Friday, July 31, 2009

Q111 A4: Whether an angel can change the human senses?

Yes. An angel, by his natural power, can work a change in the senses, because an angel can offer the senses a sensible object from without, formed by nature, or by the angel himself, as when he assumes a body, as we have said above (Q51, A2). Likewise he can move the spirits and humors from within, as above remarked (Q111, A3), whereby the senses are changed in various ways.

Angelus potest immutare sensum hominis sua naturali virtute, quia potest Angelus opponere exterius sensui sensibile aliquod, vel a natura formatum, vel aliquod de novo formando, sicut facit dum corpus assumit, ut supra dictum est. Similiter etiam potest interius commovere spiritus et humores, ut supra dictum est, ex quibus sensus diversimode immutentur.