De Moor IX:5: Angels as Creatures, Part 3

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Because they were created, they are also Finite; since Infinity is ascribed to the Creator alone.  Of course, among the disjoined States of Being is also Infinitude and Finitude.  These are connected with Independence and Dependence of Being, in such a way that Independent Being alone is also Infinite, but Dependent Being is Finite:  and so, since the Creator alone is Independent, to Him alone also is the glory of Infinity to be ascribed; but Angels, as dependent Creatures, are also to be said to be Finite.  But that is Finite, which extends to a point, and no farther, and so than which a greater is able to be conceived.  And concerning this it comes to be observed, that, as whatever is Infinite in any way is Infinite in every way; so whatever is Finite in any way is Finite in every way:  because there is no proportion between the Finite and the Infinite, and hence a mixture of the Finite and the Infinite is inconceivable and contradictory.  Therefore, our AUTHOR rightly observes, that Angels, as dependent Creatures, are to be said to be Finite, and that they are also Finite in every way.

1.  With respect to Essence, so that this, although more perfect than others, is not the most perfect in every way.

2.  With respect to the Faculties, of Understanding, Willing, and Working ad extra; it will be evident in § 8-10, that they are of exceeding excellence, and yet of finite and limited perfection.

3.  With respect to the Gifts, of Wisdom, Holiness, Joy, and Glory, which likewise acknowledge their limits, since the finite is not able to comprehend the infinite.

4.  With respect to Duration, so that they acknowledge, not an End, but nevertheless a Beginning and continuous Succession.  Therefore, the Age and Duration of Angels agrees with Eternity in this, that it has no End; but with Time in this, that it admits, not only a Beginning, but also Succession:  which Theologians observe against the Scholastics, who maintain that the Duration of Angels is indivisible, or does not consist in Succession:  since nevertheless tomorrow and the day after an Angel is going to acquire a continuation and extension of his Duration that he does not have today, since he only exists and endures contingently and dependently; with Necessity and Independence of Existence and Duration to be ascribed to God alone.

5.  With respect to Number:  Indeed, there is no such thing as Infinite Number; yet we acknowledge their Maximal Number of these courtiers according to the Majesty of the most high King, and we willingly confess that the same is Unknown to us, § 19, 24.

6.  But also with respect to Presence in some certain and definite Place.  To avoid logomachy, at this point we observe with our AUTHOR, that Angels were not circumscribed by place after the likeness of bodies, and so many are able to be in the same Place; as the Gospel made mention of a man εἰς ὃν εἰσῆλθεν δαιμόνια πολλὰ, into whom were entered many demons, Luke 8:30.  Of course, the Somewhere or Existence of a Being in its own Place is among the most common, simple States of a Being, just like truth, unity, goodness, and at what time; or among those things predicated, which necessarily follow the concept of whatever Being, whether it be a Body or a Spirit, regarded simply as a thing having true existence, according to the nature of each:  and which in general are only certain modes of conceiving of Being as such, under some certain relation, but founded in the thing, so that, while our mind contemplates it under that relation, it penetrates to a more distinct understanding of the same.  In particular, the Where is also properly Non-Being; but it is conceived by us through a relationship to a Body, either actual, or at least possible.  And such a Where is also applicable to Angels as Beings, not a Where Circumscriptive of Bodies, which on account of their local extension are always circumscribed, or at least are able to be circumscribed, by another surrounding body, as if Angels by their presence would exclude Bodies and have their own dimensions, and by their extremities touch neighboring Bodies:  but Angels have their own Where, in a spiritual manner agreeing with their nature, which, although it be conceived of by us with relation to the space of a body, involves no extension on its part; but he says, that an Angelic Spirit, without diffusion or parts of it, is where a Body is or is able to be.  And, while the Scholastics attribute to God as Infinite Spirit a Repletive Where; the Where of created Spirits, whether Angels or human Souls, they commonly call Definitive; insofar as in their finite Essence they are not omnipresent or everywhere, they exist definitely in this or that finite and determinate Where, in such a way that they are not elsewhere.

This essential Presence of Angels in some certain and definite Place, our AUTHOR proves, α.  From the Finite Essence of Angels, to which then only finite attributes are applicable; and so an Angel is not able to co-exist with all Space, real and possible, neither, on the other hand, is he even able to be conceived by the mind without Presence in this or that determinate Place:  but, with it granted that an Angel is a true Being, it certainly follows that he is Somewhere, so that it is a common notion, from which no one is able to withhold assent, that What is nowhere is nothing.  β.  From Scripture, which everywhere sets forth Heaven and Hell as the ordinary place of the Dwelling of Angels, from which they are variously sent and moved, Matthew 18:10:  for which reason they are called the Angels of Heaven, οἱ ἄγγελοι τῶν οὐρανῶν, in Matthew 24:36; on the other hand, in 2 Peter 2:4, God is said σειραῖς ζόφου ταρταρώσας, to have cast them into hell with chains of darkness.  And so the Heaven of the blessed and Hell will both be Nowhere and not true places, if Angels, existing in that very place, are to be said to be Nowhere.

