aven of the angels, explaining the passage
of Deut. 10:14: "Behold heaven is the Lord's thy God, and the heaven
of heaven."
Reply Obj. 1: The angels were created in a corporeal place, not as
if depending upon a body either as to their existence or as to their
being made; because God could have created them before all corporeal
creation, as many holy Doctors hold. They were made in a corporeal
place in order to show their relationship to corporeal nature, and
that they are by their power in touch with bodies.
Reply Obj. 2: By the uppermost atmosphere Augustine possibly means
the highest part of heaven, to which the atmosphere has a kind of
affinity owing to its subtlety and transparency. Or else he is not
speaking of all the angels; but only of such as sinned, who, in the
opinion of some, belonged to the inferior orders. But there is
nothing to hinder us from saying that the higher angels, as having an
exalted and universal power over all corporeal things, were created
in the highest place of the corporeal creature; while the other
angels, as having more restricted powers, were created among the
inferior bodies.
Reply Obj. 3: Isaias is not speaking there of any corporeal heaven,
but of the heaven of the Blessed Trinity; unto which the sinning
angel wished to ascend, when he desired to be equal in some manner
to God, as will appear later on (Q. 63, A. 3).
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QUESTION 62
OF THE PERFECTION OF THE ANGELS IN THE ORDER OF GRACE AND OF GLORY
(In Nine Articles)
In due sequence we have to inquire how the angels were made in the
order of grace and of glory; under which heading there are nine
points of inquiry:
(1) Were the angels created in beatitude?
(2) Did they need grace in order to turn to God?
(3) Were they created in grace?
(4) Did they merit their beatitude?
(5) Did they at once enter into beatitude after merit?
(6) Did they receive grace and glory according to their natural
capacities?
(7) After entering glory, did their natural love and knowledge
remain?
(8) Could they have sinned afterwards?
(9) After entering into glory, could they advance farther?
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FIRST ARTICLE [I, Q. 62, Art. 1]
Whether the Angels Were Created in Beatitude?
Objection 1: It would seem that the angels were created in beatitude.
For it is stated (De Eccl. Dogm. xxix) that "the angels who continue
in the beatitude wherein they were created, do not of their nature
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