Bonaventure

QUAESTIO II.

Utrum inter angelos malos sit praelatio.

Secundo quaeritur circa hoc, utrum inter angelos malos sit praelatio. Et quod sit ibi de facto, ostenditur.

1. Iob penultimo¹: Non est potestas super terram, quae possit ei comparari. Et iterum: Ipse est rex super omnes filios superbiae; sed daemones sunt huiusmodi: ergo etc.

2. Item, Matthaei vigesimo quinto²: Ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum, qui paratus est diabolo et angelis eius. Vocat minores daemones angelos diaboli: ergo cum angelus diaboli nullus dicatur quantum ad naturae conditionem, dicitur ergo quantum ad ministerii subiectionem: ergo etc.

Item, quod de iure unus praesit alii, videtur. 3. «Servitus enim introducta est inter homines, ut dicit Ambrosius³, merito peccati»; sed nullum peccatum adeo meretur servitutem, sicut peccatum ambitionis et superbiae: cum ergo daemones maxime illo peccaverunt, inter eos maxime debet esse servitus et dominium, et ita praelatio.

4. Item, habens liberi arbitrii voluntatem secundum legem potest se facere servum sempiternum, sicut dicitur Exodi vigesimo primo⁴; sed daemones, liberae voluntatis entes, lucifero se voluntarie subiecerunt, dum eius superbiae consenserunt: ergo facti sunt servi.

SED CONTRA: Quod ibi non sit praelatio de facto, videtur.

1. Inter superbos semper iurgia sunt, sicut dicitur Proverbiorum decimo tertio⁵. Ergo cum ipsi sint valde superbi, videtur, quod refugiant omne dominium: ergo aut non est ibi praelatio, aut si est, nullius stabilitatis est.

2. Item, si est ibi, aut ergo natura, aut violentia, aut electione voluntaria. Non natura, quia natura etiam post culpam et in poenis eadem manebit; sed tamen post iudicium cessabit omnis praelatio, ut dicit Magister⁶. Si violentia: ergo quilibet, qui potest, subiugat sibi alium; sed hoc non est sine quadam colluctatione et pugna: ergo videtur, quod continue sit inter daemones rixa et discordia; quod manifeste falsum est, quia miro modo concordes sunt ad pervertendos homines, quod non esset, si inter se bellarent. Igitur non est nisi electione voluntatis; sed hoc est falsum, quia superbi sunt: ergo etc.

Item, videtur, quod non sit ibi de iure. 3. Si enim servitus et dominium introducta sunt propter peccatum, ita quod servitus est poena peccati⁷, ergo magis deberet servitute deprimi qui magis peccavit; sed lucifer magis peccavit: ergo omnibus deberet esse subiectus. Sed nulla est praelatio, in qua unus subiicitur multis: ergo etc.

4. Item, licet homo teneatur hominis imperio obedire, cui subiugatus est et subditus factus, sicut dicit Scriptura⁸: Servi obedite per omnia dominis; tamen quando praecipit contra Deum, non tenetur nec debet; et si semper praeciperet contra Deum, nunquam deberet subiici nec obedire: ergo si nunquam posset aliquid praecipere nisi contra Deum, nullo modo posset nec deberet ei de iure subesse. Si ergo diabolus contra Deum praecipit in omni eo quod mandat, nec aliter potest praecipere, patet etc.

CONCLUSIO.

Praelatio de facto est inter daemones, usquedum cessabit status ministerii.

RESPONDEO: Dicendum, quod sicut dicit Magister in littera, praelatio est inter daemones; et alii imperant, alii obediunt, sicut tangit Magister in littera⁹. p. 169Et hoc satis videtur probabile, tum quia filii tenebrarum quodammodo imitari conantur, licet falso et imperfecte, filios lucis; unde, sicut vident Angelos ordinate officia sua exsequi secundum imperia sapientiorum et maiorum, similiter ipsi faciunt maleficia; tum etiam quia filii tenebrarum prudentissimi sunt in generatione sua¹⁰. Et quia habent colluctationem adversus genus humanum, et regnum eorum et exercitus, si esset divisus et sine capite, non posset stare: ideo, sicut homines proeliantes in exercitu, quantumcumque sint praesumtuosi, tamen propter odium inimicorum libenter subiacent duci imperanti et habent multos proximos¹¹ et unum principalem ducem; sic credendum est esse in daemonibus. — Concedendum est ergo, quod inter daemones est praelatio.

1. Et patet responsio ad illud quod primo obiicitur de superbia, quia malitia et invidia, quam non potest superbus exercere sine adiutore, facit eum libenter alii subiici propter appetitum triumphi¹².

2. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quomodo sit ibi praelatio; dicendum, quod non est electione nec violentia, sed credo, quod natura et divina institutione. A sua enim conditione data est eis vis ministrativa, et potentior uni quam alii; et Deus ordinavit, ut minus potentes et sapientes magis potentibus et sapientibus subessent in ministrando. Et Hugo¹³ dicit, quod «id in malo ministerium exercent, quod perficiendum ex conditione acceperunt». Et ita sibi invicem praesunt, sicut praeessent, si essent boni; et cum cessabit status ministerii, cessabit status praelationis; et sic patet, quod de facto est praelatio.

