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The existence of the angels was denied in ancient times by
the Epicureans and the Sadducees, and in our time it is
denied by atheists, rationalists, and liberal
Protestants, who assert that the angels, mentioned in
Sacred Scripture, are either divine inspirations or men
sent by God to instruct other men.
The testimony of Scripture. a) The Old Testament
teaches the existence of the angels, both good and
bad.[1178] From the Old Testament it is also
clear that the angels are intelligent creatures, that
their number is great, that there is an order among
them,[1179] and that the good angels under God's
command assist and guard good men.[1180] On the
other hand, the bad angels, with God's permission,
attack men.[1181]
b) This doctrine of the Old Testament is confirmed by
the New Testament.[1182] St. Paul enumerates
the orders of angels, "whether thrones or dominations or
principalities or powers."[1183] He also mentions
the bad angels.[1184]
Even if Pseudo-Dionysius had not written his De
caelesti hierarchia, St. Thomas would have been able to
write his treatise on the angels, relying on the testimony
of Scripture and tradition.
Concerning the angels the Church teaches: 1. that they
exist, that they were created but not from eternity, and
that they are spiritual;[1185] 2. that they are
not propagated;[1186] 3. that the devil was good
when he was created.[1187]
Besides this, the ordinary magisterium of the Church has
everywhere taught the doctrine of the guardian angels, and
theologians consider this truth to be of faith. Finally,
according to Suarez, it is of faith that the angels are
not equal in dignity, as is clear from many texts,
especially from St. Paul.
The teaching of all of the Fathers is that the angels are
created by God, and endowed with intellect and free
will. The absolute spirituality of the angels, however,
is not clearly affirmed by all the Fathers prior to the
fourth century. Without the angels the ascending series
of creatures appears to be incomplete.[1188] After
the twelfth century the theologians commonly teach that the
angels are absolutely incorporeal, although Scotus
thought that there was an incorporeal matter in the
angels.
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