Dist. 10
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/2/d/10/q/bon-sent-II-d10-littera
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### Distinction X.

### Chapter I.

#### *Whether all the heavenly spirits are sent.*

This too must be investigated: whether all those heavenly spirits are sent forth to announce outward things. — *A first opinion.* Some think that, in that multitude, there are certain ones who go forth abroad for office, and others who always stand within in attendance, as it is written in Daniel: *Thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten times a hundred thousand stood by him.*

Likewise, Dionysius, in the Hierarchy which is called the sacred principate, says concerning the preeminence of the spirits: «Those higher hosts never withdraw from the innermost things, since those which are preeminent never have the use of an outward office». Upon these authorities rely those who *It is objected.* deny that Angels are sent except the lower ones. — Against these it is objected that Isaiah says: *There flew to me one of the Seraphim,* which order is higher and more excellent; and therefore, if [Angels] are sent from that order, there is no doubt that they are sent from the others also. The Apostle too says: *They are all ministering spirits, sent forth into ministry.* By these te*A second opinion.* stimonies certain ones assert that all the Angels are sent. Nor ought it to seem unworthy if even the higher ones are sent, since even He who is the Creator of all things has descended to these lower things.

Here a question arises: if all are sent and exist as messengers *The incidental question is resolved.* of God, why is one only among the nine orders reckoned by the name of *Angels*? — To which some say that all indeed are sent, but some more often and as it were by an enjoined office — those who are properly named *Angels* or *Archangels*; but others more rarely, namely the greater ones, when a cause has arisen beyond the common dispensation, who, when they undertake the ministry of the Angels, also take on the name. Hence in the Psalm: *Who makes his Angels* *First doubt.* *spirits,* because those who by nature are *spirits* become at times *angels,* that is, messengers.

### Chapter II.

#### *Whether Michael, Gabriel, Raphael are names of orders or of spirits.*

And some think that Michael, Gabriel, Raphael were of a higher order. «Michael is interpreted, "Who [is] as God?"; Gabriel, the strength of God; Raphael, the medicine of God», and these are not names of orders, but of spirits. *A twofold opinion.* And some say that each one of these is the name of one spirit, properly and singularly. But others [say] that it is the name not of one [spirit] singularly and determinately, but now of this one, now of that, according to the quality of those things which they are sent to announce or to carry out; just as also there are certain names of demons which some think to be proper to one, but others [think] common to several. For the devil — who is so called in Greek and is interpreted *the accuser*, or *flowing downward* — is in Hebrew called *satan*, that is, *the adversary*. He is also called *belial*, that is, *apostate and without yoke*. He is also called *leviathan*, that is, *their addition*; and you will find many other names which are either proper to one spirit or common to several.

*Return to the first question.* But those who assert that all the Angels are sent determine the aforesaid authorities — namely those of Daniel and of Dionysius — thus: the higher hosts are said to attend upon God and never to withdraw from the innermost things, not but that they are sometimes sent, but because very rarely do they go forth to outward things; nor do they then withdraw from the innermost things, but always attend upon the presence and contemplation of God; which those also do who are frequently sent.

*The two opinions are brought into concord.* But others say that the three highest orders, namely Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones, so attend upon the Creator that they do not go forth to outward things; but the three lower ones are sent to outward things; and the three middle ones stand between both — not only in dignity or place, but also in *Second doubt.* office, because they receive the divine command from the higher ones and convey it to the lower ones. And therefore, since the highest announce God's command to the middle ones, and the middle to the lowest, and these to men, they say that all are deservedly named *Angels*. And for this reason perhaps the Apostle says that *all spirits are ministers of the Son and are sent into ministry,* or by *all* he comprehended not the individual orders, but, of the lower orders, the individual Angels. But that which Isaiah says they determine through the words of Dionysius, saying: *Third doubt.* These spirits who are sent receive the appellation of those whose office they perform. Hence they say that that Angel who was sent to Isaiah, to cleanse and to kindle the lips of the Prophet, was of the order of the lower ones. But he was perhaps called [one] of the Seraphim because he came to kindle and consume the sins of Isaiah.

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