Whether the Angels Were Created Before the Corporeal World?
Objection 1: It would seem that the angels were created before the
corporeal world. For Jerome says (In Ep. ad Tit. i, 2): "Six thousand
years of our time have not yet elapsed; yet how shall we measure the
time, how shall we count the ages, in which the Angels, Thrones,
Dominations, and the other orders served God?" Damascene also says
(De Fide Orth. ii): "Some say that the angels were begotten before
all creation; as Gregory the Theologian declares, He first of all
devised the angelic and heavenly powers, and the devising was the
making thereof."
Obj. 2: Further, the angelic nature stands midway between the Divine
and the corporeal natures. But the Divine nature is from eternity;
while corporeal nature is from time. Therefore the angelic nature was
produced ere time was made, and after eternity.
Obj. 3: Further, the angelic nature is more remote from the corporeal
nature than one corporeal nature is from another. But one corporeal
nature was made before another; hence the six days of the production
of things are set forth in the opening of Genesis. Much more,
therefore, was the angelic nature made before every corporeal nature.
_On the contrary,_ It is said (Gen. 1:1): "In the beginning God
created heaven and earth." Now, this would not be true if anything
had been created previously. Consequently the angels were not created
before corporeal nature.
_I answer that,_ There is a twofold opinion on this point to be found
in the writings of the Fathers. The more probable one holds that the
angels were created at the same time as corporeal creatures. For the
angels are part of the universe: they do not constitute a universe of
themselves; but both they and corporeal natures unite in constituting
one universe. This stands in evidence from the relationship of
creature to creature; because the mutual relationship of creatures
makes up the good of the universe. But no part is perfect if separate
from the whole. Consequently it is improbable that God, Whose "works
are perfect," as it is said Deut. 32:4, should have created the
angelic creature before other creatures. At the same time the
contrary is not to be deemed erroneous; especially on account of the
opinion of Gregory Nazianzen, "whose authority in Christian doctrine
is of such weight that no one has ever raised objection to his
teaching, as is also the case with the doctrine of Athanasius," as
Jerome says.
Reply Obj. 1: Jerome is speaking according to the teaching of the
Greek Fathers; all of whom hold the creation of the angels to have
taken place previously to that of the corporeal world.
Reply Obj. 2: God is not a part of, but far above, the whole
universe, possessing within Himself the entire perfection of the
universe in a more eminent way. But an angel is a part of the
universe. Hence the comparison does not hold.
Reply Obj. 3: All corporeal creatures are one in matter; while the
angels do not agree with them in matter. Consequently the creation
of the matter of the corporeal creature involves in a manner the
creation of all things; but the creation of the angels does not
involve creation of the universe.
If the contrary view be held, then in the text of Gen. 1, "In the
beginning God created heaven and earth," the words, "In the
beginning," must be interpreted, "In the Son," or "In the beginning
of time": but not, "In the beginning, before which there was
nothing," unless we say "Before which there was nothing of the
nature of corporeal creatures."
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