1 Objection 1: It seems that men are not predestined by God, for Damascene says De Fide Orth. ii, 30): It must be borne in mind that God foreknows but does not predetermine everything, since He foreknows all that is in us, but does not predetermine it all. But human merit and demerit are in us, forasmuch as we are the masters of our own acts by free will. All that pertains therefore to merit or demerit is not predestined by God; and thus man's predestination is done away.
1 Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod homines non praedestinentur a Deo. Dicit enim Damascenus, in II libro, oportet cognoscere quod omnia quidem praecognoscit Deus, non autem omnia praedeterminat. Praecognoscit enim ea quae in nobis sunt; non autem praedeterminat ea. Sed merita et demerita humana sunt in nobis, inquantum sumus nostrorum actuum domini per liberum arbitrium. Ea ergo quae pertinent ad meritum vel demeritum, non praedestinantur a Deo. Et sic hominum praedestinatio tollitur.
2 Objection 2: Further, all creatures are directed to their end by divine providence, as was said above Question 22, Articles 1, 2). But other creatures are not said to be predestined by God. Therefore neither are men.
2 Praeterea, omnes creaturae ordinantur ad suos fines per divinam providentiam, ut supra dictum est. Sed aliae creaturae non dicuntur praedestinari a Deo. Ergo nec homines.
3 Objection 3: Further, the angels are capable of beatitude, as well as men. But predestination is not suitable to angels, since in them there never was any unhappiness miseria); for predestination, as Augustine says De praedest. sanct. 17), is the purpose to take pity miserendi), Article 3. Therefore men are not predestined.
3 Praeterea, Angeli sunt capaces beatitudinis, sicut et homines. Sed Angelis non competit praedestinari, ut videtur, cum in eis nunquam fuerit miseria; praedestinatio autem est propositum miserendi, ut dicit Augustinus. Ergo homines non praedestinantur.
4 Objection 4: Further, the benefits God confers upon men are revealed by the Holy Ghost to holy men according to the saying of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2, 12): Now we have received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that is of God: that we may know the things that are given us from God. Therefore if man were predestined by God, since predestination is a benefit from God, his predestination would be made known to each predestined; which is clearly false.
4 Praeterea, beneficia hominibus a Deo collata, per spiritum sanctum viris sanctis revelantur, secundum illud apostoli, I Cor. II, nos autem non spiritum huius mundi accepimus, sed spiritum qui ex Deo est, ut sciamus quae a Deo donata sunt nobis. Si ergo homines praedestinarentur a Deo, cum praedestinatio sit Dei beneficium, esset praedestinatis nota sua praedestinatio. Quod patet esse falsum.
5 On the contrary, It is written Rm. 8, 30): Whom He predestined, them He also called.
5 Sed contra est quod dicitur Rom. VIII, quos praedestinavit, hos et vocavit.
6 I answer that, It is fitting that God should predestine men. For all things are subject to His providence, as was shown above Question 22, Article 2). Now it belongs to providence to direct things towards their end, as was also said Question 22, Articles 1, 2). The end towards which created things are directed by God is twofold; one which exceeds all proportion and faculty of created nature; and this end is life eternal, that consists in seeing God which is above the nature of every creature, as shown above Question 12, Article 4).
The other end, however, is proportionate to created nature, to which end created being can attain according to the power of its nature. Now if a thing cannot attain to something by the power of its nature, it must be directed thereto by another; thus, an arrow is directed by the archer towards a mark. Hence, properly speaking, a rational creature, capable of eternal life, is led towards it, directed, as it were, by God. The reason of that direction pre-exists in God; as in Him is the type of the order of all things towards an end, which we proved above to be providence.
Now the type in the mind of the doer of something to be done, is a kind of pre-existence in him of the thing to be done. Hence the type of the aforesaid direction of a rational creature towards the end of life eternal is called predestination. For to destine, is to direct or send. Thus it is clear that predestination, as regards its objects, is a part of providence.
