Part I (Prima Pars) Part 169 (2/2)
Reply Obj. 2: A twofold reason may be given in a.s.signing the number of the a.s.sisting and ministering angels. For Gregory says that those who minister are more numerous than those who a.s.sist; because he takes the words (Dan. 7:10) ”thousands of thousands ministered to Him,” not in a multiple but in a part.i.tive sense, to mean ”thousands out of thousands”; thus the number of those who minister is indefinite, and signifies excess; while the number of a.s.sistants is finite as in the words added, ”and ten thousand times a hundred thousand a.s.sisted Him.” This explanation rests on the opinion of the Platonists, who said that the nearer things are to the one first principle, the smaller they are in number; as the nearer a number is to unity, the lesser it is than mult.i.tude. This opinion is verified as regards the number of orders, as six administer and three a.s.sist.
Dionysius, however, (Coel. Hier. xiv) declares that the mult.i.tude of angels surpa.s.ses all the mult.i.tude of material things; so that, as the superior bodies exceed the inferior in magnitude to an immeasurable degree, so the superior incorporeal natures surpa.s.s all corporeal natures in mult.i.tude; because whatever is better is more intended and more multiplied by G.o.d. Hence, as the a.s.sistants are superior to the ministers there will be more a.s.sistants than ministers. In this way, the words ”thousands of thousands” are taken by way of multiplication, to signify ”a thousand times a thousand.” And because ten times a hundred is a thousand, if it were said ”ten times a hundred thousand”
it would mean that there are as many a.s.sistants as ministers: but since it is written ”ten thousand times a hundred thousand,” we are given to understand that the a.s.sistants are much more numerous than the ministers. Nor is this said to signify that this is the precise number of angels, but rather that it is much greater, in that it exceeds all material mult.i.tude. This is signified by the multiplication together of all the greatest numbers, namely ten, a hundred, and a thousand, as Dionysius remarks in the same pa.s.sage.
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QUESTION 113
OF THE GUARDIANs.h.i.+P OF THE GOOD ANGELS (In Eight Articles)
We next consider the guardians.h.i.+p exercised by the good angels; and their warfare against the bad angels. Under the first head eight points of inquiry arise:
(1) Whether men are guarded by the angels?
(2) Whether to each man is a.s.signed a single guardian angel?
(3) Whether the guardians.h.i.+p belongs only to the lowest order of angels?
(4) Whether it is fitting for each man to have an angel guardian?
(5) When does an angel's guardians.h.i.+p of a man begin?
(6) Whether the angel guardians always watch over men?
(7) Whether the angel grieves over the loss of the one guarded?
(8) Whether rivalry exists among the angels as regards their guardians.h.i.+p?
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FIRST ARTICLE [I, Q. 113, Art. 1]
Whether Men Are Guarded by the Angels?
Objection 1: It would seem that men are not guarded by the angels.
For guardians are deputed to some because they either know not how, or are not able, to guard themselves, as children and the sick. But man is able to guard himself by his free-will; and knows how by his natural knowledge of natural law. Therefore man is not guarded by an angel.
Obj. 2: Further, a strong guard makes a weaker one superfluous. But men are guarded by G.o.d, according to Ps. 120:4: ”He shall neither slumber nor sleep, that keepeth Israel.” Therefore man does not need to be guarded by an angel.
Obj. 3: Further, the loss of the guarded redounds to the negligence of the guardian; hence it was said to a certain one: ”Keep this man; and if he shall slip away, thy life shall be for his life” (3 Kings 20:39). Now many perish daily through falling into sin; whom the angels could help by visible appearance, or by miracles, or in some such-like way. The angels would therefore be negligent if men are given to their guardians.h.i.+p. But that is clearly false. Therefore the angels are not the guardians of men.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Ps. 90:11): ”He hath given His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”
_I answer that,_ According to the plan of Divine Providence, we find that in all things the movable and variable are moved and regulated by the immovable and invariable; as all corporeal things by immovable spiritual substances, and the inferior bodies by the superior which are invariable in substance. We ourselves also are regulated as regards conclusions, about which we may have various opinions, by the principles which we hold in an invariable manner. It is moreover manifest that as regards things to be done human knowledge and affection can vary and fail from good in many ways; and so it was necessary that angels should be deputed for the guardians.h.i.+p of men, in order to regulate them and move them to good.
Reply Obj. 1: By free-will man can avoid evil to a certain degree, but not in any sufficient degree; forasmuch as he is weak in affection towards good on account of the manifold pa.s.sions of the soul. Likewise universal natural knowledge of the law, which by nature belongs to man, to a certain degree directs man to good, but not in a sufficient degree; because in the application of the universal principles of law to particular actions man happens to be deficient in many ways. Hence it is written (Wis. 9:14): ”The thoughts of mortal men are fearful, and our counsels uncertain.”
Thus man needs to be guarded by the angels.
Reply Obj. 2: Two things are required for a good action; first, that the affection be inclined to good, which is effected in us by the habit of mortal virtue. Secondly, that reason should discover the proper methods to make perfect the good of virtue; this the Philosopher (Ethic. vi) attributes to prudence. As regards the first, G.o.d guards man immediately by infusing into him grace and virtues; as regards the second, G.o.d guards man as his universal instructor, Whose precepts reach man by the medium of the angels, as above stated (Q.
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