Monday, July 06, 2009

Q106 A4: Whether the superior angel enlightens the inferior as regards all he himself knows?

Yes. Every creature participates in the Divine goodness, so as to diffuse the good it possesses to others, because it is of the formal aspect of good that it communicates itself to others.

Omnes creaturae ex divina bonitate participant ut bonum quod habent, in alia diffundant, nam de ratione boni est quod se aliis communicet.

Nevertheless this gift is not received so excellently by the inferior as by the superior angels. And therefore the superior ever remain in a higher order, and have a more perfect knowledge. Just as the master understands one and the same thing more fully than the pupil who learns from him.

Non tamen recipitur ab inferioribus ita excellenter sicut est in superioribus. Et ideo superiores semper remanent in altiori ordine, et perfectiorem scientiam habentes. Sicut unam et eandem rem plenius intelligit magister, quam discipulus qui ab eo addiscit.

Till the Judgment Day some new things are always being revealed by God to the highest angels, concerning the course of the world, and especially the salvation of the elect. Hence there is always something for the superior angels to make known to the inferior.

Usque ad diem iudicii, semper nova aliqua supremis Angelis revelantur divinitus de his quae pertinent ad dispositionem mundi, et praecipue ad salutem electorum. Unde semper remanet unde superiores Angeli inferiores illuminent.

The knowledge of the superior angels is said to be more universal as regards the more eminent mode of knowledge.

Superiorum Angelorum scientia dicitur esse universalior, quantum ad eminentiorem modum intelligendi.