ectly to irreverence for God is opposed to religion. Now it is
evident that to tempt a person pertains to irreverence for him: since
no one presumes to tempt one of whose excellence he is sure. Hence it
is manifest that to tempt God is a sin opposed to religion.

Reply Obj. 1: As stated above (Q. 81, A. 7), it belongs to religion
to declare one's faith by certain signs indicative of reverence
towards God. Consequently it belongs to irreligion that, through
doubtful faith, a man does things indicative of irreverence towards
God. To tempt God is one of these; wherefore it is a species of
irreligion.

Reply Obj. 2: He that prepares not his soul before prayer by
forgiving those against whom he has anything, or in some other way
disposing himself to devotion, does not do what he can to be heard by
God, wherefore he tempts God implicitly as it were. And though this
implicit temptation would seem to arise from presumption or
indiscretion, yet the very fact that a man behaves presumptuously and
without due care in matters relating to God implies irreverence
towards Him. For it is written (1 Pet. 5:6): "Be you humbled . . .
under the mighty hand of God," and (2 Tim. 2:15): "Carefully study to
present thyself approved unto God." Therefore also this kind of
temptation is a species of irreligion.

Reply Obj. 3: A man is said to pray deceitfully, not in relation to
God, Who knows the secrets of the heart, but in relation to man.
Wherefore deceit is accidental to the temptation of God, and
consequently it does not follow that to tempt God is directly opposed
to the truth.
_______________________

FOURTH ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 97, Art. 4]

Whether the Temptation of God Is a Graver Sin Than Superstition?

Objection 1: It would seem that the temptation of God is a graver sin
than superstition. The greater sin receives the greater punishment.
Now the sin of tempting God was more severely punished in the Jews
than was the sin of idolatry; and yet the latter is the chief form of
superstition: since for the sin of idolatry three thousand men of
their number were slain, as related in Ex. 32:28 [*Septuagint
version. The Vulgate has "twenty-three thousand."], whereas for the
sin of temptation they all without exception perished in the desert,
and entered not into the land of promise, according to Ps. 94:9,
"Your fathers tempted Me," and further on, "so I swore in My wrath
that they should not enter into My rest." Therefore to tempt God is