Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 12.djvu/578

 PROVIDENCE

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PROVIDENCE

they may suffer for a time, are comforted by God (Ps. xc, 15; Is., li, 12), who will build them up, and will not cease to do them good (Jer., xxxi, 28 sq.; xxxii, 41). For in spite of the wicked, God's counsels are never changed or thwarted (Is., xiv, 24-7; xliii, 13; xlvi, 10; Ps. xxxii, 11; cxlviii, 6). Evil He con- verts into good (Gen., 1, 20; cf. Ps. xc, 10); and suffering He uses as an instrument whereby to train men up as a father traineth up his children (Deut., viii, 1-6; Ps. Ix-v, 10-2; Wis., xii, 1, 2); so that in very truth the world fighteth for the just (Wis., xvi,

17):

The teaching of the Old Testament on Providence is assumed by Our Lord, who draws therefrom prac- tical lessons both in regard to confidence in God (Matt., vi, 2,5-33; vii, 7-11; x, 28-31; Mark, xi,22^; Luke, xi, 9-13; John, xvi, 26, 27) and in regard to the forgiveness of our enemies (Matt., v, 39-4.5; Luke, vi, 27-38); while in St. Paul it becomes the basis of a definite and systematic theology. To the Athenians in the Areopagus Paul declares (1) that God made the universe and is its supreme Lord (Acts, xvii, 24); (2) that He sustains the universe in its existence, giving life and breath to all things (verse 25), and hence, as the source whence they all proceed, must Himself lack nothing nor stand in need of any human service; (3) that He has directed the growth of nations and their distribution (verse 26), and (4) this to the end that they should seek Him (verse 27) in Whom we live and move and have our being, and whose offspring we are (verse 28). Being therefore the offspring of God, it is absurd for us to liken Him to things inanimate (verse 29), and though God has borne with this ignorance on man's part for a time, now He demands penance (verse 30), and, having sent Christ, Whose authority is guaranteed by His Resurrection, has appointed a day when the world shall be judged by Him in justice (verse 31). In the Epistle to the Romans the supernatural charac- ter of Divine Providence is further evolved, and the doctrine of Providence becomes identical with that of grace. Nature manifests so clearly the power and the divinity of God that failure to recognize it is inexcusable (Rom., i, 20-2). Hence God in His anger (verse 18) gives man over to the desires of his heart (verse 24), to a reprobate sense (verse 28). Some day He will vindicate Himself (ii, 2-5), ren- dering to every man according to his works (ii, 6-8; cf. II Cor., V, 10; Gal., vi, 8), his knowledge (Rom., ii, 9 sq.), and his secret thoughts (ii, 16); but for the present He forbears (iii, 26; cf. ix, 22; II Peter, ii, 9) and is ready to justify all men freely through the redemption of Jesus Christ (Rom., iii, 22, 24, 25); for all men stand in need of God's help (iii, 23). Christians, moreover, having already received the grace of redemption (v, 1), should glory in tribulation, knowing that it is but a trial which strengtheneth patience and hope (v, 3, 4). For the graces that are to come are far greater than those already received (v, 10 sq.) and far more abundant than the con- sequences of sin (v, 17). Life everlasting is promised to us (v, 21); but unaided we can do nothing to gain it (vii, 18-24). It is the grace of Christ that delivers us (vii, 25) and makes us co-heirs with Him (viii, 17). Yet we must also suffer with Him (verse 17) and be patient (verse 25), knowing that all things work to- gether for good to them that love God; for God in His Providence has regarded us with love from all eternity, has iirodestined us to be made conformable to the image of His Son, that He might be the first- Iwrn of many brethren, has called us (II Thes., ii, 13), has justified" us (Rom., v, 1 ; I Cor., vi 11), and even now has begun to accomplish within us the work of glorification (Itom., viii, 29, 30; cf. Eph., i, 3 sq., II Cor., iii, 18; II Thes., ii, 13). This, the beneficent purpose of an all-seeing Providence, is wholly gratui- tous, entirely unmerited (Rom., iii, 24; ix, 11-2).

It extends to all men (Rom., ii, 10; I Tim., ii, 4), even to the reprobate Jews (Rom., xi, 26 sq.); and bv it all God's dealings with man are regulated (Eph., i, 11).

