of the universe into motion somewhere and somehow, at a given moment.
Through this act, we imagine, the order prevailing through an infinitude
of space and time was established for the great fabric of life. To earlier
thinkers such an act of a supermundane and immutable God appeared as a
single act. The idea of prime importance in all this is the free activity
of the Creator in contradistinction to the blind necessity of nature, the
underlying theory of all pagan or unreligious philosophy.(439) The world
of God, which is the world of morality, and which leads to man, the image
of God, must be based upon the free, purposive creative act of God.
Whether such an act was performed once for all or is everlastingly
renewed, is a quite secondary matter for religion, however important it
may be to philosophy, or however fundamental to science. In our daily
morning prayers, which refer to the daily awakening to a life seemingly
new, God is proclaimed as "He who reneweth daily the work of
creation."(440)

Chapter XXVI. The Maintenance and Government of the World

1. For our religious consciousness the doctrine of divine maintenance and
government of the world is far more important than that of creation. It
opposes the view of deism that God withdrew from His creation, indifferent
to the destiny of His creatures. He is rather the ever-present Mind and
Will in all the events of life. The world which He created is maintained
by Him in its continuous activity, the object of His incessant care.

2. Scripture knows nothing of natural law, but presents the changing
phenomena of nature as special acts of God and considers the natural
forces His messengers carrying out His will. "He opens the windows of
heaven to let the rain descend upon the earth."(441) "He leads out the
hosts of the stars according to their number and calleth them by
name."(442) He makes the sun rise and set. "He says to the snow: Fall to
the earth!"(443) and calls to the wind to blow and to the lightning to
flash.(444) He causes the produce of the earth and the drought which
destroys them. "He opens the womb to make beasts and men bring forth their
young;" "He shuts up the womb to make them barren."(445) "He also provides
the food for all His creatures in due season, even for the young ravens
when they cry."(446) His breath keeps all alive. "He withdraweth their
breath, and they perish, and return to their dust. He sendeth forth His
spirit, they are created; H