Tertia Pars
95. The Kinds of Christ's Miracles: Casting Out Demons and the Darkening of the Sun at the Passion (ST III q.44 aa.1-2)
Class of 2010-05-06
https://berquistcourse.com/course/theology/13-tertia-pars/095-the-kinds-of-christs-miracles-casting-out-demons-and-the/

[0:00] It'd be nice before we finish this summer. This spring, get through the thing on miracles because then that's the break between that and the his exit.

[0:14] What? We get two, three articles of forty-four done because there's four articles in question forty-five, so we had to do like five articles next week. Yeah. Yeah.

[0:29] Okay. Now these are categories. The first one's a little more. Okay. Then what I consider about the singular species of miracles, huh? Notice the way he divides them. The miracles that he did about spiritual substances, huh? Get you under the pigs, you. Then about the miracles which he did about the celestial bodies, then about the miracles which he did about men, right? And then about the miracles which he did about irrational creatures, huh?

[1:11] To the first, then one goes forward. Thus, it seems that the miracles which Christ did concerning the spiritual substances were not quite suitable, huh? For among the what spiritual substances, the holy angels are superior, right? We might say, huh? They come before the demons. Because, as Augustine says in the third book about the Trinity, the spirit of life, the rational spirit, right? The one who desert deserted, right?

[1:54] And as a sinner is ruled through the what the pious and just spirit of life, huh? Rational spirit. Using rational there for standing. But Christ is not read to have done some miracles about the good angels, huh? Therefore, neither about the demons should he have done some what miracles, huh? Moreover, the miracles of Christ are ordered to making known his divinity. But the divinity of Christ should not be made known to the demons.

[2:27] Or would they be made known by the demons? Couldn't be hell, I think. Yeah. Because through this would be impeded the mystery of his passion, right? According to that of one Corinthians two, if they had known, huh, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory, huh? So you don't want the demons to know about this, right? Right.

[2:57] Therefore, he should not have done any miracles among demons, or about demons. Moreover, the miracles of Christ are ordered to the glory of God. Hence, it is said in Matthew nine eight that seeing the what the crowds seeing the paralytic healed by Christ, they feared and glorified God who gave such power to men. But to demons, it does not pertain to glorify God, because not beautiful is praise in the mouth of the sinner.

[3:38] I'm not knowing whether I should praise God or not. When says it is said in Mark one, he did not allow the demons to speak those things which pertain to his glory. Right. Therefore, it seems is not suitable that he do some miracles among the demons.

[4:03] Moreover, miracles done by Christ are ordered to the salvation of men. But some demons were objected, were ejected from men, right, with harm to these men. Sometimes a body one, as is said, that the demon, to the command of Christ, climbing and what tearing up the man, right, went out from the man, right, and he was made as if dead, right. So that many said that he is dead, right.

[4:39] Sometimes with the loss of things, right, as when the demons at his prayers were sent into the pigs, who went jumping over the cliff into the sea. When the citizens of that region asked him to get out of here, right.

[4:58] Therefore, it seems unsuitablely that he did what these miracles. But against this is what it says in Zachary chapter thirteen that this was foretold, where it said, "I will take the unclean spirit from the earth."

[5:18] I answer: It should be said that the miracles which Christ did were certain arguments or signs of the faith which he himself taught. But it was in the future that through the power of his divinity he would exclude the power of demons from the men who were to believe in him, right? According to that of John chapter twelve verse thirty one, now is the prince of this world cast out, right?

[5:51] And it's not exactly that it's been done, but it's so approximate, right? This is this is the twelfth is the chapter of John where you begin to approach the the passion right and therefore it is suitable that among the other miracles you'd also liberate those

[6:13] obsessed by the demons yeah to the first therefore it should be said and that men just as by Christ they were to be what freed from the power of demons so through him they were to be associates right our neighbors huh the angels are our neighbors according to that Colossians one twenty giving peace through the blood of his cross of those who are in heaven and those who are on earth and therefore about the angels I was not suitable that he what show to men except that the angels would appear to men right huh which they did in his birth and in his what resurrection in his ascension yeah important events

[7:36] to the second it should be said huh that Christ to that extent made known was made known to the demons as much as he wanted them to know

[7:51] huh and so much he wanted them to know as was suitable right or necessary but he was made known to them not as to the holy angels through which there is what eternal life but through certain temporal effects of his power and first that seeing Christ hunger after fast they would guess him not to be the son of God whence upon that of Luke four if you are the son of God huh Ambrose says what um what did he wish this what is this want huh this beginning of this speech right except that he might know the son of God to come right huh but that he did not think that he would come through this infirmity of body right.

