Whether Those Miracles Were Fitting Which Christ Worked in Spiritual
Substances?
Objection 1: It would seem that those miracles were unfitting which
Christ worked in spiritual substances. For among spiritual substances
the holy angels are above the demons; for, as Augustine says (De
Trin. iii): "The treacherous and sinful rational spirit of life is
ruled by the rational, pious, and just spirit of life." But we read
of no miracles worked by Christ in the good angels. Therefore neither
should He have worked miracles in the demons.
Obj. 2: Further, Christ's miracles were ordained to make known His
Godhead. But Christ's Godhead was not to be made known to the demons:
since this would have hindered the mystery of His Passion, according
to 1 Cor. 2:8: "If they had known it, they would never have crucified
the Lord of glory." Therefore He should not have worked miracles in
the demons.
Obj. 3: Further, Christ's miracles were ordained to the glory of God:
hence it is written (Matt. 9:8) that "the multitudes seeing" that the
man sick of the palsy had been healed by Christ, "feared, and
glorified God that gave such power to men." But the demons have no
part in glorifying God; since "praise is not seemly in the mouth of a
sinner" (Ecclus. 15:9). For which reason also "He suffered them not
to speak" (Mk. 1:34; Luke 4:41) those things which reflected glory on
Him. Therefore it seems that it was unfitting for Him to work
miracles in the demons.
Obj. 4: Further, Christ's miracles are ordained to the salvation of
mankind. But sometimes the casting out of demons from men was
detrimental to man, in some cases to the body: thus it is related
(Mk. 9:24, 25) that a demon at Christ's command, "crying out and
greatly tearing" the man, "went out of him; and he became as dead, so
that many said: He is dead"; sometimes also to things: as when He
sent the demons, at their own request, into the swine, which they
cast headlong into the sea; wherefore the inhabitants of those parts
"besought Him that He would depart from their coasts" (Matt.
8:31-34). Therefore it seems unfitting that He should have worked
such like miracles.
_On the contrary,_ this was foretold (Zech. 13:2), where it is
written: "I will take away . . . the unclean spirit out of the earth."
_I answer that,_ The miracles worked by Christ were arguments for the
faith which He taught. Now, by the power of His Godhead He was to
rescue those who would believe in Him, from the power of the demons;
according to John 12:31: "Now shall the prince of this world be cast
out." Consequently it was fitting that, among other miracles, He
should also deliver those who were obsessed by demons.
Reply Obj. 1: Just as men were to be delivered by Christ from the
power of the demons, so by Him were they to be brought to the
companionship of the angels, according to Col. 1:20: "Making peace
through the blood of His cross, both as to the things on earth and
the things that are in heaven." Therefore it was not fitting to show
forth to men other miracles as regards the angels, except by angels
appearing to men: as happened in His Nativity, His Resurrection, and
His Ascension.
Reply Obj. 2: As Augustine says (De Civ. Dei ix): "Christ was known
to the demons just as much as He willed; and He willed just as far as
there was need. But He was known to them, not as to the holy angels,
by that which is eternal life, but by certain temporal effects of His
power." First, when they saw that Christ was hungry after fasting
they deemed Him not to be the Son of God. Hence, on Luke 4:3, "If
Thou be the Son of God," etc., Ambrose says: "What means this way of
addressing Him? save that, though He knew that the Son of God was to
come, yet he did not think that He had come in the weakness of the
flesh?" But afterwards, when he saw Him work miracles, he had a sort
of conjectural suspicion that He was the Son of God. Hence on Mk.
1:24, "I know who Thou art, the Holy one of God," Chrysostom [*Victor
of Antioch. Cf. Catena Aurea] says that "he had no certain or firm
knowledge of God's coming." Yet he knew that He was "the Christ
promised in the Law," wherefore it is said (Luke 4:41) that "they
knew that He was Christ." But it was rather from suspicion than from
certainty that they confessed Him to be the Son of God. Hence Bede
says on Luke 4:41: "The demons confess the Son of God, and, as stated
farther on, 'they knew that He was Christ.' For when the devil saw
Him weakened by His fast, He knew Him to be a real man: but when He
failed to overcome Him by temptation, He doubted lest He should be
the Son of God. And now from the power of His miracles He either
knew, or rather suspected that He was the Son of God. His reason
therefore for persuading the Jews to crucify Him was not that he
deemed Him not to be Christ or the Son of God, but because he did not
foresee that he would be the loser by His death. For the Apostle says
of this mystery" (1 Cor. 2:7, 8), "which is hidden from the
beginning, that 'none of the princes of this world knew it,' for if
they had known it they would never have crucified the Lord of glory."
Reply Obj. 3: The miracles which Christ worked in expelling demons
were for the benefit, not of the demons, but of men, that they might
glorify Him. Wherefore He forbade them to speak in His praise. First,
to give us an example. For, as Athanasius says, "He restrained his
speech, although he was confessing the truth; to teach us not to care
about such things, although it may seem that what is said is true.
For it is wrong to seek to learn from the devil when we have the
Divine Scripture": Besides, it is dangerous, since the demons
frequently mix falsehood with truth. Or, as Chrysostom [*Cyril of
Alexandria, Comment. in Luc.] says: "It was not meet for them to
usurp the prerogative of the apostolic office. Nor was it fitting
that the mystery of Christ should be proclaimed by a corrupt tongue"
because "praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner" [*Cf.
Theophylact, Enarr. in Luc.]. Thirdly, because, as Bede says, "He did
not wish the envy of the Jews to be aroused thereby" [*Bede, Expos.
in Luc. iv, 41]. Hence "even the apostles are commanded to be silent
about Him, lest, if His Divine majesty were proclaimed, the gift of
His Passion should be deferred."
Reply Obj. 4: Christ came specially to teach and to work miracles for
the good of man, and principally as to the salvation of his soul.
Consequently, He allowed the demons, that He cast out, to do man some
harm, either in his body or in his goods, for the salvation of man's
soul--namely, for man's instruction. Hence Chrysostom says on Matt.
8:32 that Christ let the demons depart into the swine, "not as
yielding to the demons, but first, to show . . . how harmful are the
demons who attack men; secondly, that all might learn that the demons
would not dare to hurt even the swine, except He allow them; thirdly,
that they would have treated those men more grievously than they
treated the swine, unless they had been protected by God's
providence."
And for the same motives He allowed the man, who was being delivered
from the demons, to suffer grievously for the moment; yet did He
release him at once from that distress. By this, moreover, we are
taught, as Bede says on Mk. 9:25, that "often, when after falling
into sin we strive to return to God, we experience further and more
grievous attacks from the old enemy. This he does, either that he may
inspire us with a distaste for virtue, or that he may avenge the
shame of having been cast out." For the man who was healed "became as
dead," says Jerome, "because to those who are healed it is said, 'You
are dead; and your life is hid with Christ in God'" (Col. 3:3)
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