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Dist. 19, Art. 1, Q. 3

Book III: On the Incarnation of the Word · Distinction 19

Textus Latinus
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Quaestio III. Utrum per passionem Christi liberati simus a potestate diaboli.

Tertio quaeritur, utrum per passionem liberati simus a potestate diaboli. Et quod sic, videtur.

1. Apocalypsis vigesimop405-1: Vidi Angelum descendentem de caelo, et apprehendit draconem, qui est diabolus; sed per istum Angelum, sicut Sancti exponunt, intelligitur Christus: si ergo ab isto Angelo diabolus est religatus in eius passione, videtur, quod amiserit super nos posse.

2. Item, Ioannis duodecimop405-2: Nunc iudicium est mundi, nunc princeps huius mundi eiicietur foras: si ergo diabolus foras per Christum est eiectus, videtur, quod a potestate eius liberati simus.

3. Item, Christus, dux noster, vicit diabolump405-3; sed victoria ducis est victoria totius exercitus: ergo videtur, quod diabolus a toto genere humano sit superatus, et ita videtur, quod per passionem Christi amiserit suum posse respectu generis humani.

4. Item, quando diabolus superavit primum hominem, per consequens superavit totum genus humanump405-4: ergo pari ratione videtur, quod cum superatus est a Christo, superatus sit a toto genere humano: ergo per passionem Christi totum genus humanum liberatum fuit a potestate diaboli.

Sed contra: 1. Ad Ephesios sextop405-5: Non est nobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem, sed adversus mundi rectores tenebrarum harum: ergo adhuc daemones nos impugnant et huic mundo principantur: ergo a potestate diaboli liberati non sumus.

2. Item, secundae ad Timotheum tertiop405-6 dicitur, quod in novissimis diebus instabunt tempora periculosa, et hoc ipsum dicitur secundae ad Thessalonicenses, et in Daniele et in Apocalypsi, quod in tempore antichristi habebit diabolus maximam potestatem ad tentandum et vexandum: ergo non videtur, quod per passionem amiserit posse super genus humanum.

3. Item, potestas diaboli maxime in duobus consistit, videlicet in obsessione corporum et excaecatione mentium; sed post Christi passionem adhuc multi a diabolo fuerunt obsessi, multi etiam fuerunt gravissime excaecati: ergo videtur, quod potestas diaboli non sit in aliquo diminuta per passionem Christi. Quod autem diabolus multorum corpora obsideat, docet experientia; quod iterum multorum mentes excaecet, probatur per illud quod dicitur secundae ad Corinthios quartop405-7: Deus huius saeculi excaecavit mentes infidelium.

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4. Item, potestas diaboli vel est ad nocendum, vel est ad tentandum; sed nunquam potuit nocere nisi permissus, nunquam etiam potuit in peccatum praecipitare, nisi praeberetur ei voluntas consensusp406-1; et hoc ipsum potest modo: si ergo ab initio nihil potuit amplius, videtur idem quod prius.

Conclusio. Per passionem Christi liberati sumus a potestate diaboli, omnes quidem quoad sufficientiam, sed tantum membra Ecclesiae quoad efficaciam.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod, sicut dicit Magister in litterap406-2, « per passionem Christi sumus a potestate diaboli liberati », omnes quidem quantum ad sufficientiam, sed illi soli, qui sunt de eius corpore, quod est Ecclesia, quantum ad efficaciam.

Et hoc patet sic. Diabolus enim ante passionem Christi habebat duplicem manum, videlicet attrahentem et impellentemp406-3: manus attrahens erat potestas trahendi ad limbum etiam iustos et sanctos; manus impellens erat potestas praecipitandi in malum vel per fallaciam, vel per violentiam, quia tentabat ut draco, tentabat ut leop406-4. Et prima manus, scilicet attractiva, erat tantae potentiae, ut nullus posset ei resistere; et haec fuit ei omnino amputata per passionem. Iam enim nullum iustum potest ad limbum trahere, quia per passionem Christi deletum est chirographum peccati Adaep406-5. — Manum autem impellentem habebat ita fortem, ut cum magna difficultate posset quis ei resistere. Et ideo in multis regnabat, immo fere in omnibus; omnes enim vel superabat per fraudulentiam, vel per violentiam. Et haec potestas debilitata est per passionem, per quam lumen veritatis aperitur contra diabolicam fraudulentiam, et adiutorium virtutis tribuitur contra diabolicam violentiam. Apparuit autem lumen veritatis et interius per divinam inspirationem et exterius per humanam instructionem. Iam enim fere omnibus est veritas propalata, et ideo destructa est idololatria, quae prius regnabatp406-6. — Adiutorium etiam virtutis tribuitur per gratiae infusionem, quae reprimit concupiscentiam, et per angelicam protectionem, quae comprimit et reprimit potestates adversas; et hoc idemp406-7 virtute passionis, merito cuius mittitur nobis Spiritus sanctus, mittuntur etiam et ipsi angelici spiritus, ut superetur adversarius. Unde diabolus super omnia abhorret memoriam passionis et figuram crucis, per quam sumus a potestate eius liberati. — Rationes igitur hoc ostendentes concedendae sunt.

