειδισμένου καὶ ἀφωρισμένου κατελεούμενον, ὃς οὐχὶ κατὰ τύχην ὡς ἐκεῖνοι παρῆλθεν, ἀλλ' ἧκε συνεσκευασμένος ὧν ὁ κινδυνεύων ἐδεῖτο, οἶνον, ἔλαιον, ἐπιδέσμους, κτῆνος, μισθὸν τῷ πανδοχεῖ, τὸν μὲν ἤδη διδόμενον, τὸν δὲ προσυπισχνούμενον. 28.4 "τίς", ἔφη, "τούτων γέγονε πλησίον τῷ τὰ δεινὰ παθόντι;" τοῦ δὲ ἀποκριναμένου ὅτι "ὁ τὸν ἔλεον πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπιδειξάμενος· καὶ σὺ τοίνυν πορευθεὶς οὕτω ποίει", ὡς τῆς ἀγάπης βλαστανούσης εὐποιίαν.