Which today’s Philosophers incorrectly deny, referring the whole Presence of Angels to External Operations.  Thus WITTICH,[1] Theologia pacifica, chapter XIII, § 175:  But we especially understand, that Angels, since they are thinking natures, differing from human minds in this, that they are free from the body, are not otherwise able to be in a Where and location, neither are they otherwise able to be moved than with respect to their operations, which are terminated outside of themselves.  And also BURMAN,[2] Synopsi Theologiæ, book I, chapter XLV, § 36, 37:  A Where is not properly applicable to Angels, since to be in a place is an attribute of an extended thing….  Therefore, an Angel of itself is in no manner in a place, not circumscriptively, nor even definitively.  But he is said to be in a place, where he works ad extra near some body, to which he joins himself; with respect to this body, which is situated among other bodies, he obtains his place, since he is joined in that manner to it, but not to other things.

Our AUTHOR sets himself in opposition, α.  Because thus the Scriptures break in, which to the very Angels, with respect to Essence, attribute Place, even where they do not Operate in bodies or upon bodies outside of themselves.  β.  Because thus Bodily Motion excited by an Angel is most unfortunately confounded with Angels.  γ.  Because thus they ineptly separate the Agent from the Action, since nothing operates upon a distant thing; but, as action presupposes being, so action now presupposes being now, and action here presupposes being here:  but how much less are οἱ ἐξ ἐναντίας, those of the opposition, able here to separate the Action from the Agent, since they maintain that Angels operate by Will alone, since thus they would separate their Will from their Essence.  Indeed, since to them the Essence of Angels, as of all other Spirits, is mere Thought, and Though is at the same time the whole Action of them, they separate Essence from Essence, when they tear the Presence of angelic Operations from the Essence of the same.  δ.  Because thus they continually repeat a bare hypothesis without any proof, as if the Where ascribed to a Being necessarily implies the Extension of that Being.  Nevertheless, thus they often plead by Objecting:

α.  That Axiom, What is Nowhere is not, only pertains to Bodies:  for the reason why everything that is is Somewhere or in Space, is that every Body is extended, as is also every Space.

Responses:  1.  It is thus supposed that Space is the same thing as a Body existing in Space, from a prejudice adhering from infancy, because we have always observed all Spaces to be filled with Bodies.  2.  A Vacuum is possible, that is, a Space or interval, capacity (ene zekere ruymte, a certain space), without Extension, or a distance between two Bodies with no third Body interposed.  3.  Spirits are not Somewhere after the manner of Bodies; and so it is to be proven that another Where, besides that which belongs to Bodies, is not to be admitted.

They insist:  Of what sort, then, is that Somewhere of Spirits, if it does not involve Extension?

I Respond:  As I said above, it is such an Attribute of Spirits, whereby they exist in an indivisible manner through their Essence in the Spaces, real or possible, of corporeal things:  or a Spirit is without its own Extension, where a Body is, or at least is able to be.

β.  It is inconceivable and impossible, that a non-extended and indivisible thing by Essence co-exists with a thing divisible and extended, without it also in this manner becoming itself extended, at least in a more subtle manner.

Responses:  1.  It is false, that things of a diverse nature are not able to co-exist with each other; let the eternal Duration of God co-existing with temporal and successive Duration stand as an example; for, what is able to obtain in a When is able to obtain in a Where.  2.  Scripture expressly asserts, that the Spirit is in the body, whether you consider the human soul, Acts 20:10,[3] or an angelic Spirit, as the Gospel frequently relates concerning Demons, that they went into or out of a man.  I will not speak of the divine Spirit, which is said to be in and to inhabit believers, or of the Λόγῳ/Logos/Word dwelling bodily, that is, truly and essentially, in the humanity of Christ.[4]  3.  Therefore, if you conceive of the Where of a Spirit, you conceive of Extension; not in the Spirit, but in the Body or Space conceived after the manner of a body, with which the Spirit co-exists.  And so, if Spirit is without Extension, it is not able to co-exist with Space through Extension of Essence, but rather in a manner applicable to itself.  4.  Therefore, no distinction between real Extension and virtual Extension is necessary, lest we manifestly attribute Extension to Spirit on account of its co-existence with extended Space:  since a Spirit, if it were extended, is not even able to co-exist with an extended substance, because extended things are not able to penetrate each other.

γ.  If Spirits existed alone, they would not be Anywhere:  and so the latter is only applicable to them by accidental property with respect to the Bodies in which they operate.

I Respond:  They would certainly be Somewhere, that is, in that place where Bodies are able to be, with which, if they be produced, they would co-exist, as Somewhere is able to be attributed to God even before the foundation of the World.

They insist:  Therefore, Spirit would differ from Spirit, an Angel from another Angel, and thus Extension is posited.

I Respond:  These things suppose, that Extension, Space, and Distance coincide, and that the latter is not able to be without the former; which is false.

[1] Christoph Wittich (1625-1687) was a Dutch Theologian and Cartesian.  He served as Professor of Theology at Duisburg (1653-1654), Nijmegen (1655-1671), and Leiden (1671-1687).

[2] Frans Burman (1628-1679) was a Dutch Reformed theologian and a Cartesian.  He served as Professor of Theology (1662-1671) and Professor of Church History (1671-1679) at Utrecht.

[3] Acts 20:10:  “And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life (ψυχὴ/soul) is in him.”

[4] See Colossians 2:9.