Page:Complete Works of Count Tolstoy - 13.djvu/250

 the world, entirely rejected divine providence with all its actions; (b) the false teaching of the Pelagians, who rejected in particular the coöperation with rational and irrational beings, regarding this as incongruous with their perfection and freedom, and also (c) the contrary teaching of various sectarians, who, believing in unconditional divine predestination, to such an extent exaggerate the divine cooperation with the rational creatures that they almost destroy their freedom, and regard God as the true cause of all their good and bad actions; finally (d) the false teaching of certain sophists, both ancient and modern, who admit only the general providence and reject the particular, considering it unworthy of God.” (pp. 515-517.)

97. The actuality of divine providence.

98. The actuality of each of the actions of the divine providence. This actuality is proved by texts from the Book of Job, from the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon, from the Psalms, and from elsewhere. These texts prove nothing except that all men who recognized God recognized his almightiness.

99. The actuality of the two kinds of divine providence. Besides the general providence there is described the particular providence about each being taken separately.

100. The participation of all the persons of the Holy Trinity in the act of providence. All the persons take part in providence. This is proved from Holy Scripture; then, in conclusion, the explanation: “It is not difficult for a believer to explain why all three persons of the Deity take part in the act of providence. That is due to the fact that the providence of the world is an action of divine omniscience, omnipresence, all-wisdom, almightiness, and goodness, of such attributes as belong equally to all three persons of the Holy Trinity.” (p. 532.)

Then follows what pretends to be a solution of the