Friday, January 10, 2025

DP 129 - The Third Law of Divine Providence

DP 129

It Is a Law of Divine Providence
That a Person Not Be Compelled
by External Means to Think and Will,
Thus to Believe and Love,
Matters Having to Do with Religion;
but That a Person Bring Himself to Do So
and at Times Compel Himself

This law of Divine providence follows
from the two preceding ones, namely,
-- that a person act in freedom
in accordance with his reason,
-- and that he do this of himself,
even though doing so from the Lord,
thus doing so as if of himself.
So, because to be compelled
is not to act in freedom
in accordance with one's reason,
and is not to act of oneself,
but is to act without freedom
and in subjection to another,
therefore this law of Divine providence
follows in turn from the first two.

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