THIRD ARTICLE: WHETHER THE ANGELS COULD HAVE SINNED VENIALLY

According to St. Thomas they could not have sinned venially.[1226] The reason is that the angelic intellect is not discursive; it sees conclusions in principles intuitively, and it beholds means as they are in the order to an end. Therefore in the angels there cannot be a deordination with regard to the means (venial sin) unless there is also a deordination with regard to the end.

Scotus and Suarez hold the contrary opinion, that the angels have discursive knowledge.