Chapter XXXI. Question 62, a. 4, 5, 6

Tue Merits oF THE ANGELS

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First ARTICLE

WHETHER THE GOOD ANGELS MERITED THEIR HAPPINESS

Reply. The ultimate end must be obtained by merit. But happiness for the intellectual creature is the ultimate end'that is not effected but (attained), which consists in the supernatural vision of God. Therefore the angels merited happiness.

When did they merit their happiness? Certainly before they attained it since merit has the nature of a road leading to an end. As St. Thomas remarks: “He who is already at the terminus is not moved toward that terminus, just as no one merits what he already has,” and “Free will cannot be informed at the same time by imperfect grace, which is the principle of meriting, and perfect grace, which is the principle of fruition.”

WHETHER THE ANGELS MERITED IN THE FIRST INSTANT

The question is whether the angels merited happiness in the first instant of creation, if they were created in the state of grace? What is angelic time? Is it continuous or discrete? Is it the measure of some movement? It is the measure of the succession of the thoughts and affections of the angels. One angelic instant may perdure as long as several hours and days of our time, just as the contemplation of the same object by the saints in an ecstasy lasts for several hours.

“In all the angels the first operation was good,” because this first operation was under the special inspiration of God. But in this opera- 550

THE MERITS OF THE ANGELS 551 tion there was as yet no full merit because the angels were moved by God and they did not yet move themselves. Immediately after this some of them turned to God the author of grace with full merit, while others inflated by pride turned away from God the author of grace.

In this second instant why was one act in the angels sufficient for merit or demerit? *

Reply. Because grace perfects nature according to the mode of the nature. It is a characteristic of the angelic nature that it acquires a natural perfection not discursively but immediately in one act. Therefore immediately after one fully meritorious act the angels attained supernatural happiness, which the devil would also have attained if he had not immediately placed the obstacle of sin.?

WHETHER THE ANGELS ATTAINED GRACE AND GLORY ACCORDING TO THE QUANTITY OF THEIR NATURES

The affirmative reply seems the more reasonable because in the angel the movement of the will cannot be impeded or retarded by an inordinate passion, and when there is nothing to impede or retard it a nature is moved according to its entire power. Hence it seems reasonable that the angels that have a better nature turned to God with more power and more effectively.

On this point we have a certain analogy with men. “This also occurs in men, because greater grace (habitual) and glory is given to men according to the intensity of their conversion to God.” This does not imply any taint of Pelagianism with regard to the angels, because the angelic nature is not a disposition proportioned to a purely gratuitous gift of grace. Moreover, just as the grace is entirely from the will of God so also is the nature of the angel.* “Therefore it seems that grace is given rather according to the degree of nature than because of works.” * In man, however, when he disposes himself under the influence of actual grace for habitual grace, this habitual grace is given not in proportion to his natural attempt but in proportion to the supernatural disposition which comes from prevenient grace.