Articulus 4 Article 4 Utrum daemones possint homines seducere per aliqua miracula vera Whether demons can lead men astray by means of real miracles? Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod daemones non possint homines seducere per aliqua miracula vera. Operatio enim daemonum maxime vigebit in operibus Antichristi. Sed sicut apostolus dicit II ad Thessal. II, eius adventus est secundum operationem Satanae, in omni virtute et signis et prodigiis mendacibus. Ergo multo magis alio tempore per daemones non fiunt nisi signa mendacia. Objection 1: It would seem that the demons cannot lead men astray by means of real miracles. For the activity of the demons will show itself especially in the works of Antichrist. But as the Apostle says (2 Thess 2:9), his coming is according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders. Much more therefore at other times do the demons perform lying wonders. Praeterea, vera miracula per aliquam corporum immutationem fiunt. Sed daemones non possunt immutare corpus in aliam naturam, dicit enim Augustinus, XVIII de Civ. Dei, nec corpus quidem humanum ulla ratione crediderim daemonum arte vel potestate in membra bestialia posse converti. Ergo daemones vera miracula facere non possunt. Obj. 2: Further, true miracles are wrought by some corporeal change. But demons are unable to change the nature of a body; for Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xviii, 18): I cannot believe that the human body can receive the limbs of a beast by means of a demon’s art or power. Therefore the demons cannot work real miracles. Praeterea, argumentum efficaciam non habet, quod se habet ad opposita. Si ergo miracula vera possunt fieri a daemonibus ad falsitatem persuadendam, non erunt efficacia ad veritatem fidei confirmandam. Quod est inconveniens, cum dicatur Marci ult., domino cooperante, et sermonem confirmante sequentibus signis. Obj. 3: Further, an argument is useless which may prove both ways. If therefore real miracles can be wrought by demons, to persuade one of what is false, they will be useless to confirm the teaching of the faith. This is unfitting; for it is written (Mark 16:20): The Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed. Sed contra est quod Augustinus dicit, libro Octoginta trium Quaest., quod magicis artibus fiunt miracula plerumque similia illis miraculis quae fiunt per servos Dei. On the contrary, Augustine says (83 Questions): Often by means of the magic art miracles are wrought like those which are wrought by the servants of God. Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut ex supra dictis patet, si miraculum proprie accipiatur, daemones miracula facere non possunt, nec aliqua creatura, sed solus Deus, quia miraculum proprie dicitur quod fit praeter ordinem totius naturae creatae, sub quo ordine continetur omnis virtus creaturae. Dicitur tamen quandoque miraculum large, quod excedit humanam facultatem et considerationem. Et sic daemones possunt facere miracula, quae scilicet homines mirantur, inquantum eorum facultatem et cognitionem excedunt. Nam et unus homo, inquantum facit aliquid quod est supra facultatem et cognitionem alterius, ducit alium in admirationem sui operis, ut quodammodo miraculum videatur operari. I answer that, As is clear from what has been said above (Q. 110, A. 4), if we take a miracle in the strict sense, the demons cannot work miracles, nor can any creature, but God alone: since in the strict sense a miracle is something done outside the order of the entire created nature, under which order every power of a creature is contained. But sometimes miracle may be taken in a wide sense, for whatever exceeds the human power and experience. And thus demons can work miracles, that is, things which rouse man’s astonishment, by reason of their being beyond his power and outside his sphere of knowledge. For even a man by doing what is beyond the power and knowledge of another, leads him to marvel at what he has done, so that in a way he seems to that man to have worked a miracle. Sciendum est tamen quod, quamvis huiusmodi opera daemonum, quae nobis miracula videntur, ad veram rationem miraculi non pertingant; sunt tamen quandoque verae res. Sicut magi Pharaonis per virtutem daemonum veros serpentes et ranas fecerunt. Et quando ignis de caelo cecidit et familiam Iob cum gregibus pecorum uno impetu consumpsit, et turbo domum deiiciens filios eius occidit, quae fuerunt opera Satanae, phantasmata non fuerunt, ut Augustinus dicit, XX de Civ. Dei. It is to be noted, however, that although these works of demons which appear marvelous to us are not real miracles, they are sometimes nevertheless something real. Thus the magicians of Pharaoh by the demons’ power produced real serpents and frogs. And when fire came down from heaven and at one blow consumed Job’s servants and sheep; when the storm struck down his house and with it his children—these were the work of Satan, not phantoms; as Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xx, 19). Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, sicut Augustinus dicit ibidem, Antichristi opera possunt dici esse signa mendacii, vel quia mortales sensus per phantasmata decepturus est, ut quod non facit, videatur facere, vel quia, si sint vera prodigia, ad mendacium tamen pertrahent credituros. Reply Obj. 1: As Augustine says in the same place, the works of Antichrist may be called lying wonders, either because he will deceive men’s senses by means of phantoms, so that he will not really do what he will seem to do; or because, if he work real prodigies, they will lead those into falsehood who believe in him. Ad secundum dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, materia corporalis non obedit angelis bonis seu malis ad nutum, ut daemones sua virtute possint transmutare materiam de forma in formam, sed possunt adhibere quaedam semina quae in elementis mundi inveniuntur, ad huiusmodi effectus complendos, ut Augustinus dicit III de Trin. Et ideo dicendum est quod omnes transmutationes corporalium rerum quae possunt fieri per aliquas virtutes naturales, ad quas pertinent praedicta semina, possunt fieri per operationem daemonum, huiusmodi seminibus adhibitis; sicut cum aliquae res transmutantur in serpentes vel ranas, quae per putrefactionem generari possunt. Illae vero transmutationes corporalium rerum quae non possunt virtute naturae fieri, nullo modo operatione daemonum, secundum rei veritatem, perfici possunt; sicut quod corpus humanum mutetur in corpus bestiale, aut quod corpus hominis mortuum reviviscat. Et si aliquando aliquid tale operatione daemonum fieri videatur, hoc non est secundum rei veritatem, sed secundum apparentiam tantum. Reply Obj. 2: As we have said above (Q. 110, A. 2), corporeal matter does not obey either good or bad angels at their will, so that demons be able by their power to transmute matter from one form to another; but they can employ certain seeds that exist in the elements of the world, in order to produce these effects, as Augustine says (De Trin. iii, 8, 9). Therefore it must be admitted that all the transformation of corporeal things which can be produced by certain natural powers, to which we must assign the seeds above mentioned, can alike be produced by the operation of the demons, by the employment of these seeds; such as the transformation of certain things into serpents or frogs, which can be produced by putrefaction. On the contrary, those transformations which cannot be produced by the power of nature, cannot in reality be effected by the operation of the demons; for instance, that the human body be changed into the body of a beast, or that the body of a dead man return to life. And if at times something of this sort seems to be effected by the operation of demons, it is not real but a mere semblance of reality. Quod quidem potest dupliciter contingere. Uno modo, ab interiori; secundum quod daemon potest mutare phantasiam hominis, et etiam sensus corporeos, ut aliquid videatur aliter quam sit, sicut supra dictum est. Et hoc etiam interdum fieri dicitur virtute aliquarum rerum corporalium. Alio modo, ab exteriori. Cum enim ipse possit formare corpus ex aere cuiuscumque formae et figurae, ut illud assumens in eo visibiliter appareat; potest eadem ratione circumponere cuicumque rei corporeae quamcumque formam corpoream, ut in eius specie videatur. Et hoc est quod Augustinus dicit XVIII de Civ. Dei, quod phantasticum hominis, quod etiam cogitando sive somniando per rerum innumerabilium genera variatur, velut corporatum in alicuius animalis effigie, sensibus apparet alienis. Quod non est sic intelligendum, quod ipsa vis phantastica hominis, aut species eius, eadem numero incorporata alterius sensibus ostendatur, sed quia daemon qui in phantasia unius hominis format aliquam speciem, ipse etiam potest similem speciem alterius sensibus offerre. Now this may happen in two ways. First, from within; in this way a demon can work on man’s imagination and even on his corporeal senses, so that something seems otherwise that it is, as explained above (Q. 111, AA. 3,4). It is said indeed that this can be done sometimes by the power of certain bodies. Second, from without: for just as he can from the air form a body of any form and shape, and assume it so as to appear in it visibly: so, in the same way he can clothe any corporeal thing with any corporeal form, so as to appear therein. This is what Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xviii, 18): Man’s imagination, which whether thinking or dreaming, takes the forms of an innumerable number