9010. But God caused it to happen to his hand. That this signifies appearing as of chance, is evident from the idea concerning chance among the ancients, which was that it happened from God; and therefore they expressed the idea of chance by the phrase, “God caused it to happen to the hand.” For they who were of the ancient churches knew that the Providence of the Lord is in each and all things, and that things which happen, that is, which appear as of chance, were of Providence. Wherefore the simple, who could not distinguish between the things which were of permission, and those which were of good pleasure, attributed to the Lord both good and evil; good because they knew that all good is from Him; and evil by reason of the appearance. For when a man does evils, and thereby turns himself away from the Lord, it appears as if the Lord turns Himself away; for the Lord then appears to him behind, and not in front. From this then it is that if anyone smote another by chance, thus without will from foresight, it was expressed by the words, “God caused it to happen to the hand.” (That the Providence of the Lord is in each and all things, has been already shown, see n. 1919, 4329, 5122, 5155, 5195, 5894, 6058, 6481-6487, 6489, 6491, 7004, 7007, 8478, 8717; also that things which happen, or are of chance, are of Providence, n. 5508, 6493, 6494; and that evil is attributed to the Lord, when yet it is from man, n. 2447, 5798, 6071, 6832, 6991, 6997, 7533, 7877, 7926, 8197, 8227, 8228, 8282, 8284, 8483, 8632)

8632. I have spoken with spirits of that earth about the Lord, that He does evil to no one, still less punishes anyone. These spirits, being of the more simple ones, at first did not wish to admit this, believing that punishments are from the Lord. But when they were told that when their angels are with a man of their own earth, they do not chastise, nor even speak harshly, but only permit the punishing spirits who also are present to do so; and that seeing the angels do not chastise, how much less does the Lord, who is good itself, and who directs the angels-on hearing this they made acknowledgment, and affirmed in a plain voice, that the Lord punishes no one, and does evil to no one, nor does He even speak harshly to anyone. (On the angels and the punishing spirits with the inhabitants of Jupiter, see n. 7802-7805, 7810)