7]: _Religion clean and undefiled before God and the
Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation;
and to keep oneself unspotted from this world._ But _to visit the
fatherless and widows_ indicates relation to our neighbour, and _to keep
oneself unspotted from this world_ refers to ourselves. Hence religion
is not confined to our relationship with God.

But religion has two sorts of acts. Some belong to it properly
and immediately, those acts, namely, which it elicits and by
which man is directed to God alone, as, for instance, to offer
Him sacrifice, to adore Him, etc.

But there are other acts which religion produces through the
medium of the virtues which it controls, directing them, that
is, towards reverence to God; for that virtue which is concerned
with the end directs those virtues which have to do with the
means to the end. And in this sense _to visit the fatherless and
widows in their tribulation_ is said to be an act of religion
because commanded by it, though actually elicited by the virtue
of mercy. Similarly _to keep oneself unspotted from this world_
is an act commanded by religion, though elicited by temperance
or some other virtue.

2. S. Augustine says[38]: "Since according to the genius of the Latin
speech--and that not merely of the unlearned, but even of the most
learned--religion is said to be shown towards our human relatives and
connexions and intimates, this word 'religion' cannot be used without
some ambiguity when applied to the worship of God; hence we cannot say
with absolute confidence that religion is nought else but the worship of
God." Religion, then, is not limited to our relation to God, but
embraces, our neighbour as well.

But it is only by an extension of the name "religion" that it is
made to embrace our relations towards our human kin, it is not
according to the proper signification of the word. Hence S.
Augustine prefaced the words quoted from him above with the
remark: "Religion, strictly speaking, seems to mean, not any
kind of worship, but only that of God."

3. Further, _latria_ seems to come under religion. But S. Augustine
says[39]: "_Latria_ is interpreted as service." But we ought to serve
not God only, but our neighbour as well: _By charity of the spirit serve
one another._[40] Religion, then, implies relation to our neighbour.

But since a slave implies