On Love and Charity: Readings from the Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard

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Duhem quotes> Sancti Thomæ Aquinatis *Scriptum super primum librum Sententiarum* , Lib. I, Dist. XVII, pars II, quæst. II: Utrum charitas augeatur per additionem? [[ *Super Sent.* , lib. 1 d. 17 q. 2 a. 2 co.](http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/snp1009.html#1367)]in his [*Études sur Léonard de Vinci* vol. 3](https://isidore.co/calibre/#panel=book_details&book_id=4251) pp. 337-8 (PDF pp. 245-6), which appears on pp. 39-40 ( **PDF pp. 72-3** ) of this translation.**PDF pp. 105-7** (pp. 72-74) is the same question from St. Thomas's *Lectura romana* , a new commentary he made in Rome (1265-66), after his Paris one (1252-6). The [*Lectura romana*](http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/snr.html) was recently discovered in the 1970s and published in 2006."Webnotes" begin on **PDF p. 441**.From [Bonin's Aquinas in English bibliography](https://aquinas-in-english.neocities.org/#sent):> All texts on love and charity from the *Commentary on the Sentences* —book 1, distinction 17 in both the Parisian and Roman versions [the [*Lectura Romana*](http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/snr.html)]; book 3, distinctions 27 to 32; and selected articles from all four books—accompanied by textual and interpretive notesSt. Thomas (surprisingly) says, on pp. 75-77 ( **PDF pp. 108-10** ), that charity does not admit of decrease (even by venial sins, which he compares to charity as points taken from a line), but that it can only be completely taken away (by mortal sin):> Est autem comparatio peccatorum venialium ad caritatem sicut si auferantur puncta a linea: sicut enim ex quibuslibet punctis adiunctis non fit linea neque crescit, ita ex quibuslibet sublatis non diminuitur; et similiter nec quaecumque venialia diminuunt caritatem.Thus, there is indeed a minimum degree of charity ("Utrum caritas minuatur" [*Lectura Romana* , d. 17 q. 2 a. 4](http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/snr.html#100908)). His corresponding, older version:[*Super Sent.* , lib. 1 d. 17 q. 2 a. 5](http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/snp1009.html#1394) (pp. 51-57 or **PDF pp. 84-90** )cf. also: [*S.T.* II-II q. 24 a. 10](https://isidore.co/aquinas/summa/SS/SS024.html#SSQ24A10THEP1) & *De Malo* q. 7 a. 2cf. p. 236 or **PDF p. 270** fn. b of the question of whether all are bound to perfect charityPDF pp. 241-4 is on "Whether the order of charity is to be looked to regarding affection or effect", parallel passage: [ST II-II, q. 26, a. 6 ("Whether we ought to love one neighbor more than another?")](https://isidore.co/aquinas/summa/SS/SS026.html#SSQ26A6THEP1)