← Back to Distinction 23

Dist. 23, Art. 2, Q. 3

Book III: On the Incarnation of the Word · Distinction 23

Textus Latinus
p. 492

Quaestio III. Utrum fides informis sit in daemonibus.

Tertio quaeritur de subiecto fidei informis, et est quaestio, utrum fides informis sit in daemonibus. Et quod sic, videtur.

1. Iacobi secundop492-6: Daemones credunt et contremiscunt: si ergo fides, quae est principium timoris, haec est fides, quae est virtus informis; videtur, quod fides, secundum quod est virtus, sit in daemonibus.

2. Item, super illud ad Romanos primop492-7: Iustitia Dei revelatur ex fide in fidem; Glossa: « Fides daemonum est et nominetenus Christianorum »; sed in Christianis, qui sunt nominetenus Christiani, est fides informis tanquam in subiecto: ergo et in daemonibus.

3. Item, Marci primop492-8: Quid nobis et tibi, Iesu Nazarene? et saepe in Evangelio daemones clamabant, Christum esse Filium Dei; sed constat, quod eius Divinitatem non poterant intueri, et hoc est super rationem, quod Deus fieret homo: ergo videtur, quod hoc non noverant nisi cognitione fidei: ergo videtur, quod habuerunt fidem.

4. Item, cognitio Trinitatis et Unitatis supra rationem est, sicut in primo librop492-9 ostensum fuit; sed daemones cognoscunt, Deum esse trinum et unum;

p. 493

et talis cognitio, qua cognoscitur Deus esse trinus et unus, vel est cognitio fidei, vel est cognitio comprehensionis: cum ergo daemones non habeant cognitionem comprehensionis de ipsa Trinitate, habent ergo cognitionem fidei.

Sed contra: 1. Super illud secundae ad Corinthios sextop493-1: Quae conventio Christi ad Belial? dicit Glossa: « Sicut Christus omnia bene, sic diabolus omnia male »; sed credere fidei informis est actus virtutis et actus bonus: ergo si daemonis est omnia male facere, videtur, quod ad ipsum non spectet ipsum credere, ergo nec habere fidem informem.

2. Item, fides informis est habitus infusus et donum Deip493-2: si ergo daemones habent fidem, aut infusa est eis ante lapsum, aut post; ante lapsum non, quia tunc non erant in statu, in quo esset eis fides opportuna; post lapsum non, quia obstinati sunt, ut dona Dei non possint suscipere: ergo si nunquam habuerunt habitum fidei infusum, et fides informis est per infusionem; non ergo habent fidem informem.

3. Item, credere, quod est actus fidei informis, est voluntarium, quia, « cum cetera possit homo nolens, credere non potest nisi volensp493-3 »; sed daemones, quantum est ex parte voluntatis suae, repugnant omni veritati et omni bono: si igitur ipsa fides informis facit credere voluntarie, videtur, quod daemones non habeant ipsam.

4. Item, fides informis est principium timoris servilis, et timor servilis facit peccatum fugerep493-4: si ergo fides informis esset in daemonibus, esset in eis fuga alicuius peccati: si ergo nullum peccatum fugiunt, videtur, quod habitus informis in eis non reperiatur.

Conclusio.

In daemonibus est aliqua fides informis, prout tamen caret non tantum forma virtutis gratuitae, sed etiam forma habitus virtuosi, infusi et voluntarii.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod sicut ex praecedentibusp493-5 patet, fides informis dicitur duobus modis: quaedam, quae innititur primae Veritati propter se, quamvis in ipsam non tendat amando; alia est fides informis, quae innititur ipsi veritati articulorum propter aliquam rationem creatam. Et prima quidem dicitur fides informis, non quia careat forma fidei, secundum quod est virtus, sed solum secundum quod est virtus gratuita; et de hac dictum est priusp493-6, quod est habitus virtuosus et habitus infusus. Secundo vero modo dicitur fides informis, quia caret forma fidei, et secundum quod virtus est, et secundum quod gratuita est. Nam illa credulitas, qua quis assentit articulis propter rationem creatam principaliter, non solum caret intentione habitus gratuiti, sed etiam intentione habitus virtuosi. Nullius enim virtutis videtur essep493-7 credere, cum quis credit innitendo persuasioni, quam videt.

