Reply Obj. 1: The good and wicked angels have free-will, but according to the manner and condition of their state, as has been said.
Reply Obj. 2: G.o.d"s mercy delivers from sin those who repent. But such as are not capable of repenting, cling immovably to sin, and are not delivered by the Divine mercy.
Reply Obj. 3: The devil"s first sin still remains in him according to desire; although not as to his believing that he can obtain what he desired. Even so, if a man were to believe that he can commit murder, and wills to commit it, and afterwards the power is taken from him; nevertheless, the will to murder can stay with him, so that he would he had done it, or still would do it if he could.
Reply Obj. 4: The fact that man sinned from another"s suggestion, is not the whole cause of man"s sin being pardonable. Consequently the argument does not hold good.
Reply Obj. 5: A demon"s act is twofold. One comes of deliberate will; and this is properly called his own act. Such an act on the demon"s part is always wicked; because, although at times he does something good, yet he does not do it well; as when he tells the truth in order to deceive; and when he believes and confesses, yet not willingly, but compelled by the evidence of things. Another kind of act is natural to the demon; this can be good and bears witness to the goodness of nature. Yet he abuses even such good acts to evil purpose.
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THIRD ARTICLE [I, Q. 64, Art. 3]
Whether There Is Sorrow in the Demons?
Objection 1: It would seem that there is no sorrow in the demons. For since sorrow and joy are opposites, they cannot be together in the same subject. But there is joy in the demons: for Augustine writing against the Maniches (De Gen. Contra Manich. ii, 17) says: "The devil has power over them who despise G.o.d"s commandments, and he rejoices over this sinister power." Therefore there is no sorrow in the demons.
Obj. 2: Further, sorrow is the cause of fear, for those things cause fear while they are future, which cause sorrow when they are present. But there is no fear in the demons, according to Job 41:24, "Who was made to fear no one." Therefore there is no grief in the demons.
Obj. 3: Further, it is a good thing to be sorry for evil. But the demons can do no good action. Therefore they cannot be sorry, at least for the evil of sin; which applies to the worm of conscience.
_On the contrary,_ The demon"s sin is greater than man"s sin. But man is punished with sorrow on account of the pleasure taken in sin, according to Apoc. 18:7, "As much as she hath glorified herself, and lived in delicacies, so much torment and sorrow give ye to her."
Consequently much more is the devil punished with the grief of sorrow, because he especially glorified himself.
_I answer that,_ Fear, sorrow, joy, and the like, so far as they are pa.s.sions, cannot exist in the demons; for thus they are proper to the sensitive appet.i.te, which is a power in a corporeal organ. According, however, as they denote simple acts of the will, they can be in the demons. And it must be said that there is sorrow in them; because sorrow, as denoting a simple act of the will, is nothing else than the resistance of the will to what is, or to what is not. Now it is evident that the demons would wish many things not to be, which are, and others to be, which are not: for, out of envy, they would wish others to be d.a.m.ned, who are saved. Consequently, sorrow must be said to exist in them: and especially because it is of the very notion of punishment for it to be repugnant to the will. Moreover, they are deprived of happiness, which they desire naturally; and their wicked will is curbed in many respects.
Reply Obj. 1: Joy and sorrow about the same thing are opposites, but not about different things. Hence there is nothing to hinder a man from being sorry for one thing, and joyful for another; especially so far as sorrow and joy imply simple acts of the will; because, not merely in different things, but even in one and the same thing, there can be something that we will, and something that we will not.
Reply Obj. 2: As there is sorrow in the demons over present evil, so also there is fear of future evil. Now when it is said, "He was made to fear no one," this is to be understood of the fear of G.o.d which restrains from sin. For it is written elsewhere that "the devils believe and tremble" (James 2:19).
