De docta ignorantia

But for this too, that we may experience how we are led to high understanding through what precedes, let us apply the inquiry to the providence of God. And since from prior things it is manifest that God is the enfolding of all things, even of contradictories, then nothing can escape his providence; whether we have done something or its opposite or nothing, the whole was enfolded in the providence of God. Nothing, therefore, will happen except according to the providence of God. Hence, although God could have provided many things which he has not provided nor will provide, and also has provided many which he could not have provided, yet nothing can add to divine providence or diminish it; in like manner simple and one human nature is: if a man were born who was never even expected to be born, nothing would be added to human nature, just as nothing would be taken from it if he were not born, as nor when those born die; and this because human nature enfolds both those who are and those who are not nor will be, as far as can be. So although what will never happen should happen, yet nothing would be added to divine providence, since it enfolds both the things that happen and those that do not happen but can happen. Just as, therefore, many things are in matter possibly which will never happen, so on the contrary whatever things will not happen, if they can happen, are in the providence of God — not possibly, but in act; nor does it follow thence that those things are in act. Just as, therefore, we say that infinite human nature enfolds and embraces, because not only men who were, are and will be, but who can be, although they never will be, and thus embraces mutables immutably, just as infinite unity every number, so the infinite providence of God enfolds both the things that will happen and those that will not happen but can happen, and contraries, just as genus enfolds contrary differences, and the things it knows it does not know with difference of times, because it does not know futures as futures, nor pasts as pasts, but eternally, and mutables immutably. Hence it is inevitable and immutable, and nothing can exceed it, and hence all things related to providence itself are said to have necessity; and deservedly, because all things in God are God, who is absolute necessity. And thus it is evident that the things which will never happen are in the providence of God in the manner foretold, even if they are not provided as going to happen, and it is necessary that God has provided what he has provided, because his providence is necessary and immutable; although he could also have provided the opposite of what he has provided, for with enfolding posited, the enfolded thing is not posited, but with unfolding posited the enfolding is posited: for although tomorrow I can read or not read, whichever I do, I do not escape providence, which embraces contraries: hence whatever I do will happen according to the providence of God. And thus it is evident how through what precedes, which teaches us that the maximum goes before every opposition, since it embraces and enfolds all things in whatever way, we apprehend what is true concerning the providence of God and other like things.