Ignorance preserves order; the comedy of masks; why corruption hurts; harmony as the ordering causes great good
But eternal wisdom uses our ignorance for our life. For if each thing knew that all other things are beautiful, they would do nothing against one another, nor preserve their own life, and all would turn into chaos. Therefore, since all things are good and safe, it is best for the worlds order that some things appear to others evil and foul, lest they fall back into chaos. And truly, whoever lifts himself to the Author of things and with Him looks upon this as a comedy in which all things are masked by certain disguises — some appearing good and beautiful, others evil and deformed — sees that when the masks are laid aside they agree beautifully.
Affections and actions are brought forth from coercion and love together; and coercion is truly such when things are driven against their propensity and against the love added to them. But that things may be kept in the life they are allotted, God gave them pain and pleasure. For a human being rejoices to be among things that conserve his nature, and grieves among things that destroy it. And this is fate: that they exist for so long as has been decreed by the divine power, as for playing Its play and comedy.
But you say: why do things grieve when they are corrupted, and as it were resist death? It is answered, first, lest other living things also wish to die before their time; second, that while dying they may resist the causes bringing death and modify them for fates uses. Since therefore all corruptions and generations of things and actions are not for the sake of the things alone — because they themselves are driven by pain and pleasure toward others ends — it follows that the ordering cause draws from such order a great and divine good, which we call HARMONY, founded in the being and order of things, that is in necessity and fate. For all things come by necessity for the sake of fate and harmony. From these results the harmonic goodness that is the end of things.
Latin
Sapientia vero aeterna utitur nostra ignorantia ad vitam nostram. Si enim singulae res scirent omnes alias res esse pulchras, utique nihil agerent contra invicem, nec propriam servarent vitam, omnia in chaos converterentur. Quapropter cum omnia sint bona et tuta, optimum est ad mundi ordinem ut videantur aliae res aliis malae et turpes, ne recidant in chaos. Et sane, qui ad authorem rerum se elevat et cum eo inspicit hanc quasi comoediam, in qua res omnes quibusdam personantur larvis, aliae apparent bonae et pulchrae, aliae malae et deformes, videt depositis larvis pulchre convenire. Affectiones et actiones a coactione et amore simul eduntur, et tunc vera est coactio, quando contra propensionem et amorem additum res aguntur. Sed ut serventur res in vita quam sortiuntur, dedit illis Deus dolorem et voluptatem. Gaudet enim homo esse in conservativis suae naturae, et dolet in destructivis. Et hoc est fatum, ut tanto tempore sint ut divino numini, quasi ad ludum et comoediam suam agendam, decretum est. Sed dicis: quare dum corrumpuntur res dolent, mortique quasi repugnant? Respondetur primo hoc fieri ne et caetera viventía ante suum tempus vellent mori. Secundo, ut dum moriuntur, repugnent causis afferentibus mortem ac modificent illas ad fati utilitates. Cum ergo omnes corruptiones et generationes rerum et actiones non sint propter ipsas res modo, quoniam ipsae dolore et voluptate aguntur ad fines aliorum, consequens est ut causa ordinatrix eliciat e talium ordine magnum divinumque bonum, quod vocamus HARMONIAM, quae fundatur in rerum esse et ordine, hoc est necessitate et fato. Omnia enim necessitate veniunt propter fatum et harmoniam. Ex his vero resultat harmonica bonitas, quae est finis rerum.