Chapter III.—Concerning angels.

He is Himself the Maker and Creator of the angels: for He brought them out of nothing into being and created them after His own image, an incorporeal race, a sort of spirit or immaterial fire: in the words of the divine David, He maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire246    Ps. civ. 4.    Text, τοῦ Λόλου. Variant, τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου: so Dei Verbi (Faber).: and He has described their lightness and the ardour, and heat, and keenness and sharpness with which they hunger for God and serve Him, and how they are borne to the regions above and are quite delivered from all material thought247    Greg. Naz., Orat. 38.    St. Luke i. 27..

An angel, then, is an intelligent essence, in perpetual motion, with free-will, incorporeal, ministering to God, having obtained by grace an immortal nature: and the Creator alone knows the form and limitation of its essence. But all that we can understand is, that it is incorporeal and immaterial. For all that is compared with God Who alone is incomparable, we find to be dense and material. For in reality only the Deity is immaterial and incorporeal.

The angel’s nature then is rational, and intelligent, and endowed with free-will, changeable in will, or fickle. For all that is created is changeable, and only that which is un-created is unchangeable. Also all that is rational is endowed with free-will. As it is, then, rational and intelligent, it is endowed with free-will: and as it is created, it is changeable, having power either to abide or progress in goodness, or to turn towards evil.

It is not susceptible of repentance because it is incorporeal. For it is owing to the weakness of his body that man comes to have repentance.

It is immortal, not by nature248    Nemes., ch. 1.    Hebr. vii. 14. but by grace249    Text, χάριτι. R. 2930, κατὰ χάριν.    St. Luke i. 28.. For all that has had beginning comes also to its natural end. But God alone is eternal, or rather, He is above the Eternal: for He, the Creator of times, is not under the dominion of time, but above time.

They are secondary intelligent lights derived from that first light which is without beginning, for they have the power of illumination; they have no need of tongue or hearing, but without uttering words250    ἄνευ λόγου προφορικου: without word of utterance.    Ibid. 30, 31. they communicate to each other their own thoughts and counsels251    Greg. Naz., Orat. 38.    St. Matt. i. 21..

Through the Word, therefore, all the angels were created, and through the sanctification by the Holy Spirit were they brought to perfection, sharing each in proportion to his worth and rank in brightness and grace252    Ibid. 34.    St. Luke i. 34..

They are circumscribed: for when they are in the Heaven they are not on the earth: and when they are sent by God down to the earth they do not remain in the Heaven. They are not hemmed in by walls and doors, and bars and seals, for they are quite unlimited. Unlimited, I repeat, for it is not as they really are that they reveal themselves to the worthy men253    Text, ἀξίοις. R. 2930, ἁγίοις.    “Of thee” is wanting in some mss. to whom God wishes them to appear, but in a changed form which the beholders are capable of seeing. For that alone is naturally and strictly unlimited which is un-created. For every created thing is limited by God Who created it.

Further, apart from their essence they receive the sanctification from the Spirit: through the divine grace they prophesy254    Theodoret, Epist. de div. decr., ch. 8.    St. Luke i. 35.: they have no need of marriage for they are immortal.

Seeing that they are minds they are in mental places255    ἐν νοητοῖς καὶ τόποις. Cf. bk. i. 17.    Ibid. 38., and are not circumscribed after the fashion of a body. For they have not a bodily form by nature, nor are they extended in three dimensions. But to whatever post they may be assigned, there they are present after the manner of a mind and energise, and cannot be present and energise in various places at the same time.

Whether they are equals in essence or differ from one another we know not. God, their Creator, Who knoweth all things, alone knoweth. But they differ256    See Greg. Naz., Orat. 34. And cf. Cyril, Thesaur. 31, p. 266; Epiph., Hæres. 64.    Ibid. 27, 28. from each other in brightness and position, whether it is that their position is dependent on their brightness, or their brightness on their position: and they impart brightness to one another, because they excel one another in rank and nature257    Dionys., De Cœl. Hier., ch. 3; Greg. Naz., Orat. 34.    Greg. Naz., Orat. 38 and 42.. And clearly the higher share their brightness and knowledge with the lower.

They are mighty and prompt to fulfil the will of the Deity, and their nature is endowed with such celerity that wherever the Divine glance bids them there they are straightway found. They are the guardians of the divisions of the earth: they are set over nations and regions, allotted to them by their Creator: they govern all our affairs and bring us succour. And the reason surely is because they are set over us by the divine will and command and are ever in the vicinity of God258    Dionys., De Cœl. Hier., ch. 9; Greg., Orat. 34.    Cf. Athan., Ep. ad Serap., De Spiritu Sancto; Greg. Nyss., Contr. Apoll. 6, 25; Rufinus, Exp. Symb.; Tertullian, De Carne Christi and Contr. Prax.; Hilary, De Trin. II. 26..

