Tertia Pars
94. Christ's Miracles in General: Why He Did Them, by What Power, When They Began, and Whether They Show His Divinity (ST III q.43)
Class of 2010-05-06
https://berquistcourse.com/course/theology/13-tertia-pars/094-christs-miracles-in-general-why-he-did-them-by-what-power/

[0:00] The Father, the Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you, God. Thank you, Guardian Angels. Thank you, Thomas Aquinas. Deo gracias. God, our enlightenment. Guardian Angels, strengthen the lights of our minds, order and illumine our images, and arouse us to consider more correctly. Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelic Doctor, and help us to understand all that you have written. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. I was thinking, you know, of how the definition of theology that they attribute to Saint Anselm, which goes back in meaning to Augustine, right?

[0:42] Belief seeking understanding. It's almost redundant in the definition of to believe that Augustine gives and Thomas follows in the secunda secundae. What's the definition of to believe? huh

[1:02] To ascend. With cogitatione, right? Yeah. And Thomas explains we need both parts of the definition. So it's assentire right? Cum cogitatione which could be translated in the English by to assent to what God has revealed, right? To ascent while thinking about it.

[1:26] So if you if that's in there, right? You're thinking about something. You're trying to what? Understand it so far as possible. So if you're not trying to understand what you believe, according to your time and capacity and so on, right? Do you believe? It's almost the definition of of to believe, right? So therefore, when St. Anselm says that theology is or theology there is belief seeking understanding, it's almost you know redundant to say seeking understanding because it's already the definition of the act of what to believe, huh?

[2:08] It's to assent while thinking about it, right? So I assent that there are three persons of God, and I think about this. then why are there three persons and not more or less, right? Or why are there different? What is the basis for this distinction, right? And how could there be this distinction in God? And all these questions arise. But in going through these mysteries about Christ, you know, you're asking all the time, you know, why did Christ want to be tempted?

[2:35] Why, you know? So you're thinking about something you believe, and that means you're trying to understand so far as our weak minds can do, right? But with some help from Thomas, right? To understand so far as possible for our weak minds, never, you know, presuming to completely ever understand these things, but you know, something between. A raw belief, right?

[3:04] And of course, you know, as Vatican one says, the ascent of faith should not be a check, right? A blind ascent, right? Okay. So we got a number of articles here on miracles in general, and then the next question will be on particular kinds of miracles, and then, strange as may seem, right, a question on the transfiguration.

[3:36] Now, about the first four things are asked: whether Christ ought to have done miracles, whether he did them by a divine power; third, about the time in which he began to do miracles; and whether the miracles were sufficiently shown his divine what nature. It seems that Christ ought not to have done miracles, huh?

[4:04] For the doings of Christ ought to be in harmony with his words, huh? But he himself says, Matthew sixteen, "A evil generation, an adulterous generation, seeks a sign, right? And a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet, huh? Who was three days, right? Therefore, one ought not to have done what miracles, huh?

[4:33] Moreover, as Christ in the second coming, huh, comes in great power and majesty, right? As is said in Matthew twenty-four, so in the first coming he comes in weakness, huh, infirmity, according to that of Isaiah chapter fifty-three, a man of sorrows and knowing infirmity. But the operation of miracles more pertains to power than to weakness. They subject you to the people. Therefore, it is not suitable that in the first coming he he did miracles, huh?

[5:13] Moreover, Christ came to this that through faith or belief he might what save men, huh? According to that of Hebrews twelve, looking upon the originator of faith and the one who completes it, right? But miracles diminish the merit of faith, huh? Whence the Lord says, "Unless you cease signs and prodigies, you do not believe, huh? Therefore, it seems that Christ ought not to do what miracles, huh?

[5:48] Yeah. But against this, it is said from the person of adversaries, huh? What are we going to what do because this man does many what signs, huh? Thomas' beautiful text here I answer: It should be said, and that divinely it is conceded to man to do miracles. This is being said more generally than Christ, right? For two reasons, first and chiefly, to confirming the truth which someone is teaching, because those things which are of faith—that means divine faith—exceed human reason, and they cannot be what proven through human reasons.

[6:44] It is necessary that they be approved through the argument of the divine power. That when someone does works which only God is able to do, those things are believed to be said by God, right? Just as when someone bears letters with the ring of the king signed by the ring of the king, he's believed, right, that from the will of the king who sees the things that are contained in them.

