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In the angels the natural love is always right, and this
love is an inclination conferred on the angel by the author
of nature. The angels also have an elective love which is
consequent on the natural love and is concerned with an
object here and now that is not good in every
part.[1213]
Like man, the angel naturally loves itself inasmuch as it
desires some good for itself with its natural appetite.
When the angel desires some good for itself by election it
loves itself by elective love.[1214]
The angel loves itself by a natural love that is necessary
with regard to the specification of that love because the
angel cannot consider anything in itself (or in God the
author of its nature) that would move it to a hatred of
itself (or to hatred of God the author of its nature).
Indeed, according to Bannez, Sylvius, Gonet, and
Billuart, the angel loves itself necessarily even with
regard to the exercise of that love just as it knows itself
necessarily with regard to the exercise of that knowledge.
This love is a property that flows from the angel's
nature just as the movement of the heart flows from the
nature of the animal.
Objection. But the bad angels desire non-being and
therefore they do not necessarily love themselves.
Reply. They love non-being directly and by its very
nature, this I deny; for this is impossible since the
aspect of good is not present in non-being. They love
non-being indirectly and by reason of something else, I
concede; because they desire non-being in their torments
and thus they desire non-being by reason of their
self-love and not by reason of any hatred for themselves.
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