Summa Theologiae Moralis, vol. I: De Principiis

S. Th. II-II, q. 5.

723. The angels and the first man were created in faith. — The reason is that on the one hand they did not enjoy the vision of God in Himself, and on the other hand they were destined for this vision ; hence they ought to know it by faith, in order to be able to tend toward it as to a supernatural end (n. 707).

724. In the next life faith does not remain. — In the blessed faith does not remain, because they see (1 Cor. XIII, 9-10) ; it remains, however, in the souls of purgatory. — In the damned, on the other hand, it is brought to nothing, because no ability or tendency toward the supernatural end remains in them : for they are definitively turned away from the ultimate end and hardened in evil.

Nor should you say according to James II, 19 : « The demons believe and tremble ». For they do not properly believe, or adhere to revealed truths, by supernatural grace from a pious affection of credulity, on account of the sole authority of God revealing, because God is worthy of faith and because they wish to trust Him speaking ; — but they admit them only by rational cognition and a kind of historical certitude, because from the sharpness of their intellect they have such manifest indications that they are revealed by God who does not lie, and therefore that His testimony about them is in fact true, so that they are convinced of them and cannot doubt, because of the evidence, namely, of the testimony (cf. n. 689, 2°). They do not doubt, namely, but they adhere, yet on account of signs and inducing reasons, not on account of the very authority of God revealing.

725. Faith is lost not by any mortal sin whatsoever, as the Council of Trent defined, sess. 6, can. 28 and is presupposed in Scripture, 1 Cor. XIII, 2 ; James II, 14 ; but only by sin directly contrary to it (1 Tim. I, 19), namely by infidelity (Council of Trent, sess. 6, c. 15), even if it concerns only one point. For he who denies the authority of God revealing in one thing cannot receive it in another, because it is always and in all things of equal weight and value. Hence if a heretic adheres to other articles, this is already done not by divine faith on account of God's authority, but either by human faith or by his own opinion.