[7:12] Let's get the stamp there, right? You know how Hamlet got rid of those Guildenstern. Well, he had he had the seal of the ring, right, and he changed the document, right, and you know put their names in instead of his name and stamped it, and they get executed by the King of England, right? And he appeared, you know, back to the constellation of his evil uncle.

[7:46] Secondly, to showing the presence of God in man through the grace of the Holy Spirit, as when a man does the works of God, God is believed to dwell in him through grace. Of course, this is why we have this miracle for canonization, right? But even during a person's life, he these work miracles sometimes, right? And then you see that there must be holy, right? Whence

[8:22] it is said Galatians three, who gives you spirit and does what works in you, right? So both of these things were to be manifested and made known to men about Christ, right? To wit, that God was in him by grace, right? Not just by the grace of adoption, right? Not the grace of adoption, but the grace of what union. And secondly, that his supernatural teaching was in fact from what God, right?

[8:58] And therefore, it is most suitable. That he do what Miracles, huh? Whence he himself says, John ten, if you don't want to believe me, then believe the works. And the works which the Father gives me that I do, they give testimony about me. Which is why he reproaches them at the Last Supper and says, "If I hadn't done the works that no man had ever done,

[9:29] Yeah, So in the Acts of the Apostle now, which they read all the time now, this same season, you know, you see that. Now he says in regard to that first objection, right? To the first, it should be said that this that he says, a sign will not be given to them except the sign of Jonah, should be thus understood as Chrysostom says. That then they would not what?

[10:04] We see such a sign as they asked for, to wit, from heaven, right? Not that no sign would be given to them, huh? So they're looking for a sign of fire coming down from heaven or something, huh?

[10:20] Or because what? He did signs not on account of them whom he knew to be what stony, but that he might cleanse others, right? And therefore not to them but to others these signs are what given, huh?

[10:44] The second one, huh? He brings out a distinction there, right? The second should be said that though Christ came in the infirmity of flesh, which is made known through his what sufferings, he came nevertheless in the power of God, which is made manifest by miracles. So when they talk about the gospels, you have something that will reveal the humanity of Christ and the weakness of Christ, and something that will what reveal his divinity, right?

[11:13] So on the cross he cries out, you know, and things of that sort, so that you realize that there's both of these things in Christ.

[11:25] Now what about diminishing the merit of faith, right? To the third, it should be said that miracles so much diminish the merit of faith, or that much they diminish the merit of faith, in so far as through this is shown the hardness of those who do not want to what leave the things which are shown by divine scriptures except through miracles, right? But nevertheless, it is better for them that they be what either converted by miracles to faith, than that they remain altogether.

[12:09] And therefore it is said in one Corinthians that signs are given to the unfaithful that they might be converted to faith, huh? So is that? I'd even wonder the guy was in doubt about the real presence, you know, and then the blood that are.

[12:28] Sisters would tell us these stories, you know, of some of them at communion, and instead of consuming the host, he put it in his napkin, you know, and took it back to his thing, and then he opened up again; it was blood. That's good for some of us, you know. He tells us all these stories. I don't know whether they're true, you know. That was true in Portugal, Santarém.

[12:53] There's a miracle. It was a woman, for superstitious reasons, whatever, probably in her life, she thought this would work like a good luck charm. but. She went back to her house. and it was blood all over her handkerchief. They had a preserved sister house. That's better. Yeah. Yeah. I did. I did. The second article, where the Christ did miracles by divine power, right? To the second one goes forward.

[13:26] Thus, it seems that Christ did not do miracles by divine power. It seems kind of strange. He would, he would want to examine this, right? Now, for the divine power is omnipotent, huh?

[13:41] But it seems that Christ was not omnipotent in doing miracles. For it is said, Mark six, he was not able there, to wit, in his own country, to do any what power there, any miracle. Therefore, it seems that he did not do miracles by divine power, right? His limitation.

[14:06] Moreover, it doesn't belong to God to pray, but Christ sometimes in doing miracles prayed, as is clear in the raising of Lazarus, right? And also in multiplication of the breads, as is said in Matthew chapter fourteen. Therefore, it seems he did not do miracles by divine power.