The Testimony of the Fathers is, it need hardly be said, perfectly unanimous from the very outset. Even those Fathers — and they are not many — who do not treat expressly of the subject use the doctrine of Providence as the basis of their teaching, both dog- matic and practical (e. g. Clement, "I Epis. ad Cor.", xix sq., xxvii, xxviii in "P. G.", I, 247-54, 267-70). God governs the whole universe [Aristides, "Apol.", I, XV in "Texts and Studies" (1891), 35, 50; "Anon, epis. ad Diog.", vii in "P. G.", II, 1175 sq.; Origen, " Contra Celsum", IV, n. 75 in "P. G.", XI, 1146; St. Cj^prian, "Lib. de idol, van.", viii, ix in "P. L.", IV, 596-7; St. John Clirysostom, "Ad eos qui scandalizati sunt", V in "P. G."", LII, 487; St. Augustine, "De gen. ad lit.", V, xxi, n. 42 in "P. L.", XXXIV, 335-8; St. Gregory the Great, "Lib. moral.", XXXII, n. 7 in "P. L.", LXXVI, 637 sq.; XVI, xii in "P. L.", Ixxv, 1126]. It extends to every indi\'idual, adapting itself to the needs of each (St. JohnChrvsostom, "Hom.xxviiiin Matt.", n. 3 in "P. G.", LVII, 354), and embraces even what we think is due to our own initiative (Horn, xxi, n. 3 in "P. G.", 298). All things are created and governed with a view to man, to the development of his life and his intelligence, and to the satisfaction of his needs (.Aristides, ".\pol.", i, v, vi, xv, xvi; Origen, "Contra Celsum", IV, Ixxiv, Ixxviii in "P. G.", XI, 1143-51; Lactantius, "Deira Dei",xiii, x^' in "P. L.", VII, 115 sq.; St. John Chrvso.stom, "Horn, xiii in Matt.", n. 5 in "P. G.", LVlI, 216, 217; "Ad eos qui scand.", vii, viii in "P. G.", LII, 491-8; "Ad Stagir.",

I, iv in "P. G.", XLVII, 432^; St. Augustine, "De div. quoest.", xxx, xxxi in "P. L.", XL, 19, 20). The chief proof of this doctrine is derived from the adapta- tion of means to an end, which, since it takes place in the universe comprising a vast multitude of relatively independent individuals differing in nature, function, and end, imphes the continuous control and unifying governance of a single supreme Being (Minucius Felix, "Octavius", xvii in Halm, "Corp. Scrip. Eccl. Lat.",

II, 21, 22; TertuUian, "Adv. Marcion.", II, iii, iv in "P. L.", II, 313-5; Origen, "Contra Celsum", IV, Ixxiv sq. in "P. G.", XI, 1143 sq.; Lactantius, "De ira Dei", x-xv in "P. L.", VII, 100 sq.; St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. ad Pop. Ant.", ix, 3, 4 in "P. G.", XLIX, 106-9; ".\d eos. qui scand.", v, vii, viii in "P. G.", LII, 488-98; "In Ps", v, n. 9 in "P. G.", LV, 54-6; ".A.d Demetrium", ii, 5in "P. G.", XLVII, 418, 419; "Ad Stagir.", passim in "P. G.", XLVII, 423 sq.; St. Augustine, "De gen. ad lit.", V, xx-xxiii in "P. L.", XXXIV, 335 sq.; "In Ps.", cxlviii, n. 9- 15 in "P. L.", XXXVII, 1942-7; Theodoret, "De prov. orat.", i-v in "P. G.", LXXXIII, 555 sq.; St. John Damascene, "De fid. orth.", i, 3 in "P. G.", XCIV, 795 sq.). Again, from the fact that God has created the universe, it shows that He must also gov- ern it; for just as the contrivances of man demand attention and guidance, so God, as a good workman, must care for His work (St. Ambrose, "De Offic. minLst.", XIII in "P. L.", XVI, 41; St. Augustine, "In Ps.", cxlv, n. 12, 13 in "P. L.", XXXVII, 1892-3; Theodoret, " De prov. orat .", i, ii in " P. G.", LXXXIII, 564, 581-4; Salvianus, "De gub. Dei", I, viii-xii in "P. L.", LIII, 40 sq.; St. Gregory the Great, "Lib. moral.", XTciv, n. 46 in "P. L.", LXXVI, 314). In addition to this, TertuUian ("De testim. anims" in "P. L.", I, 681 sq.) and St. Cj-prian (loc. cit.) appeal to the testimony of the human soul as expressed in sayings common to all mankind (cf. Salvianus, loc. cit.); while Lactantius ("De ira Dei", viii, xii, xvi in "P. L.", VII, 97, 114, 115, 126) uses a distinctly prag- matic argument based on the utter ruin that would result to society, were the Providence of God generally denied.