Si igitur hoc secundo modo accipiatur informis fides, sic concedi potest, eam reperiri in daemonibus. Habent enim aliquam notitiam et credulitatem de articulis et credibilibus, quae quidem fides potest dici sive credulitas, propter hoc quod non est in eis visio aperta. — Et illa quidem cognitio partim fuit eis indita a prima conditione, partim est ex acquisitione. A prima enim conditione sua habuerunt cognitionem aliquam de articulis pertinentibus ad Trinitatem, quae etsi tunc non merereturp493-8 dici fides, immo potius cognitio contemplationis, propter absentiam aenigmatis, peccato tamen superveniente et aenigmate subsequente, illa cognitio meruit dici fides, cum sit cognitio aenigmatica de his quae spectant ad divina. — Quantum autem ad articulos spectantes ad humanitatem est in eis cognitio acquisita per multa miracula et experimenta et quasi extorta necessitate quadam. Dum enim daemones vident aperte, eos qui Christump493-9 credunt et ei conformantur, non posse damnari; manifesta ratione coguntur credere, fidem credentium in Christum veram esse; ac per hoc per consequens credunt, omnia esse vera, quae Christiani credunt; et ex hoc etiam perterrentur, propter quod dicit beatus Iacobus, quod credunt et contremiscunt.

Si vero loquamur de fide informi, secundum quod accipitur primo modo, videlicet prout est habitus virtuosus et habitus infusus et etiam voluntarius; hoc modo, etsi reperiatur in christianis viatoribus, non tamen potest reperiri in daemonibus, tum quia ipsi non sunt apti ad suscipiendos habitus infusos, tum quia voluntas eorum magis prona est ad impugnandum veritatem secundum pietatemp493-10, quam ad assentiendum ei. — Unde concedendae sunt rationes, quae hoc ostendunt.

p. 494

Ad oppositum:

Ad 1. 2. Ad illud vero quod obiicitur in contrarium de auctoritate Iacobi, et de Glossa, quod informis qualitas est in daemonibusp494-1; dicendum, quod in utrisque reperitur fides, sed tamen aliter et aliter, sicut prius dictum est. Christiani enim nominetenus voluntarie assentiunt, et illa fides potest eis esse via ad virtutem, et quodam modo rectificat eorum mentem, etsi non plene; non sic autem est in daemonibus, quia ipsi credunt coacti et quasi cum quodam murmure.

Ad 3. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod confitebantur, Christum esse Filium Dei; dicendum, quod sicut dicit Augustinus in libro de Civitate Deip494-2, « ipse Christus innotuit daemonibus non per id quod est veritas et lux, sed per quaedam suae virtutis effecta ». Unde quia ipsi videbant miram Christi virtutem in suis effectibus, cui nullatenus possent resistere; cognoscebant, ipsum non purum hominem, sed etiam Deum esse. Illa tamen credulitas non erat fides informis, secundum quod fides informis est virtus, quia non adhaerebant ipsi primae Veritati propter se.

Ad 4. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod cognoscebant, Deum esse trinum et unum; dicendum, quod illa cognitio in daemonibus erat derelicta ex cognitione, quam habuerunt ex prima sui conditione. Secundum enim quod dicit Dionysius in libro de Divinis Nominibus, capitulo quartop494-3: « Data daemonibus dona nequaquam ipsa mutata esse dicimus, sed sunt integra et splendidissima, quamvis ipsi non videant, claudentes in se boni inspectivas virtutes ». Et sic non oportet in daemonibus ponere habitum fidei infusae, cum talem notitiam habuerint a prima naturali sua conditione, licet eam habeant quodam modo minus perfecte propter suarum mentium obcaecationemp494-4.

---

English Translation
p. 492

Question III. Whether unformed faith is in the demons.

Thirdly it is asked concerning the subject of unformed faith, and the question is whether unformed faith is in the demons. And that it is, seems [the case].

1. James 2p492-6: The demons believe and tremble: if therefore faith, which is the principle of fear, is this faith, which is an unformed virtue; it seems that faith, insofar as it is a virtue, is in the demons.

2. Likewise, on that text of Romans 1p492-7: The justice of God is revealed from faith unto faith; the Gloss [says]: « The faith of the demons exists, and that of Christians in name only »; but in Christians who are Christians in name only, unformed faith exists as in a subject: therefore [it exists] also in the demons.

3. Likewise, Mark 1p492-8: What have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth? and often in the Gospel the demons cried out that Christ was the Son of God; but it is established that they could not behold his Divinity, and this is above reason, that God should become man: therefore it seems that they knew this only by the cognition of faith: therefore it seems that they had faith.