Reply Obj. 3: To be sorry for the evil of sin on account of the sin bears witness to the goodness of the will, to which the evil of sin is opposed. But to be sorry for the evil of punishment, or for the evil of sin on account of the punishment, bears witness to the goodness of nature, to which the evil of punishment is opposed. Hence Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xix, 13), that "sorrow for good lost by punishment, is the witness to a good nature." Consequently, since the demon has a perverse and obstinate will, he is not sorry for the evil of sin.
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FOURTH ARTICLE [I, Q. 64, Art. 4]
Whether Our Atmosphere Is the Demons" Place of Punishment?
Objection 1: It would seem that this atmosphere is not the demons"
place of punishment. For a demon is a spiritual nature. But a spiritual nature is not affected by place. Therefore there is no place of punishment for demons.
Obj. 2: Further, man"s sin is not graver than the demons". But man"s place of punishment is h.e.l.l. Much more, therefore, is it the demons" place of punishment; and consequently not the darksome atmosphere.
Obj. 3: Further, the demons are punished with the pain of fire.
But there is no fire in the darksome atmosphere. Therefore the darksome atmosphere is not the place of punishment for the demons.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. iii, 10), that "the darksome atmosphere is as a prison to the demons until the judgment day."
_I answer that,_ The angels in their own nature stand midway between G.o.d and men. Now the order of Divine providence so disposes, that it procures the welfare of the inferior orders through the superior. But man"s welfare is disposed by Divine providence in two ways: first of all, directly, when a man is brought unto good and withheld from evil; and this is fittingly done through the good angels. In another way, indirectly, as when anyone a.s.sailed is exercised by fighting against opposition. It was fitting for this procuring of man"s welfare to be brought about through the wicked spirits, lest they should cease to be of service in the natural order. Consequently a twofold place of punishment is due to the demons: one, by reason of their sin, and this is h.e.l.l; and another, in order that they may tempt men, and thus the darksome atmosphere is their due place of punishment.
Now the procuring of men"s salvation is prolonged even to the judgment day: consequently, the ministry of the angels and wrestling with demons endure until then. Hence until then the good angels are sent to us here; and the demons are in this dark atmosphere for our trial: although some of them are even now in h.e.l.l, to torment those whom they have led astray; just as some of the good angels are with the holy souls in heaven. But after the judgment day all the wicked, both men and angels, will be in h.e.l.l, and the good in heaven.
Reply Obj. 1: A place is not penal to angel or soul as if affecting the nature by changing it, but as affecting the will by saddening it: because the angel or the soul apprehends that it is in a place not agreeable to its will.
Reply Obj. 2: One soul is not set over another in the order of nature, as the demons are over men in the order of nature; consequently there is no parallel.
Reply Obj. 3: Some have maintained that the pain of sense for demons and souls is postponed until the judgment day: and that the beat.i.tude of the saints is likewise postponed until the judgment day. But this is erroneous, and contrary to the teaching of the Apostle (2 Cor.
5:1): "If our earthly house of this habitation be dissolved, we have a house in heaven." Others, again, while not admitting the same of souls, admit it as to demons. But it is better to say that the same judgment is pa.s.sed upon wicked souls and wicked angels, even as on good souls and good angels.
Consequently, it must be said that, although a heavenly place belongs to the glory of the angels, yet their glory is not lessened by their coming to us, for they consider that place to be their own; in the same way as we say that the bishop"s honor is not lessened while he is not actually sitting on his throne. In like manner it must be said, that although the demons are not actually bound within the fire of h.e.l.l while they are in this dark atmosphere, nevertheless their punishment is none the less; because they know that such confinement is their due. Hence it is said in a gloss upon James 3:6: "They carry fire of h.e.l.l with them wherever they go." Nor is this contrary to what is said (Luke 8:31), "They besought the Lord not to cast them into the abyss"; for they asked for this, deeming it to be a punishment for them to be cast out of a place where they could injure men. Hence it is stated, "They [Vulg. "He"] besought Him that He would not expel them [Vulg. "him"] out of the country" (Mark 5:10).