[8:58] So not ridiculous to Greeks, ridiculous to the demons, huh? He would come with this what weakness of body, right? But afterwards, having seen miracles, right, from a certain suspicion they guessed, huh, conjecture of it it's guessed him to be the what son of God. Whence upon that of Mark one, I know that you are the holy one of God. Chrysostom says, they did not have a what certain or firm knowledge of the coming of God, right?

[9:42] They knew him to be the Christ promised in the law. Whence it is said, Luke chapter four, because they knew him to be the Christ, anointed one. But however. That they confessed him to be the Son of God was more from what suspicion than from certitude, right? A suspicion, Thomas says, is weaker than opinion, right?

[10:09] And you know, in the framework of logic, there, right, where opinion is the effect of dialectical reasoning and suspicion of rhetorical reasoning, right? Whence Bede says upon Luke that the demons confessed the Son of God, and as afterwards is said, they knew him to be the what anointed one, huh? But when the devil saw him weakened, fatigued by fasting, he understood him to be a true man, right?

[10:50] But when he did not succeed in tempting him, whether he was the Son of God, he what doubted, huh? Now, however, through the power of the signs, either he understood or rather he suspected, right, him to be the Son of God, right?

[11:11] Not therefore would he have what persuaded the Jews to crucify him, huh? Because Christ either did not think to be the Son of God, huh?

[11:25] But because he did not see that himself would be damned by the death of him. He did not foresee that he would be the loser by his death. Yeah.

[11:39] He was. I guess he didn't think he would be harmed. About this mystery hidden from the ages, the Apostle says that none of the princes of this world knew. If they had known, they would not have what. Not have glory, yeah. So he didn't, yeah. Make known his divinity fully to them, right?

[12:10] Now, so they would give glory to God, huh? To the third, it should be said that the miracles in the expulsion of demons, Christ did not do an account of the what benefit of the demons, but an account of its benefit to men, huh? That. Yeah.

[12:35] And therefore he prevented them to speak to his praise, right? Huh. First, an account of an example, right? Huh. Because, as Athanasius said, he what prevented them their speech, right? Even though they were confessing two things, right? Huh. That he might accustom us that we would not care about such things, right? Even if they speak what two things, huh? Because you might believe them and they speak false things, right?

[13:07] Like Macbeth, right? Macbeth, right? Yeah. They spoke, you know, hail, king, and so on. The way that I think it was in either a container or a commentary or something, where they say he didn't permit them to speak. I mean, Simon Peter confessed to him and he said, "blessed are you?" The demons confessed to him and he said, "Shut up." He said, "Why?" So we would never.

[13:36] So we would learn never to believe a liar, even if he speaks the truth. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, Shakespeare talks about that a lot in that great play,

[13:47] Macbeth. For no one should be right when divine scripture is present to be instructed by the devil, right? Because it's dangerous, huh? Because with truth, frequently the demons accept lies, huh?

[14:03] Or as Chrysostom says, huh? It is not necessary, huh? And not suitable for them to what usurp the glory of the apostolic office, huh? Nor should the mystery of Christ be published by a fetid tongue, huh? Because not beautiful is praise in the mouth of the what sinner, huh?

[14:37] Third, because as Bede says, huh? Because he did not wish from this to enkindle the envy of the Jews, huh? Hence, also the apostles are ordered to be reticent about this, right? Lest the divine majesty, being preached, the dispensation of his passion would be deferred, right? We just had that gospel today. Confession of Matthew, and he said, "Strictly, don't tell anybody who's a cross." Because Christendom is trying to, we

[15:10] don't publish them. They go ahead and publish it. Know what he's done for them? And there were, I remember Tom started talking. Was that sinful for them to not obey him? You know? Yeah. The more he told them to be quiet.

[15:32] Okay, now what about the harm being done, and you know, the pigs and so on, property, huh? To the fourth, it should be said, huh? That Christ specially came to teach and to do miracles for the utility of men, right? But chiefly, as regards the salvation of their soul, right? He wasn't there to to make you wealthy, right? Huh? And therefore, he permitted demons, whom he cast out, right, to infuse some harm to men, right, either in their body or in their exterior possessions, right, in things.

[16:14] An account of the salvation of the human soul, to the instruction of what men, whence Chrysostom says upon Matthew that Christ permitted to the demons to go into the pigs, right, not as if being persuaded by the demons, but that he might what first instruct the magnitude of the harm of the demons who are.

[16:44] Yeah. Secondly, that all might what learn that neither even against the pigs would they dare to do something, right, unless he conceded it, right. He makes that point.

[17:01] Third, that he might show that the more grave things done in those men than the pigs, unless they were aided by divine what providence.

