yet? God has indeed sometimes revealed things to His special friends; thus He promised Moses to accompany him everywhere: “He hath made His way known to Moses.”[1] He told Abraham of His firm determination to destroy the city of Sodom, and to make him the father of a numerous progeny: “Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”[2] He made known to Noe His intention of punishing the world by a deluge: “He said to Noe: The end of all flesh is to come before Me; the earth is filled with iniquity through them, and I will destroy them with the earth.”[3] In the same manner God made known many things to other prophets and saints. But according to the general Providence by which the world is ruled, the divine decrees remain hidden and concealed from men. “His ways, who shall understand,” says the wise Ecclesiasticus; “many of His works are hidden.”[4] And Eliu was quite right when he said to Job: “Who can search out His ways? Remember that thou knowest not His work. Behold! God is great exceeding our knowledge.”[5] St. Augustine commenting on the words of St. Paul, “O man, who art thou that repliest against God?”[6] who are you that you should dare to question your God, and expect Him to give you an explanation of His decrees?—St. Augustine says: With reason has the Apostle begun with the words, O man, for thus he reminds mortals of their ignorance and incapacity, and says to them, as Apelles did to the cobbler who criticised his picture of Helen: “Let the cobbler stick to his last.”[7] O man, exclaims the Apostle, exalt not your understanding above your condition! What do you know about the decrees and dispensations of God’s providence? You either understand them, or you do not. If you understand them, you must acknowledge that they are wise and just; but if they are beyond your intellect, as you must confess, why do you examine, condemn, and criticise them? If I speak Latin to you, and you have not studied that language, you know not and cannot guess what I wish to say to you; much less should you venture to find fault with my manner of speak-
- ↑ Notas fecit vias suas Moysi.—Ps. cii. 7.
- ↑ Num celare potero Abraham quæ gesturus sum?—Gen. xviii. 17.
- ↑ Dixit ad Noe: Finis universæ carnis venit coram me; repleta est terra iniquitate a facie eorum, et ego disperdam eos cum terra.—Ibid. vi. 13.
- ↑ Vias illius quis intelligit? Plurima illius opera sunt in absconsis.—Ecclus. xvi. 21, 22.
- ↑ Quis poterit scrutari vias ejus? Memento quod ignores opus ejus. Ecce, Deus magnus vincens scientiam nostram.—Job xxxvi. 23, 24, 26.
- ↑ O homo, tu quis es, qui respondeas Deo?—Rom. ix. 20.
- ↑ Ne sutor ultra crepidam.
