Instruction of St. Robert Bellarmine: The mysterious wisdom of divine government

Instruction of St. Robert Bellarmine: The mysterious wisdom of divine government

The depth of divine wisdom shines in the providence, predestination and judgements of God. First it is admirable, because it governs all created things without any intermediary, and so directs them to their end. He that made great and little alike, cares alike for all, says scripture. There is no exception: not a sparrow falls to the ground without the permission of God, as the Savior says. And it is not only actual beings which are each individually the object of the care of God's Providence, but bold is her sweep from world's end to world's end, and everywhere her gracious ordering manifests itself. If God is the King of all ages, it is because he, Creator of time, has established from all eternity the succession of kingdoms, the alternation and diversity of epochs. Nothing can be to God a novelty, a surprise, something unthought of. So hesitating our human thoughts, so hazardous our conjectures, the Wise man says, since the future deceives all our conjectures; but God sees the future as certainly as the past and present and therefore is infallible in the decrees of his Providence, as our holy Mother, the Church, does not hesitate to chant solemnly.  But the order of this Providence is the most hidden thing in the world and his judgements are like the deep sea, from which it comes to pass that some, seeing evil so common among men and so often going unpunished, fall headlong into the ruinous mistake of believing either that human affairs are not governed by God, or that God wills the evil; a twofold blasphemy. Men are misled into this error by their seeing only one part of the plan of God, the other part being inaccessible; whereas they ought to wait for the result of all history and the general manifestation which will be made at the last Judgement ; they judge rashly too and this leads them to fall into great errors.

However, unfathomable as may be the divine secrets as to the temporal lot of man, far deeper still are the reasons for man's predestination and eternal reprobation. For why God fills many of the wicked with temporal goods and leaves their sins unpunished in this life; why on the contrary he allows many innocent people to be in want, unjustly troubled, sorely tried and given over to death, we cannot search out in detail, but it is possible to assign with probability some general cause. When God gives the wicked temporal  goods in abundance, he rewards them for what they have done well,  though he will not give them a reward in eternity, or else he seeks, by means of temporal benefits, to convert them by the hope of eternal blessings; and if he does not punish their sins it is because they will be amply punished in hell. As for the just, he uses poverty, shame and trials to purify them, or to render their crowns more glorious which they will receive in heaven for their patience and their humility, and all their merits.

But why God loved Jacob and hated Esau2 before they had done either good or evil, who can tell? Who can fathom this mystery? Who will not remain astonished before a man who, after long perseverance in good works and at the end of life, failed and perished like Judas, while an evil-doer, not less persevering in evil, was converted just before he died and stole Paradise, like the good thief? Who can explain why God takes some to himself suddenly, like Enoch, whom he wishes to keep from evil, while he lets so many others fall into sin and die therein?

All that we are allowed to know is that with God there is no trace of injustice and at the last day there will not be found anyone who cannot make his own these words of the Psalmist: Thou art just, O Lord, and just is thy judgement. Moreover, this secrecy is profitable to us all, for it hinders both the wicked from despairing of salvation and the just from presuming on it, thinking themselves secure; also good men should not be hopeless about the conversion of the impenitent, but pray for all, carefully seeking the salvation of all men; and again, in his ignorance of the morrow, no one can presume on his strength, however perfect, however holy he may be, but all are led to work out their salvation in fear and trembling.