[17:16] An account of these same causes, he permitted him who was liberated by the demons for some time to be more grievfully afflicted, right, from which nevertheless affliction he continuously what

[17:34] liberated. Through this also is shown, as Bede says, that often those, when they are what, convert to God after their sins. Attempt. When you seek to return to God, yeah, when you try to be converted to God after your sins, right? Okay. By greater and new attacks, right? The ancient enemy, right? We are attacked by them, which they do that they might inculcate a hatred of virtue, right?

[18:23] Or they might vindicate the injury, their expulsion. The man healed is like dead, as Jerome says, because it is said to those healed, I mean healed, you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ and God. I remember Warren showing me that the Dominican was giving a retreat to the nuns, right, and this was the text he's using, right? You know, Mortui estis, et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in Deo.

[19:05] Okay. Now the second article is a little more positive. Because he's relying upon Dionysius, right? Who has more authority than he perhaps should have. They thought Dionysius was a Dionysius, well,

[19:20] converted by Paul, in the Areopagus. in Athens there? I guess it's in the Acts of the Apostles, right? So he's called Dionysius the Areopagite, and then Dionysius the pseudo Areopagite is the scriptural scholar. The liar, liar, Dionysius. The second one proceeds thus: It seems unsuitable that by Christ were made miracles about the heavenly what bodies, huh? For as Dionysius says in the fourth chapter of the Divine Names, it does not belong to divine providence to corrupt the nature's nature, but to save it, right?

[20:04] But the celestial bodies, according to their nature, are incorruptible and unalterable. That's according to teaching of Aristotle, right? Maybe Plato too, but you don't necessarily completely agree with that, as is shown in the first book about the universe, huh? De Caelo et Mundo. Therefore, it was not suitable.

[20:32] Incidentally, I mentioned that before, but the Greek word there can mean the heavens or it can mean the whole universe, right? And the book is really about the universe, so it should be translated about the universe. But it's translated to Latin de Caelo And it seemed to be not covering everything in the book. So then you find it given the title De Caelo et Mundo, right? De Caelo et Mundo.

[20:57] Okay, but it's a good example of I was talking earlier about the substance there, right? But the word is is used both for what? Part of the whole. Yeah, part in the whole. Yeah. Therefore, it is

[21:14] not suitable that through Christ there might be some change about the order of celestial bodies, right? Now, I got to take this like quite a sock. We don't fully agree with this thing about the the heavenly bodies. Moreover, according to the motion of the heavenly bodies, the course of time is designated, huh? So we measure time for that. According to that of Genesis one fourteen, there were lights in the firmament heaven, and these are in signs for times and days and years.

[21:51] Therefore, having changed the course of the heavenly bodies, the very distinction order of times is changed. But this is not read to have been perceived by the astrologers, meaning the astronomers, huh? Who contemplate the stars and. Compute the months, son. As it said, Isaiah forty-seven. Therefore, it seems that through Christ there was not any change made about the course of the heavenly bodies, son.

[22:24] Moreover, it was more suitable for Christ to do miracles, living and teaching, than dying. Because, as it said, Second Corinthians, he was crucified from infirmity, but it is from the power of God, according to which he did miracles. Also, because his miracles were confirming his teaching, huh? But in his life, Christ is not read to have performed any miracle about the heavenly bodies, right? Huh.

[22:58] Nay, the Pharisees asking from him a sign from heaven, wouldn't give it. Yeah, refused to give it. Therefore, it seems that neither in death should he have what done some miracle about the heavenly bodies. I said, there would have been a reason to do it that time, huh? Not before. But it is said in Luke twenty-three that there were what darkness on the whole earth until the ninth hour, and the sun was obscured, right?

[23:32] Huh. How many ways this might take place? You know, we'll come up with these necessarily long reply. God, secundum here especially. I answer. It should be said that as has been said above, the miracles of Christ ought to be such as to sufficiently show him to be what God. But this order is not evidently shown through the changes of lower bodies, son, which can also be moved by other what causes.

[24:07] As it will be shown through the transmutation or change of the course of the heavenly bodies, which by God alone are what unchangeably ordered, huh?

[24:19] And this is what Dionysius says in the Epistle to Polycarp. It is necessary to know that not otherwise, huh? At some time is able to be what change the motion of the order of the heavens, unless you have a cause, right? Moving this, who made all things, right, and changes them according to his own speech. And therefore, it was suitable that Christ do miracles, even concerning the heavenly bodies, huh?

[24:56] To manifest more fully his divinity, right? But maybe the time of his death is necessary necessary to do so. Now, is this against the nature of these bodies, huh?

