413.针对个人和针对集体或社群的对邻之爱及其实践之间的差别就象普通公民、地方官员和公爵之间的差别；或象一个拿两他连得和一个拿十他连得去做买卖的两个人之间的差别（马太福音25:14－30）；还象一舍客勒与一他连得，或一串葡萄与一个葡萄园，或一棵橄榄树与一个橄榄树林、一棵果树与一个果园之间的差别。对邻之爱能在一个人里面上更内层，并随着它上升，人便能爱社群胜过个人，爱国家胜过社群。由于仁爱在于善愿和由此而来的善行，故可知，针对社群实践仁爱的方式与针对个人的一样。不过，善人社群和恶人社群应当区别对待。对后者应按属世的公平实践仁爱，而对前者则应按属灵的公平实践仁爱。这两种公平的区别将在别处予以讨论。
413. 感受愛鄰舍與實踐這樣的愛, 對一個人而言是一碼事, 對一群人(或一個社群)而言是另一碼事。它們之間的區別, 就像一個公民的角色, 一名地方行政官, 與一名公爵之間的區別。就像一個拿兩他連得與十他連得去做買賣的兩個人之間的分別(馬太福音25:14-30)。就像一舍客勒與一他連得,一串葡萄與一個葡萄園,一棵橄欖樹與一個橄欖樹園子,一棵果樹與一個果園之間的分別。愛鄰舍在一個人裡面能提升得越來越高, 當它上升時, 人便能愛社群勝過個人, 愛國勝過社群。
因為義在於祝願別人好以及利益他人, 應當以同樣的方式應用於社群與個人(對社群和對個人都是如此)。不過, 對於好人的社群與惡人的社群當區別對待。對後者, 義的運用當照著屬世的公正來執行; 對前者, 當照著屬靈的公正來執行。這兩種公正的分別將在另處討論。
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.