on earth. But as the souls of the blessed are most
perfectly united to Divine justice, they do not suffer from sorrow,
nor do they interfere in mundane affairs, except in accordance with
Divine justice.

Reply Obj. 1: The souls of the departed may care for the living, even
if ignorant of their state; just as we care for the dead by pouring
forth prayer on their behalf, though we are ignorant of their state.
Moreover, the affairs of the living can be made known to them not
immediately, but the souls who pass hence thither, or by angels and
demons, or even by "the revelation of the Holy Ghost," as Augustine
says in the same book.

Reply Obj. 2: That the dead appear to the living in any way whatever
is either by the special dispensation of God; in order that the souls
of the dead may interfere in affairs of the living--and this is to be
accounted as miraculous. Or else such apparitions occur through the
instrumentality of bad or good angels, without the knowledge of the
departed; as may likewise happen when the living appear, without
their own knowledge, to others living, as Augustine says in the same
book. And so it may be said of Samuel that he appeared through Divine
revelation; according to Ecclus. 46:23, "he slept, and told the king
the end of his life." Or, again, this apparition was procured by the
demons; unless, indeed, the authority of Ecclesiasticus be set aside
through not being received by the Jews as canonical Scripture.

Reply Obj. 3: This kind of ignorance does not proceed from the
obstacle of local distance, but from the cause mentioned above.
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QUESTION 90

OF THE FIRST PRODUCTION OF MAN'S SOUL
(In Four Articles)

After the foregoing we must consider the first production of man,
concerning which there are four subjects of treatment:

(1) the production of man himself;

(2) the end of this production;

(3) the state and condition of the first man;

(4) the place of his abode.

Concerning the production of man, there are three things to be
considered:

(1) the production of man's soul;

(2) the production of man's body;

(3) the production of the woman.

Under the first head there are four points of inquiry:

(1) Whether man's soul was something made, or was of the Divine
substance?

(2) Whether, if made, it was created?

(3) Whether it was made by angelic instrumentality?

(4) Whether it was made before the body?
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FIRST ARTICLE [I