Chapter 6 - Of the Providence of God
ALL THINGS ARE GOVERNED BY THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD. We believe that all things in
heaven and on earth, and in all creatures, are preserved and governed by the
providence of this wise, eternal and almighty God. For David testifies and says:
"The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is
like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down upon the
heavens and the earth?" (Ps. 113:4 ff.). Again: "Thou searchest out...all my
ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it
altogether" (Ps. 139:3 f.). Paul also testifies and declares: "In him we live
and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28), and "from him and through him and to
him are all things" (Rom. 11:36). Therefore Augustine most truly and according
to Scripture declared in his book De Agone Christi, cap. 8, "The Lord said, 'Are
not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground
without your Father's will' " (Matt. 10:29). By speaking thus he wanted to show
that what men regard as of least value is governed by God's omnipotence. For he
who is the truth says that the birds of the air are fed by him and lilies of the
field are clothed by him; he also says that the hairs of our head are numbered
(Matt. 6:26 ff.).
THE EPICUREANS. We therefore condemn the Epicureans who deny the providence of
God, and all those who blasphemously say that God is busy with the heavens and
neither sees nor cares about us and our affairs. David, the royal prophet, also
condemned this when he said: "O Lord, how long shall the wicked exult? They say,
"The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive." Understand, O
dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear,
does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?" (Ps. 94:3, 7-9).
MEANS NOT TO BE DESPISED. Nevertheless, we do not spurn as useless the means by
which divine providence works, but we teach that we are to adapt ourselves to
them in so far as they are recommended to us in the Word of God. Wherefore we
disapprove of the rash statements of those who say that if all things are
managed by the providence of God, then our efforts and endeavors are in vain. It
will be sufficient if we leave everything to the governance of divine
providence, and we will not have to worry about anything or do anything. For
although Paul understood that he sailed under the providence of God who had said
to him: "You must bear witness also at Rome" (Acts 23:11), and in addition had
given him the promise, "There will be no loss of life among you...and not a hair
is to perish from the head of any of you" (Acts 27:22,34), yet when the sailors
were nevertheless thinking about abandoning ship the same Paul said to the
centurion and the soldiers: "Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be
saved" (Acts 27:31). For God, who has appointed to everything its end, has
ordained the beginning and the means by which it reaches its goal. The heathen
ascribe things to blind fortune and uncertain chance. But St. James does not
want us to say: "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and
trade," but adds: "Instead you ought to say, `If the Lord wills, we shall live
and we shall do this or that' " (James 4:13, 15). And Augustine says:
"Everything which to vain men seems to happen in nature by accident, occurs only
by his Word, because it happens only at his command" (Enarrationes in Psalmos
148). Thus it seemed to happen by mere chance when Saul, while seeking his
father's asses, unexpectedly fell in with the prophet Samuel. But previously the
Lord had said to the prophet: "Tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land
of Benjamin" (I Sam 9:15).
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