Pars 2, Cap. 8
Breviloquium · Pars II: De creatura mundi
Capitulum VIII. De confirmatione bonorum Angelorum.
De confirmatione vero Angelorum hoc tenendum est, quod sicut angeli a Deo aversi statim sunt obstinati per impoenitentiam; sic ad Deum conversi statim fuerunt confirmati per gratiam et gloriam in voluntate, perfecte illuminati in ratione secundum cognitionem matutinam et vespertinam, perfecte fortificati in virtute sive imperativa, sive exsecutiva5, et perfecte ordinati in operatione sive contemplativa, sive ministrativa; et hoc secundum triplicem hierarchiam, scilicet supremam, mediam et infimam.
Ad supremam autem spectant Throni, Cherubim et Seraphim; ad mediam Dominationes, Virtutes et Potestates; ad infimam Principatus, Archangeli, Angeli. Ex quibus plurimi sunt in ministerium missi6 et ad custodiam hominum deputati, quibus ministrant purgando, illuminando et perficiendo, secundum imperium voluntatis Dei.
Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est: quia, cum Angeli propter expressam similitudinem et propinquitatem ad primum et summum principium habeant intellectum deiformem7 et immutabilitatem post consensum ex libertate arbitrii; divina superveniente gratia, ad summum bonum conversi, cum totaliter in Deum tenderent, per gloriam fuerunt confirmati pariter et perfecti: ideo quantum
ad voluntatem fuerunt stabiles et felices; quantum ad rationem, perspicaces, ita ut non tantum cognoscerent res in proprio genere, sed etiam in arte, ac per hoc non tantum haberent cognitionem vespertinam, sed etiam matutinam, vel etiam diurnam, propter illius lucis plenitudinem et omnimodam puritatem, respectu cuius omnis creatura merito potest dici tenebra1. — Quantum autem ad virtuositatem perfecte fortificati sive in imperando, sive in exsequendo, vel assumto corpore, vel etiam non assumto. — Quantum vero ad operationem perfectissime ordinati, ut iam non possint deordinari nec ascendendo ad contemplationem Dei nec descendendo ad ministrandum homini; quia, cum Deum facie ad faciem2 contemplentur, quocumque mittantur, intra Deum currunt.
Aguntur enim et agunt secundum ordinem hierarchicum in eis initiatum per naturam et consummatum per gloriam, quae, stabiliendo liberi arbitrii vertibilitatem, illustravit perspicacitatem, ordinavit officiositatem et roboravit virtutem, secundum quatuor attributa superius3 nominata. — Perspicacitas autem rationis in contemplando aut principaliter respicit ad maiestatem divinam venerandam, aut ad veritatem intelligendam, aut ad bonitatem desiderandam; et secundum hoc sunt tres ordines in prima hierarchia, scilicet Throni, ad quos reverentia; Cherubim, ad quos sapientia, et Seraphim, ad quos spectat benevolentia. — Ad perfectam autem virtuositatem spectat virtus imperativa, virtus exsecutiva et virtus expeditiva4. Prima ad Dominationes, secunda ad Virtutes, tertia vero ad Potestates spectat, quarum est arcere potestates contrarias. — Ad perfectam officiositatem spectat regere, revelare et relevare. Primum est Principatuum, secundum Archangelorum et tertium Angelorum, quia custodiunt, ne stantes cadant, et cadentes adiuvant, ut resurgant. — Et sic patet, quod haec omnia sunt in Angelis secundum plus et minus, gradatim a superioribus descendendo usque ad ima. Ordo autem denominari debet ab eo quod « excellentius accepit in munere5 ».
Chapter VIII. On the confirmation of the good Angels.
Concerning the confirmation of the Angels, however, this is to be held: that just as the angels turned away from God were at once made obstinate through impenitence, so those turned toward God were at once confirmed through grace and glory in will, perfectly illumined in reason according to morning and evening knowledge, perfectly strengthened in power whether imperative or executive5, and perfectly ordered in operation whether contemplative or ministrative; and this according to a threefold hierarchy, namely the supreme, the middle and the lowest.