[14:32] Moreover, those things which come about by divine power are not able to what come about by the power of any creature. But those things which Christ did are able also to come about by the power of some creature. Whence the Pharisee said that in Beelzebub, the prince of the demons, huh? He casts out demons, huh? Therefore, it seems that Christ did not make miracles by divine power.

[15:02] That that philosophy there, the Pharisee, you know, really shows their kind of malice. It seems to me, it's one one of the things that kind of more vivid, you know, impression of these men, huh?

[15:17] But against this is what the Lord Himself said in John fourteen: the Father remaining in me, He does these what works. Well, Thomas says the answer should be said that as is had in the first part, true miracles, right, are able to come about only by the divine what power. Because God alone is able to change the order of nature, which pertains to the notion of a miracle.

[15:52] That's why the modern scientists who deny miracles, right? Because you can't change out the laws of nature, right? Whence Leo Papa says in the Epistle to Flavian that since in Christ there are two natures, one of them, to wit, the divine one, which glows, I guess, huh, by miracles, right? The other, human, which succumbs to injuries, huh?

[16:23] But nevertheless, one of them acts with the communication of the other, in so far as the human nature is a instrument of the divine what action,

[16:39] huh? And the human action, yeah, human action gains power from the what divine nature has been shown above, right? So as you're referring back to earlier texts that we haven't covered in this course, right?

[17:05] Now what about in this? Yeah, not doing things. To the first, therefore, should be said that this that is said, he was not able there to do any what miracles, huh? He powerful. Should not be referring to his absolute power, right? Huh? But to that which he could bring about, that which could come about in a sub way, right? Huh? For it was not congruent or suitable that among the unbelieving he does what miracles, huh?

[17:44] And once it it is there joined, and he wondered about their what Unbelief unbelief, huh? Sect according to which mode is said Genesis 18. Ah.

[18:00] I'm not able to hide from Abraham what I'm about to do. True. Yeah. I'm not able to do anything until what you go there.

[18:21] I mean, no, I guess the the doing of miracles, even by saying, is a tribute to to his faith, huh? Mm-hmm. And become interesting when Thomas develops the reasons. I don't remember all the reasons for that, but one that kind of sticks in my mind is going back to Anaxagoras, and that he says that the mind that moves things, right, can't be mixed up with them. Mm-hmm.

[18:49] It's got to be distinct from them, and so faith what separates you from things, right? Mm-hmm. And you're not you're not tied to what you can sense, right? But your mind is raised above things, right? Mm-hmm. And that's appropriateness to have power, huh? Mm-hmm. But also by faith you're first joined to God and so on, which is a source of power. So it's kind of you know curious thing, you know, because on the one hand, part of the truth of miracles is to what take those who are unfaithful and make them faithful, right?

[19:19] Mm-hmm. But another case, it's what. When is appropriate doer of of miracles, ah, because of faith, right? So it's kind of it's kind of kind of a two things to be considered there, right?

[19:42] And then I think you said before about some miracles are done to provoke faith, and other miracles are done to confirm it. Yeah. Yeah. Now, why did he pray? Sometimes, right? Well, something else he wanted to bring out. To the second should be said, but as Chrysostom says, huh? Taking five loaves and two fishes, right? Looking into heaven, he blessed them and he broke them, huh? Is necessary, says, to believe about Christ that he is from the Father, right, huh?

[20:22] And that he is what equal to him, right? And therefore, that he might show both of these things, now with power, right, like on his own doing it, right? Now praying, he does what miracles, huh? And in lesser ones, he regards what heaven as in the multiplication of breads. In those things that are greater, which are only of God, he acts with his own power, as when he dismisses sins and raises the what dead, right, huh?

[21:01] That however, or to say in John eleven, that in the raising of Lazarus he lifted up what his eyes upwards, not on account of the necessity of this, right? But he does, for example, right, huh? Once he says, "on account of the people who are around," I said, that they might believe that you have what sent me to show his harmony with the Father, and so on."

[21:28] But he's not. Beelzebub, right? Casting out these things and doing these things. Yeah. And what about? Any probability that that you know Beelzebub could do, right? What Christ is doing. To the third should be said that Christ, in another way, expels demons. Then they are expelled by the power of the what demons, huh?

[22:02] For by the power of the higher demons, right. Thus, demons are expelled from bodies. That nevertheless there remains a command of them as it guards their soul, right, huh? For not against his own kingdom does the devil act, huh? But Christ expels demons not only from the body, but much more from the soul. And therefore the Lord disproves the blasphemy of the Jews, saying that he cast demons out in the power of demons.

