Divine Providence and Cosmic Harmony

It was said previously regarding certain cages, machines, and hooks for men. These things happen such that even the most fearsome, like the lion and the leopard, whose nature is most wild, are often subjected to the hand of man. And thus the rule over them exists, God having provided this to them.

But it is necessary to know that the manner of rule exists in different ways. One rule is a legal supervision of both the ruler and the ruled; for the law gives authority and rule to the ruler and to the subject, so that in the same way the ruler rules and the subject is subjected, the law directing that it should be done thus. Otherwise, a teacher rules over students, and differently, a master over slaves, and a general over an army. Thus, man rules over irrational animals in different ways, as has been said: in some ways as domestic, in others according to their wild nature; for not all are edible, but some are already for medicinal use and for another contributing need, which the physiologist will find.

Furthermore, to these belongs the word: 'And God said, Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant spreading seed, which is upon the face of all the earth' (Gen 1:29). For God gave authority and knowledge, so that man might know which of those upon the earth is useful for food, and which for medicine, and which for another need. But there is a different nature to these: some are trees, some are vegetables, and some are grasses, and above all, some are edible and some are good for another use.

The need of these should not be ignored according to the command before this—when God said, 'Let the earth sprout herb-bearing seed-bearing plant according to its kind' (Gen 1:11), He adds, 'and a fruitful tree producing fruit' (Gen 1:12), because the trees differ from the herb, calling them 'fruitful trees'—not only does man exercise authority over those resulting from agriculture, but also over their materials which he neither sows nor cultivates, as he has different needs from these; for He does not make these things portable throughout the inhabited places, but it is evident that for the necessity of men, every plant has become a sprout; for all things are made for their use.

The providential character of God over all things is signaled by His declaration: "It shall be for food to you, and to all the beasts of the earth, and to all the fowls of the heaven" (Genesis 9:3). For it is fitting that He who cares for men should also provide for the animals that have become necessary and useful to them, and for other things useful to them; for indeed, not according to the prior logic of irrational things, but indeed through man, He has fashioned His providence. God saw all things again to be good, for they bring forth fruit: "And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). Before this, however, the word had praised each of the things coming into being by saying, "And God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:25, 1:31) or "good"; but now it is stated with certainty, "very good," because of the harmony and concord of all things.

Let what is said be clear through an example. One who wishes to assemble a dance selects the best dancers for each part, so that nothing is lacking for their specific task; if, moreover, these are brought together for that which has prepared them, he will find the work resulting from their concord to be exceedingly and superlatively beautiful, which is not possible to result from a single person alone. One might also find this in a military camp: for it is necessary that there be a best spearman, a best archer, a best general, and a best counselor, so that when the time comes, the work of all being joined together may show the magnitude of praise, being referred to a single purpose. The word teaches that all things are "very good" (Genesis 1:31) by showing their interconnectedness, their proportion, their harmony, and their ordered state, and even the unshakable stability of opposites; which, as was said before, is not perceived by the senses, but is judged by the Word. "And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day" (Genesis 1:5); for it was necessary that such a vast and far-reaching cosmos should come into being in this number, the order of which is stated in the seasons, and even more so will be stated in the following sections. This is the explicit statement; since we have already spoken regarding the preceding words and the induction, now this must be done. Men are blessed as they increase and multiply by the manner of gathering together; and it is already foretold how the...