of things, appears to other men’s senses, as it were embodied in the semblance of some animal. This is not to be understood as though the imagination itself or the images formed therein were identified with that which appears embodied to the senses of another man: but that the demon, who forms an image in a man’s imagination, can offer the same picture to another man’s senses. Ad tertium dicendum quod, sicut Augustinus dicit in libro Octoginta trium Quaest., cum talia faciunt magi qualia sancti, diverso fine et diverso iure fiunt. Illi enim faciunt, quaerentes gloriam suam, isti, quaerentes gloriam Dei. Et illi faciunt per quaedam privata commercia; isti autem publica administratione, et iussu Dei, cui cuncta creatura subiecta est. Reply Obj. 3: As Augustine says (83 Questions, Q. 79): When magicians do what holy men do, they do it for a different end and by a different right. The former do it for their own glory; the latter, for the glory of God: the former, by certain private compacts; the latter by the evident assistance and command of God, to Whom every creature is subject. Articulus 5 Article 5 Utrum daemon qui superatur ab aliquo, propter hoc ab impugnatione arceatur Whether a demon who is overcome by man, is for this reason hindered from making further assaults? Ad quintum sic proceditur. Videtur quod daemon qui superatur ab aliquo, non propter hoc ab impugnatione arceatur. Christus enim efficacissime suum tentatorem vicit. Sed tamen postea eum impugnavit, ad occisionem eius Iudaeos incitando. Ergo non est verum quod Diabolus victus ab impugnatione cesset. Objection 1: It would seem that a demon who is overcome by a man, is not for that reason hindered from any further assault. For Christ overcame the tempter most effectively. Yet afterwards the demon assailed Him by instigating the Jews to kill Him. Therefore it is not true that the devil when conquered ceases his assaults. Praeterea, infligere poenam ei qui in pugna succumbit, est incitare ad acrius impugnandum. Hoc autem non pertinet ad Dei misericordiam. Ergo daemones superati non arcentur. Obj. 2: Further, to inflict punishment on one who has been worsted in a fight, is to incite him to a sharper attack. But this is not befitting God’s mercy. Therefore the conquered demons are not prevented from further assaults. Sed contra est quod dicitur Matth. IV, tunc reliquit eum Diabolus, scilicet Christum superantem. On the contrary, It is written (Matt 4:11): Then the devil left Him, i.e., Christ Who overcame. Respondeo dicendum quod quidam dicunt quod daemon superatus nullum hominum potest de cetero tentare, nec de eodem nec de alio peccato. Quidam autem dicunt quod potest alios tentare, sed non eundem. Et hoc probabilius dicitur, si tamen intelligatur usque ad aliquod tempus, unde et Lucae IV dicitur quod, consummata omni tentatione, Diabolus recessit a Christo usque ad tempus. Et huius ratio est duplex. Una est ex parte divinae clementiae, quia, ut Chrysostomus dicit, super Matth., non tandiu homines Diabolus tentat, quandiu vult, sed quandiu Deus permittit; quia etsi permittat paulisper tentare, tamen repellit, propter infirmam naturam. Alia ratio sumitur ex astutia Diaboli, unde Ambrosius dicit, super Lucam, quod Diabolus instare formidat, quia frequentius refugit triumphari. Quod tamen aliquando Diabolus redeat ad eum quem dimisit, patet per illud quod dicitur Matth. XII, revertar in domum meam, unde exivi. I answer that, Some say that when once a demon has been overcome he can no more tempt any man at all, neither to the same nor to any other sin. And others say that he can tempt others, but not the same man. This seems more probable as long as we understand it to be so for a certain definite time: wherefore (Luke 4:13) it is written: All temptation being ended, the devil departed from Him for a time. There are two reasons for this. One is on the part of God’s clemency; for as Chrysostom says (Super Matt. Hom. v), the devil does not tempt man for just as long as he likes, but for as long as God allows; for although He allows him to tempt for a short time, He orders him off on account of our weakness. The other reason is taken from the astuteness of the devil. As to this, Ambrose says on Luke 4:13: The devil is afraid of persisting, because he shrinks from frequent defeat. That the devil does nevertheless sometimes return to the assault, is apparent from Matt. 12:44: I will return into my house from whence I came out. Et per hoc patet solutio ad obiecta. From what has been said, the objections can easily be solved. Quaestio 115 Question 115 De actione corporalis creaturae The Action of the Corporeal Creature Consequenter considerandum est de actione corporalis creaturae; et fato, quod aliquibus corporibus attribuitur. Circa actiones corporales quaeruntur