Chapter 83 — Conclusion of the foregoing

From all that has been proved hitherto, we are able to conclude that as regards the design of the order to be imposed on things, God governs all things by himself. (Ch. 77.) Therefore, commenting on Job, What other has he appointed over the earth? (Job 34:13), Gregory says: He who created the world by himself governs it by himself. (Pope Gregory I, Morals on the Book of Job,* bk. 24, ch. 20.)* And Boethius says: God rules all things by himself alone. (Boethius, Consolation of Philosophy, ch. 3, prose 12.)

As to the execution, however, he governs the lower by means of the higher things. He governs bodily things by means of spiritual things. (Ch. 78.) Hence Gregory says: In this visible world nothing can be ruled except by means of the invisible creature. (Gregory, Dialogues, bk. 4, ch. 6.) He governs the lower spirits by the higher. (Ch. 79.) Hence Dionysius says that the intelligent heavenly substances first of all shed forth the divine enlightenment on themselves, and bestow on us those manifestations which surpass our capacity. (Pseudo-Dionysius, Celestial Hierarchy, ch. 4.) And he governs the lower bodies by the higher. (Ch. 82.) Hence Dionysius says that the sun contributes to the generation of visible bodies, as also to life itself, by means of nourishment, growth and perfection, by cleansing and renewing them. (Pseudo-Dionysius, On the Divine Names, ch. 4.)

Of all these together Augustine says: As the grosser and lower bodies are ruled in a certain orderly way by bodies of greater subtlety and power, so all bodies are ruled by the rational spirit of life, and the sinful rational spirit by the righteous rational spirit. (Augustine, On the Trinity, bk. 3, ch. 4.)