3. 4. Ad illud quod quaeritur, utrum de iure; dicendum, quod nulla omnino est praelatio de iure, quia, cum ipsi daemones subiectis nihil praecipiant nisi contra ius, eo quod ruperunt ius et dissipaverunt foedus sempiternum¹⁴, ideo nulla manet ibi iuris obligatio, sed solum malevolens confoederatio. Nec est simile de homine, qui iuste potest praecipere servo; et ideo non valent rationes ad hoc inductae¹⁵.

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QUESTION II.

Whether there is precedence among the evil angels.

Secondly it is asked concerning this, whether there is precedence among the evil angels. And that there is in fact, it is shown.

1. Job, second-to-last [chapter]¹: There is no power upon earth that can be compared with him. And again: He is king over all the children of pride; but the demons are of this kind: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, Matthew, twenty-fifth [chapter]²: Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels. He calls the lesser demons the angels of the devil: therefore since no one is called an angel of the devil as regards the condition of nature, it is said therefore as regards the subjection of ministry: therefore etc.

Likewise, that by right one is set over another, it seems [so]. 3. «For servitude was introduced among men, as Ambrose says³, by the merit of sin»; but no sin so merits servitude as the sin of ambition and pride: since therefore the demons sinned most of all by that [sin], among them most of all there ought to be servitude and dominion, and thus precedence.

4. Likewise, one having the will of free choice can according to law make himself a perpetual slave, as is said in Exodus, twenty-first [chapter]⁴; but the demons, being of free will, voluntarily subjected themselves to Lucifer, when they consented to his pride: therefore they became slaves.

BUT ON THE CONTRARY: That there is not there a precedence in fact, it seems [so].

1. Among the proud there are always quarrels, as is said in Proverbs, thirteenth [chapter]⁵. Therefore since they are very proud, it seems that they flee from all dominion: therefore either there is not there a precedence, or if there is, it is of no stability.

2. Likewise, if there is [precedence] there, then either [by] nature, or [by] violence, or by voluntary choice. Not [by] nature, because nature even after fault and in punishments will remain the same; but yet after the judgment all precedence will cease, as the Master says⁶. If [by] violence: then anyone who can, subjugates another to himself; but this is not without a certain struggle and fight: therefore it seems that there is continually among the demons strife and discord; which is manifestly false, because they are wondrously concordant in perverting men, which would not be, if they warred among themselves. Therefore it is only by choice of the will; but this is false, because they are proud: therefore etc.

Likewise, it seems that there is not there [precedence] by right. 3. For if servitude and dominion were introduced on account of sin, so that servitude is the punishment of sin⁷, then he who sinned more ought rather to be pressed down by servitude; but Lucifer sinned more: therefore he ought to be subject to all. But there is no precedence in which one is subjected to many: therefore etc.

4. Likewise, although a man is bound to obey the command of a man to whom he has been subjugated and made subject, as Scripture says⁸: Servants, obey in all things your masters; yet when he commands against God, he is not bound nor ought [to obey]; and if he were always to command against God, he would never be bound to be subject or to obey: therefore if he could never command anything except against God, in no way could he nor ought he by right to be subject to him. If, therefore, the devil commands against God in everything that he orders, nor can he command otherwise, it is clear etc.

CONCLUSION.

Precedence in fact exists among the demons, until the state of ministry shall cease.

I RESPOND: It must be said that, as the Master says in the text, there is precedence among the demons; and some command, others obey, as the Master touches upon in the text⁹. p. 169And this seems probable enough, both because the children of darkness in a manner strive to imitate, though falsely and imperfectly, the children of light; whence, just as they see the Angels orderly carry out their offices according to the commands of the wiser and greater, similarly they themselves do their maleficent works; and also because the children of darkness are most prudent in their generation¹⁰. And because they have a struggle against the human race, and their kingdom and army, if it were divided and without a head, could not stand: therefore, just as men fighting in an army, however presumptuous they are, yet on account of hatred of the enemies willingly submit to a commanding leader and have many neighbors¹¹ and one principal leader; so it is to be believed [it is] among the demons. — It is to be conceded, therefore, that among the demons there is precedence.

1. And the response is clear to that which is objected first concerning pride, because the malice and envy which the proud one cannot exercise without a helper makes him willingly subject himself to another for the desire of triumph¹².

2. To that which is objected, in what manner there is precedence there; it must be said that it is not by choice nor by violence, but I believe [it is] by nature and by divine institution. For from their condition the ministrative power was given to them, and [it is] more powerful in one than in another; and God ordained that the less powerful and wise should be subject to the more powerful and wise in ministering. And Hugh¹³ says that «they exercise in evil that ministry which they received [as something] to be brought to completion in good from [their] condition». And thus they are set over one another, just as they would be set over [them], if they were good; and when the state of ministry shall cease, the state of precedence will cease; and thus it is clear that in fact there is precedence.

3. 4. To that which is asked, whether by right; it must be said that there is no precedence at all by right, because, since the demons themselves command their subjects nothing except against right, in that they broke right and dissipated the everlasting covenant¹⁴, therefore no obligation of right remains there, but only a malevolent confederation. Nor is it like [the case] of a man who can justly command a slave; and therefore the reasons brought forward for this are not valid¹⁵.