6 Respondeo dicendum quod Deo conveniens est homines praedestinare. Omnia enim divinae providentiae subiacent, ut supra ostensum est. Ad providentiam autem pertinet res in finem ordinare, ut dictum est. Finis autem ad quem res creatae ordinantur a Deo, est duplex. Unus, qui excedit proportionem naturae creatae et facultatem, et hic finis est vita aeterna, quae in divina visione consistit, quae est supra naturam cuiuslibet creaturae, ut supra habitum est. Alius autem finis est naturae creatae proportionatus, quem scilicet res creata potest attingere secundum virtutem suae naturae. Ad illud autem ad quod non potest aliquid virtute suae naturae pervenire, oportet quod ab alio transmittatur; sicut sagitta a sagittante mittitur ad signum. Unde, proprie loquendo, rationalis creatura, quae est capax vitae aeternae, perducitur in ipsam quasi a Deo transmissa. Cuius quidem transmissionis ratio in Deo praeexistit; sicut et in eo est ratio ordinis omnium in finem, quam diximus esse providentiam. Ratio autem alicuius fiendi in mente actoris existens, est quaedam praeexistentia rei fiendae in eo. Unde ratio praedictae transmissionis creaturae rationalis in finem vitae aeternae, praedestinatio nominatur, nam destinare est mittere. Et sic patet quod praedestinatio, quantum ad obiecta, est quaedam pars providentiae.
7 Reply to Objection 1: Damascene calls predestination an imposition of necessity, after the manner of natural things which are predetermined towards one end. This is clear from his adding: He does not will malice, nor does He compel virtue. Whence predestination is not excluded by Him.
7 Ad primum ergo dicendum quod Damascenus nominat praedeterminationem impositionem necessitatis; sicut est in rebus naturalibus, quae sunt praedeterminatae ad unum. Quod patet ex eo quod subdit, non enim vult malitiam, neque compellit virtutem. Unde praedestinatio non excluditur.
8 Reply to Objection 2: Irrational creatures are not capable of that end which exceeds the faculty of human nature. Whence they cannot be properly said to be predestined; although improperly the term is used in respect of any other end.
8 Ad secundum dicendum quod creaturae irrationales non sunt capaces illius finis qui facultatem humanae naturae excedit. Unde non proprie dicuntur praedestinari, etsi aliquando abusive praedestinatio nominetur respectu cuiuscumque alterius finis.
9 Reply to Objection 3: Predestination applies to angels, just as it does to men, although they have never been unhappy. For movement does not take its species from the term wherefrom but from the term whereto. Because it matters nothing, in respect of the notion of making white, whether he who is made white was before black, yellow or red. Likewise it matters nothing in respect of the notion of predestination whether one is predestined to life eternal from the state of misery or not. Although it may be said that every conferring of good above that which is due pertains to mercy; as was shown previously Question 21, Articles 3, 4).
9 Ad tertium dicendum quod praedestinari convenit Angelis, sicut et hominibus, licet nunquam fuerint miseri. Nam motus non accipit speciem a termino a quo, sed a termino ad quem, nihil enim refert, quantum ad rationem dealbationis, utrum ille qui dealbatur, fuerit niger aut pallidus vel rubeus. Et similiter nihil refert ad rationem praedestinationis, utrum aliquis praedestinetur in vitam aeternam a statu miseriae, vel non. Quamvis dici possit quod omnis collatio boni supra debitum eius cui confertur, ad misericordiam pertineat, ut supra dictum est.
10 Reply to Objection 4: Even if by a special privilege their predestination were revealed to some, it is not fitting that it should be revealed to everyone; because, if so, those who were not predestined would despair; and security would beget negligence in the predestined.
10 Ad quartum dicendum quod, etiam si aliquibus ex speciali privilegio sua praedestinatio reveletur, non tamen convenit ut reveletur omnibus, quia sic illi qui non sunt praedestinati, desperarent; et securitas in praedestinatis negligentiam pareret.