Section IX: The Orders of Angels, § 52
SECTION IX: ON THE ORDERS OF ANGELS
The hierarchies of angels.
§ 52. We respond to [scholastic] questions and debates concerning the different hierarchies and orders of angels from Augustine (Ad Oros. contra Priscil., ch. 11, vol. 6, f. 134): “I firmly believe that there are thrones, dominions, principalities, and authorities in the splendors of heaven, and I hold with unquestioning faith that there are some differences. What those are and how they differ among themselves, however, I do not know.” Augustine again (Enchir. ad Laur., ch. 58): “I confess I do not know how these four words differ among themselves. For by saying ‘whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities,’ the apostle seems to have encompassed that whole society. Let those speak who are able, but only if they can prove what they say. As for me, I confess that I do not know.” Nazianzen (De theol., p. 77) says, “The ranking of angels is known to Him who ranked them.” Gregory and Bernard do not agree with Dionysius, the architect of that distribution (De coel. hierarch., bk. 1, ch. 6). This moved Biel to write (Sent. 2, dist. 9, q. 1, art. 1): “He who did the creating and distinguishing knows which distinction is the truer and what the order of dominion and powers is in this hierarchy.”
§ 53. The Scholastics do much philosophizing about angelic hierarchies on the basis of their Dionysius. They say that there is a triple hierarchy: supercelestial, which is of the Holy Trinity; celestial, which is of the holy angels; and the subcelestial, which is of human beings. (Meanwhile, however, Thomas—[ST,] part 11, q. 108, art. 1—says, and quite correctly, that we must not construct a hierarchy in the persons of the Godhead.)
In turn they establish a triple hierarchy of the angels, and in each hierarchy they set up three orders. Into the first they place the cherubim, seraphim, and the thrones. Into the second Dionysius puts the dominions, powers, and authorities; but there Gregory and Bernard put dominions, principalities, and authorities. Into the third Dionysius places principalities, archangels, and angels, while Gregory and Bernard put authorities in place of principalities. The reason for the difference stems from the fact that the apostle lists the orders of angels differently in Eph. 1[:21] from Col. 1[:16]. The Scholastics try to excuse this difference by making the distinction that Dionysius arranges the orders of the second hierarchy according to the perfection of power, while Gregory does this according to their offices. Ambrose of Camaldoli says in his Scholia on Dionysius: “This doctrine that there are nine ranks of angels is a doctrine of St. Paul.”
§ 54. Let us listen more to those people who “enter into things they have not seen” [ἐμβατεύοντας ἐν οἷς μὴ ἑωράκασιν]. They say:
The first hierarchy deals with knowledge and the state of contemplation in one’s conversion to God, which consists of knowledge (hence the cherubim), love (hence the seraphim), and rest (hence the thrones). The second hierarchy concerns duties and the perfection of power. The perfection of power lies in presiding (hence the dominions, which direct the good angels in their duties) or in resisting (hence the powers, which restrain the devil’s power) or in working (hence the authorities, through which God works miracles and healings). With respect to their offices, some are in charge of angels (hence dominions). Some are in charge of good people (hence principalities). Some are in charge of evil spirits (hence powers). The third hierarchy is concerned with ministerial action and the lowest estate, of those who are active. The ministerial action of angels is related to the rule of princes (hence principalities), or the rule and protection of the masses (hence the archangels), or the direction and protection of a single person (hence the angels). The estate of those who are active consists in working (hence the order of authorities, to which the doing of miracles belongs) or in teaching greater matters (hence the archangels) or in teaching lesser matters (hence the angels).
§ 55. They are not yet finished, however, for they ask: “Does the difference of orders spring from natural gifts or from free [gratuitis] gifts?” They ask: “What actions do angels of the higher orders have with respect to those of the lower orders?” They ask: “Did some of every order fall?” They ask: “Was the angel who was the greatest among the sinners formerly the greatest among all the rest who still stood faithful?” They ask: “Will there be an assumption of those who will be saved into all the ranks of angels?” This they are bold to affirm. They ask: “Will all the blessed be taken into the orders of the angels?” Here some say that all will be taken into the orders of angels; some say that only virgins will be used to restore [the number] of angels, but that from the rest a tenth order is going to be established. Some say that the tenth order will be formed from those who in this life did not reach such an excellence of merits but were saved only by Christ’s merits, like circumcised and baptized infants. These, they say, were foreshadowed in the finding of the tenth drachma and in the sundial of Hezekiah (2 Kings 20[:8–11]), where the sun goes down ten steps. Biel calls this idea “probable” (Sent. 2, dist. 9, q. 1, art. 3, dub. 4). They ask: “Will the precedence of one order with respect to another cease on Judgment Day?” They discuss all these in such a way that one may ask deservedly how recently they fell from heaven. We shall not see the orders of angels until at last we are united with those blessed spirits and praise God with one mouth and voice.