[22:42] First, because through this Satan against himself is not what divided. Secondly, by the example of those who what cast out demons through the Spirit of God. Third, because to expel the demon is not possible unless he be overcome by the divine what power. Fourth, because there is no agreement in the works nor in the effect between himself and Satan, because Satan disperses, wishes to disperse what Christ what. Collects, huh?

[23:38] Now, what about the time he's going to do his miracles, huh? Did Christ begin to do miracles the time of the wedding feast at Cana, huh? Well, Thomas says no. The third one proceeds thus. It seems that Christ does not begin to do miracles in weddings by changing water into what wine, huh? For we read in the book on the infancy of the Savior,

[24:19] my my footnote there says the C O D, the Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti Hamburg, huh? Germany, huh? For it is read in the book of the infancy of the Savior that Christ, in his youth, right, in his boyhood, did many miracles, right. But the miracle of the conversion of water into wine was made in the wedding feast in the thirtieth or thirty-first year of his age, huh?

[24:54] Therefore, it seems that he did not begin then to do miracles, huh? Moreover, Christ did miracles by his divine power, but the divine power was in him from the beginning of his conception, for then he was both God and man. Therefore, it seems that from the beginning he would what do miracles, huh? Moreover, Christ, after baptism and the temptation, began to bring together the disciples, as is read in Matthew four.

[25:31] But the disciples are especially brought together to him on account of miracles, as is said in Luke chapter five that he called Peter stupefied, right? On account of the miracle which he did in the capture of the fish. Therefore, it seems that before the miracle that he did in the in the weddings, he did other what miracles. But against this is what is said in John chapter two.

[26:03] This was the beginning of the signs that Jesus did in Cana, Galilee. So we wine lovers, you know, we have some. Yeah. The answer should be said that miracles are done by Christ for the sake of the confirmation of his teaching, right? And secondly, to showing the divine power that is what in him. And therefore, as regards the first, he ought not to

[26:44] make miracles before he began to what teach him. But he ought not to begin to teach before the perfect age, as was had above when we spoke of the baptism of Christ done. But as regards the second, he thus ought through miracles to show his divinity, and that there might be believed the truth of his what human nature.

[27:17] And therefore, as Chrysostom says upon John, suitably he did not begin to do signs from his first age or in his first age, for they would estimate that it was a fantasy, right, imagination, a the incarnation, right, and before it was what an opportune time to hand him over to the cross.

[27:48] What they would have done before the opportune time, As a boy would have been. Yeah, that's just Kind of interesting. Thomas uses Chrysostom a lot, huh? When you go through the commentary on John, you know he's always quoting, you know Augustine and Chrysostom giving at least their position on on this particular text. You know, you get kind of a running thing with those two guys all the way through there.

[28:33] So it gives two reasons then, right, why he didn't do miracles up at that point. To the first, therefore, it should be said that Chrysostom, upon John, from the word of John the Baptist, saying that he might be made known in Israel on account of that I came baptizing water, is manifest that those signs which some say in boyhood were done by Christ are lies and fictions, right?

[29:04] And dacia fictions. For if from his first age Christ had done these miracles, neither would John have what ignored him. Nor would the remaining multitude need a teacher to manifest him.

[29:28] Don't get caught in those lies and fictions. Commented on this. Mm-hmm. Saint Therese somewhere, she commented that she didn't think that Christ made little uh, Clay, pigeons. Clay pigeons come to life.

[29:47] She had strong faith. Yeah. She had right faith. She went to it with Mary, you know, and wondering about this son of hers, you know, and Joseph too. Yeah. Somebody said, "Imagine if you're living in the house with the incarnate Word of God and the Immaculate Conception." Kind of inferiority complex. Maybe that's why they made him the head of the household. It wouldn't feel so good. You know, John Paul II's letter there in Joseph.

[30:22] Yeah. I saw an article on Joseph, and then it referred back to the encyclical, the Encyclical of Leo the Thirteenth. You know, and then this—I think the one of John Paul is not an encyclical; it's an apostolic letter, something, something else. Sorry, but it's actually longer and more detailed than you might have.

