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And since these things are so, those spirits whom we call angels were
never at any time or in any way darkness, but, as soon as they were
made, were made light; yet they were not so created in order that they
might exist and live in any way whatever, but were enlightened that
they might live wisely and blessedly. Some of them, having turned
away from this light, have not won this wise and blessed life, which
is certainly eternal, and accompanied with the sure confidence of its
eternity; but they have still the life of reason, though darkened with
folly, and this they cannot lose even if they would. But who can
determine to what extent they were partakers of that wisdom before they
fell? And how shall we say that they participated in it equally with
those who through it are truly and fully blessed, resting in a true
certainty of eternal felicity? For if they had equally participated in
this true knowledge, then the evil angels would have remained eternally
blessed equally with the good, because they were equally expectant of
it. For, though a life be never so long, it cannot be truly called
eternal if it is destined to have an end; for it is called life
inasmuch as it is lived, but eternal because it has no end.
Wherefore, although everything eternal is not therefore blessed (for
hell-fire is eternal), yet if no life can be truly and perfectly
blessed except it be eternal, the life of these angels was not
blessed, for it was doomed to end, and therefore not eternal, whether
they knew it or not. In the one case rear, in the other ignorance,
prevented them from being blessed. And even if their ignorance was not
so great as to breed in them a wholly false expectation, but left them
wavering in uncertainty whether their good would be eternal or would
some time terminate, this very doubt concerning so grand a destiny was
incompatible with the plenitude of blessedness which we believe the holy
angels enjoyed. For we do not so narrow and restrict the application
of the term "blessedness" as to apply it to God only, though
doubtless He is so truly blessed that greater blessedness cannot be;
and, in comparison of His blessedness, what is that of the angels,
though, according to their capacity, they be perfectly blessed?
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