84. VI. ON LOVE TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOUR, THAT IS, CHARITY

I shall start by defining the neighbour, for it is he who is to be loved and towards whom charity is to be exercised. Without knowing what the neighbour means charity may be exercised in like measure without distinction, equally towards the evil as the good. Charity thus becomes no charity. For the evil harm the neighbour by the benefits they confer, but the good do good by them.