[30:47] But I mean, the kind of the main thing you are emphasizing is the fact that because of his providence and preservation of the Child Jesus, right? Then he, he actually says, "Going to have what? Be a preserver or protector of the mystical body of Christ, right? As well as his

[31:10] human body, huh? " So he's, you know, that's in the litany of Saint Joseph too, huh? But that's a big thing. yeah. Of course, you've heard that Teresa of Avila always, naming all these uh, one step, hundred steps after Joseph, huh? Yeah. Yeah, she's very devoted to him. She has lamented the fact, and I think she even made a note to some of the cardinals or the pope or somebody to have his feast moved out of Lent.

[31:43] Mm. She said that we can't really observe it with all the, you know, festivities with Lent. So she used she had a little horn and a drum because they couldn't have a special feast in the monastery because it was Lent. So they said she used to go in her cell, she closed the door, and you could hear her banging on her drum, and tooting her horn. They have, the, they have the convent in Apple and his little horn, In one of our biographies, we have a picture of it.

[32:12] Well, in Nativity Parish, where I grew up, there in Saint Paul, there you have a little side chapel of the Blessed Virgin on the left, and. On the right, you had a little side chapel of Joseph, and it seemed like a lot of parish churches had that. You know, I kind of assume that every church had a little side altar for for Joseph, you know.

[32:31] But haven't seen that much around here so much. My sister, when she was married, that's what they had at the parish was the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph and that communion. Yeah,

[32:46] It's uh and, went to kneel in front of Saint Joseph. It's common, yeah. I've commonly seen a bride do that. Yeah, but the groom just stays it. But he went and knelt down in front of Saint Joseph. Yeah, my mom put her flowers. Yeah, some other stuff by the way, like a candle or something.

[33:06] Yeah, so Maria did. Yeah, Elizabeth did too, I think. Okay. um. second, Mm hmm To second it should be said that the the second should be said that the divine power worked in Christ according as was necessary to human salvation, on account of which he took on flesh, right? And therefore, in this way, he did miracles by divine power, that to our faith about the truth of his flesh there would be no prejudice to that, huh?

[34:02] Yeah. Okay. To the third one, it should be said here. This pertains. This very thing pertains to the praise of the disciples, huh? That they what followed Christ, huh? When they had what seen him do no miracles, huh? As Gregory says in a certain homily, right? Thomas, we knows these church fathers, huh? Better than we do. That's for darn sure. And as Chrysostom says, huh? Most of all, then signs are necessary to do when the disciples already brought together, huh?

[34:52] And devout, and paying attention to those things which came about, huh? Once there is joined, I guess it's after the miracle, right? And they believed in him, that his disciples, huh? Not that then that they first believed. That doesn't mean that, right? But that then they more diligently and perfectly believed, huh?

[35:17] Or disciples, he calls those who were his what future disciples, right? As Augustine expounds in the book on the Consensus of the Evangelists You know, one time I was giving a talk there on this miracle, and I was to see it as a preparing the way for the Eucharist, right? Because in the Eucharist, the bread and the wine is turned into the body and blood of our Lord, but you don't see this with the senses.

[35:46] But here you see the water turned into the wine, but it doesn't keep the that we soften it. Yeah. I mean, as far as the you know the belief of the the bridegroom, or so, uh, you want to keep you don't want to keep the accidents the water the wine. Sort of got water instead of wine, you know. But in terms of preparing the Eucharist, right, you see the power of Christ, right?

[36:15] That he actually did turn water into wine, and you can know this by your senses. If you were there, yeah, and it was pure wine too, I guess, as they say, yeah. And

[36:31] but I like to see, you know, there's something added to it. I mean, something, you know, preparation for the Eucharist, right? I mean, I mean, the circumstances, the miracle, say, well, they just happened to run short of wine, and Mary felt sorry for them, and you know, wanted to do something about it. But all those, you know, contingent or chance circumstances, calm under divine providence, right? That that these circumstances, these chance events, they are the occasion you might say for this miracle, were intended by him, right?

[37:11] So it makes sense to look at this miracle as having many other reasons, right, for it, not just to confirm the the faith of the apostles in him at that time, right, but to prepare the way for the what faith in the Eucharist, huh?

[37:30] It's kind of interesting. Well, this is what the second chapter, and then the sixth chapter, John, you have the people walking away from him. You know, hard, hard teaching, right? Huh? So I mean, you know, it makes sense, especially in the context of the order of John's gospel, there that the apostles, you know, were going to to remain firm in faith, right? They've already seen this miracle of the water and the wine, right?