With difficulty they are moved to evil, yet they are not absolutely immoveable: but now they are altogether immoveable, not by nature but by grace and by their nearness to the Only Good259    Greg. Naz., Orat. 38.    Basil, Christi Nativ..

They behold God according to their capacity, and this is their food260    Text, τροφήν. Variant, τρυφήν, cf. Dionys., De Cœl. Hier., ch. 7.    Cyril, Apolog. 5 and 8 anathem..

They are above us for they are incorporeal, and are free of all bodily passion, yet are not passionless: for the Deity alone is passionless.

They take different forms at the bidding of their Master, God, and thus reveal themselves to men and unveil the divine mysteries to them.

They have Heaven for their dwelling-place, and have one duty, to sing God’s praise and carry out His divine will.

Moreover, as that most holy, and sacred, and gifted theologian, Dionysius the Areopagite261    Dionys., De Cœl. Hier., ch. 6.    Cf. Greg. Naz., 1 Ep. ad Cledon; Cyril, 1 Ep. ad Nestor.; Theodor., Ep. ad Joan. Antioch., &c., says, All theology, that is to say, the holy Scripture, has nine different names for the heavenly essences262    But cf. August., Enchir., ch. 8; Greg. Naz., Orat. 34; Greg. Nyss., Contra Eunom., Orat. 1; Chrysost., De incomprehens., hom. 3, &c.    Cyril., Epist. ad Monach.. These essences that divine master in sacred things divides into three groups, each containing three. And the first group, he says, consists of those who are in God’s presence and are said to be directly and immediately one with Him, viz., the Seraphim with their six wings, the many-eyed Cherubim and those that sit in the holiest thrones. The second group is that of the Dominions, and the Powers, and the Authorities; and the third, and last, is that of the Rulers and Archangels and Angels.

Some, indeed263    See Epiph., Hæres. 6, n. 4 and 5; Basil, Hex. 1; Chrysost., 2 Hom. in Gen.; Theodor., Quæst. 3in Gen.    Procl., Epist. 2 ad Arm., like Gregory the Theologian, say that these were before the creation of other things. He thinks that the angelic and heavenly powers were first and that thought was their function264    Greg. Naz., Orat. 2.    τῆν οἰκονομίαν, the œconomy, the Incarnation.. Others, again, hold that they were created after the first heaven was made. But all are agreed that it was before the foundation of man. For myself, I am in harmony with the theologian. For it was fitting that the mental essence should be the first created, and then that which can be perceived, and finally man himself, in whose being both parts are united.

But those who say that the angels are creators of any kind of essence whatever are the mouth of their father, the devil. For since they are created things they are not creators. But He Who creates and provides for and maintains all things is God, Who alone is uncreate and is praised and glorified in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Περὶ ἀγγέλων

Αὐτὸς τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐστὶ ποιητὴς καὶ δημιουργὸς ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι παραγαγὼν αὐτούς, κατ' οἰκείαν εἰκόνα κτίσας αὐτοὺς φύσιν ἀσώματον, οἷόν τι πνεῦμα ἢ πῦρ ἄυλον, ὥς φησιν ὁ θεῖος Δαυίδ: «Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα,» τὸ κοῦφον καὶ διάπυρον καὶ θερμὸν καὶ τομώτατον καὶ ὀξὺ περὶ τὴν θείαν ἔφεσίν τε καὶ λειτουργίαν διαγράφων καὶ τὸ ἀνωφερὲς αὐτῶν καὶ πάσης ὑλικῆς ἐννοίας ἀπηλλαγμένον.

Ἄγγελος τοίνυν ἐστὶν οὐσία νοερά, ἀεικίνητος, αὐτεξούσιος, ἀσώματος, θεῷ λειτουργοῦσα, κατὰ χάριν ἐν τῇ φύσει τὸ ἀθάνατον εἰληφυῖα, ἧς οὐσίας τὸ εἶδος καὶ τὸν ὅρον μόνος ὁ κτίστης ἐπίσταται. Ἀσώματος δὲ λέγεται καὶ ἄυλος, ὅσον πρὸς ἡμᾶς: πᾶν γὰρ συγκρινόμενον πρὸς θεὸν τὸν μόνον ἀσύγκριτον παχύ τε καὶ ὑλικὸν εὑρίσκεται, μόνον γὰρ ὄντως ἄυλον τὸ θεῖόν ἐστι καὶ ἀσώματον.

