Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Q23 A5: Whether the foreknowledge of merits is the cause of predestination?

No. It cannot be said that anything begun in us (merits) can be the cause of the effect of predestination because there is no distinction between what flows from free will, and what is of predestination (as there is not distinction between what flows from a secondary cause and from a first cause).

It is impossible that the whole of the effect of predestination in general should have any cause as coming from us, because whatsoever is in man disposing him towards salvation, is all included under the effect of predestination, even the preparation for grace.

The cause for the predestination of some, and reprobation of others, must be sought for in the goodness of God. Thus He is said to have made all things through His goodness, so that the divine goodness might be represented in things. Now it is necessary that God's goodness, which in itself is one and undivided, should be manifested in many ways in His creation, because creatures in themselves cannot attain to the simplicity of God. Thus it is that for the completion of the universe there are required different grades of being, some of which hold a high and some a low place in the universe. That this multiformity of grades may be preserved in things, God allows some evils, lest many good things should never happen.