337、圣治所做的这一切都是出于纯粹的怜悯来做的，因为神性本质本身就是纯粹的爱，正是这爱通过神性智慧作工，正是这种运作被称为圣治。这纯粹的爱就是纯粹的怜悯，因为：
①它在全世界所有人身上作工，所有人都具有这种性质：他们没有自己的能力。
②它同等地在恶人和不义的人身上，并善人和义人身上作工。
③它引领地狱里的人，并把从地狱中解救出来。
④它在地狱不断与他们相争，为他们而与魔鬼，也就是地狱的邪恶争战。
⑤它为了这个目的而降世，经历试探，甚至直到最后一个试探，就是十字架受难。
⑥它不断作工，以使不洁的变得洁净，使疯狂的变得理智；因此，它出于纯粹的怜悯不断劳碌。
337. Divine providence does all that it does out of pure mercy because the Divine essence itself is pure love, and it is this which operates through Divine wisdom, whose operation is what we call Divine providence.
This pure love is pure mercy for the following reasons:
1. Because it operates with all people throughout the whole world, who are so formed that they cannot do anything of themselves.
2. It operates with the evil and unjust as much as with the good and just.
3. It leads the evil and unjust in hell and rescues them from it.
4. It forever struggles with them there and battles for them against the devil, that is, against the evils of hell.
5. Therefore the Lord came into the world and underwent temptations or trials even to the last of them, which was His suffering of the cross.
6. He acts continually with the unclean to make them clean, and with the irrational to make them rational.
Thus He labors continually out of pure mercy.
337. The reason that everything divine providence does is done out of pure mercy is that the divine essence is pure love. This is what is working through divine wisdom, and this working is what we call divine providence.
The pure love is pure mercy (a) because it is at work with everyone in the whole world, and by our nature we are all incapable of doing anything on our own; (b) it is at work with the evil and the unjust and with the good and the just alike; (c) it is leading people who are in hell and rescuing them from it; (d) it is constantly struggling with them in hell and fighting for them against the devil, that is, against the evils of hell; (e) that is why it came into the world and underwent temptations even to the final one, the suffering on the cross; (f) it is constantly at work to make the unclean clean and the insane sane, so it is constantly laboring out of pure mercy.
337. The Divine Providence does all things out of pure Mercy, because the Divine Essence itself is pure Love; and it is this which operates through the Divine Wisdom, and this operation is called the Divine Providence. This pure Love is pure Mercy because:
1. It operates with all men throughout the whole world, who are such that they can do nothing from themselves. 2. It operates equally with the wicked and unjust, and with the good and just.
3. It leads the former in hell and rescues them from it.
4. It perpetually strives with them there and fights for them against the devil, that is, against the evils of hell.
5. For that cause it came into the world, and endured temptations even to the last of them, which was the passion of the cross.
6. It acts continually with the unclean to make them clean and with the unsound in mind to restore them to sanity; thus it labours continually out of pure Mercy.
337. The Divine providence does all things out of pure mercy, because the Divine essence itself is pure love, and it is this that works by means of the Divine wisdom; and it is this operation that is called the Divine providence. This pure love is pure mercy, for these reasons:
(1) It is operative with all men throughout the whole world, who are such that they have no ability of their own.
(2) It is equally operative with the evil and unjust, and with the good and just.
(3) It leads the former in hell and rescues them from it.
(4) It there perpetually strives with them and fights for them against the devil, that is, against the evils of hell.
(5) To this end it came into the world, and endured temptations even to the last of them, which was the passion of the cross.
(6) It unceasingly acts with the unclean to make them clean and with the insane to make them sane; thus it labors unceasingly out of pure mercy.
337. 1Quod Divina Providentia operetur omnia ex pura Misericordia, est quia ipsa Essentia Divina est purus Amor, et hic est qui per Divinam Sapientiam operatur, et haec operatio est quae vocatur Divina Providentia. Quod purus ille Amor sit pura Misericordia, est, 21. Quia operatur apud omnes qui in universo terrarum orbe sunt, qui tales sunt, ut nihil possint ex se. 2. Quod operetur apud malos et injustos aeque ac apud bonos et justos. 3. Quod ducat illos in inferno, et inde eripiat illos. 4. Quod ibi perpetuo luctetur cum illis, et pugnet pro illis contra diabolum, hoc est, contra mala inferni. 5. Quod propterea [Dominus] in mundum venerit, et subiverit tentationes usque ad ultimam illarum, quae fuit passio crucis. 6. Quod continue agat cum immundis ut mundos reddat, et cum insanis ut sanos reddat: ita continue laboret ex pura Misericordia.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: 327.
2 Prima editio: est.