m of heaven; but the children of
the kingdom shall be cast out (Mt 8:11, 12).

[8] Fourth: _That any of mankind are condemned by predestination is a
cruel heresy._ For it is cruel to believe that the Lord, who is love
itself and mercy itself, suffers so vast a throng of persons to be born
for hell or so many myriads of myriads to be born condemned and doomed,
that is, to be born devils and satans, and that He does not provide out
of His divine wisdom that those who live aright and acknowledge God
should not be cast into everlasting fire and torment. The Lord is still
the Creator and the Savior of all men and wills the death of no one. It
is cruel therefore to believe and think that a vast multitude of nations
and peoples under His auspices and care should be handed over as prey to
the devil by predestination.

XVIII. THE LORD CANNOT ACT CONTRARY TO THE LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE
BECAUSE TO DO SO WOULD BE TO ACT CONTRARY TO HIS DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM,
THUS CONTRARY TO HIMSELF

331. It was shown in _Angelic Wisdom about Divine Love and Wisdom_ that
the Lord is divine love and wisdom, and that these are being itself and
life itself from which everything is and lives. It was also shown that
they proceed from Him, so that the proceeding divine is the Lord Himself.
Paramount in what proceeds is divine providence, for this is constantly
in the end for which the universe was created. The operation and progress
of the end through means is what is called divine providence.

[2] Inasmuch as the proceeding divine is the Lord Himself and paramount
in it is divine providence, to act contrary to the laws of His divine
providence is to act contrary to Himself. One can also say that the Lord
is providence just as one says that God is order, for divine providence
is the divine order with reference primarily to the salvation of men. As
order does not exist without laws, for they constitute it, and each law
derives from order that it, too, is order, it follows that God, who is
order, is also the law of His order. Similarly it is to be said of divine
providence that as the Lord is providence Himself, He is also the law of
His providence. Hence it is clear that the Lord cannot act contrary to
the laws of His divine providence because to do so would be to act
contrary to Himself.

[3] Furthermore, there is no activity except on a subject and on the
subject by means; action is impossible except on a subject and on it by
means. Man is the s