Part I (Prima Pars) Part 81 (1/2)
Under the first heading there are three points of inquiry:
(1) Whether angels have bodies naturally united to them?
(2) Whether they a.s.sume bodies?
(3) Whether they exercise functions of life in the bodies a.s.sumed?
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FIRST ARTICLE [I, Q. 51, Art. 1]
Whether the Angels Have Bodies Naturally United to Them?
Objection 1: It would seem that angels have bodies naturally united to them. For Origen says (Peri Archon i): ”It is G.o.d's attribute alone--that is, it belongs to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as a property of nature, that He is understood to exist without any material substance and without any companions.h.i.+p of corporeal addition.” Bernard likewise says (Hom. vi. super Cant.): ”Let us a.s.sign incorporeity to G.o.d alone even as we do immortality, whose nature alone, neither for its own sake nor on account of anything else, needs the help of any corporeal organ. But it is clear that every created spirit needs corporeal substance.” Augustine also says (Gen. ad lit. iii): ”The demons are called animals of the atmosphere because their nature is akin to that of aerial bodies.”
But the nature of demons and angels is the same. Therefore angels have bodies naturally united to them.
Obj. 2: Further, Gregory (Hom. x in Ev.) calls an angel a rational animal. But every animal is composed of body and soul. Therefore angels have bodies naturally united to them.
Obj. 3: Further, life is more perfect in the angels than in souls.
But the soul not only lives, but gives life to the body. Therefore the angels animate bodies which are naturally united to them.
_On the contrary,_ Dionysius says (Div. Nom. iv) that ”the angels are understood to be incorporeal.”
_I answer that,_ The angels have not bodies naturally united to them. For whatever belongs to any nature as an accident is not found universally in that nature; thus, for instance, to have wings, because it is not of the essence of an animal, does not belong to every animal. Now since to understand is not the act of a body, nor of any corporeal energy, as will be shown later (Q. 75, A. 2), it follows that to have a body united to it is not of the nature of an intellectual substance, as such; but it is accidental to some intellectual substance on account of something else. Even so it belongs to the human soul to be united to a body, because it is imperfect and exists potentially in the genus of intellectual substances, not having the fulness of knowledge in its own nature, but acquiring it from sensible things through the bodily senses, as will be explained later on (Q. 84, A. 6; Q. 89, A. 1). Now whenever we find something imperfect in any genus we must presuppose something perfect in that genus. Therefore in the intellectual nature there are some perfectly intellectual substances, which do not need to acquire knowledge from sensible things. Consequently not all intellectual substances are united to bodies; but some are quite separated from bodies, and these we call angels.
Reply Obj. 1: As was said above (Q. 50, A. 1) it was the opinion of some that every being is a body; and consequently some seem to have thought that there were no incorporeal substances existing except as united to bodies; so much so that some even held that G.o.d was the soul of the world, as Augustine tells us (De Civ. Dei vii). As this is contrary to Catholic Faith, which a.s.serts that G.o.d is exalted above all things, according to Ps. 8:2: ”Thy magnificence is exalted beyond the heavens”; Origen, while refusing to say such a thing of G.o.d, followed the above opinion of others regarding the other substances; being deceived here as he was also in many other points, by following the opinions of the ancient philosophers. Bernard's expression can be explained, that the created spirit needs some bodily instrument, which is not naturally united to it, but a.s.sumed for some purpose, as will be explained (A. 2). Augustine speaks, not as a.s.serting the fact, but merely using the opinion of the Platonists, who maintained that there are some aerial animals, which they termed demons.
Reply Obj. 2: Gregory calls the angel a rational animal metaphorically, on account of the likeness to the rational nature.
Reply Obj. 3: To give life effectively is a perfection simply speaking; hence it belongs to G.o.d, as is said (1 Kings 2:6): ”The Lord killeth, and maketh alive.” But to give life formally belongs to a substance which is part of some nature, and which has not within itself the full nature of the species. Hence an intellectual substance which is not united to a body is more perfect than one which is united to a body.
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SECOND ARTICLE [I, Q. 51, Art. 2]
Whether Angels a.s.sume Bodies?
Objection 1: It would seem that angels do not a.s.sume bodies. For there is nothing superfluous in the work of an angel, as there is nothing of the kind in the work of nature. But it would be superfluous for the angels to a.s.sume bodies, because an angel has no need for a body, since his own power exceeds all bodily power. Therefore an angel does not a.s.sume a body.
Obj. 2: Further, every a.s.sumption is terminated in some union; because to a.s.sume implies a taking to oneself [ad se sumere]. But a body is not united to an angel as to a form, as stated (A. 1); while in so far as it is united to the angel as to a mover, it is not said to be a.s.sumed, otherwise it would follow that all bodies moved by the angels are a.s.sumed by them. Therefore the angels do not a.s.sume bodies.
Obj. 3: Further, angels do not a.s.sume bodies from the earth or water, or they could not suddenly disappear; nor again from fire, otherwise they would burn whatever things they touched; nor again from air, because air is without shape or color. Therefore the angels do not a.s.sume bodies.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xvi) that angels appeared to Abraham under a.s.sumed bodies.
_I answer that,_ Some have maintained that the angels never a.s.sume bodies, but that all that we read in Scripture of apparitions of angels happened in prophetic vision--that is, according to imagination. But this is contrary to the intent of Scripture; for whatever is beheld in imaginary vision is only in the beholder's imagination, and consequently is not seen by everybody. Yet Divine Scripture from time to time introduces angels so apparent as to be seen commonly by all; just as the angels who appeared to Abraham were seen by him and by his whole family, by Lot, and by the citizens of Sodom; in like manner the angel who appeared to Tobias was seen by all present. From all this it is clearly shown that such apparitions were beheld by bodily vision, whereby the object seen exists outside the person beholding it, and can accordingly be seen by all. Now by such a vision only a body can be beheld. Consequently, since the angels are not bodies, nor have they bodies naturally united with them, as is clear from what has been said (A. 1; Q. 50, A. 1), it follows that they sometimes a.s.sume bodies.
Reply Obj. 1: Angels need an a.s.sumed body, not for themselves, but on our account; that by conversing familiarly with men they may give evidence of that intellectual companions.h.i.+p which men expect to have with them in the life to come. Moreover that angels a.s.sumed bodies under the Old Law was a figurative indication that the Word of G.o.d would take a human body; because all the apparitions in the Old Testament were ordained to that one whereby the Son of G.o.d appeared in the flesh.
Reply Obj. 2: The body a.s.sumed is united to the angel not as its form, nor merely as its mover, but as its mover represented by the a.s.sumed movable body. For as in the Sacred Scripture the properties of intelligible things are set forth by the likenesses of things sensible, in the same way by Divine power sensible bodies are so fas.h.i.+oned by angels as fittingly to represent the intelligible properties of an angel. And this is what we mean by an angel a.s.suming a body.
Reply Obj. 3: Although air as long as it is in a state of rarefaction has neither shape nor color, yet when condensed it can both be shaped and colored as appears in the clouds. Even so the angels a.s.sume bodies of air, condensing it by the Divine power in so far as is needful for forming the a.s.sumed body.