Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

Socinianism, and was only one of the fundamental errors of Arminianism. It was
clothed in a philosophic garb by the Deists of the eighteenth century, and appeared in a
new form in the nineteenth century, under the influence of the theory of evolution and
of natural science, with its strong emphasis on the uniformity of nature as controlled by
an inflexible system of iron-clad laws.
c. The pantheistic view of divine providence. Pantheism does not recognize the
distinction between God and the world. It either idealistically absorbs the world in God,
or materialistically absorbs God in the world. In either case it leaves no room for
creation and also eliminates providence in the proper sense of the word. It is true that
Pantheists speak of providence, but their so-called providence is simply identical with
the course of nature, and this is nothing but the self-revelation of God, a self-revelation
that leaves no room for the independent operation of second causes in any sense of the
word. From this point of view the supernatural is impossible, or, rather, the natural and
the supernatural are identical, the consciousness of free personal self-determination in
man is a delusion, moral responsibility is a figment of the imagination, and prayer and
religious worship are superstition. Theology has always been quite careful to ward off
the dangers of Pantheism, but during the last century this error succeeded in
entrenching itself in a great deal of modern liberal theology under the guise of the
doctrine of the immanence of God. 81
4. THE OBJECTS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE.
a. The teachings of Scripture on this point. The Bible clearly teaches God’s providential
control (1) over the universe at large, Ps. 103:19; Dan. 5:35; Eph. 1:11; (2) over the
physical world, Job 37:5,10; Ps. 104:14; 135:6; Matt. 5:45; (3) over the brute creation, Ps.
104:21,28; Matt. 6:26; 10:29; (4) over the affairs of nations, Job 12:23; Ps. 22:28; 66:7; Acts
17:26; (5) over man’s birth and lot in life, I Sam. 16:1; Ps. 139:16; Isa. 45:5; Gal. 1:15,16; (6)
over the outward successes and failures of men’s lives, Ps. 75:6,7; Luke 1:52; (7) over
things seemingly accidental or insignificant, Prov. 16:33; Matt. 10:30; (8) in the protection
of the righteous, Ps. 4:8; 5:12; 63:8; 121:3; Rom. 8:28; (9) in supplying the wants of God’s
people, Gen. 22:8,14; Deut. 8:3; Phil. 4:19; (10) in giving answers to prayer, I Sam. 1:19;
Isa. 20:5,6; II Chron. 33:13; Ps. 65:2; Matt. 7:7; Luke 18:7,8; and (11) in the exposure and
punishment of the wicked, Ps. 7:12,13; 11:6.
b. General and special providence. Theologians generally distinguish between general
and special providence, the former denoting God’s control of the universe as a whole,
81 Cf. Randall, The Making of the Modern Mind, p. 538.
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