Treatise on the Love of God

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*Treatise on the Love of God* bk. 10, ch. 1 quoted on [*Teología de la caridad*](https://isidore.co/calibre#panel=book_details&book_id=7472) PDF pp. 183-5 (in the context of the precept to love God):> MAN is the perfection of the universe; the spirit is the perfection of man; love, that of the spirit; and charity, that of love. Wherefore the love of God is the end, the perfection and the excellence of the universe. […] divine goodness, in order that neither thy greatness, nor our vileness, nor any pretext whatever should keep us from loving thee, thou dost command it to us. The poor Apelles, not able to keep from loving the beautiful Campaspe, yet dared not love her because she belonged to the great Alexander; but when he had leave to love her, how greatly obliged did he consider himself to him who gave this leave to him! He knew not whether he should more love that beautiful Campaspe whom so great an emperor had given up to him, or that great emperor who had given him so beautiful a Campaspe. Oh! if we were able to comprehend it, my dear Theotimus, what obligation should we have to this sovereign good, who not only permits but even commands us to love him!ref:18.91 (bk. 10, ch. 12 "How Love Produces Zeal") compares envy with jealousy, an important topic related to conjugal love and fidelity (cf. [*Catholic Moral Teaching on the Nature and Object of Conjugal Love*](https://isidore.co/calibre/#panel=book_details&book_id=5766) p. 60, PDF p. 38; conjugal love is permanent and exclusive):> 1°. Envy is always unjust, but jealousy is sometimes just, if it be moderate: for have not married people good reason to hinder their friendship from being diminished by being shared? […] 4°. Jealousy proceeds from love, envy comes from the defect of love.