sex. We have now to consider the action of the corporeal creature; and fate, which is ascribed to certain bodies. Concerning corporeal actions there are six points of inquiry: Primo, utrum aliquod corpus sit activum. (1) Whether a body can be active? Secundo, utrum in corporibus sint aliquae seminales rationes. (2) Whether there exist in bodies certain seminal virtues? Tertio, utrum corpora caelestia sint causa eorum quae hic per inferiora corpora fiunt. (3) Whether the heavenly bodies are the causes of what is done here by the inferior bodies? Quarto, utrum sint causa humanorum actuum. (4) Whether they are the cause of human acts? Quinto, utrum eorum actionibus daemones subdantur. (5) Whether demons are subject to their influence? Sexto, utrum caelestia corpora imponant necessitatem his quae eorum actionibus subduntur. (6) Whether the heavenly bodies impose necessity on those things which are subject to their influence? Articulus 1 Article 1 Utrum aliquod corpus sit activum Whether a body can be active? Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod nullum corpus sit activum. Dicit enim Augustinus quod in rebus invenitur aliquid actum et non agens, sicut sunt corpora; aliquid agens et non actum, sicut Deus; aliquid agens et actum, sicut substantiae spirituales. Objection 1: It would seem that no bodies are active. For Augustine says (De Civ. Dei v, 9): There are things that are acted upon, but do not act; such are bodies: there is one Who acts but is not acted upon; this is God: there are things that both act and are acted upon; these are the spiritual substances. Praeterea, omne agens, excepto primo agente, in suo opere indiget subiecto quod sit susceptibile suae actionis. Sed infra substantiam corporalem non est substantia quae sit susceptibilis suae actionis, quia haec substantia tenet infimum gradum in entibus. Ergo substantia corporalis non est activa. Obj. 2: Further, every agent except the first agent requires in its work a subject susceptible of its action. But there is not substance below the corporeal substance which can be susceptible of the latter’s action; since it belongs to the lowest degree of beings. Therefore corporeal substance is not active. Praeterea, omnis substantia corporalis concluditur quantitate. Sed quantitas impedit substantiam a motu et actione, quia comprehendit eam, et mergitur in ea, sicut impeditur aer nubilosus a perceptione luminis. Et huius signum est, quod quanto magis accreverit quantitas corporis, tanto est ponderosius et gravius ad hoc quod moveatur. Ergo nulla substantia corporalis est activa. Obj. 3: Further, every corporeal substance is limited by quantity. But quantity hinders substance from movement and action, because it surrounds it and penetrates it: just as a cloud hinders the air from receiving light. A proof of this is that the more a body increases in quantity, the heavier it is and the more difficult to move. Therefore no corporeal substance is active. Praeterea, omne agens habet virtutem agendi ex propinquitate ad primum activum. Sed a primo activo, quod est simplicissimum, remotissima sunt corpora, quae sunt maxime composita. Ergo nullum corpus est agens. Obj. 4: Further, the power of action in every agent is according to its propinquity to the first active cause. But bodies, being most composite, are most remote from the first active cause, which is most simple. Therefore no bodies are active. Praeterea, si aliquod corpus est agens, aut agit ad formam substantialem; aut ad formam accidentalem. Sed non ad formam substantialem, quia non invenitur in corporibus principium actionis nisi aliqua qualitas activa, quae est accidens; accidens autem non potest esse causa formae substantialis, cum causa sit potior quam effectus. Similiter etiam neque ad formam accidentalem, quia accidens non se extendit ultra suum subiectum, ut Augustinus dicit IX de Trin. Ergo nullum corpus est activum. Obj. 5: Further, if a body is an agent, the term of its action is either a substantial, or an accidental form. But it is not a substantial form; for it is not possible to find in a body any principle of action, save an active quality, which is an accident; and an accident cannot be the cause of a substantial form, since the cause is always more excellent than the effect. Likewise, neither is it an accidental form, for an accident does not extend beyond its subject, as Augustine says (De Trin. ix, 4). Therefore no bodies are active. Sed contra est quod Dionysius, XV cap. Cael. Hier., inter ceteras proprietates corporei ignis, dicit quod ad susceptas materias manifestat sui ipsius magnitudinem activus et potens. On the contrary, Dionysius says (Coel. Hier. xv) that among other qualities of corporeal fire, it shows its greatness in its action and power on that of which it lays hold.