Ἔστι τοίνυν φύσις λογικὴ νοερά τε καὶ αὐτεξούσιος, τρεπτὴ κατὰ γνώμην ἤτοι ἐθελότρεπτος: πᾶν γὰρ κτιστὸν καὶ τρεπτόν, μόνον δὲ τὸ ἄκτιστον ἄτρεπτον, καὶ πᾶν λογικὸν αὐτεξούσιον. Ὡς μὲν οὖν λογικὴ καὶ νοερὰ αὐτεξούσιός ἐστιν, ὡς δὲ κτιστὴ τρεπτή, ἔχουσα ἐξουσίαν καὶ μένειν καὶ προκόπτειν ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον τρέπεσθαι.

Ἀνεπίδεκτος μετανοίας, ὅτι καὶ ἀσώματος: ὁ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος διὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἀσθένειαν τῆς μετανοίας ἔτυχεν. Ἀθάνατος οὐ φύσει, ἀλλὰ χάριτι: πᾶν γὰρ τὸ ἀρξάμενον καὶ τελευτᾷ κατὰ φύσιν. Μόνος δὲ ὁ θεὸς ἀεὶ ὤν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸ ἀεί: οὐχ ὑπὸ χρόνον γάρ, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ χρόνον ὁ τῶν χρόνων ποιητής.

Φῶτα δεύτερα νοερὰ ἐκ τοῦ πρώτου καὶ ἀνάρχου φωτὸς τὸν φωτισμὸν ἔχοντα, οὐ γλώσσης καὶ ἀκοῆς δεόμενα, ἀλλ' ἄνευ λόγου προφορικοῦ μεταδιδόντα ἀλλήλοις τὰ ἴδια νοήματα καὶ βουλήματα.

Διὰ τοῦ λόγου τοίνυν ἐκτίσθησαν πάντες οἱ ἄγγελοι καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος διὰ τοῦ ἁγιασμοῦ ἐτελειώθησαν κατ' ἀναλογίαν τῆς ἀξίας καὶ τῆς τάξεως τοῦ φωτισμοῦ καὶ τῆς χάριτος μετέχοντες.

Περιγραπτοί: ὅτε γάρ εἰσιν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, οὔκ εἰσιν ἐν τῇ γῇ, καὶ εἰς τὴν γῆν ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀποστελλόμενοι οὐκ ἐναπομένουσιν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Οὐ περιορίζονται δὲ ὑπὸ τειχῶν καὶ θυρῶν καὶ κλείθρων καὶ σφραγίδων: ἀόριστοι γάρ. Ἀορίστους δὲ λέγω: οὐ γάρ, καθό εἰσιν, ἐπιφαίνονται τοῖς ἀξίοις, οἷς ὁ θεὸς φαίνεσθαι αὐτοὺς θελήσει, ἀλλ' ἐν μετασχηματισμῷ, καθὼς δύνανται οἱ ὁρῶντες ὁρᾶν. «Ἀόριστον γάρ ἐστι φύσει καὶ κυρίως μόνον τὸ ἄκτιστον: πᾶν γὰρ κτίσμα ὑπὸ τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτὸ θεοῦ ὁρίζεται».

Ἔξωθεν τῆς οὐσίας τὸν ἁγιασμὸν ἐκ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἔχοντες, διὰ τῆς θείας χάριτος προφητεύοντες, μὴ γάμου χρῄζοντες, ἐπειδήπερ μή εἰσι θνητοί.

Νόες δὲ ὄντες ἐν νοητοῖς καὶ τόποις εἰσίν, οὐ σωματικῶς περιγραφόμενοι (οὐ γὰρ σωματικῶς κατὰ φύσιν σχηματίζονται οὐδὲ τριχῆ εἰσι διαστατοί), ἀλλὰ τῷ νοητῶς παρεῖναι καὶ ἐνεργεῖν, ἔνθα ἂν προσταχθῶσι, καὶ μὴ δύνασθαι κατὰ ταὐτὸν ὧδε κἀκεῖσε εἶναι καὶ ἐνεργεῖν.

Εἴτε ἴσοι κατ' οὐσίαν εἴτε διαφέροντες ἀλλήλων, οὐκ ἴσμεν. Μόνος δὲ ὁ ποιήσας αὐτοὺς θεὸς ἐπίσταται, ὁ καὶ τὰ πάντα εἰδώς. Διαφέροντες δὲ ἀλλήλων τῷ φωτισμῷ καὶ τῇ στάσει, εἴτε πρὸς τὸν φωτισμὸν τὴν στάσιν ἔχοντες ἢ πρὸς τὴν στάσιν τοῦ φωτισμοῦ μετέχοντες, καὶ ἀλλήλους φωτίζοντες διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς τάξεως ἢ φύσεως. Δῆλον δέ, ὡς οἱ ὑπερέχοντες τοῖς ὑποβεβηκόσι μεταδιδόασι τοῦ τε φωτισμοῦ καὶ τῆς γνώσεως.

