Whether There Was Any Interval Between the Creation and the Fall of
the Angel?
Objection 1: It would seem that there was some interval between the
angel's creation and his fall. For, it is said (Ezech. 28:15): "Thou
didst walk perfect [*Vulg.: 'Thou hast walked in the midst of the
stones of fire; thou wast perfect . . .'] in thy ways from the day of
thy creation until iniquity was found in thee." But since walking is
continuous movement, it requires an interval. Therefore there was some
interval between the devil's creation and his fall.
Obj. 2: Further, Origen says (Hom. i in Ezech.) that "the serpent
of old did not from the first walk upon his breast and belly"; which
refers to his sin. Therefore the devil did not sin at once after the
first instant of his creation.
Obj. 3: Further, capability of sinning is common alike to man and
angel. But there was some delay between man's formation and his sin.
Therefore, for the like reason there was some interval between the
devil's formation and his sin.
Obj. 4: Further, the instant wherein the devil sinned was
distinct from the instant wherein he was created. But there is a
middle time between every two instants. Therefore there was an
interval between his creation and his fall.
_On the contrary,_ It is said of the devil (John 8:44): "He stood not
in the truth": and, as Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xi, 15), "we must
understand this in the sense, that he was in the truth, but did not
remain in it."
_I answer that,_ There is a twofold opinion on this point. But the
more probable one, which is also more in harmony with the teachings
of the Saints, is that the devil sinned at once after the first
instant of his creation. This must be maintained if it be held that
he elicited an act of free-will in the first instant of his creation,
and that he was created in grace; as we have said (Q. 62, A. 3). For
since the angels attain beatitude by one meritorious act, as was said
above (Q. 62, A. 5), if the devil, created in grace, merited in the
first instant, he would at once have received beatitude after that
first instant, if he had not placed an impediment by sinning.
If, however, it be contended that the angel was not created in grace,
or that he could not elicit an act of free-will in the first instant,
then there is nothing to prevent some interval being interposed
between his creation and fall.
Reply Obj. 1: Sometimes in Holy Scripture spiritual instantaneous
movements are represented by corporeal movements which are measured
by time. In this way by "walking" we are to understand the movement
of free-will tending towards good.
Reply Obj. 2: Origen says, "The serpent of old did not from the first
walk upon his breast and belly," because of the first instant in
which he was not wicked.
Reply Obj. 3: An angel has an inflexible free-will after once
choosing; consequently, if after the first instant, in which he had a
natural movement to good, he had not at once placed a barrier to
beatitude, he would have been confirmed in good. It is not so with
man; and therefore the argument does not hold good.
Reply Obj. 4: It is true to say that there is a middle time between
every two instants, so far as time is continuous, as it is proved
_Phys._ vi, text. 2. But in the angels, who are not subject to the
heavenly movement, which is primarily measured by continuous time,
time is taken to mean the succession of their mental acts, or of
their affections. So the first instant in the angels is understood to
respond to the operation of the angelic mind, whereby it introspects
itself by its evening knowledge because on the first day evening is
mentioned, but not morning. This operation was good in them all. From
such operation some of them were converted to the praise of the Word
by their morning knowledge while others, absorbed in themselves,
became night, "swelling up with pride," as Augustine says (Gen. ad
lit. iv, 24). Hence the first act was common to them all; but in
their second they were separated. Consequently they were all of them
good in the first instant; but in the second the good were set apart
from the wicked.
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