DP 191 - Human Prudence and Divine Providence; DP 195 - What Good and Truth Are

DP 191

The idea that one's own prudence is not real
is altogether contrary to the appearance
and so contrary to many people's belief.
And because that is the case,
no one who, owing to the appearance,
holds the belief
that human prudence accomplishes all things,
can be convinced otherwise
except by the arguments of a deeper investigation,
which must be drawn from causes.
The appearance is an effect,
and causes disclose the reason for it.
. . . Contrary to the appearance
is the teaching of the church
that love and faith spring not from man but from God,
likewise wisdom and intelligence,
and so, too, prudence --
in general all goodness and truth.
When these tenets are accepted,
accepted also must be the idea
that one's own prudence is not real,
but only appears to be.
Prudence is simply the product of intelligence and wisdom,
and these two are produced simply by the intellect
and its ensuing thought about truth and goodness.

This - what we have just stated -
is accepted and believed by people
who acknowledge Divine providence,
but not by those
who acknowledge only human prudence.

[2] Now either what the church teaches must be true,
that all wisdom and prudence spring from God,
or what the world teaches,
that all wisdom and prudence spring from man.
Can these views be reconciled in any other way
than to say that what the church teaches is the truth
and that what the world teaches is the appearance?
For the church affirms its teaching
in the light of the Word,
while the world affirms its in the light of human nature,
and the Word originates from God,
while human nature originates from man.

DP 195 [2]

Good, to everyone,
is what his affection finds delight in,
and truth what his thought
consequently finds satisfaction in.