The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-02-03
POPULAR APoLoGETIcs.
Adapted from the German of Rev.
Peter Mikes, S. j., by Rev.
james Watcher.

"@i~iiS's
". Gods Attributes and Works.
Do not blame what God has made,
BY eternal Wisdom's aid;
Eternal love divine for thee,
Eternal power gave it thee.
W K,eiten.
n. B.-With> this number we begin
the fourth division of these articles,
treating of Gods attributes and
works, and answering the objections
especially against the Providence of
God. At the end of the article on
Pantheism (No. 81 by printing mis-
take the reader was referred to the
article Patriotism" in the Catholic
Encyclopedia, instead of ''Pantleism.
Tx. Gods omnipotence.
objection: God can not do every
thing, e. g. He can not make a square
circle.
Answer: That is true; only fool,
but not the infinitely wise God, can
make and demand nonsense. y
square circle is nonsense. 1t is no
square and it is no circle, hence it
is nothing and therefore no subject
for Gods almighty power.
Moreover, anything that involves a
contradiction or is contrary to the in
finite PROJECTIONS of God is impossible
to God, e. g., God can not sin, can
not annihilate Himself, can not
change Himself or any of His attri-
butes, ETC., and all this just because
He is infinitely perfect. SO instead of
this impossibiity being against God,
it is in His favor.
Xxi. Gods Wisdom.
objection: If there were a wise
God, many things in nature would not
he so imperfect and purposeless; e. g.,
the greater part Of the blossoms drop
off uselessly and never attain their
purpose to produce fruit.
Answer: According to your wis
dom a tree would not be allowed to
bear more blossoms than apples, say
30 or 100 Then please send a little
fairy with a little umbrella to shield
each blossom during a rain or storm,
lest one of these precious blossoms
be lost.
If besides, bugs or butterflies in
jOvial spring mood come to take their
refreshment, you, as blossom police,
must chase them away, or arrest
them, lest they do great damage to
those valuable blossoms.
But how would the omnipresent
spring poet be disappointed, if accord
ing to your niggardly vision, no snowy
blossoms would fall on his path and
his locks!
/ think we better leave it as it is.
Don't wish pumpkins to grow on trees,
lest one drop on your prying nose
and awake you unceremoniously from
your siesta. The words of Scripture
that God has made all things in wis
dom are still believed by all sensible
people.
LXII. God and the Weather.
Objection: With all His wisdom
God must at times be embarrassed.
There are, for example, two pious
farmers praying at the same time:
the one prays for rain, the other for
sunshine. What is God to do?
Answer: He will do what every
reasonable government does if con-
fiicting petitions are presented: He
will consider the common good.
But God can do much more. Fore
seeing the different prayers, God can
from all eternity have ordained the
weather according to natural laws
that after all all petitioners are heard
by giving them good crops, which is
the end of all these prayers. The
first arrangement of matter and force
determines the whole development OF
the world.
Furthermore, God can for special
reasons interfere miraculously.
Finally, God can give one petitioner
temporal blessings and the other the
higher gifts of supernatural grace.
Therefore, just keep on praying for
temporal blessings, but do not forget
to add: IF it is your holy will and
if it is for my eternal salvation