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Either God has confounded the false miracles, or He has foretold them; and in both ways He has raised Himself above what is supernatural with respect to us, and has raised us to it.
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Miracles serve not to convert, but to condemn. (Q. 113, A. 10, Ad. 2.)
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Reasons why we do not believe.
John, xii. 37. Cum autem tanta signa fecisset, non credebant in eum, ut sermo Isayæ impteretur. Excæcavit, &c.
Hæc dixit Isaias, quando vidit gloriam ejus et locutus est de eo.
Judæi signa petunt et Græci sapientiam quærunt, nos autem Jesum crucifixum. Sed plenum signis, sed plenum sapientia; vos autem Christum non crucifixum et religionem sine miraculis et sine sapientia.[1]
What makes us not believe in the true miracles, is want of love. John: Sed vos non creditis, quia non estis ex ovibus.[2] What makes us believe the false is want of love. 1 Thess. ii.
The foundation of religion. It is the miracles. What then? Does God speak against miracles, against the foundations of the faith which we have in Him?
If there is a God, faith in God must exist on earth. Now the miracles of Jesus Christ are not foretold by Antichrist, but the miracles of Antichrist are foretold by Jesus Christ. And so if Jesus Christ were not the Messiah, He would have indeed led into error; but Antichrist cannot surely lead into error. When Jesus Christ foretold the miracles of Antichrist, did He think of destroying faith in His own miracles?
Moses foretold Jesus Christ, and bade to follow Him. Jesus Christ foretold Antichrist, and forbade to follow him.
It was impossible that in the time of Moses men should