4. Likewise, the cognition of the Trinity and the Unity is above reason, as was shown in the first bookp492-9; but the demons know that God is three and one;

p. 493

and such a cognition, by which it is known that God is three and one, is either a cognition of faith, or a cognition of comprehension: since therefore the demons do not have a cognition of comprehension concerning the Trinity itself, they have therefore a cognition of faith.

On the contrary: 1. On that text of Second Corinthians 6p493-1: What concord hath Christ with Belial? the Gloss says: « As Christ [does] all things well, so the devil [does] all things ill »; but to believe belongs to unformed faith [as] an act of virtue and a good act: therefore if it belongs to a demon to do all things ill, it seems that to believe does not pertain to him, and therefore neither to have unformed faith.

2. Likewise, unformed faith is an infused habit and a gift of Godp493-2: if therefore the demons have faith, either it was infused into them before the fall, or after; not before the fall, since then they were not in a state in which faith would be fitting for them; not after the fall, since they are obstinate, so that they cannot receive the gifts of God: therefore if they never had the infused habit of faith, and unformed faith is by infusion; they do not therefore have unformed faith.

3. Likewise, to believe, which is the act of unformed faith, is voluntary, since, « although a man can do other things unwillingly, he cannot believe except willinglyp493-3 »; but the demons, as far as is on the part of their will, are repugnant to all truth and all good: if therefore unformed faith itself causes one to believe voluntarily, it seems that the demons do not have it.

4. Likewise, unformed faith is the principle of servile fear, and servile fear causes one to flee sinp493-4: if therefore unformed faith were in the demons, there would be in them a fleeing of some sin: if therefore they flee no sin, it seems that the unformed habit is not found in them.

Conclusion.

In the demons there is some unformed faith, yet inasmuch as it lacks not only the form of gratuitous virtue, but also the form of a virtuous, infused, and voluntary habit.

I respond: It must be said that, as is clear from the foregoingp493-5, unformed faith is spoken of in two ways: one, which leans upon the First Truth for its own sake, although it does not tend toward it by loving; the other is unformed faith, which leans upon the truth of the articles themselves on account of some created reason. And the first indeed is called unformed faith, not because it lacks the form of faith insofar as it is a virtue, but only insofar as it is a gratuitous virtue; and of this it was said beforep493-6 that it is a virtuous habit and an infused habit. But in the second way faith is called unformed because it lacks the form of faith, both insofar as it is a virtue, and insofar as it is gratuitous. For that credulity by which someone assents to the articles principally on account of a created reason lacks not only the intention of a gratuitous habit, but also the intention of a virtuous habit. For to believe seems to belong to no virtuep493-7 when someone believes by leaning upon a persuasion which he sees.

If therefore unformed faith be taken in this second way, then it can be granted that it is found in the demons. For they have some knowledge and credulity concerning the articles and the things to be believed, which indeed can be called faith or credulity, on account of the fact that there is not in them an open vision. — And that cognition was partly imparted to them from their first condition, [and] partly is from acquisition. For from their first condition they had some cognition concerning the articles pertaining to the Trinity, which, although then it did not deservep493-8 to be called faith, but rather the cognition of contemplation, on account of the absence of the enigma, yet, sin supervening and the enigma following, that cognition deserved to be called faith, since it is an enigmatic cognition concerning the things that pertain to the divine. — But as regards the articles pertaining to the humanity, there is in them a cognition acquired through many miracles and experiences and as it were wrung out by a certain necessity. For when the demons see openly that those who believe in Christp493-9 and are conformed to him cannot be damned; they are compelled by manifest reason to believe that the faith of believers in Christ is true; and through this, consequently, they believe that all things are true which Christians believe; and from this also they are terrified, on account of which the blessed James says that they believe and tremble.

But if we speak of unformed faith according as it is taken in the first way, namely insofar as it is a virtuous habit and an infused habit and also voluntary; in this way, although it be found in Christian wayfarers, it nevertheless cannot be found in the demons, both because they are not apt to receive infused habits, and because their will is more inclined to assail the truth as regards pietyp493-10 than to assent to it. — Hence the reasons which show this are to be granted.

p. 494

To the opposite:

To 1 and 2. To that which is objected to the contrary from the authority of James, and from the Gloss, that the unformed quality is in the demonsp494-1; it must be said that in both faith is found, but yet in one way and another, as was said before. For Christians in name believe voluntarily, and that faith can be for them a way to virtue, and in a certain manner rectifies their mind, though not fully; but it is not so in the demons, since they believe under compulsion and as it were with a certain murmuring.

