Systematic Theology – Creation and Providence

Neoplatonism and Providence

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Systematic Theology

Genre: Speech

Lesson: 5 of 17

Track: #5

Year:

Dictation Name: 5 Neo-Platonism and Providence.

[Rushdoony] Our subject is now Neoplatonism and providence. As we have seen in our previous studies of creation and providence a major force in the undermining of faith and providence has been the spiritualizing influence which is called Neoplatonism. For Neoplatonism, as for example with Plotinus reality is in Platonic terms, it is seen as made up of two alien substances, spirit and matter. Mans spirit or soul is a part of the worlds soul and man must transcend the things of this world and seek union with the one, the worlds soul. The more intelligent and rational reality becomes the more spiritual and divine it is, because it has risen above the dark and meaningless realm of matter.

Now medieval mysticism and modern mysticism as well is very obviously Neoplatonic. So too is Hegel’s philosophy, and that of the Hegelians from Marx to Dewey. For modern heirs of Hegel the idea or spirit is now man, and man must now impose his mind on a mindless world if that world is to have any meaning. As a result providence is seen as mans rational imposition of a pattern, or government, on the chaos of life and the world. Providence then becomes not an aspect of God’s government, but of man’s government. The modern is thus a welfare state. This is another way of saying it is a providential state. The modern state and its agencies are earnestly and intensely concerned that total providence become a living reality in the life of man. The word “provide” and “providence” are basically related. When the modern state says “we are going to provide cradle to grave security” it is talking about total providence. Thus the politics of the modern state is the politics of humanistic providence; because the modern state sees itself as the new God on earth.

The first paragraph of the Westminster confession of faith of Providence declares “God, the creator of all things, doeth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least by His most wise and holy providence; according to His infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable council of His own will; to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.” Now this is exactly what the modern state tries to do, to replace God; to govern, as the confession says, all creatures, actions, and things from the greatest even to the least, by the states most wise and holy providence; in other words, by means of total government. In the trials of the Christian schools and churches since the mid 70’s one thing that was obvious was that the state officials had remedies for all problems. This was the providence of the state. By definition, for them, the state is the answer; it is the all wise and all holy agency which must govern everything. Evidences of radical lawlessness in the state schools, the breakdown of learning, and more cannot shake their faith. Their answer is more power for the state. Men must you see have providence. If they will not have it from God, they will seek it from the state or from themselves.

Modern evangelicals have thus strayed greatly. They have spiritualized the Bible; they have held the Old Testament to be lower, and the New Testament a higher revelation. I’ve heard it said by such that the Old Testament saints were not to spiritual, and that sort of thing. But this is to view the Bible in terms of an evolutionary perspective. Providence and God’s government however, by these men, is withdrawn from the world except for saving souls. Now for us as Biblical believers’ evil is not metaphysical, it is moral. It is a violation of God’s law. Providence is not man centered, nor state-provided, in one of the great texts of scripture where God’s providence is set forth, Roman’s 8, they’re also told in just 8 verses after 8:28 “for we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Verse 36 says that the saints are at times slaughtered like sheep all the day long. Providence is not man-centered but God-centered. Westminster larger catechism, question 18, makes this very clear. It asks “What are God’s works of providence?” Answer “God's works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures; ordering them, and all their actions, to his own glory.” The focus is on God’s glory, on God’s purposes, on God’s kingdom and God’s sovereignty, not on man. God’s providence is God’s total government for His own purposes and His glory; and man and the universe were created to serve that purpose, not to be served by it. “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things to whom be glory forever, amen.” The focus is thus on the glory of God.

When churchmen withdraw providence to a government of the souls providence they create a vacuum in the world at large. If god’s providence is only to do with the salvation of our souls then the rest of the government is left to the devil, or to man. The whole of creation requires providence. If God’s providence is denied alternate doctrines of providence are created. Pietism beginning in the 17th century began to withdraw providence from the world, indeed it lost interest in the world and centered its intention just on the soul of man. This prepared the way for Hegel, and for the doctrine of a world spirit evolving a man-centered providence. Darwin simply took Hegel’s evolutionary doctrine of providence to biology. The universe is a product of mindless chance, but by the miracles of chance variation is evolved to its present state.

What is left then, who shall exercise government in a world of chance? Why the state of course. Other thinkers from Marx, John Stuart Mill, and Dewey to the present saw the logical conclusion. Man must now control evolution to bring about an intelligent providence, not an accidental one, to bear on biology and society. This means that man and the state must play God. They must play God with the life, the society, and the government of man. The world must have providence. If God does not provide it, man or the state will. When man does it means that man plays God; it means abortion, it means attempts to create life and to clone, it means a totalitarian state whose providence or total government must control all creatures, actions, and things from the greatest even to the least. The state now seeks to create a new man and to govern creation absolutely and totally.

Thus providence is a very basic doctrine. If we don’t talk about God’s providence, if we do not believe in it we will not thereby escape from the doctrine. When it does not come to us from God, when we reject it from the Lord, the state gives us its doctrine. And today the church is not challenging this humanistic doctrine of providence, cradle to grave security, or womb to tomb security. It has no answer to it. Only when the believer again holds to God as the only creator and Lord, and the only lawgiver, therefore the absolute governor of all things, can the Christian displace by faith and battle the Humanistic providential state. Every civil government in the world today, virtually, sees itself as a providential state; therefore as the substitute for God. We thus have a war on our hands. It is sin, it is blasphemy to allow the state to present itself as the provider, as providence. The church must wage war against this, and it cannot wage war against humanism with humanistic weapons. Of necessity we must turn to the word of God and to the law of God, we must see God as the Lord, His word as the binding word, and we must recognize that God’s providence governs creation, therefore man and the state must submit to God’s law word and government. There is no other way. Let us pray.

Our Lord and our God indeed we have sinned, and other Lords besides Thee have had dominion over us. And we have looked to Washington and capitals of men for our provision, our providence; and now we are in slavery. Oh Lord our God have mercy upon us, create in us a clean heart, make of us a new creation, give us faith in Thy government and in Thy government alone so that we may overthrow the powers of darkness and establish Thy Lordship, Thy government. Grant us this we beseech Thee, in Jesus name, amen.

We will continue now in a few moments our studies on providence with creation as revelation.