Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that the morning and the evening knowledge are one. For it is said (Gn. 1:5): "There was evening and morning, one day." But by the expression "day" the knowledge of the angels is to be understood, as Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. iv, 23). Therefore the morning and evening knowledge of the angels are one and the same.

Objection 2: Further, it is impossible for one faculty to have two operations at the same time. But the angels are always using their morning knowledge; because they are always beholding God and things in God, according to Mt. 18:10. Therefore, if the evening knowledge were different from the morning, the angel could never exercise his evening knowledge.

Objection 3: Further, the Apostle says (1 Cor. 13:10): "When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." But, if the evening knowledge be different from the morning, it is compared to it as the less perfect to the perfect. Therefore the evening knowledge cannot exist together with the morning knowledge.

On the contrary, Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. iv, 24): "There is a vast difference between knowing anything as it is in the Word of God, and as it is in its own nature; so that the former belongs to the day, and the latter to the evening."

I answer that, As was observed (Article 6), the evening knowledge is that by which the angels know things in their proper nature. This cannot be understood as if they drew their knowledge from the proper nature of things, so that the preposition "in" denotes the form of a principle; because, as has been already stated (Question 55, Article 2), the angels do not draw their knowledge from things. It follows, then, that when we say "in their proper nature" we refer to the aspect of the thing known in so far as it is an object of knowledge; that is to say, that the evening knowledge is in the angels in so far as they know the being of things which those things have in their own nature.

Now they know this through a twofold medium, namely, by innate ideas, or by the forms of things existing in the Word. For by beholding the Word, they know not merely the being of things as existing in the Word, but the being as possessed by the things themselves; as God by contemplating Himself sees that being which things have in their own nature. It, therefore, it be called evening knowledge, in so far as when the angels behold the Word, they know the being which things have in their proper nature, then the morning and the evening knowledge are essentially one and the same, and only differ as to the things known. If it be called evening knowledge, in so far as through innate ideas they know the being which things have in their own natures, then the morning and the evening knowledge differ. Thus Augustine seems to understand it when he assigns one as inferior to the other.

Reply to Objection 1: The six days, as Augustine understands them, are taken as the six classes of things known by the angels; so that the day's unit is taken according to the unit of the thing understood; which, nevertheless, can be apprehended by various ways of knowing it.

Reply to Objection 2: There can be two operations of the same faculty at the one time, one of which is referred to the other; as is evident when the will at the same time wills the end and the means to the end; and the intellect at the same instant perceives principles and conclusions through those principles, when it has already acquired knowledge. As Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. iv, 24), the evening knowledge is referred to the morning knowledge in the angels; hence there is nothing to hinder both from being at the same time in the angels.

Reply to Objection 3: On the coming of what is perfect, the opposite imperfect is done away: just as faith, which is of the things that are not seen, is made void when vision succeeds. But the imperfection of the evening knowledge is not opposed to the perfection of the morning knowledge. For that a thing be known in itself, is not opposite to its being known in its cause. Nor, again, is there any inconsistency in knowing a thing through two mediums, one of which is more perfect and the other less perfect; just as we can have a demonstrative and a probable medium for reaching the same conclusion. In like manner a thing can be known by the angel through the uncreated Word, and through an innate idea.

Articulus 7

Argumentum 1

Ad septimum sic proceditur. Videtur quod una sit cognitio vespertina et matutina.

Dicitur enim Gen. I, factum est vespere et mane dies unus.

Sed per diem intelligitur cognitio angelica, ut Augustinus dicit.

Ergo una et eadem est cognitio in Angelis matutina et vespertina.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, impossibile est unam potentiam simul duas operationes habere. Sed Angeli semper sunt in actu cognitionis matutinae, quia semper vident deum et res in deo, secundum illud Matth. XVIII, Angeli eorum semper vident faciem patris mei etc..

Ergo, si cognitio vespertina esset alia a matutina, nullo modo Angelus posset esse in actu cognitionis vespertinae.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, apostolus dicit, I Cor. XIII, cum venerit quod perfectum est, evacuabitur quod ex parte est.

Sed si cognitio vespertina sit alia a matutina, comparatur ad ipsam sicut imperfectum ad perfectum. Ergo non poterit simul vespertina cognitio esse cum matutina.

Sed Contra

In contrarium est quod dicit Augustinus, IV super Gen. Ad litt., quod multum interest inter cognitionem rei cuiuscumque in verbo dei, et cognitionem eius in natura eius, ut illud merito pertineat ad diem, hoc ad vesperam.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut dictum est, cognitio vespertina dicitur, qua Angeli cognoscunt res in propria natura. Quod non potest ita intelligi quasi ex propria rerum natura cognitionem accipiant, ut haec praepositio in indicet habitudinem principii, quia non accipiunt Angeli cognitionem a rebus, ut supra habitum est.

Relinquitur igitur quod hoc quod dicitur in propria natura, accipiatur secundum rationem cogniti, secundum quod subest cognitioni; ut scilicet cognitio vespertina in Angelis dicatur secundum quod cognoscunt esse rerum quod habent res in propria natura. Quod quidem per duplex medium cognoscunt, scilicet per species innatas, et per rationes rerum in verbo existentes. Non enim, videndo verbum, cognoscunt solum illud esse rerum quod habent in verbo; sed illud esse quod habent in propria natura; sicut deus per hoc quod videt se, cognoscit esse rerum quod habent in propria natura.

Si ergo dicatur cognitio vespertina secundum quod cognoscunt esse rerum quod habent in propria natura, videndo verbum; sic una et eadem secundum essentiam est cognitio vespertina et matutina, differens solum secundum cognita. Si vero cognitio vespertina dicatur secundum quod Angeli cognoscunt esse rerum quod habent in propria natura, per formas innatas; sic alia est cognitio vespertina et matutina.

Et ita videtur intelligere Augustinus, cum unam ponat imperfectam respectu alterius.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, sicut numerus sex dierum, secundum intellectum Augustini, accipitur secundum sex genera rerum quae cognoscuntur ab Angelis; ita unitas diei accipitur secundum unitatem rei cognitae, quae tamen diversis cognitionibus cognosci potest.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod duae operationes possunt simul esse unius potentiae, quarum una ad aliam refertur; ut patet cum voluntas simul vult et finem et ea quae sunt ad finem, et intellectus simul intelligit principia et conclusiones per principia, quando iam scientiam acquisivit. Cognitio autem vespertina in Angelis refertur ad matutinam, ut Augustinus dicit.

Unde nihil prohibet utramque simul esse in Angelis.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod, veniente perfecto, evacuatur imperfectum quod ei opponitur, sicut fides, quae est eorum quae non videntur, evacuatur visione veniente. Sed imperfectio vespertinae cognitionis non opponitur perfectioni matutinae.

Quod enim cognoscatur aliquid in seipso, non est oppositum ei quod cognoscatur in sua causa. Nec iterum quod aliquid cognoscatur per duo media, quorum unum est perfectius et aliud imperfectius, aliquid repugnans habet, sicut ad eandem conclusionem habere possumus et medium demonstrativum et dialecticum.

Et similiter eadem res potest sciri ab Angelo per verbum increatum, et per speciem innatam.