To 3. To that which is objected, that they confessed Christ to be the Son of God; it must be said that, as Augustine says in the book On the City of Godp494-2, « Christ himself became known to the demons not through that which is truth and light, but through certain effects of his power ». Hence, because they saw the wondrous power of Christ in its effects, which they could in no way resist; they knew him to be not a mere man, but also God. Yet that credulity was not unformed faith, according as unformed faith is a virtue, since they did not adhere to the First Truth itself for its own sake.

To 4. To that which is objected, that they knew God to be three and one; it must be said that that cognition in the demons was left over from the cognition which they had from their first condition. For, according as Dionysius says in the book On the Divine Names, chapter fourp494-3: « We say that the gifts given to the demons were by no means themselves changed, but are entire and most splendid, although they themselves do not see, closing within themselves the powers that are inspective of the good ». And so it is not necessary to posit in the demons an infused habit of faith, since they had such knowledge from their first natural condition, although they have it in a certain way less perfectly on account of the blinding of their mindsp494-4.

---

Apparatus Criticus
  1. Vers. 19. — De propos. seq. cfr. infra d. 34. p. II. a. 1. q. 1.
    Verse 19. — On the following proposition cf. below, d. 34, p. II, a. 1, q. 1.
  2. Vers. 17. — Glossa apud Petr. Lombard. in hunc loc. sic sonat: Haec [fides cum caritate] fideles facit et vere Christianos. Alia vero daemonum est et nominetenus Christianorum; nam et daemones credunt et contremiscunt (Iac. 2, 19.). Haec est informis qualitas mentis, quae dicitur informis, quia sociam non habet caritatem, quae est forma omnium virtutum. Cfr. August., in Epist. Ioan. tr. 10. n. 1; Serm. 53. (alias 14. ex Paris.) c. 10. n. 10. seq., nec non hic lit. Magistri, c. 3.
    Verse 17. — The Gloss in Peter Lombard on this passage reads thus: This [faith with charity] makes [men] faithful and truly Christian. But the other [faith] is that of the demons and of Christians in name only; for the demons also believe and tremble (James 2:19). This is the unformed quality of the mind, which is called unformed because it does not have charity as its companion, which is the form of all the virtues. Cf. Augustine, On the Epistle of John, tr. 10, n. 1; Sermon 53 (elsewhere 14, from the Paris [edition]), c. 10, n. 10 ff., and also here the text of the Master, c. 3.
  3. Vers. 24. Cfr. ibid. 5, 7; Matth. 8, 29; Luc. 4, 34; 8, 28.
    Verse 24. Cf. ibid. 5:7; Matthew 8:29; Luke 4:34; 8:28.
  4. Dist. 3. p. I. q. 4.
    Dist. 3, p. I, q. 4.
  5. Vers. 15. Glossa invenitur apud Petr. Lombard. in hunc locum; apud Strabum et Lyranum habetur in Matth. 12, 35. Cfr. tom. II. pag. 178, nota 1. In Glossa Petrus Lombard. post bene supplet agit, Vat. facit. — De minori cfr. supra q. 1.
    Verse 15. The Gloss is found in Peter Lombard on this passage; in Strabus and Lyranus it is given on Matthew 12:35. Cf. tom. II, p. 178, note 1. In the Gloss Peter Lombard, after bene [well], supplies agit [acts]; the Vatican [edition], facit [does]. — On the minor [premise] cf. above, q. 1.
  6. Cfr. quaest. praeced.
    Cf. the preceding question.
  7. Ut dicit August., in Ioan. Evang. tr. 26. n. 2. Cfr. supra pag. 475, nota 3.
    As Augustine says, On the Gospel of John, tr. 26, n. 2. Cf. above, p. 475, note 3.
  8. Vide infra lit. Magistri, d. XXXIV. c. 4.
    See below, the text of the Master, d. XXXIV, c. 4.
  9. Quaest. praeced. — Codd. A I K L Z in praecedentibus. Mox post quaedam cod. F addit enim est fides informis.
    The preceding question. — Codices A I K L Z [read] in the preceding [questions]. Soon after quaedam [one (kind)], codex F adds enim est fides informis [for it is unformed faith].
  10. Quaest. 1. seq. — Paulo ante pro careat forma fidei cod. 0 careat omni forma.
