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Objection 1: It would seem that the temptation of God does not
consist in certain deeds wherein the result is expected from the power
of God alone. Just as God is tempted by man so is man tempted by
God, man, and demons. But when man is tempted the result is not
always expected from his power. Therefore neither is God tempted when
the result is expected from His power alone.
Objection 2: Further, all those who work miracles by invoking the
divine name look for an effect due to God's power alone. Therefore,
if the temptation of God consisted in such like deeds, all who work
miracles would tempt God.
Objection 3: Further, it seems to belong to man's perfection that
he should put aside human aids and put his hope in God alone. Hence
Ambrose, commenting on Lk. 9:3, "Take nothing for your
journey," etc. says: "The Gospel precept points out what is
required of him that announces the kingdom of God, namely, that he
should not depend on worldly assistance, and that, taking assurance
from his faith, he should hold himself to be the more able to provide
for himself, the less he seeks these things." And the Blessed
Agatha said: "I have never treated my body with bodily medicine, I
have my Lord Jesus Christ, Who restores all things by His mere
word." [Office of St. Agatha, eighth Responsory (Dominican
Breviary).] But the temptation of God does not consist in anything
pertaining to perfection. Therefore the temptation of God does not
consist in such like deeds, wherein the help of God alone is
expected.
On the contrary, Augustine says (Contra Faust. xxii, 36):
"Christ who gave proof of God's power by teaching and reproving
openly, yet not allowing the rage of His enemies to prevail against
Him, nevertheless by fleeing and hiding, instructed human weakness,
lest it should dare to tempt God when it has to strive to escape from
that which it needs to avoid." From this it would seem that the
temptation of God consists in omitting to do what one can in order to
escape from danger, and relying on the assistance of God alone.
I answer that, Properly speaking, to tempt is to test the person
tempted. Now we put a person to the test by words or by deeds. By
words, that we may find out whether he knows what we ask, or whether
he can and will grant it: by deeds, when, by what we do, we probe
another's prudence, will or power. Either of these may happen in two
ways. First, openly, as when one declares oneself a tempter: thus
Samson (Judges 14:12) proposed a riddle to the Philistines in
order to tempt them. In the second place it may be done with cunning
and by stealth, as the Pharisees tempted Christ, as we read in Mt.
22:15, sqq. Again this is sometimes done explicitly, as when
anyone intends, by word or deed, to put some person to the test; and
sometimes implicitly, when, to wit, though he does not intend to test
a person, yet that which he does or says can seemingly have no other
purpose than putting him to a test.
Accordingly, man tempts God sometimes by words, sometimes by deeds.
Now we speak with God in words when we pray. Hence a man tempts God
explicitly in his prayers when he asks something of God with the
intention of probing God's knowledge, power or will. He tempts God
explicitly by deeds when he intends, by whatever he does, to
experiment on God's power, good will or wisdom. But He will tempt
God implicitly, if, though he does not intend to make an experiment
on God, yet he asks for or does something which has no other use than
to prove God's power, goodness or knowledge. Thus when a man wishes
his horse to gallop in order to escape from the enemy, this is not
giving the horse a trial: but if he make the horse gallop with out any
useful purpose, it seems to be nothing else than a trial of the
horse's speed; and the same applies to all other things. Accordingly
when a man in his prayers or deeds entrusts himself to the divine
assistance for some urgent or useful motive, this is not to tempt
God: for it is written (2 Paralip 20:12): "As we know not
what to do, we can only turn our eyes to Thee." But if this be done
without any useful or urgent motive, this is to tempt God implicitly.
Wherefore a gloss on Dt. 6:16, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord
thy God," says: "A man tempts God, if having the means at hand,
without reason he chooses a dangerous course, trying whether he can be
delivered by God."
Reply to Objection 1: Man also is sometimes tempted by means of
deeds, to test his ability or knowledge or will to uphold or oppose
those same deeds.
Reply to Objection 2: When saints work miracles by their prayers,
they are moved by a motive of necessity or usefulness to ask for that
which is an effect of the divine power.
Reply to Objection 3: The preachers of God's kingdom dispense
with temporal aids, so as to be freer to give their time to the word of
God: wherefore if they depend on God alone, it does not follow that
they tempt God. But if they were to neglect human assistance without
any useful or urgent motive, they would be tempting God. Hence
Augustine (Contra Faust. xxii, 36) says that "Paul fled, not
through ceasing to believe in God, but lest he should tempt God,
were he not to flee when he had the means of flight." The Blessed
Agatha had experience of God's kindness towards her, so that either
she did not suffer such sickness as required bodily medicine, or else
she felt herself suddenly cured by God.
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