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TREATISE ON THE WORK OF THE SIX DAYS (QQ. 65-74) _______________________
QUESTION 65
THE WORK OF CREATION OF CORPOREAL CREATURES (In Four Articles)
From the consideration of spiritual creatures we proceed to that of corporeal creatures, in the production of which, as Holy Scripture makes mention, three works are found, namely, the work of creation, as given in the words, "In the beginning G.o.d created heaven and earth"; the work of distinction as given in the words, "He divided the light from the darkness, and the waters that are above the firmament from the waters that are under the firmament"; and the work of adornment, expressed thus, "Let there be lights in the firmament."
First, then, we must consider the work of creation; secondly, the work of distinction; and thirdly, the work of adornment. Under the first head there are four points of inquiry:
(1) Whether corporeal creatures are from G.o.d?
(2) Whether they were created on account of G.o.d"s goodness?
(3) Whether they were created by G.o.d through the medium of the angels?
(4) Whether the forms of bodies are from the angels or immediately from G.o.d.
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FIRST ARTICLE [I, Q. 65, Art. 1]
Whether Corporeal Creatures Are from G.o.d?
Objection 1: It would seem that corporeal creatures are not from G.o.d.
For it is said (Eccles. 3:14): "I have learned that all the works which G.o.d hath made, continue for ever." But visible bodies do not continue for ever, for it is said (2 Cor. 4:18): "The things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Therefore G.o.d did not make visible bodies.
Obj. 2: Further, it is said (Gen. 1:31): "G.o.d saw all things that He had made, and they were very good." But corporeal creatures are evil, since we find them harmful in many ways; as may be seen in serpents, in the sun"s heat, and other things. Now a thing is called evil, in so far as it is harmful. Corporeal creatures, therefore, are not from G.o.d.
Obj. 3: Further, what is from G.o.d does not withdraw us from G.o.d, but leads us to Him. But corporeal creatures withdraw us from G.o.d.
Hence the Apostle (2 Cor. 4:18): "While we look not at the things which are seen." Corporeal creatures, therefore, are not from G.o.d.
_On the contrary,_ It is said (Ps. 145:6): "Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all things that are in them."
_I answer that,_ Certain heretics maintain that visible things are not created by the good G.o.d, but by an evil principle, and allege in proof of their error the words of the Apostle (2 Cor. 4:4), "The G.o.d of this world hath blinded the minds of unbelievers." But this position is altogether untenable. For, if things that differ agree in some point, there must be some cause for that agreement, since things diverse in nature cannot be united of themselves. Hence whenever in different things some one thing common to all is found, it must be that these different things receive that one thing from some one cause, as different bodies that are hot receive their heat from fire. But being is found to be common to all things, however otherwise different.
There must, therefore, be one principle of being from which all things in whatever way existing have their being, whether they are invisible and spiritual, or visible and corporeal. But the devil is called the G.o.d of this world, not as having created it, but because worldlings serve him, of whom also the Apostle says, speaking in the same sense, "Whose G.o.d is their belly" (Phil. 3:19).
Reply Obj. 1: All the creatures of G.o.d in some respects continue for ever, at least as to matter, since what is created will never be annihilated, even though it be corruptible. And the nearer a creature approaches G.o.d, Who is immovable, the more it also is immovable. For corruptible creatures endure for ever as regards their matter, though they change as regards their substantial form. But incorruptible creatures endure with respect to their substance, though they are mutable in other respects, such as place, for instance, the heavenly bodies; or the affections, as spiritual creatures. But the Apostle"s words, "The things which are seen are temporal," though true even as regards such things considered in themselves (in so far as every visible creature is subject to time, either as to being or as to movement), are intended to apply to visible things in so far as they are offered to man as rewards. For such rewards, as consist in these visible things, are temporal; while those that are invisible endure for ever. Hence he said before (2 Cor. 4:17): "It worketh for us . .
. an eternal weight of glory."