Now to the supreme belong the Thrones, the Cherubim and the Seraphim; to the middle the Dominations, the Virtues and the Powers; to the lowest the Principalities, the Archangels, the Angels. Of these very many are sent into ministry6 and appointed to the guardianship of men, to whom they minister by purging, illumining and perfecting, according to the command of the will of God.
Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: that since the Angels, on account of their express likeness and nearness to the first and highest principle, have a deiform intellect7 and immutability after consent out of freedom of choice; and since, divine grace supervening, being turned to the highest good, they tended wholly into God, they were through glory confirmed and perfected alike: therefore as regards will they were stable and happy; as regards reason,
perspicacious, so that they knew things not only in their proper genus, but also in the art, and through this had not only evening knowledge, but also morning, or even daytime, knowledge, on account of the fullness and the utter purity of that light, in respect of which every creature can deservedly be called darkness1. — But as regards power, [they were] perfectly strengthened, whether in commanding or in executing, whether with a body assumed or even not assumed. — And as regards operation, [they were] most perfectly ordered, so that now they cannot be disordered, neither in ascending to the contemplation of God nor in descending to ministering to man; because, since they contemplate God face to face2, wherever they are sent, they run within God.
For they are acted upon and they act according to the hierarchic order begun in them through nature and consummated through glory — which, by making stable the vertibility of free choice, illumined their perspicacity, ordered their dutifulness and strengthened their power, according to the four attributes named above3. — Now the perspicacity of reason in contemplating looks principally either to the divine majesty, to be venerated, or to truth, to be understood, or to goodness, to be desired; and according to this there are three orders in the first hierarchy, namely the Thrones, to whom [belongs] reverence; the Cherubim, to whom wisdom; and the Seraphim, to whom benevolence pertains. — To perfect power, however, pertain imperative power, executive power and expeditive power4. The first pertains to the Dominations, the second to the Virtues, and the third to the Powers, whose office is to ward off the contrary powers. — To perfect dutifulness pertain to rule, to reveal and to relieve. The first is of the Principalities, the second of the Archangels and the third of the Angels, because they guard lest those standing fall, and help those falling, that they may rise again. — And thus it is clear that all these things are in the Angels according to more and less, descending step by step from the higher even to the lowest. And an order ought to take its name from that which « it has more excellently received as a gift5 ».
- 5Ita B H M, quorum lectio per explicationem huius membri inferius datam approbatur; C P imperativa sive operativa, Q sive motiva imperativa sive exsecutiva, expeditiva (cfr. circa finem explicationis), alii codd. et edd. sive motiva sive operativa. Superius voci Angelorum I praemittit beatorum, edd. bonorum.Thus B H M, whose reading is approved by the explanation of this member given below; C P [read] imperativa sive operativa, Q sive motiva imperativa sive exsecutiva, expeditiva (compare near the end of the explanation), the other codices and the editions sive motiva sive operativa. Above, before the word Angelorum, I prefixes beatorum, the editions bonorum.
- 6Hebr. 1, 14. — De triplici actu hierarchico, scil. purgandi, illuminandi et perficiendi, ex Dionysio sumto, cfr. tom. II. pag. 127, nota 2. et pag. 267, nota 4. — Quae hic summatim tanguntur, plenius exponuntur in II. Sent., scil. d. V. lit. Magistri, c. 1. seqq., et ibid. Comment. a. 3. q. 1. seq.; d. VII. lit. Magistri, c. 1-4, ac ibid. Comment. p. I. a. 2. q. 3. de confirmatione Angelorum; d. 3. p. II. a. 2. q. 1. seq. et d. 4. a. 3. q. 1. seq. de eorum cognitione; d. 9-11. de eorum ordinibus, missione et ministerio sive custodia respectu hominum.Heb. 1:14. — On the threefold hierarchic act, namely of purging, illumining and perfecting, taken from Dionysius, compare vol. II, p. 127, note 2, and p. 267, note 4. — The things touched on here summarily are more fully set out in II Sent., namely d. V, the Master's text, c. 1 and following, and ibid. the Commentary, a. 3, q. 1 and following; d. VII, the Master's text, c. 1–4, and ibid. the Commentary, p. I, a. 2, q. 3, on the confirmation of the Angels; d. 3, p. II, a. 2, q. 1 and following, and d. 4, a. 3, q. 1 and following, on their knowledge; d. 9–11, on their orders, mission and ministry or guardianship in respect of men.
