1 Objection 1: It would seem that more angels sinned than stood firm. For, as the Philosopher says Ethic. ii, 6): Evil is in many, but good is in few.
1 Ad nonum sic proceditur. Videtur quod plures peccaverunt de Angelis, quam permanserunt. Quia, ut dicit philosophus, malum est ut in pluribus, bonum ut in paucioribus.
2 Objection 2: Further, justice and sin are to be found in the same way in men and in angels. But there are more wicked men to be found than good; according to Eccles. 1, 15: The number of fools is infinite. Therefore for the same reason it is so with the angels.
2 Praeterea, iustitia et peccatum eadem ratione inveniuntur in Angelis et hominibus. Sed in hominibus plures inveniuntur mali quam boni; secundum illud Eccle. I, stultorum infinitus est numerus. Ergo pari ratione in Angelis.
3 Objection 3: Further, the angels are distinguished according to persons and orders. Therefore if more angelic persons stood firm, it would appear that those who sinned were not from all the orders.
3 Praeterea, Angeli distinguuntur secundum personas, et secundum ordines. Si igitur plures personae angelicae remanserunt, videtur etiam quod non de omnibus ordinibus aliqui peccaverunt.
4 On the contrary, It is said 4 Kgs. 6, 16): There are more with us than with them: which is expounded of the good angels who are with us to aid us, and the wicked spirits who are our foes.
4 Sed contra est quod dicitur IV Reg. VI, plures nobiscum sunt quam cum illis; quod exponitur de bonis Angelis qui sunt nobiscum in auxilium, et de malis qui nobis adversantur.
5 I answer that, More angels stood firm than sinned. Because sin is contrary to the natural inclination; while that which is against the natural order happens with less frequency; for nature procures its effects either always, or more often than not.
5 Respondeo dicendum quod plures Angeli permanserunt quam peccaverunt. Quia peccatum est contra naturalem inclinationem, ea vero quae contra naturam fiunt, ut in paucioribus accidunt; natura enim consequitur suum effectum vel semper, vel ut in pluribus.
6 Reply to Objection 1: The Philosopher is speaking with regard to men, in whom evil comes to pass from seeking after sensible pleasures, which are known to most men, and from forsaking the good dictated by reason, which good is known to the few. In the angels there is only an intellectual nature; hence the argument does not hold. And from this we have the answer to the second difficulty.
6 Ad primum ergo dicendum quod philosophus loquitur quantum ad homines, in quibus malum contingit ex hoc quod sequuntur bona sensibilia, quae sunt pluribus nota, deserto bono rationis, quod paucioribus notum est. In Angelis autem non est nisi natura intellectualis. Unde non est similis ratio. Et per hoc patet responsio ad secundum.
7 Reply to Objection 3: According to those who hold that the chief devil belonged to the lower order of the angels, who are set over earthly affairs, it is evident that some of every order did not fall, but only those of the lowest order. According to those who maintain that the chief devil was of the highest order, it is probable that some fell of every order; just as men are taken up into every order to supply for the angelic ruin. In this view the liberty of free-will is more established; which in every degree of creature can be turned to evil. In the Sacred Scripture, however, the names of some orders, as of Seraphim and Thrones, are not attributed to demons; since they are derived from the ardor of love and from God's indwelling, which are not consistent with mortal sin. Yet the names of Cherubim, Powers, and Principalities are attributed to them; because these names are derived from knowledge and from power, which can be common to both good and bad.
7 Ad tertium dicendum quod secundum illos qui dicunt quod Diabolus maior fuit de inferiori ordine Angelorum, qui praesunt terrestribus, manifestum est quod non de quolibet ordine ceciderunt, sed de infimo tantum. Secundum vero illos qui ponunt maiorem Diabolum de supremo fuisse ordine, probabile est quod de quolibet ordine aliqui ceciderunt; sicut et in quemlibet ordinem homines assumuntur in supplementum ruinae angelicae. In quo etiam magis comprobatur libertas liberi arbitrii, quae secundum quemlibet gradum creaturae in malum flecti potest. In sacra Scriptura tamen nomina quorundam ordinum, ut Seraphim et thronorum, Daemonibus non attribuuntur; quia haec nomina sumuntur ab ardore caritatis et ab inhabitatione Dei, quae non possunt esse cum peccato mortali. Attribuuntur autem eis nomina Cherubim, potestatum et principatuum, quia haec nomina sumuntur a scientia et potentia, quae bonis malisque possunt esse communia.