it is but right and just that those hardened spirits should be tormented forever in hell? And such, my dear brethren, is the case. St. Brigid in the Book of her Revelations testifies to the fact of having seen a fallen angel at the judgment-seat of God, and heard him say these words to the Almighty: “Even if I could be saved, I should not wish it.” Why not? “Lest Thou shouldst have any joy from me on account of my loving Thee for all eternity.”[1] Who could think such a thing possible if it were not revealed? Thus we see that the divine decrees and ordinations are always just, holy, and right, once we know the causes and reasons of them.
Hence we should have a good opinion of them, although we do not understand them, simply because they are from God. But if we are ignorant of the causes and reasons of many other decrees and arrangements of Divine Providence, is that a reason for looking on them as unjust? Do they not proceed from the same infinitely good, wise, holy, and just God? Ah, says Salvianus, and with his beautiful words I conclude, “let the Author and Cause, God, suffice to me in place of all reasons.”[2] Let a man speculate as much as he likes; let him ask me what questions he pleases; why God, who is so good and holy, allows so much evil to exist in the world; why God, who has suffered the death of the cross for us men, should condemn so many millions of souls to hell; why there are so many millions of infidels, heathens, idolaters, Turks, Jews, and heretics to whom the mysteries of our faith have never been preached; why generally speaking the innocent must suffer, while the wicked prosper; why potentates are allowed by God to wage war on each other so often, to the great detriment of harmless people, who have riot given the slightest cause for war and are thereby reduced to poverty, etc. Let him ask me these and a hundred similar questions, and my only answer shall be, “Let the Author and Cause, God, suffice to me in place of all reasons.” God has decreed it; God permits it; God has ordained it; therefore all is permitted or decreed with the utmost justice, goodness, and holiness. This conclusion is logical enough.
Conclusion and resignation to God’s will in all things. Truly, O Lord, we acknowledge with the Hebrew youths: “Thou art just in all that Thou hast done to us, and all Thy works are true, and Thy ways right, and all Thy judgments true.”[3] Whatever Thy all-wise Providence does with us and with all in
- ↑ Quamvis possem salvari; nollem tamen; ne tu de me aliquod gaudium habeas.
- ↑ Satis mini sit pro universis rationibus Author et Ordinator, Deus.—Salv. 1. 3. de provid.
- ↑ Quid Justus es in omnibus quæ fecisti nobis, et universa opera tua vera, et viæ tuæ rectæ, et omnia judicia tua vera.—Dan. iii. 27.