[37:56] So they are kind of disposed for that to to accept his power to do what he's he's doing there, right? Eucharist, huh? It kind of

[38:14] strikes me, you know, this this phrase they use, like in in the Sister Faustina, you know, but the you know things we all know, the body and blood, soul and divinity, but the order they give it in, right? Body and blood, right? Huh? So the the body's you know where you start, right? And he doesn't want to have anybody doubt that his his human flesh, right? So the body and blood and soul and divinity, the soul and divinity is more important than the body and blood, but you got to start with the body and blood, right?

[38:45] And the body and blood are there by reason of the words of conversion, huh? And then the what the soul and the divinity are there by reason of connection of these. They go together.

[39:10] Okay. Now were the miracles which Christ did sufficient to showing his what divinity? Huh. My goodness, he's got a long to pass on these objections here.

[39:28] To the fourth one goes forward thus: It seemed that the miracles which Christ did were not sufficient to showing his divinity. Huh. For to be God and man is private to what Christ. People always translate "appropriate" and "proper," but I don't think in some cases that's the proper way to translate it. It's more private, right? Huh. It's unique in sense to Christ, right? I don't see anybody else who's both God and man.

[40:01] So it's private to him, right? It's not common to him anybody else, isn't it? But the miracles which Christ did were also done by others, huh? Therefore, it seems that they were not sufficient to showing his divinity, right? So doesn't. Paul raise from the dead. There is Tabitha. Is that her name? Peter. Peter. Peter? Paul raised that kid. The kid that falls off the ledge. The dog falls asleep during my homestudy.

[40:35] I might not raise it from the dead. Darkness. Yeah. I met some woman. Tabitha was her name, right? Of course, our cat was named Tabitha. I said, "I've got a voice. " Yeah, that's the name of our cat. Voice. So you better not have said that, you know. My daughter named Tabitha for the stories there, you know. Beatrix Potter stories, you know, Tabitha, and so Moppet was her daughter, you know.

[41:06] She deemed the name from there. I can't hear that name Tabitha. I thought it was the cat. Yeah. I've never known anybody named Tabitha except very recently, you know, and then from Scripture, you know, across the name Tabitha, but.

[41:21] Oh, our cat was named that. Say, oh, my! Oh, our dog is named that. I see people say that about people with their dog. Some people don't mind. Some people do. Yeah. Some people are allergic.

[41:42] Moreover, nothing is greater than the what power of the divinity. But some did greater miracles than Christ, huh? For it's said in John chapter fourteen, "Who believes in me? " Most of that you believe in doing miracles now. Who believes in me? He will do what? Works, right? Mm-hmm. And he will do them, and even greater ones than the ones that I do, right? Mm-hmm. Therefore, it seemed that the miracles which Christ did were not sufficient to show him his what divinity.

[42:19] How you gonna solve that except by saying he does it by his own power? He did it by interceding or intercession, right? I get no money, you know, but in the name of Jesus Christ, rise up, you know. Power of Jesus rather than his own. He shows his divinity even in the sense that he could do it himself directly, but he can do it through another. Yeah.

[42:48] War from the particular is not sufficiently shown the universal. But each of the miracles of Christ was a certain particular work. Therefore, from none of them could be made known sufficiently the divinity of Christ, to which it belongs to have a universal power over all things. So he's got power over water and wine. Big deal.

[43:17] But against this is what the Lord says, John chapter five: The works which the Father gives me to do, these give testimony about me, Witness to me. huh?

[43:31] I answer: It should be said that the miracles which Christ did were sufficient to make known his divine nature. Secundum tria, right? according to three things.

[43:50] First, because according to the very what species or kind of works which transcended every power of a created what power, and therefore not able to come about except by divine power. And account of this, the blind man what Enlightened. enlightened? It is said about it from the ages, right? It was not heard that someone opened the eyes of one born blind, right? Unless this man was from God, he could not what.

[44:33] Yeah, such a thing. Secondly, on account of the way of doing the miracles, because as it were by his own power, right? He did miracles not over by what praying as others, right?

