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Objection 1: It would seem that angels are not appointed to the
guardianship of all men. For it is written of Christ (Phil.
2:7) that "He was made in the likeness of men, and in habit found
as a man." If therefore angels are appointed to the guardianship of
all men, Christ also would have had an angel guardian. But this is
unseemly, for Christ is greater than all the angels. Therefore
angels are not appointed to the guardianship of all men.
Objection 2: Further, Adam was the first of all men. But it was
not fitting that he should have an angel guardian, at least in the
state of innocence: for then he was not beset by any dangers.
Therefore angels are not appointed to the guardianship of all men.
Objection 3: Further, angels are appointed to the guardianship of
men, that they may take them by the hand and guide them to eternal
life, encourage them to good works, and protect them against the
assaults of the demons. But men who are foreknown to damnation, never
attain to eternal life. Infidels, also, though at times they perform
good works, do not perform them well, for they have not a right
intention: for "faith directs the intention" as Augustine says
(Enarr. ii in Ps. 31). Moreover, the coming of Antichrist
will be "according to the working of Satan," as it is written (2
Thess. 2:9). Therefore angels are not deputed to the
guardianship of all men.
On the contrary, is the authority of Jerome quoted above (Article
2), for he says that "each soul has an angel appointed to guard
it."
I answer that, Man while in this state of life, is, as it were, on
a road by which he should journey towards heaven. On this road man is
threatened by many dangers both from within and from without, according
to Ps. 159:4: "In this way wherein I walked, they have
hidden a snare for me." And therefore as guardians are appointed for
men who have to pass by an unsafe road, so an angel guardian is
assigned to each man as long as he is a wayfarer. When, however, he
arrives at the end of life he no longer has a guardian angel; but in
the kingdom he will have an angel to reign with him, in hell a demon to
punish him.
Reply to Objection 1: Christ as man was guided immediately by the
Word of God: wherefore He needed not be guarded by an angel. Again
as regards His soul, He was a comprehensor, although in regard to
His passible body, He was a wayfarer. In this latter respect it was
right that He should have not a guardian angel as superior to Him,
but a ministering angel as inferior to Him. Whence it is written
(Mt. 4:11) that "angels came and ministered to Him."
Reply to Objection 2: In the state of innocence man was not
threatened by any peril from within: because within him all was well
ordered, as we have said above (Question 95, Articles 1,3).
But peril threatened from without on account of the snares of the
demons; as was proved by the event. For this reason he needed a
guardian angel.
Reply to Objection 3: Just as the foreknown, the infidels, and
even Anti-christ, are not deprived of the interior help of natural
reason; so neither are they deprived of that exterior help granted by
God to the whole human race---namely the guardianship of the
angels. And although the help which they receive therefrom does not
result in their deserving eternal life by good works, it does
nevertheless conduce to their being protected from certain evils which
would hurt both themselves and others. For even the demons are held
off by the good angels, lest they hurt as much as they would. In like
manner Antichrist will not do as much harm as he would wish.
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