Chapter XXIX.—Concerning Providence.

Providence, then, is the care that God takes over existing things. And again: Providence is the will of God through which all existing things receive their fitting issue482    Nemes., ch. 43.. But if Providence is God’s will, according to true reasoning all things that come into being through Providence must necessarily be both most fair and most excellent, and such that they cannot be surpassed. For the same person must of necessity be creator of and provider for what exists: for it is not meet nor fitting that the creator of what exists and the provider should be separate persons. For in that case they would both assuredly be deficient, the one in creating, the other in providing483    Ibid., ch. 42.. God therefore is both Creator and Provider, and His creative and preserving and providing power is simply His good-will. For whatsoever the Lord pleased that did He in heaven and in earth484    Ps. cxxxv. 6., and no one resisted His will485    Rom. ix. 19.. He willed that all things should be and they were. He wills the universe to be framed and it is framed, and all that He wills comes to pass.

That He provides, and that He provides excellently486    Nemes., ch. 44., one can most readily perceive thus. God alone is good and wise by nature. Since then He is good, He provides: for he who does not provide is not good. For even men and creatures without reason provide for their own offspring according to their nature, and he who does not provide is blamed. Again, since He is wise, He takes the best care over what exists.

When, therefore, we give heed to these things we ought to be filled with wonder at all the works of Providence, and praise them all487    The words πάντα ἐπαινεῖν are wanting in Cod. R. 2 and in Nemes., ch. 44., and accept them all without enquiry, even though they are in the eyes of many unjust, because the Providence of God is beyond our ken and comprehension, while our reasonings and actions and the future are revealed to His eyes alone. And by “all” I mean those that are not in our hands: for those that are in our power are outside the sphere of Providence and within that of our Free-will.

Now the works of Providence are partly according to the good-will488    κατ᾽ εὐδοκίαν. (of God) and partly according to permission489    κατὰ συγχώρησιν.. Works of good-will include all those that are undeniably good, while works of permission are……490    There is a hiatus here in Edit. Veron. and in Cod. R. 2927. Various readings are found in other mss., some with no sense and others evidently supplied by librarians. It is best supplied from Nemesius, ch. 44, τῆς δὲ συγχωρήσεως πολλὰ εἴδη, “but there are many forms of concession.”. For Providence often permits the just man to encounter misfortune in order that he may reveal to others the virtue that lies concealed within him491    Nemes, ch. 44., as was the case with Job492    Job i. 11.. At other times it allows something strange to be done in order that something great and marvellous might be accomplished through the seemingly-strange act, as when the salvation of men was brought about through the Cross. In another way it allows the pious man to suffer sore trials in order that he may not depart from a right conscience nor lapse into pride on account of the power and grace granted to him, as was the case with Paul493    2 Cor. ii. 7..

One man is forsaken for a season with a view to another’s restoration, in order that others when they see his state may be taught a lesson494    Nemes., ch. 44., as in the case of Lazarus and the rich man495    St. Luke xvi. 19.. For it belongs to our nature to be cast down when we see persons in distress. Another is deserted by Providence in order that another may be glorified, and not for his own sin or that of his parents, just as the man who was blind from his birth ministered to the glory of the Son of Man496    St. John ix. 1.. Again another is permitted to suffer in order to stir up emulation in the breasts of others, so that others by magnifying the glory of the sufferer may resolutely welcome suffering in the hope of future glory and the desire for future blessings, as in the case of the martyrs. Another is allowed to fall at times into some act of baseness in order that another worse fault may be thus corrected, as for instance when God allows a man who takes pride in his virtue and righteousness to fall away into fornication in order that he may be brought through this fall into the perception of his own weakness and be humbled and approach and make confession to the Lord.

Moreover, it is to be observed497    Nemes., ch. 37. that the choice of what is to be done is in our own hands498    Cf. Nemes., c. 27; also Cicero’s statement on Providence in the Academ. Quest.: but the final issue depends, in the one case when our actions are good, on the cooperation of God, Who in His justice brings help according to His foreknowledge to such as choose the good with a right conscience, and, in the other case when our actions are to evil, on the desertion by God, Who again in His justice stands aloof in accordance with His foreknowledge499    See the reference in Migne..