Ἰσχυροὶ καὶ ἕτοιμοι πρὸς τὴν τοῦ θείου θελήματος ἐκπλήρωσιν καὶ πανταχοῦ εὐθέως εὑρισκόμενοι, ἔνθα ἂν ἡ θεία κελεύσῃ ἐπίνευσις, τάχει φύσεως, καὶ φυλάττοντες μέρη τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐθνῶν καὶ τόπων προϊστάμενοι, καθὼς ὑπὸ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ ἐτάχθησαν, καὶ τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς οἰκονομοῦντες καὶ βοηθοῦντες ἡμῖν: πάντως δὲ ὅτι κατὰ τὸ θεῖον θέλημά τε καὶ πρόσταγμα ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς ὄντες ἀεί τε περὶ θεὸν ὑπάρχοντες.

Δυσκίνητοι πρὸς τὸ κακὸν ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀκίνητοι, νῦν δὲ καὶ ἀκίνητοι, οὐ φύσει ἀλλὰ χάριτι καὶ τῇ τοῦ μόνου ἀγαθοῦ προσεδρείᾳ. Ὁρῶντες θεὸν κατὰ τὸ ἐφικτὸν αὐτοῖς καὶ ταύτην τροφὴν ἔχοντες. Ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς ὄντες ὡς ἀσώματοι καὶ παντὸς σωματικοῦ πάθους ἀπηλλαγμένοι, οὐ μὴν ἀπαθεῖς: μόνον γὰρ τὸ θεῖον ἀπαθές ἐστι. Μετασχηματίζονται δέ, πρὸς ὅπερ ἂν ὁ δεσπότης κελεύσῃ θεός, καὶ οὕτω τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπιφαίνονται καὶ τὰ θεῖα αὐτοῖς ἀποκαλύπτουσι μυστήρια. Ἐν οὐρανῷ διατρίβουσι καὶ ἓν ἔργον ἔχουσιν ὑμνεῖν τὸν θεὸν καὶ λειτουργεῖν τῷ θείῳ αὐτοῦ θελήματι.

Καθὼς δὲ ὁ ἁγιώτατος καὶ ἱερώτατος καὶ θεολογικώτατός φησι Διονύσιος ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης: «Πᾶσα ἡ θεολογία ἤγουν ἡ θεία γραφὴ τὰς οὐρανίους οὐσίας ἐννέα κέκληκε, ταύτας ὁ θεῖος ἱεροτελεστὴς εἰς τρεῖς ἀφορίζει τριαδικὰς διακοσμήσεις. Καὶ πρώτην μὲν εἶναί φησι τὴν περὶ θεὸν οὖσαν ἀεὶ καὶ προσεχῶς καὶ ἀμέσως ἡνῶσθαι παραδεδομένην τὴν τῶν ἑξαπτερύγων Σεραφὶμ καὶ τῶν πολυομμάτων Χερουβὶμ καὶ τῶν ἁγιωτάτων Θρόνων, δευτέραν δὲ τὴν τῶν Κυριοτήτων καὶ τῶν Δυνάμεων καὶ τῶν Ἐξουσιῶν, τρίτην δὲ καὶ τελευταίαν τὴν τῶν Ἀρχῶν καὶ Ἀρχαγγέλων καὶ Ἀγγέλων».

Τινὲς μὲν οὖν φασιν, ὅτι πρὸ πάσης κτίσεως ἐγένοντο, ὡς ὁ θεολόγος λέγει Γρηγόριος: «Πρῶτον ἐννοεῖ τὰς ἀγγελικὰς δυνάμεις καὶ οὐρανίους, καὶ τὸ ἐννόημα ἔργον ἦν»: ἕτεροι δέ, ὅτι μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι τὸν πρῶτον οὐρανόν. Ὅτι δὲ πρὸ τῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πλάσεως, πάντες ὁμολογοῦσιν. Ἐγὼ δὲ τῷ θεολόγῳ Γρηγορίῳ συντίθεμαι: ἔπρεπε γὰρ πρῶτον τὴν νοερὰν οὐσίαν κτισθῆναι καὶ οὕτω τὴν αἰσθητὴν καὶ τότε ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων τὸν ἄνθρωπον.

Ὅσοι δέ φασι τοὺς ἀγγέλους δημιουργοὺς τῆς οἱασδήποτε οὐσίας, οὗτοι στόμα εἰσὶ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν, τοῦ διαβόλου: κτίσμα γὰρ ὄντες οὔκ εἰσι δημιουργοί. Πάντων δὲ ποιητὴς καὶ προνοητὴς καὶ συνοχεὺς ὁ θεός ἐστιν, ὁ μόνος ἄκτιστος, ὁ ἐν πατρὶ καὶ υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι ὑμνούμενός τε καὶ δοξαζόμενος.