VIII.
The Sovereign Providence of God
God governs all things with fatherly care, restraining evil and turning it toward good, while calling his people to humble trust in his hidden wisdom.
VIII. We believe that he has not only created all things, but that he governs and directs them, disposing and ordering according to his will everything that happens in the world; not that he is the author of evil, or that the guilt of it can be imputed to him, since his will is the sovereign and infallible rule of all righteousness and equity; but he has wonderful means of so making use of the devils and the wicked that he knows how to turn into good the evil they do, and of which they are guilty.1 And so, in confessing that nothing is done without the providence of God, we worship in humility the secrets that are hidden from us, without inquiring beyond our measure; but rather we put to use what is shown to us in Holy Scripture, so that we may be at rest and in safety, since God, who has all things subject to himself, watches over us with a fatherly care, so that not a hair will fall from our head without his will. Yet He keeps the devils and all our enemies in check, so they cannot harm us without His permission.2
Read the original French
VIII. Nous croyons que non-seulement il a créé toutes choses, mais qu’il les gouverne et conduit, disposant, ordonnant selon sa volonté, de tout ce qui advient au monde; non pas qu’il soit auteur du mal, ou que la coulpe lui en puisse être imputée, vu que sa volonté est la règle souveraine et infaillible de toute droiture et équité; mais il a des moyens admirables de se servir tellement des diables et des méchants, qu’il sait convertir en bien le mal qu’ils font, et duquel ils sont coupables. Et ainsi en confessant que rien ne se fait sans la providence de Dieu, nous adorons en humilité les secrets qui nous sont cachés, sans nous enquérir par-dessus notre mesure; mais plutôt appliquons à notre usage ce qui nous est montré en l’Ecriture sainte pour être en repos et sûreté, d’autant que Dieu, qui a toutes choses sujettes à soi, veille sur nous d’un soin paternel, tellement qu’il ne tombera point un cheveu de notre tête sans sa volonté. Et cependant il tient les diables et tous nos ennemis bridés, en sorte qu’ils ne nous peuvent faire aucune nuisance sans son congé.
Notes
French Confession of Faith (Confession de La Rochelle / Gallican Confession) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit