his own doing. It would be the same if he foreknew events.
ii. If man saw divine providence plainly, he would inject himself into
the order and tenor of its course, and pervert and destroy them.
iii. If man beheld divine providence plainly he would either deny God or
make himself god.
iv. Man can see divine providence on the back and not in the face; also
in a spiritual, not a natural state.

176. (i) _If man perceived or felt the activity of divine providence he
would not act in freedom according to reason, nor would anything appear
to be his own doing. It would be the same if he foreknew events._ In
given articles we made evident to the understanding that it is a law of
providence that man should act in freedom according to reason; also that
all which a man wills, thinks, speaks and does shall seem to be his own
doing; that without this appearance a man would have nothing of his own
nor be his own man. He would thus have no selfhood and nothing could be
imputed to him, and in that case whether he did good or evil would not
matter, and whether he believed in God or was under the persuasion of
hell would be immaterial; in a word, he would not be a human being.

[2] We have now to show that man would have no liberty to act according
to reason and there would be no appearance of self-activity if he
perceived or felt the activity of divine providence, for if he did he
would also be led by it. The Lord leads all men by His divine providence
and man only seemingly leads himself, as was shown above. If, therefore,
man had a lively perception or sense of being led, he would not be
conscious of living life and would be moved to make sounds and act much
like a graven image. If he were still conscious of living he would be led
like one bound in manacles and fetters or like a yoked animal. Who does
not see that man would have no freedom then? And without freedom he would
be without reason, for one thinks from and in freedom; whatever he does
not so think seems to him to be not from himself but from someone else.
Indeed if you consider this interiorly you will perceive that he would
not possess thought, still less reason, and hence would not be a human
being.

177. The Lord's divine providence is constantly seeking to withdraw man
from evils. If a man perceived or felt this constant activity and yet was
not led like one bound, would he not struggle against it continually and
then either quarrel with God or mingle himself in divin