413# 对单数之人施行邻舍之爱，与对复数之人、即对群体施行邻舍之爱，二者之间的差别，犹如公民之职、裁判官之职与统帅之职之间的差别；又如用二千银子经营的人，与用五千银子经营的人之间的差别（太25:14-30）；也如一舍客勒的价值与一他连得的价值之间的差别；又如一株葡萄树与一座葡萄园、一株橄榄树与一片橄榄园、一棵树与一座园林，在功用之果上的差别。
并且，邻舍之爱在人里面也愈升愈内在；它愈上升，人便愈爱群体，过于爱个别之人；也愈爱祖国，过于爱群体。如今，既然仁义由善愿以及由此而来的善行构成，便可知，仁义对群体的施行，几乎应与对个别之人的施行相似；但对于善人的群体与对于恶人的群体，其方式却不同：对后者，仁义须按照属世的公平来施行；对前者，则须按照属灵的公平来施行。至于这两种公平，将在别处论述。
413# 向个体人和向集体人或一个社区行使的对邻之爱是不同的，就像普通公民、地方官员和统治者的职能不同一样。这种区别就像一个用两个他连得做买卖的人和一个用五个他连得做买卖的人（马太福音25:14-30）之间的区别，或像一舍客勒的价值和一他连得的价值之间的区别，或一棵葡萄树、橄榄树或果树的产出或利润和一个葡萄园、橄榄园或果园的产出或利润之间的区别。此外，对邻之爱也在人里面上升到一个越来越内在的领域，并且随着它上升，他爱一个社区胜过爱个人，爱他的国家胜过爱一个社区。由于仁爱在于善意和由此而来的善行，所以可推知，向一个社区行使仁爱的方式和向个人行使仁爱的方式差不多；但向一个善人的社区行使仁爱的方式和向一个恶人的社区行使仁爱的方式是不同的。向后者要照着属世的公平来行使仁爱，而向前者要照着属灵的公平来行使仁爱。我们将在别处说一说这两种公平。
413. Feeling love for our neighbor and acting on that love on an individual basis is one thing. Doing so on a plural or community basis is another. The difference between them is like the difference between the role of a citizen, the role of an official, and the role of a leader. It is also like the difference between the person who traded with two talents and the person who traded with ten (Matthew 25:14-30). It is like the difference between the value of a shekel and the value of a talent. It is like the difference between the product of a grapevine and that of a whole vineyard, the product of an olive tree and that of an olive plantation, the product of a single tree and that of a whole fruit garden. Love for our neighbor also rises higher and higher within us, and as it rises, we love our community more than we love an individual and we love our country more than we love our community.
Now, because goodwill consists of wanting what is best for others and being of benefit to them, it follows that it is to be practiced in very similar ways toward a community as toward an individual person. We are to treat a community of good people differently than we treat a community of evil people. With the latter group, goodwill is to be practiced according to earthly impartiality; toward the former group, according to spiritual impartiality. But I will say more on these two kinds of impartiality elsewhere.
413. The difference between love towards the neighbour and its exercise, when directed towards an individual and when it is directed towards a group of people or a community, is like that between the functions of an ordinary citizen, a magistrate and a duke; or between one trading with two talents and one with ten talents 1 (Matthew 25:14-30). It is like the difference in value between a shekel and a talent 2 ; or between the produce of a vine and that of a vineyard, or an olive tree and an olive grove, or a tree and an orchard. Love towards the neighbour can rise to ever more interior levels in a person; and as it rises it is directed towards the community rather than an individual, and towards the country rather than the community. Now since charity consists in wishing well and so doing good, it follows that it ought to be exercised in much the same way towards the community as towards the individual. But a distinction should be drawn between a community of good people and one of wicked people. In this latter case charity should be exercised in accordance with natural equity, in the former case in accordance with spiritual equity. The difference between these two kinds of equity will be discussed elsewhere.
Footnotes:
413. The difference between love to the neighbor and the exercise of it when directed towards man as an individual and towards the collective man or a community, is like that between the duty of a private citizen and the duty of a civil officer or a military officer, or like that between the one who traded with two talents and the one who traded with five (Matthew 25:14-30); or it is like the difference between the value of a shekel and that of a talent, or between the product from a vine and that from a vineyard, or between the product from an olive tree and that from an olive yard, or the product from a tree and that from an orchard. Moreover, love to the neighbor in man ascends more and more interiorly, and as it ascends he loves a community more than an individual, and his country more than a community. Since, then, charity consists in right willing and right doing therefrom, it follows that it ought to be exercised towards a community in much the same way as towards the individual, but in one way towards a community of good men and in another way towards a community of evil men. Towards the latter charity is to be exercised according to natural equity; towards the former according to spiritual equity. But on these two kinds of equity something will appear elsewhere.
413. Love of the neighbor, exercised towards individually and towards man collectively, that is, as a society, differs as the functions of citizen, magistrate and ruler differ. The difference is like that between him who traded with two talents and him who traded with five, Matthew 25:14-30; or between the value of a shekel and that of a talent; or between the profit from a single vine, olive tree or fruit tree and that from a whole vineyard, oliveyard or orchard. Love towards the neighbor also ascends in a man to a sphere more and more interior, and as it ascends he loves a society more than the individual, and his country more than a society. Now, since charity consists in goodwill and in doing good therefrom, it follows that it is to be exercised towards a society in much the same way as towards an individual; but not in the same way towards a society of good men as towards a society of wicked men. Towards the latter charity is to be exercised according to natural equity, but towards the former, according to spiritual equity; but of these two kinds of equity we shall speak elsewhere.
413. Discrimen amoris erga proximum et ejus exercitii erga hominem in singulari, et erga hominem in plurali seu Societatem, est sicut inter munus civis, munus praetoris, et munus ducis; et sicut inter illum qui negotiatus est per duo Talenta, et illum qui per decem, 1 Matthaeus 25:14-31; 2 et est discrimen sicut inter valorem sicli et valorem talenti; ac inter usum fructum ex vite et ex vinea, seu ex olea et ex oliveto, seu ex arbore et ex horto. Ascendit etiam amor erga proximum interius et interius apud hominem, et sicut ascendit, amat Societatem prae homine in particulari, et Patriam prae Societate. Nunc quoniam Charitas consistit ex bene velle, et inde bene agere, sequitur quod illa paene similiter exercenda sit erga Societatem ut erga hominem in particulari; verum aliter erga Societatem bonorum, quam erga Societatem malorum, erga hanc Charitas exercenda est secundum aequitatem naturalem, erga illam secundum aequitatem spiritualem; sed de hac et illa aequitate alibi videbitur.
Footnotes:
1. Cf. Luca 19:12-27.
2. Prima editio: 31.