Question 63 — The Malice of the Angels with Regard to Sin

In the next place we must consider how angels became evil: first of all with regard to the evil of fault; and second, as to the evil of punishment.

Under the first heading there are nine points for consideration:

(1) Can there be evil of fault in the angels?

• (2) What kind of sins can be in them?
• (3) What did the angel seek in sinning?
• (4) Supposing that some became evil by a sin of their own choosing, are any of them naturally evil?
• (5) Supposing that it is not so, could any one of them become evil in the first instant of his creation by an act of his own will?
• (6) Supposing that he did not, was there any interval between his creation and fall?
• (7) Was the highest of them who fell, absolutely the highest among the angels?
• (8) Was the sin of the foremost angel the cause of the others sinning?
• (9) Did as many sin as remained steadfast?