[44:53] Whence it is said, Luke six, that power went out from him and healed all, right? The which is shown, as Cyril says, that he did not take another's power, right? But since he was naturally God, he showed his own what power upon the infirm or the sick, and in count of this also he did innumerable miracles.

[45:25] Whence upon that of Matthew eight, he cast out spirits by his word, and he cured all having themselves in a bad way. How's that for translation? They hired me to.

[45:49] I remember one of the Christian brothers there. You know, he he translated the philosophy science book at Laval, right? That when the professors had written there, he translated from the French into English, right? Because he couldn't find a text he really liked, and it wasn't very good. So once he had translated a lot of work to translate the thing from the French into English, he had to get a publisher, right?

[46:15] Now, while the publisher weren't really interested in publishing that book, but they wanted to hire him to to be a translator from French into English, which is the last thing he wanted, right? He just got on his way to translate this text in philosophy science, and he didn't want a job translating French to English the rest of his life at this publishing house. But they weren't interested in publishing the book.

[46:49] Okay. And a Christian says about this, right? This text in Matthew eight. Pay attention, huh? How great a multitude, right? The what cured by him, right, huh? The evangelists kind of run by, fly by media, that's what is it? You know, rush limba, he

[47:34] always calls it the fly by, run by media, something like that. Yeah. Okay. Not narrating each what one cured, right, huh? But in one word, right, huh? Bringing in a unspeakable, right, ineffable ocean of what miracles, huh? Okay. People coming there after dinner, you know, and all. Bring all the people they could find that are sick, right, in the cities or towns, yeah. And from this, he is shown that he had a power coequal to that of God the Father, right?

[48:17] According to that of John chapter five, whatever things the Father does, these the Son does also in like manner, right? Of course, Thomas always points to that similitaire, right, It's meaning that he did his principal cause, not as an instrument of the Father, right? You wouldn't say that the hammer and chisel of Michelangelo did the statue in the same way he did it, but they did it as an instrument of him, right?

[48:49] But here he does it as a coequal and as principal agent. For thus, for just as the Father raises the dead and makes them alive, so the Son, whom He wishes, verifies.

[49:09] Third, from his teaching, by which he said. He himself was what God, right? Huh. Which, unless it were true, would not have been confirmed by miracles done by the divine power. And therefore, it is said in Mark one, "Ah, what is this new teaching, right? Huh? Because in the power, he what commands the unclean spirits, and even they obey him, right? "

[49:47] And the first objection he says, "This is the objection of the Gentiles, huh? " Now, come on, Whence Augustine says in the epistle to Volusianum, "Ah,

[50:09] nothing they say, right? By what competent signs, of such majesty, Yeah. With a larval cleansing, whereby he cast out demons, and all that. But we cure to save the rising from death to life.

[50:40] That's a curious word, using. Yeah. Larvalis what does that mean Well, I mean, like a ghost, or deathly, or resembling, resembling a demon or evil spirit. So he cured, he he cast out, he purified, meaning some of the evil spirits. So that purgation by which he cast out spirits, right? Right. Or cured the sick. Yeah. Or raised the light of the dead. Dead. Also other things he considered, what for God they're small.

[51:21] They're small, right? Little bit small. And to this Augustine responds, "Huh. We confess, is it, at us that the prophets did such things, right? Ah. But Moses and the other prophets prophesied the Lord Jesus, right? And to him they gave what great glory, huh? Who, on account of such things that he also wished to do, it was not absurd, right? That to them he did them, right?

[52:00] If he himself did not do them, right? Nevertheless, something private he wished he ought to do, right? He was born the virgin. He rose from the dead. He ascended to heaven, right? Huh.

[52:20] This to God who what thinks to be little, what more He expects, I don't know. Ah, for taking on man, He ought to have made another world, right? Huh? So that

[52:43] He is the one to whom the world is made. But neither a greater world, nor one equal to this, could come about in this way. If however, a lesser one below this, similar to this also would be thought to be small.

[53:14] Which, however, when others did, huh? Which, nevertheless, others did, right? Yeah. But Christ did more excellently, right? Huh? Whence upon that of John chapter fifteen, if I had not done works in them which no one else had done, right? Huh? Etc. Augustine says nothing in the works of Christ seems to be greater than the raising of the dead, right? Huh? Which we know even the ancient prophets did, huh?