- 7Cfr. supra pag. 224, nota 7. — Mox pro immutabilitatem I immutabilem. Subinde pro ex libertate arbitrii plures codd. ex [P in] libero arbitrio, et D verbo tenderent praefigit converterentur sive.Compare above, p. 224, note 7. — Just below, for immutabilitatem I [reads] immutabilem. Thereafter, for ex libertate arbitrii very many codices [read] ex [P in] libero arbitrio, and D prefixes to the verb tenderent the words converterentur sive.
- 1Secundum August.; cfr. tom. II. pag. 141, nota 5. — De corpore ab Angelis assumto cfr. II. Sent. d. 8. p. I. per totam. — H tenebrosa vel tenebra. Superius pro in arte edd., excepta 2, in ipsa arte aeterna, quae etiam inferius post in exsequendo addunt sive in contemplando.According to Augustine; compare vol. II, p. 141, note 5. — On the body assumed by the Angels compare II Sent. d. 8, p. I, throughout. — H [reads] tenebrosa vel tenebra. Above, for in arte the editions, edition 2 excepted, [read] in ipsa arte aeterna; and these also add below, after in exsequendo, the words sive in contemplando.
- 2Epist. I. Cor. 13, 12. — Gregor., II. Homil. in Evang. homil. 34. n. 13: Et mittuntur igitur et assistunt; quia, etsi circumscriptus est angelicus spiritus, summus tamen spiritus ipse, qui Deus est, circumscriptus non est. Angeli itaque et missi et ante ipsum sunt, quia quolibet missi veniant, intra ipsum currunt. Cfr. II. Moral. c. 3. n. 3.1 Cor. 13:12. — Gregory, II Homilies on the Gospels, homily 34, n. 13: They are therefore both sent and stand by; because, although the angelic spirit is circumscribed, yet the highest Spirit himself, who is God, is not circumscribed. And so the Angels are both sent and before him, because wherever they may come when sent, they run within him. Compare II Morals c. 3, n. 3.
- 3Cap. 6. — De numero ordinum Angelorum eorumque officiis cfr. II. Sent. d. 9. Praenotata; ibid. q. 2. exponitur, quomodo ordinum distinctio sit a natura et a gratia (gloria). — Inferius voci desiderandam P praefigit amandam seu.Chapter 6. — On the number of the orders of the Angels and their offices compare II Sent. d. 9, the Prefatory Notes; ibid. q. 2 sets out how the distinction of the orders is from nature and from grace (glory). — Below, before the word desiderandam, P prefixes amandam seu.
- 4Libr. II. Sent. d. 9, Praenotata, triplex haec virtus consistere dicitur in praesidendo, operando et resistendo.In book II Sent. d. 9, the Prefatory Notes, this threefold power is said to consist in presiding, operating and resisting.
- 5Secundum Gregor., II. Homil. in Evang. homil. 34. n. 14. Cfr. II. Sent. d. 9. q. 4. — Superius pro relevare B H custodire, et vocibus in Angelis codd. interserunt beatis, B bonis.According to Gregory, II Homilies on the Gospels, homily 34, n. 14. Compare II Sent. d. 9, q. 4. — Above, for relevare B H [read] custodire; and into the words in Angelis the codices insert beatis, B bonis.