Now there are two forms of desertion: for there is desertion in the matters of guidance and training, and there is complete and hopeless desertion. The former has in view the restoration and safety and glory of the sufferer, or the rousing of feelings of emulation and imitation in others, or the glory of God: but the latter is when man, after God has done all that was possible to save him, remains of his own set purpose blind and uncured, or rather incurable, and then he is handed over to utter destruction, as was Judas500    St. Matt. xxvi. 24.. May God be gracious to us, and deliver us from such desertion.

Observe further that the ways of God’s providence are many, and they cannot be explained in words nor conceived by the mind.

And remember that all the assaults of dark and evil fortune contribute to the salvation of those who receive them with thankfulness, and are assuredly ambassadors of help.

Also one must bear in mind501    See Chrysostom, Hom. 1, in Epist. ad. Ephes., and Hom. 18, in Epist. ad Hebræos. that God’s original wish was that all should be saved and come to His Kingdom502    1 Tim. ii. 4.. For it was not for punishment that He formed us but to share in His goodness, inasmuch as He is a good God. But inasmuch as He is a just God, His will is that sinners should suffer punishment.

The first then is called God’s antecedent will and pleasure, and springs from Himself, while the second is called God’s consequent will and permission, and has its origin in us. And the latter is two-fold; one part dealing with matters of guidance and training, and having in view our salvation, and the other being hopeless and leading to our utter punishment, as we said above. And this is the case with actions that are not left in our hands503    These words are wanting in two mss..

But of actions that are in our hands the good ones depend on His antecedent goodwill and pleasure, while the wicked ones depend neither on His antecedent nor on His consequent will, but are a concession to free-will. For that which is the result of compulsion has neither reason nor virtue in it. God504    This last sentence is absent in one Codex. makes provision for all creation and makes all creation the instrument of His help and training, yea often even the demons themselves, as for example in the cases of Job and the swine505    St. Matt. viii. 30 seqq..

Περὶ προνοίας

Πρόνοια τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἐκ θεοῦ εἰς τὰ ὄντα γινομένη ἐπιμέλεια. Καὶ πάλιν: Πρόνοιά ἐστι βούλησις θεοῦ, δι' ἣν πάντα τὰ ὄντα τὴν πρόσφορον διεξαγωγὴν λαμβάνει. Εἰ δὲ θεοῦ βούλησίς ἐστιν ἡ πρόνοια, πᾶσα ἀνάγκη πάντα τὰ τῇ προνοίᾳ γινόμενα κατὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον κάλλιστά τε καὶ θεοπρεπέστατα γίνεσθαι καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἔνι κρείττω γενέσθαι. Ἀνάγκη γὰρ τὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι ποιητὴν τῶν ὄντων καὶ προνοητήν: οὔτε γὰρ πρέπον οὔτε ἀκόλουθον ἄλλον μὲν ποιητὴν εἶναι τῶν ὄντων, ἄλλον δὲ προνοητήν: οὕτω γὰρ ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ πάντως εἰσὶν ἀμφότεροι, ὁ μὲν τοῦ ποιεῖν, ὁ δὲ τοῦ προνοεῖν. Ὁ θεὸς τοίνυν ἐστὶν ὅ τε ποιητὴς καὶ προνοητής, καὶ ἡ ποιητικὴ δὲ αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ ἡ συνεκτικὴ καὶ ἡ προνοητικὴ ἡ ἀγαθὴ αὐτοῦ θέλησίς ἐστι: «πάντα γάρ, ὅσα ἠθέλησεν, ὁ κύριος ἐποίησεν», καὶ τῷ θελήματι αὐτοῦ οὐδεὶς ἀνθέστηκεν. Ἠθέλησε γενέσθαι τὰ πάντα, καὶ γέγονε: θέλει συνίστασθαι τὸν κόσμον, καὶ συνίσταται, καὶ πάντα, ὅσα θέλει, γίνεται.

