It must first be told what the neighbor is, because it is he toward whom charity is to be exercised. For unless it is known who the neighbor is, charity may be exercised in the same manner and without distinction equally toward the evil as toward the good, whereby charity becomes no charity; for by virtue of its benefactions the evil do ill to the neighbor; but the good do well.
The general opinion at the present day is that every man is equally the
neighbor, and that everyone who is in need of help must be benefited. But it is the part of Christian prudence to search well the quality of a man's life, and
to exercise charity in accordance therewith. The man of the internal church does this with discrimination, thus with intelligence; but as the man of the external
church cannot thus discriminate, he does it indiscriminately.
The ancients reduced the neighbor into classes, and named each class according
to the names of those who in the world appear to be especially in need; and they taught how charity was to be exercised toward those who were in one class, and
how toward those in another; and in this way they reduced the doctrine, and the life according to it, into order. Hence the doctrine of their church contained
the laws of life, and hence they saw of what quality was this or that man of the church whom they called "brother," but with a distinction in the internal sense
in accordance with his exercise of charity from the genuine doctrine of the church, or from the doctrine as changed by himself; for as everyone desires to
appear blameless, he defends his own life, and therefore either explains or changes the laws of doctrine in his own favor.
The distinguishing differences of the neighbor, which the man of the church ought to wholly know, in order that he may know the quality of charity, vary in
accordance with the good which is with everyone; and as all good proceeds from the Lord, the Lord is the neighbor in the highest sense, and in a surpassing
degree; and from Him the neighbor originates. From this it follows that in proportion as anyone has of the Lord in him, in the same proportion he is the
neighbor; and as no two persons receive the Lord (that is, receive the good which proceeds from Him) in the same way, therefore no two persons are the
neighbor in the same way; for without exception all persons in the heavens and on earth differ in good. Precisely one and the same good never exists in two
persons; it must vary in order for each person to subsist by himself. But all these varieties, thus all the distinguishing differences of the neighbor, which
are according to the reception of the Lord, that is, of the good proceeding from Him, can never be known to any man, nor even to any angel, except in general,
thus as to their genera and some species of these. Nor does the Lord require more of the man of the church than to live according to what he knows.
From all this it is now clear that the quality of Christian good determines in what degree each one is the neighbor; for the Lord is present in good, because
it is His, and He is present according to the quality of it. And as the origin of the neighbor must be drawn from the Lord, therefore the distinguishing
differences of the neighbor are according to the Lord's presence in good, thus according to the quality of the good.
That the neighbor is according to the quality of the good, is plain from the Lord's parable of the man who fell among thieves, whom, while half dead, the
priest passed by, and also the Levite; but the Samaritan, when he had bound up his wounds and poured in oil and wine, set him on his own beast and brought him
to an inn and took care of him; and he, because he exercised the good of charity, is called the "neighbor" (Luke 10:29-37). Hence it may be known that
they are the neighbor who are in good; whereas they who are in evil are indeed the neighbor, but in quite a different respect; and for this reason they are to
be benefited in a different way. But on this subject, of the Lord's Divine mercy more will be said hereafter.
As it is the quality of the good which determines how everyone is the neighbor,
it is the love which does this; for there is not any good which is not of love; from this comes forth all good, and from this also comes forth the quality of
the good.
That it is the love which makes a man to be the neighbor, and that each person
is the neighbor according to the quality of his love, is very manifest from those who are in the love of self. These acknowledge as the neighbor those who
love them the most; that is, insofar as they are theirs; thus are in themselves. These they embrace, these they kiss, these they benefit, and these they call
brethren; nay, because they are evil, they say that these are the neighbor more than others. All the rest they hold to be the neighbor according as these love
them, thus according to the quality and the amount of the love. Much derive the origin of the neighbor from themselves, for it is the love that is the
determinant.
But they who do not love themselves more than others, as is the case with all
who are of the Lord's kingdom, will derive the origin of the neighbor from Him whom they ought to love above all things, that is, from the Lord; and will
regard everyone as the neighbor according to the quality of his love to Him. They therefore who love others as themselves, and especially those who - like the
angels - love others more than themselves, all derive the origin of the neighbor from the Lord; for the Lord Himself is in good, because it proceeds from Him.
Hence also it can be seen that the quality of the love determines who is the neighbor. That the Lord is in good, He Himself teaches in Matthew; for He says
to those who had been in good, that they "had given Him to eat," that they "had given Him to drink, had gathered Him, clothed Him, visited Him, and had come to
Him in prison;" and afterward, that "insofar as they had done it to one of the least of His brethren, they had done it to Him" (Matt. 25:34-40).
From all this it is now evident whence the origin of neighbor is to be drawn by
the man of the church; and that everyone is the neighbor in the degree in which he is near the Lord; and because the Lord is in the good of charity, that the
neighbor is according to the quality of the good, thus according to the quality of the charity.
(Continuation
respecting THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY −
Click Here)
