Dist. 5, Art. 2, Q. 1
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/5/q/bon-sent-II-d5-a2-q1
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### ARTICLE II.

*On the aversion of the lesser Angels.*

Consequently, in the second place, it is asked about the aversion of the lesser Angels. And concerning this two [things] are asked. The first is, by what kind of sin the lesser Angels sinned. The second is, concerning the comparison of the sin of the lesser Angels to the sin of Lucifer.

### QUESTION I.

*Whether the lesser Angels sinned by the sin of pride.*

Concerning the first the procedure is thus, and it is asked, whether the lesser Angels sinned by the sin of pride. And that [they did] thus, it seems.

1. Gregory, on the second [book] of the Moralia: «So much the more do they envy men ascending to heavenly things, the more they see themselves cast down from heavenly things through the uncleanness of elation»; he speaks of the demons.

2. Likewise, Hugh of St. Victor: «All consented into the same malice, and made one order of a perverse society»; but if all consented into the same malice, since the malice of the devil was pride: therefore all consented into pride. But no one consents into pride except a proud one: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, lust is the foundation of the city of the devil, and the root of every sin: therefore, since lustful love is a love curved back to itself and a private love, because in this it differs from chaste love: therefore each one desired something for himself. But he did not desire the object of appetite of the eyes nor of the flesh: therefore [the object] of the pride of life.

4. Likewise, «there is a love of advantage, and a love of the honorable», as Anselm holds. If therefore the demons sinned, then either by love of advantage or of the honorable, since every affection has its origin from love; but not by love of the honorable: therefore by love of advantage; but this is the love of one's own good: therefore etc.

On the contrary: 1. That they did not sin by the sin of pride, it seems, because it belongs to a proud one to desire to be set over and not to be subject; but the lesser Angels wished to be subject to Lucifer: therefore they were not proud. The *major* is manifest. The *minor* is proved through Hugh and the Master, each of whom says that they consented to Lucifer: therefore they wished that he should be set over [them], as he desired.

2. Likewise, it is of greater dignity and sublimity to be subject to a supreme lord than to a lesser one, therefore to God than to an Angel: therefore if a proud one desires what is of greater dignity, if they were proud, they would rather have desired to be subject to God than to Lucifer. But they wished to pass from the dominion of God into the all-encompassing dominion of Lucifer: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, every proud one desires some excellence: if therefore they were proud, they desired something, namely to be made equal to God, as the Master seems to say in the text, that by pride «they wished to make themselves equal to God». Then therefore, since they had less motive for this than Lucifer, they sinned more gravely; which is against the whole of Scripture, which says that he [Lucifer] is the head of malice. *If you say* that they wished to rest *without merits,* and therefore were proud; *but on the contrary:* it is praise and glory to obtain a reward through merits: therefore, since a proud one desires praise and glory, to desire beatitude without merits will not be [a mark] of pride, nay of sloth. — Likewise, either they desired [it] without merits to avoid *delay,* or to avoid *labor.* Not to avoid *labor,* because the Angels are not wearied, as neither is the mover of the first movable: therefore to avoid *delay.* But holy men avoid delay, who desire *to be dissolved and to be with Christ*: therefore it then seems that they themselves are proud.

### Conclusion.

> The wicked lower Angels sinned by pride, not only by consenting to Lucifer, but also by desiring excellence for themselves.

**I respond:** It must be said that it is plain from the sayings of the Saints and from the Glosses that the lesser Angels were averted by the sin of pride. Yet there is a diversity among the doctors in the manner of being proud. For some wished to say that their pride was in *consenting* to the pride of Lucifer; and to consent to pride can only be [the act] of one who is proud, just as Adam too is said to have been proud, because he consented to the proud woman. — Yet that does not seem probable, that the lesser Angels first desired for another some changeable good rather than for themselves, since each one's *affection* is most of all joined to himself, and *desires* for himself inordinately before [for] others, and if for others, he does this for his own sake. But the second position is, that the lesser Angels were proud not only by *consenting,* but by *desiring* excellence for themselves; and since they did not believe they could attain to that without Lucifer's sublimity, who was as it were the head, they desired [it] both for themselves and for him; and therefore they were proud *properly* and also *consented* to [his] pride. And the arguments adduced for this side are to be conceded.

But for the understanding of the objections on the contrary it must be noted that the pride of the demons was conformed to the head of all malice, namely the prince of darkness. But the devil himself, attending to the strenuousness and excellence and pre-eminence of his own natural [gifts], wished to be set over [others] and to rest by his own authority, that is, without merits, without ministry. But the demons subject to him did not dare to desire so much; but, considering the strenuousness of [their] natural [gifts], they wished to rest under his shadow, so that they should not minister, but should enjoy a certain voluntary liberty under him, which they saw they could not have under the divine dominion. For the Angels knew that they were made to share the beatitude of rest, and to acquire [it] through merits and ministries. In this therefore they were proud, that they wished *without merits* to be blessed and *without ministry* to rest and *without limit* to fulfill their own will; and all this is to be proud, although it is not of so great a pride as it was to desire to excel all and to be subject to none. These things seen, it is easy to respond to the objections.

*To 1. 2.* For to that which is objected, that they were not proud, because they did not desire to be set over [others]; it must be said that, although they did not desire to be set over, yet they were unwilling to be subject in the due manner, because they did not wish to be subject to that Lord who commands only what is good and restrains the will, but to him who permits the bridle of concupiscence to be loosened. Therefore wicked and proud men rather wish to be subject to the devil than to God; similarly it could be with the Angels. *Moreover,* there was another reason, because they did not desire to be *subject* to him, but to *rest* under his dominion without service or ministry; and this is [a mark] of pride. — And so the following [objection] which it objects is clear, that it is more glorious to be subject to God; that is true according to the truth, but not according to the estimation of the proud one.

*To 3.* To that which is objected thirdly: what did they desire? to be made equal to God? it must be said that *in something* they wished to be made equal to God, namely in this, that without merits and homage they wished to be at rest and blessed forever, which is proper to God alone; yet they did not wish to be made equal to such a degree as Lucifer, and therefore they did not sin to such a degree.

To that which is objected last, that glory is to obtain [it] with merits; it must be said that the proud one reckons it more glorious *to have*, and not from another, than to obtain through merits from another; both because he disdains to serve, and because he disdains to receive from another. And because the Angels wished to rest by their own authority, it is clear that according to the estimation of the proud one they desired excellence, not true, but false; as is clear in the proud, who desire a vain glory and excellence more than a true one. And through this it is clear what is asked, why they desired [it] without merits; I say that [it was] not because [it was] laborious, nor because [it was] burdensome by reason of desire; but they reckoned homage and ministry vile; and this is [a mark] of pride.