Ὅτι δὲ προνοεῖ καὶ ὅτι καλῶς προνοεῖ, ὀρθότατα σκοπήσειεν ἄν τις οὕτως: Μόνος ὁ θεός ἐστι φύσει ἀγαθὸς καὶ σοφός: ὡς οὖν ἀγαθὸς προνοεῖ (ὁ γὰρ μὴ προνοῶν οὐκ ἀγαθός: καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι καὶ τὰ ἄλογα τῶν οἰκείων τέκνων προνοοῦνται φυσικῶς, καὶ ὁ μὴ προνοῶν ψέγεται), ὡς δὲ σοφὸς ἄριστα τῶν ὄντων ἐπιμελεῖται.

Χρὴ τοίνυν τούτοις προσέχοντας πάντα θαυμάζειν, πάντα ἐπαινεῖν, πάντα ἀνεξετάστως ἀποδέχεσθαι τὰ τῆς προνοίας ἔργα, κἂν φαίνηται τοῖς πολλοῖς ἄδικα διὰ τὸ ἄγνωστον καὶ ἀκατάληπτον εἶναι τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν πρόνοιαν. Πάντα δὲ λέγω τὰ οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν: τὰ γὰρ ἐφ' ἡμῖν οὐ τῆς προνοίας ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἡμετέρου αὐτεξουσίου.

Τῆς δὲ προνοίας τὰ μὲν κατ' εὐδοκίαν ἐστί, τὰ δὲ κατὰ συγχώρησιν: Κατ' εὐδοκίαν μέν, ὅσα ἀναντιρρήτως εἰσὶν ἀγαθά, κατὰ συγχώρησιν δὲ « εἴδη πολλά ». Συγχωρεῖ γὰρ πολλάκις καὶ τὸν δίκαιον περιπεσεῖν συμφοραῖς, ἵνα τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ λανθάνουσαν ἀρετὴν δείξῃ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰώβ. Ἄλλοτε συγχωρεῖ τῶν ἀτόπων τι πραχθῆναι, ἵνα διὰ τῆς πράξεως τῆς δοκούσης ἀτόπου μέγα τι καὶ θαυμαστὸν κατορθωθῇ ὡς διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ τὴν σωτηρίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Κατ' ἄλλον τρόπον συγχωρεῖ τὸν ὅσιον πάσχειν κακῶς, ἵνα μὴ ἐκ τοῦ ὀρθοῦ συνειδότος ἐκπέσῃ ἢ καὶ ἐκ τῆς δοθείσης αὐτῷ δυνάμεώς τε καὶ χάριτος εἰς ἀλαζονείαν ἐκπέσῃ ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Παύλου. Ἐγκαταλείπεταί τις πρὸς καιρὸν πρὸς διόρθωσιν ἄλλου, ἵνα τὸ κατ' αὐτὸν σκοποῦντες οἱ ἄλλοι παιδεύωνται, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Λαζάρου καὶ τοῦ πλουσίου: φυσικῶς γὰρ ὁρῶντές τινας πάσχοντας συστελλόμεθα. Ἐγκαταλείπεταί τις καὶ εἰς ἄλλου δόξαν, οὐ δι' οἰκείας ἢ γονέων ἁμαρτίας ὡς ὁ ἐκ γενετῆς τυφλὸς εἰς δόξαν τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Πάλιν συγχωρεῖταί τις παθεῖν εἰς ἄλλου ζῆλον, ἵνα τῆς δόξης τοῦ παθόντος μεγαλυνθείσης ἄοκνον τὸ πάθος τοῖς ἄλλοις γένηται ἐλπίδι τῆς μελλούσης δόξης καὶ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν μαρτύρων. Παραχωρεῖταί τις καὶ εἰς αἰσχρὰν ἐμπεσεῖν πρᾶξιν ἐνίοτε εἰς διόρθωσιν ἑτέρου χείρονος πάθους, οἷον ἔστι τις ἐπαιρόμενος ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς καὶ τοῖς κατορθώμασιν αὐτοῦ, παραχωρεῖ τοῦτον ὁ θεὸς εἰς πορνείαν ἐμπεσεῖν, ὅπως διὰ τοῦ πτώματος εἰς συναίσθησιν τῆς οἰκείας ἀσθενείας ἐλθὼν ταπεινωθῇ καὶ προσελθὼν ἐξομολογήσηται τῷ κυρίῳ.

