Greg. in Dialog.
Isai. 42. 9.
Acts 15. 18.
August. de. Trinit. l. 15. c. 7.
Ephes. 1. 11.
Psal. 115. 3.
Psal. 33. 13, 14, 15.
Vid. Rivet. de Provid. Disput. 1.
August. de lib. arbitr. l. 3.
Concerning Divine prescience, which is as S. Gregory saith, Præscientia est unamquamq; rem antequam veniat, videre, & id quod futurum est priusquam præsens sit prævidere, we may only note this, That it is certain and infallible, as saith the Lord by the Prophet: Behold the former things are come to paß, and new things do I declare, before they spring forth I tell you of them: Also, known unto God are all his works from the foundation of the World. “So that his prescience is that infallible vision, by which he comprehendeth all what he knows by one eternal, immutable and ineffable vision.” But this prescience in God doth not flow from the things that are to come to pass, but from his decree, by which all future things are determined, who doth all things according to the counsel of his own will, for God is in heaven, he hath done whatsoever he pleased. But this prescience is not to be considered only by it self, as a bare vision, or inspection, but as it is coupled and joined with his providence, For the Lord looketh from heaven, he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. Forming (or framing) likewise their hearts, and considering all their works. And this prescience considered solely by it self, is not the cause of the things that come to pass, for as the Father saith well: Sicut tu memoria tuâ non cogis facta esse quæ præterierunt, sic Deus præscientia suâ non cogit facienda quæ sunt futura. So that we conclude that God by a naked prescience doth not only behold infallibly the things that are to come, and so is only a spectator of what Devils and wicked Men will do, but also that he doth order, rule and predesign all their works and actions.