The Literal Meaning of Genesis (continued)
He gave it are more powerful and more excellent, and those that do not have it are of necessity subject to those that do. All of this is by reason of the order established by the Creator, who never punishes an evil will to the extent of destroying the dignity of its nature. Since all bodies, then, and all irrational souls are without free will, they are subordinate to those beings that do have free will; not all of the former, however, to all of the latter, but according to an order established by the justice of the Creator.
Therefore, the providence of God rules and administers the whole creation, both natures and wills: natures in order to give them existence, wills so that those that are good may not be without merit, and those that are evil may not go unpunished. And that same God by His providence first of all subjects all creatures to Himself, and then corporeal creatures to the spiritual, the irrational to the rational, the earthly to the heavenly, the female to the male, the weak to the strong, and the poor to the rich.!°4 As far as wills are concerned, God subjects to Himself those that are good, and He subjects the wicked to those who serve Him, so that an evil will may suffer what a good will does by God's command, whether the good will does this by itself or by an evil will, but only in that domain which is by nature subject even to an evil will, namely, bodies.!°> For evil wills have in themselves their own interior punishment, that is, their own wickedness.
CHAPTER 24
The role of the angels in the governance of the universe.
45. Hence, every corporeal being, every irrational life, every weak or wayward will is subjected to the heavenly angels who enjoy God, being subject to Him, and serve God in beatitude; and the angels' purpose is to accomplish in or with these subject creatures what the order of nature demands in all according to the decree of Him to whom all are subject. The angels see in God immutable truth, and according to it they direct their wills.