[25:12] But to the first, therefore, it should be said. That just as it is natural to the lower bodies to be moved by the heavenly bodies, which are superior according to the order of nature, of course the typical example of this is that the tides and so on are not unnatural, right? Even though they are not what following from the nature of water by itself, right? It's natural them to be moved by the higher bodies, huh?

[25:42] So it is natural, right, to each creature that it be changed by God according to His what will, right? Whence Augustine says in the twenty second book against Faust, and is had in the gloss Romans eleven, God the Creator of all natures, right? Nihil contra naturam facit. Does nothing against nature, right? Because that is the nature of each thing that He does. That's a marvelous thing, huh?

[26:19] And therefore the nature of the heavenly bodies are not corrupted when their course is changed by God, but they would be corrupted if by some other cause they were what changed, huh? Thomas in the chapter the Summa Contra Gentiles about that, right? God does nothing against the nature of things, right?

[26:44] The miracles are not unnatural. What about time? To the second, it should be said that through the miracle made by Christ, there was not perverted the order of what times, huh? For according to some, huh, those darknesses or that obscuring, hiding of the sun, right, which happened in the passion of Christ, right, was an account of this that the sun with what withheld its rays, huh? But no change being made about the motion of heavenly bodies, huh?

[27:29] According to which times are what measured, huh? Whence Jerome says upon Matthew, ah, whence the luminous body, huh? More withdrew its what its rays, ah, lest what?

[27:52] Yeah. Yeah. His best viewers would enjoy its light. Now he says such a retraction of rays should not be understood as if the sun in its own powers had to emit rays or to withdraw them, right, huh? For not from choice, but from nature, it emits its rays, as Dionysius says in the fourth chapter of the Divine Names. But the soul is said to withdraw its rays in so far as, by the divine power, it was done that the rays of the sun did not arrive at the earth.

[28:39] Now, Origen says that this happened in account of the interposition of clouds. Whence, upon Matthew says, it should be understood that some most dark clouds, and many of them and great ones, ran together above Jerusalem, right in the land of Judea, right, and therefore there were made profound darknesses in the sixth hour until the what ninth hour I remember waiting for Good Friday one year, and I was in grade school, you know.

[29:16] And I said, that should be really a dark day, you know. It was bright blue sun, you know. So God didn't. God didn't. I think, therefore, that also, what other signs were were made in the passion, right? Huh? That the veil was cut or something. That the earth trembled, right? Huh?

[29:50] That these were made only in Jerusalem, right? Yeah, one. We should extend this to the land of Judea, right? Huh? And kind of of the of the fact that is said that the darknesses were made in the whole earth, right? Of course, in every land, whole land, which is understood about the land of Judea, as is said in the third book of the Kings. Um.

[30:30] It says, "Abdias to Elias, the Lord your your God lives. If there is a nation or a kingdom where God did not what My Lord hath not sent to seek seek you, showing that He sought Him in the nations which are around Judea. But about this more one should believe Dionysius right? huh? Who oculata fide huh But the eye of faith expected this to have happened to the what coming between of the moon between us and the what sun, like an eclipse or something?

[31:07] huh It says, "eye of faith." Yeah. Oculata. What is it? where they have? They have who is an eyewitness to as to this having occurred by the moon? Oh, ok, that's a bit of a chance again. Yeah, because he did it with his own eyes. Yeah. Temporary.

[31:25] Yeah, yeah. Um. If he says in the epistle to Polycarp, right, contrary to opinion, right, the sun, right, we saw getting in between there. Yeah. That we saw the moon. Yeah. Yeah. In Egypt, right, existing as is said there, right, and he designates there for miracles, right. I don't know. It's all this report from Dionysius, they feed it, right? I don't think so. No. But it would be a miracle.

[32:09] Yeah. It would be a miracle because. At that time, the full moon. plus the day to get And he designates there for miracles, huh? I wish the first is that the natural eclipse of the sun through the interposition of the moon never happens except in the time of the conjunction of the sun and the moon. But then there was a moon in opposition to the sun on the fifteenth day existing, the middle of the month.

[32:45] That's the full moon. Which was the Paschal feast of the Jews. Whence he said was not a what Agreement of time. agreement of time. Yeah, I guess so. Second miracle is that about the sixth hour, the sun was seen together with the sun in the middle of the heavens. In the evening, it appeared in its own place in the east, opposite the sun. Now this is all Dionysius, right?

[33:13] Once, he says, and again we saw it with the moon from the ninth hour, in which it what withdrew from the sun, the darkness is disappearing or seizing until evening, right? It's supernaturally restored to the what? The opposite of the sun. That is diametrically opposed to it, huh? And therefore it is clear that it was not disturbed. Of course, customary time of time, which by divine power is made.

