There are three universal loves, the love of heaven, the love of the world, and self-love.

These three loves make the starting point, because they are universal and the foundation of all others, and because charity has something in common with each of them. The love of heaven means love to the Lord, and also love towards the neighbour, and since either of these has some service as its end in view, it may be called the love of service. The love of the world is not only the love of wealth and possessions, but also the love of everything the world supplies for the delight of the bodily senses; for instance the beauty that charms the A eyes, the harmony that charms the ears, the fragrance that charms the nose, the delicacies that charm the tongue, the soothing touches that charm the skin, not to mention fine clothes, comfortable homes, parties, and all the pleasures given by these and many other objects. Self-love is not only the love of honours, glory, fame and eminence, but also the love of winning and angling for offices, and thus dominating others. The reason charity has something in common with each of these three loves is that charity regarded in essence is the love of being of service. Charity wants to do good to the neighbour (and good is the same as being of service); and each of these loves has services as its end in view, the love of heaven spiritual services, the love of the world natural services, which can be termed civic, and self-love bodily services, which can also be termed domestic ones for oneself and one's own people.

*From this point on the sections are not numbered in the original, but numbers have been supplied to match the practice of the first part of the book.