    Question 1 ff. — Shortly before, for careat forma fidei [it should lack the form of faith] codex 0 [reads] careat omni forma [it should lack every form].
  11. Pro videtur esse codd. A K est.
    For videtur esse [seems to be] codices A K [read] est [is].
  12. Cod. U merebatur, edd. meretur. Paulo superius pro habuerunt cod. A habet. — S. Thom. (S. II. II. q. 5. a. 1.) Angelis ante confirmationem et lapsum attribuit donum gratiae et per consequens fidem; de hac controversia cfr. II. Sent. d. 4. a. 1. q. 2. et scholion.
    Codex U [reads] merebatur [was deserving]; the editions, meretur [deserves]. A little above, for habuerunt [they had] codex A [reads] habet [has]. — St. Thomas (Summa II-II, q. 5, a. 1) attributes to the angels, before their confirmation and fall, the gift of grace and consequently faith; on this controversy cf. II Sent., d. 4, a. 1, q. 2, and the scholion.
  13. Cod. aa Christo, Vat. cum nonnullis codd. (codd. N T a secunda manu) in Christum.
    Codex aa [reads] Christo; the Vatican [edition] with several codices (codices N T by a second hand) [reads] in Christum [in Christ].
  14. Epist. ad Tit. 1, 1.
    Epistle to Titus 1:1.
  15. Necessario ex Glossa hic supplendum erit: et in nominetenus Christianis. — Paulo inferius pro ad virtutem codd. A U ad veritatem.
    It will necessarily have to be supplied here from the Gloss: and in Christians in name only. — A little below, for ad virtutem [to virtue] codices A U [read] ad veritatem [to truth].
  16. Libr. IX. c. 21: Innotuit ergo daemonibus non per id quod est vita aeterna et lumen incommutabile, quod illuminat pios, cui videndo per fidem, quae in illo est, corda mundantur, sed per quaedam temporalia suae virtutis effecta et occultissimae signa praesentiae etc. — Inferius pro possent cod. bb possunt, edd. 1, 2 potuerunt, Vat. poterant.
    Book IX, c. 21: He became known therefore to the demons not through that which is eternal life and the unchangeable light, which illumines the pious, by seeing whom through the faith that is in him hearts are cleansed, but through certain temporal effects of his power and through the most hidden signs of his presence, etc. — Below, for possent [could] codex bb [reads] possunt [can]; editions 1, 2, potuerunt [were able]; the Vatican [edition], poterant [were able].
  17. Paragr. 23. In textu Graeco ultima huius testimonii verba sic sonant: καὶ αὐτοὶ μὴ ὁρῶσιν, ἀπομύσαντες αὐτῶν [in aliis edd. ἑαυτῶν] τὰς ἀγαθοπτικὰς δυνάμεις; qua verba S. Thom. in suo Comment. lect. 19. ita interpretatur: Sed quod ipsi non vident, hoc provenit ex hoc, quod ipsi per liberum arbitrium clauserunt « suas virtutes inspectivas boni », id est, averterunt voluntarie suum intellectum non a consideratione veri, sed ab inspectione boni, in quantum est bonum, quia scilicet nolunt illud sequi. — Pro inspectivas plures codd. in speculativis, alii et edd. speculativas. Vat. pro virtutes substituit veritates, omisso prius cum edd. 1, 2 boni.
    Paragraph 23. In the Greek text the last words of this testimony read thus: καὶ αὐτοὶ μὴ ὁρῶσιν, ἀπομύσαντες αὐτῶν [in other editions ἑαυτῶν] τὰς ἀγαθοπτικὰς δυνάμεις; which words St. Thomas in his Commentary, lect. 19, interprets thus: But that they themselves do not see, this arises from the fact that they themselves by free will closed up « their powers inspective of the good », that is, they voluntarily turned away their intellect not from the consideration of the true, but from the inspection of the good insofar as it is good, namely because they will not follow it. — For inspectivas [inspective] several codices [read] in speculativis [in speculative things]; others and the editions, speculativas [speculative]. The Vatican [edition], for virtutes [powers] substitutes veritates [truths], having omitted before, with editions 1, 2, boni [of the good].
  18. Vide scholion ad 1. huius art. quaestionem.
    See the scholion on the first question of this article.
← Dist. 23, Art. 2, Q. 2Dist. 23, Art. 2, Q. 4→