[33:55] That to the soul, sun supernaturally it exceeded outside its proper time, right? Receding from the sun, right? In its own place, it was restored in suitable time. Okay, that's interesting, but I don't think you have to take the grain of salt. I think. The third miracle is naturally that the eclipse of the sun always begins from the what west part and and arrives at the east. I didn't know that.

[34:29] And this, because the moon, according to its own motion, by which it is moved from the east west to the east, is faster than the sun in its own motion. And therefore, the moon from the west arriving attains the sun and goes across it, tending towards the east. But then the moon had already caught the sun, and it it was distant from it to the half of a circle.

[35:02] It's just in the opposite. Whence it was necessary that it revert to the east towards the sun and attain it from the eastern part, receding against the west. And this is what is said that the eclipse from the east we saw beginning and going so far as to the end of the sun, right?

[35:28] Because it eclipsed the whole afterwards, retreating. Tom Scott always pecks the sky, but that was the fourth miracle was that in the natural eclipse from the same part began the sun, right? To reappear from the same part. From which it began to be obscured, because the moon subjecting itself to the sun in its natural motion moves

[36:02] across the sun towards the east, right? And thus the what western part of the sun which it first occupies it first leaves, but then the moon miraculously from the east towards the west returning did not what pass over the sun. It would be more western. Yeah. But after it arrived at the end of the sun, it reversed back towards east, and thus the part of the sun which had last occupied first also left, and thus from the eastern part began the eclipse, but in the western part began first to appear the clarity, and thus is what is said.

[36:49] And again we see that not from the same, as not from the same part of the sun, it was the defect in the what.

[37:01] Again we observe that the occultation and immersion did not begin from the same point to it on the same side of the sun, but on opposite side. That's what was translated. Mine's a note here,

[37:18] but far from repergazionem, right? Yeah. Quod interpretes recentiori, the recent interpreters render per accorsum and recorsum. Accorsum and recorsum, so the the meeting and then withdrawing. Repergazionem. But contra, secundum diametrum factum.

[37:43] Yeah. Now the fifth miracle, Chrysostom adds upon Matthew, saying that three hours then the darknesses what remained when the eclipse of the sun in a moment what passed over does not have what a delay. Yeah. Would those know who consider? Whence is it then understood that the sun rested upon under the sun? The moon rested over the sun. Yeah. Unless we wish to say that. The time of darkness is computed from the instant in which the sun began to be obscured to the instant in which it was totally repurged, Purged again.

[38:33] But as Origen says upon Matthew, against this the sons of this age say, "In what way is this marvelous thing done that none of the Greeks or barbarians wrote about it?" And he says that someone by the name of Phlegon, in his chronicles, wrote this in the beginning of the rule of, I guess, Tiberius Caesar was made right then. But he does not signify that it was done in the full moon. It's possible, therefore, that this happened because the astrologers everywhere, existing on the earth at that time, right, were not solicitous about observing the eclipse because it wasn't the time for it.

[39:22] But that obscurity from some passion of the air they thought happened. But the Egyptian, where clouds rarely appear, on account of running to the air, Dionysius was moved in his companions that they observed about it. the aforesaid I'll take that with a grain of salt salva reverentia as they say You see how you know one of these enemies of the church would say you know see how easy he is to fix up these stories.

[40:07] Now, what about the third objection here, right? Which is that he was crucified from infirmity. Why should he do miracles? And like I was saying, to the third, it should be said that then, especially was it necessary through miracles to show the divinity of Christ, when in Him most of all appeared the infirmity according to what human nature, and therefore in the birth of Christ a new star appeared in the heavens.

[40:43] Whence Maximus says in his sermon on the nativity, "If you what Despise the manger, look up in a little bit your eyes, huh, and see a new star in the heavens, protesting to the world the divinity, the divine birth, huh? But in the passion, still yet a greater infirmity about the humanity of Christ appeared, and therefore it's necessary that he show that greater miracles show about the principal what luminaries of the world, right?

[41:22] And therefore Chrysostom says upon Matthew, "This is a sign that those what promise to those asking, Yeah he promises those who want saying this depraved and adulterous generation demands a sign, and no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah the prophet, signifying the cross and resurrection, and this much more marvellously is in Him who was crucified for this to come about than walking upon the what Earth It was more appropriate to have the miracle at this time.

[41:59] He's crucified. We're about to stop here. huh Stop here because it'd be fine We could do three and then two. Three and four, and then we go into that transfiguration I'm dying to get to. Yeah.