Thursday, July 23, 2009

Q109 A4: Whether the good angels have precedence over the bad angels?

Yes. The good angels have precedence over the bad, and these are ruled by them, because those creatures, which are more perfect and nearer to God, have the power to act on others.

Boni Angeli super malos praelationem habent, et per eos reguntur, quia illae creaturae super alias influentiam habent, quae sunt perfectiores et Deo propinquiores.

The holy angels are the ministers of the Divine wisdom. Hence as the Divine wisdom permits some evil to be done by bad angels or men, for the sake of the good that follows; so also the good angels do not entirely restrain the bad from inflicting harm.

Sancti Angeli sunt ministri divinae sapientiae. Unde sicut divina sapientia permittit aliqua mala fieri per malos Angelos vel homines, propter bona quae ex eis elicit; ita et boni Angeli non totaliter cohibent malos a nocendo.