Ad argumenta in oppositum:

1. Ad illud ergo quod primo obiicitur, quod adhuc restat nobis adversus mundi rectores colluctatio; dicendum, quod quamvis nobis incumbat pugna, non tamen elongamur a victoria, nisi interveniat nostra negligentia, secundum quod dicitur primae ad Corinthios decimop406-8: Fidelis Deus, qui non patietur vos tentari etc., sed faciet cum tentatione proventum; et ideo ex illa auctoritate non potest haberi, quod nobis praesideat potestas diabolica, quamvis nos exercere non desistat.

2. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod in novissimis diebus instabunt tempora periculosa; dicendum, quod quamvis per passionem sit potestas diabolica superata; tamen in nobis est vires dare hosti et nos subiugare potestati diaboli. Et quia in novissimis diebus abundabit multorum perversitas, et refrigescet caritasp406-9; vires sumet diabolica potestas, et iusto Dei iudicio permittetur amplius ad malum impellere, quam permissus fuerat in tempore praecedenti.

3. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod adhuc potest in vexationem corporum et excaecationem mentium; dicendum, quod hoc non potest modo, nisi quis ei ex culpa sua vires tribuat, sicut sunt illi qui Sacramenta Christi contemnunt; qui vero humiliter et devote Sacramentis et sacramentalibus se subiiciunt, quae a passione Christi habent virtutem, non formidant diabolicam potestatem. Tanta est enim virtus Sacramentorum Ecclesiae, ut etiam se extendat usque ad infideles; unde non tot hodie diabolus obsidet, quot diabolus consueverat obsidere. Scribit enim Gregorius in Dialogop406-10 de quodam Iudaeo, qui cum vellet dormire in loco deserto, munivit se signo crucis, et daemones supervenientes, cum vellent ipsum offendere, a signo crucis repulsi sunt et dixerunt, ipsum esse vas vacuum, sed signatum.

4. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod nihil poterat nisi per Dei permissionem, ante sicut et nunc; dicendum, quod Deus ipsum amplius permittebat ex iusto suo iudicio, et consensus noster amplius ei subiacebat ex vitio nostro, per hoc quod regnabat

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ignorantia, regnabat etiam concupiscentia, deficiebat etiam veritas, deficiebat et gratia; sicut enim dicitur Ioannis primop407-1: Lex per Moysen data est, gratia et veritas per Iesum Christum facta est. — Et sic patet, qualiter per passionem Christi liberamur a potestate diabolip407-2.

English Translation
p. 405

Question III. Whether through the passion of Christ we have been freed from the power of the devil.

Thirdly it is asked whether through the passion we have been freed from the power of the devil. And that we have, it seems.

1. Apocalypse, chapter twentyp405-1: I saw an Angel coming down from heaven, and he laid hold of the dragon, who is the devil; but by that Angel, as the Saints expound it, is understood Christ: if therefore the devil was bound by that Angel in his passion, it seems that he has lost his power over us.

2. Likewise, John, chapter twelvep405-2: Now is the judgment of the world, now shall the prince of this world be cast out: if therefore the devil has been cast out through Christ, it seems that we have been freed from his power.

3. Likewise, Christ, our leader, conquered the devilp405-3; but the victory of the leader is the victory of the whole army: therefore it seems that the devil has been overcome by the whole human race, and thus it seems that through the passion of Christ he has lost his power with respect to the human race.

4. Likewise, when the devil overcame the first man, he consequently overcame the whole human racep405-4: therefore by parity of reasoning it seems that, since he was overcome by Christ, he was overcome by the whole human race: therefore through the passion of Christ the whole human race was freed from the power of the devil.

On the contrary: 1. To the Ephesians, chapter sixp405-5: Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness of this world: therefore the demons still assail us and rule over this world: therefore we have not been freed from the power of the devil.

2. Likewise, in the second to Timothy, chapter threep405-6 it is said that in the last days dangerous times will be at hand, and this same thing is said in the second to the Thessalonians, and in Daniel and in the Apocalypse, that in the time of Antichrist the devil will have the greatest power to tempt and to harass: therefore it does not seem that through the passion he has lost his power over the human race.

