eakened by His fast, He knew Him to be a real man: but when He
failed to overcome Him by temptation, He doubted lest He should be
the Son of God. And now from the power of His miracles He either
knew, or rather suspected that He was the Son of God. His reason
therefore for persuading the Jews to crucify Him was not that he
deemed Him not to be Christ or the Son of God, but because he did not
foresee that he would be the loser by His death. For the Apostle says
of this mystery" (1 Cor. 2:7, 8), "which is hidden from the
beginning, that 'none of the princes of this world knew it,' for if
they had known it they would never have crucified the Lord of glory."

Reply Obj. 3: The miracles which Christ worked in expelling demons
were for the benefit, not of the demons, but of men, that they might
glorify Him. Wherefore He forbade them to speak in His praise. First,
to give us an example. For, as Athanasius says, "He restrained his
speech, although he was confessing the truth; to teach us not to care
about such things, although it may seem that what is said is true.
For it is wrong to seek to learn from the devil when we have the
Divine Scripture": Besides, it is dangerous, since the demons
frequently mix falsehood with truth. Or, as Chrysostom [*Cyril of
Alexandria, Comment. in Luc.] says: "It was not meet for them to
usurp the prerogative of the apostolic office. Nor was it fitting
that the mystery of Christ should be proclaimed by a corrupt tongue"
because "praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner" [*Cf.
Theophylact, Enarr. in Luc.]. Thirdly, because, as Bede says, "He did
not wish the envy of the Jews to be aroused thereby" [*Bede, Expos.
in Luc. iv, 41]. Hence "even the apostles are commanded to be silent
about Him, lest, if His Divine majesty were proclaimed, the gift of
His Passion should be deferred."

Reply Obj. 4: Christ came specially to teach and to work miracles for
the good of man, and principally as to the salvation of his soul.
Consequently, He allowed the demons, that He cast out, to do man some
harm, either in his body or in his goods, for the salvation of man's
soul--namely, for man's instruction. Hence Chrysostom says on Matt.
8:32 that Christ let the demons depart into the swine, "not as
yielding to the demons, but first, to show . . . how harmful are the
demons who attack men; secondly, that all might learn that the demons
would not dare to hurt even the swine, except He allow them; thirdly,
that the