[53:45] Ah, but nevertheless Christ did some things which no one else did, right? Huh? But it is answered by us that He did other things which neither what

[54:06] others did things which neither He nor another one did. But that nevertheless what He cured many vices and bad conditions and vexations of mortals with such a power that no one altogether is read to have done to the ancients. Huh? The ancients have done this. Ah,

[54:32] that he might be be silent about the things that he commanded, as they occurred, he made each one what whole. For Mark says, in whatever villages or towns he entered or cities, in the streets they placed these sick, and they asked him that if he touched the garment, yeah, the thing, and whoever touched them were saved, right? Huh? For this no one other did in them, right?

[55:13] If this is to be understood, what is said in them. Not among them or before them, but in them, because he healed them. Nevertheless, he says, no one else did whoever in such things did such works, because any other man did one of these things. Christ Himself did He He doing this, but He did these things, not them doing it, but even doing. it. The things that they did, they did through his power, right?

[56:04] But the things He did, not through. Yeah, yeah. Whenever Thomas, you know, had all these books available so he could pull out these passages, or do or do you have a photographic memory, you know?

[56:27] Maybe maybe had a photographic memory. What do you think? Yeah. He had good secretaries. Maybe he had a sufficient memory to recall this or that, and then they could build those things up, and that would help. But who knows? I mean, hey, I could do more or less than just reading about it.

[57:02] Could be the same Thomas that. Second objection now is what? Even Christ says that some would do greater things, than He's done right. Strange texts, you know. To the second, it should be said that Augustine, expounding that word of John, inquires, "What are these greater works, right, which those believing in Him were to do, right? "

[57:33] Perhaps he says those just in passing by those who are sick, their shadows, right, healed, right. Is it more? for it is greater? What a shadow occurs than than the what fringe? Fringe, yeah.

[57:58] Nevertheless, when Christ said these things, the deeds of His what words he commended, huh? When He says the Father remaining in me, He does His works, huh? What works then did He say, except the words that He spoke, huh? And the fruit of those words was the faith of others.

[58:30] Nevertheless, the apostles evangelizing, not a few, Not so few as those were, but whole nations believed. Is it not from his mouth that the what he said? I guess that the rich young man, I guess, one way said, and nevertheless, afterwards,

[59:03] not through one hearing, right, but many were made through the what? Yeah. Behold, he did greater things, preached by those believing, right? Than he spoke

[59:26] those hearing him. But truly, this also moves us that these greater things he did through the what apostles, huh? Not signifying them alone, he said, "Who believes in me, right?

[59:49] Hear, therefore, who believes in me, the works which I do, it he himself will also do, right? Because he believes in me, right? First, therefore, I do, then also what he does, because I bring it about that he does it. Which works,

[1:00:12] unless that from a what impious you make a man what just, huh? Which in him, but not without him, Christ does, huh? The Doestman.

[1:00:31] And greater, I say, this is than to create heaven and earth, right? For heaven and earth will pass away, huh? But the salvation, justification of the predestined will remain.

[1:00:47] But in the heavens, the works of the angels are of what Christ. For is that greater than these works? The one who cooperates with Christ to his own justification.

[1:01:04] This is from the great text that Thomas discusses Judicet, judge who is able, whether there is something greater to what? Create just. To justify the impious, right?

[1:01:20] Nevertheless, if equal is both of of power, this one is more of mercy, right? But all the works of Christ to understand. But to understand all the works of Christ, where he says greater than these he will do, right?

[1:01:47] No necessity forces us, huh? For these he said perhaps which in that hour he did, huh? All the works of Christ when he was on earth, but those ones he was doing at that time, right? Then, however, he did the what the words of faith, and it is less to preach the words of justice, which he did. Without us, right? Then to justify the impious, which he makes in us, so that we also do it.

[1:02:22] So he created us without us, he says. but he won't redeem us without us. Now, the from the particular is not sufficiently shown the universal. Okay, but this is true of all God. Even the universe doesn't equal the divine power, right? The infinity of it.

[1:02:44] To the third, it should be said that when some particular work is proper to or private to some agent, right? Then through that particular work is shown the whole power of the agent. Just as when to reason is proper to man or private to man, there is shown someone to be a man from the fact that he reasons about anything in particular proposed. And likewise, when by his own power he did miracles that only God could do, right?

[1:03:21] Sufficiently is shown Christ to be God from whatever miracle he does by his own what power. A little breakdown before the next question here.