3. Likewise, the power of the devil consists chiefly in two things, namely in the possession of bodies and the blinding of minds; but after the passion of Christ many have still been possessed by the devil, many also have been most grievously blinded: therefore it seems that the power of the devil has not been in any way diminished through the passion of Christ. That the devil possesses the bodies of many, experience teaches; that he again blinds the minds of many, is proved by what is said in the second to the Corinthians, chapter fourp405-7: The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.

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4. Likewise, the power of the devil is either for harming or for tempting; but he was never able to harm except when permitted, nor was he ever able to cast into sin unless the will of consent was offered to himp406-1; and this same thing he can do now: if therefore from the beginning he could do nothing more, it seems the same as before.

Conclusion. Through the passion of Christ we have been freed from the power of the devil, all indeed as to sufficiency, but only the members of the Church as to efficacy.

I respond: It must be said that, as the Master says in the textp406-2, « through the passion of Christ we have been freed from the power of the devil », all indeed as to sufficiency, but only those who are of his body, which is the Church, as to efficacy.

And this is shown thus. For the devil before the passion of Christ had a twofold hand, namely an attracting one and an impelling onep406-3: the attracting hand was the power of dragging down to limbo even the just and the holy; the impelling hand was the power of casting into evil either through deceit or through violence, since he tempted as a dragon, he tempted as a lionp406-4. And the first hand, namely the attractive one, was of such power that no one could resist it; and this was entirely cut off from him through the passion. For now he can drag no just person down to limbo, because through the passion of Christ the bond of Adam's sin has been blotted outp406-5. — But the impelling hand he had so strong that with great difficulty could anyone resist it. And therefore he reigned in many, indeed in almost all; for he overcame all either through fraud or through violence. And this power has been weakened through the passion, through which the light of truth is opened against the devil's fraud, and the help of strength is granted against the devil's violence. Now the light of truth appeared both inwardly through divine inspiration and outwardly through human instruction. For now the truth has been published to almost all, and therefore idolatry, which formerly reigned, has been destroyedp406-6. — The help also of strength is granted through the infusion of grace, which restrains concupiscence, and through angelic protection, which checks and represses the adverse powers; and this same thingp406-7 by the power of the passion, by whose merit the Holy Spirit is sent to us, and the angelic spirits themselves are also sent, that the adversary may be overcome. Hence the devil above all things abhors the memory of the passion and the figure of the cross, through which we have been freed from his power. — Therefore the reasons showing this are to be granted.

To the arguments to the contrary:

1. To that, then, which is first objected, that there still remains for us a struggle against the rulers of the world; it must be said that, although a battle presses upon us, yet we are not estranged from victory, unless our negligence intervene, according to what is said in the first to the Corinthians, chapter tenp406-8: God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted etc., but will make also with the temptation a way out; and therefore from that authority it cannot be held that the diabolical power presides over us, although it does not cease to exercise us.

2. To that which is objected, that in the last days dangerous times will be at hand; it must be said that, although through the passion the diabolical power has been overcome, yet it is in us to give strength to the enemy and to subject ourselves to the power of the devil. And because in the last days the perversity of many will abound, and charity will grow coldp406-9; the diabolical power will take strength, and by the just judgment of God it will be permitted to impel toward evil more than it had been permitted in the preceding time.

3. To that which is objected, that he can still bring about the harassment of bodies and the blinding of minds; it must be said that this he cannot do now, unless someone give him strength through his own fault, as are those who despise the Sacraments of Christ; but those who humbly and devoutly submit themselves to the Sacraments and the sacramentals, which have their power from the passion of Christ, do not dread the diabolical power. For so great is the power of the Sacraments of the Church, that it extends even to the unbelievers; whence the devil does not possess as many today as the devil was wont to possess. For Gregory writes in the Dialoguep406-10 of a certain Jew who, when he wished to sleep in a deserted place, fortified himself with the sign of the cross, and the demons that came upon him, when they wished to harm him, were repelled by the sign of the cross and said that he was an empty vessel, but a sealed one.

4. To that which is objected, that he could do nothing except by God's permission, before as now; it must be said that God permitted him more out of his just judgment, and our consent was more subject to him out of our vice, through this, that there reigned

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ignorance, there reigned also concupiscence, truth also was lacking, and grace was lacking; for as it is said in John, chapter onep407-1: The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. — And thus it is plain how through the passion of Christ we are freed from the power of the devilp407-2.