Χρὴ δὲ γινώσκειν, ὅτι ἡ μὲν αἵρεσις τῶν πρακτῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστι, τὸ δὲ τέλος τῶν μὲν ἀγαθῶν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ συνεργίας δικαίως συνεργοῦντος τοῖς προαιρουμένοις τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὀρθῷ τῷ συνειδότι κατὰ τὴν πρόγνωσιν αὐτοῦ, τῶν δὲ πονηρῶν τῆς ἐγκαταλείψεως τοῦ θεοῦ πάλιν κατὰ τὴν πρόγνωσιν αὐτοῦ δικαίως ἐγκαταλιμπάνοντος.

Τῆς δὲ ἐγκαταλείψεώς εἰσιν εἴδη δύο: ἔστι γὰρ ἐγκατάλειψις οἰκονομικὴ καὶ παιδευτικὴ καὶ ἔστιν ἐγκατάλειψις τελεία ἀπογνωστική. Οἰκονομικὴ μὲν καὶ παιδευτικὴ ἡ πρὸς διόρθωσιν καὶ σωτηρίαν καὶ δόξαν τοῦ πάσχοντος γινομένη ἢ καὶ πρὸς ἄλλων ζῆλον καὶ μίμησιν ἢ καὶ πρὸς δόξαν θεοῦ: ἡ δὲ τελεία ἐγκατάλειψις, ὅτε τοῦ θεοῦ πάντα πρὸς σωτηρίαν πεποιηκότος ἀνεπαίσθητος καὶ ἀνιάτρευτος, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀνίατος ἐξ οἰκείας προθέσεως διαμείνῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος: τότε παραδίδοται εἰς τελείαν ἀπώλειαν ὡς ὁ Ἰούδας. Φείσεται ἡμῶν ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἐξελεῖται τῆς τοιαύτης ἐγκαταλείψεως.

Χρὴ δὲ εἰδέναι, ὡς πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ τρόποι τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ προνοίας καὶ μήτε λόγῳ ἑρμηνευθῆναι μήτε νῷ περιληφθῆναι δυνάμενοι.

Δεῖ γινώσκειν, ὡς πᾶσαι αἱ σκυθρωπαὶ ἐπιφοραὶ τοῖς μετ' εὐχαριστίας δεχομένοις πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἐπάγονται καὶ πάντως ὠφελείας γίνονται πρόξενοι.

Χρὴ εἰδέναι, ὡς ὁ θεὸς προηγουμένως θέλει πάντας σωθῆναι καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ τυχεῖν: οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸ κολάσαι ἔπλασεν ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ μετασχεῖν τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ ὡς ἀγαθός. Ἁμαρτάνοντας δὲ θέλει κολάζεσθαι δικαίως.

Λέγεται οὖν τὸ μὲν πρῶτον προηγούμενον θέλημα καὶ εὐδοκία ἐξ αὐτοῦ ὄν, τὸ δὲ δεύτερον ἑπόμενον θέλημα καὶ παραχώρησις ἐξ ἡμετέρας αἰτίας. Καὶ αὕτη διττή: ἡ μὲν οἰκονομικὴ καὶ παιδευτικὴ πρὸς σωτηρίαν, ἡ δὲ ἀπογνωστικὴ πρὸς τελείαν κόλασιν, ὡς εἰρήκαμεν. Ταῦτα δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν.

Τῶν δὲ ἐφ' ἡμῖν τὰ μὲν ἀγαθὰ προηγουμένως θέλει καὶ εὐδοκεῖ, τὰ δὲ πονηρὰ καὶ ὄντως κακὰ οὔτε προηγουμένως οὔτε ἑπομένως θέλει. Παραχωρεῖ δὲ τῷ αὐτεξουσίῳ: τὸ γὰρ κατὰ βίαν γινόμενον οὐ λογικὸν οὐδὲ ἀρετή. Προνοεῖ δὲ ὁ θεὸς πάσης τῆς κτίσεως καὶ διὰ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως εὐεργετῶν καὶ παιδεύων καὶ δι' αὐτῶν πολλάκις τῶν δαιμόνων ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ καὶ τῶν χοίρων.