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Objection 1: It would seem that we ought to love the demons out of
charity. For the angels are our neighbors by reason of their
fellowship with us in a rational mind. But the demons also share in
our fellowship thus, since natural gifts, such as life and
understanding, remain in them unimpaired, as Dionysius states
(Div. Nom. iv). Therefore we ought to love the demons out of
charity.
Objection 2: Further, the demons differ from the blessed angels in
the matter of sin, even as sinners from just men. Now the just man
loves the sinner out of charity. Therefore he ought to love the demons
also out of charity.
Objection 3: Further, we ought, out of charity, to love, as
being our neighbors, those from whom we receive favors, as appears
from the passage of Augustine quoted above (Article 9). Now the
demons are useful to us in many things, for "by tempting us they work
crowns for us," as Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xi, 17).
Therefore we ought to love the demons out of charity.
On the contrary, It is written (Is. 28:18): "Your league
with death shall be abolished, and your covenant with hell shall not
stand." Now the perfection of a peace and covenant is through
charity. Therefore we ought not to have charity for the demons who
live in hell and compass death.
I answer that, As stated above (Article 6), in the sinner, we
are bound, out of charity, to love his nature, but to hate his sin.
But the name of demon is given to designate a nature deformed by sin,
wherefore demons should not be loved out of charity. Without however
laying stress on the word, the question as to whether the spirits
called demons ought to be loved out of charity, must be answered in
accordance with the statement made above (Articles 2,3), that a
thing may be loved out of charity in two ways. First, a thing may be
loved as the person who is the object of friendship, and thus we cannot
have the friendship of charity towards the demons. For it is an
essential part of friendship that one should be a well-wisher towards
one's friend; and it is impossible for us, out of charity, to desire
the good of everlasting life, to which charity is referred, for those
spirits whom God has condemned eternally, since this would be in
opposition to our charity towards God whereby we approve of His
justice.
Secondly, we love a thing as being that which we desire to be enduring
as another's good. In this way we love irrational creatures out of
charity, in as much as we wish them to endure, to give glory to God
and be useful to man, as stated above (Article 3): and in this way
too we can love the nature of the demons even out of charity, in as
much as we desire those spirits to endure, as to their natural gifts,
unto God's glory.
Reply to Objection 1: The possession of everlasting happiness is
not impossible for the angelic mind as it is for the mind of a demon;
consequently the friendship of charity which is based on the fellowship
of everlasting life, rather than on the fellowship of nature, is
possible towards the angels, but not towards the demons.
Reply to Objection 2: In this life, men who are in sin retain the
possibility of obtaining everlasting happiness: not so those who are
lost in hell, who, in this respect, are in the same case as the
demons.
Reply to Objection 3: That the demons are useful to us is due not
to their intention but to the ordering of Divine providence; hence
this leads us to be friends, not with them, but with God, Who turns
their perverse intention to our profit.
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