Apparatus Criticus
  1. Vers. 1. seq. — De expositione huius loci cfr. August., XX. de Civ. Dei, c. 7. n. 1. seqq. et Beda, in hunc loc. — In minori post sed multi codd. nec non edd. 1, 2 inserunt potius.
    Verse 1 ff. — On the exposition of this passage cf. Augustine, City of God XX, c. 7, n. 1 ff., and Bede, on this passage. — In the minor [premise], after sed (but) many codices and also editions 1, 2 insert potius (rather).
  2. Vers. 31.
    Verse 31.
  3. Edd. addunt per illud Apoc. 3. (5.): Vicit leo de tribu Iuda. In fine arg. pro amiserit codd. A F I L V aa amisit.
    The editions add through that text of Apoc. 3 (5): The lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered. At the end of the argument, for amiserit (he has lost) codices A F I L V aa read amisit (he lost).
  4. Cfr. II. Sent. d. 30. a. 1. q. 2.
    Cf. II Sentences, d. 30, a. 1, q. 2.
  5. Vers. 12.
    Verse 12.
  6. Vers. 1. — Seqq. Script. loci sunt II. Thess. 2, 3-10; Daniel 12, 1; Apoc. 12, 12.
    Verse 1. — The following Scripture passages are II Thess. 2, 3-10; Daniel 12, 1; Apoc. 12, 12.
  7. Vers. 4.
    Verse 4.
  8. Cfr. August., Enarrat. in Ps. 61. n. 20. — Codd. W bb voluntatis consensus, edd. voluntas et consensus.
    Cf. Augustine, Commentary on the Psalms, Ps. 61, n. 20. — Codices W bb [read] voluntatis consensus (the consent of the will), the editions [read] voluntas et consensus (the will and consent).
  9. Hic c. 1. Cfr. etiam infra d. XX. c. 5.
    Here c. 1. Cf. also below, d. XX, c. 5.
  10. Vide scholion.
    See the scholion.
  11. August., Enarrat. in Ps. 90, 13, serm. 2. n. 9: Conculcabis leonem et draconem... leo aperte saevit, draco occulte insidiatur; utramque vim et potestatem habet diabolus. Cfr. tom. II. pag. 511, nota 6.
    Augustine, Commentary on the Psalms, Ps. 90, 13, sermon 2, n. 9: You shall trample upon the lion and the dragon... the lion rages openly, the dragon lies in wait secretly; the devil has both kinds of force and power. Cf. vol. II, p. 511, note 6.
  12. Cfr. quaest. praeced. et d. 18. a. 2. q. 3.
    Cf. the preceding question and d. 18, a. 2, q. 3.
  13. Sicut praedixit Isai. 2, 17. 18.
    As Isaiah foretold, Isa. 2, 17. 18.
  14. Cod. F melius et hoc quidem.
    Codex F better [reads] et hoc quidem (and this indeed).
  15. Vers. 13. — In testimonio allato pro patietur multi codd. et edd. 1, 2 contra Vulgatam exhibent permittit (cod. bb permittet).
    Verse 13. — In the cited testimony, for patietur (will suffer) many codices and editions 1, 2, against the Vulgate, present permittit (permits) (codex bb permittet, will permit).
  16. Matth. 24, 12: Et quoniam abundavit iniquitas, refrigescet caritas multorum. — In fine solut. pro fuerat plurimi codd. minus bene fuerit.
    Matt. 24, 12: And because iniquity has abounded, the charity of many will grow cold. — At the end of the solution, for fuerat (had been) very many codices, less well, [read] fuerit (will have been).
  17. Libr. III. Dialog. c. 7: Quadam vero die Iudaeus quidam ex Campaniae partibus Romam veniens, Appiae carpebat iter; qui ad Fundanum clivum perveniens, cum iam diem vesperascere cerneret et quo declinare posset, minime reperiret, iuxta Apollinis templum fuit, ibique se ad manendum contulit. Qui ipsum loci illius sacrilegium pertimescens, quamvis fidem crucis minime haberet, signo tamen se crucis munire curavit... Quem maligni spiritus pergentes et subtilius intuentes crucis mysterio signatum viderunt mirantesque dixerunt: Vae, vae, vas vacuum et signatum. — Pro deserto codd. I L S aa cc secreto.
    Book III of the Dialogue, c. 7: On a certain day a certain Jew, coming from the regions of Campania to Rome, was making his way along the Appian Way; reaching the slope of Fundi, when he now saw the day growing toward evening and could find no place to turn aside, he was near the temple of Apollo, and there he settled himself to remain. Greatly fearing the sacrilege of that place, although he had no faith in the cross, he nevertheless took care to fortify himself with the sign of the cross... The malignant spirits, passing by and looking more closely, saw him sealed with the mystery of the cross, and marveling said: Woe, woe, an empty vessel and a sealed one. — For deserto (deserted) codices I L S aa cc [read] secreto (secret).
  18. Vers. 17. — In initio solut. pro ante sicut et nunc Vat. sicut tunc ita et nunc.
    Verse 17. — At the beginning of the solution, for ante sicut et nunc (before as also now), the Vatican [edition reads] sicut tunc ita et nunc (as then so also now).
  19. Vide scholion ad praecedentem quaest.
    See the scholion to the preceding question.
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