THE "SUMMA THEOLOGICA"

QUESTION XIX.
THE WILL OF GOD.
(In Twelve Articles.)
AFTER considering the things belonging to the divine
knowledge, we consider what belongs to the divine will.
The first consideration is about the divine will itself; the
second about what belongs strictly to His will; the third
about what belongs to the intellect in relation to His will.
About His will itself there are twelve points of inquiry:
(I) Whether there is will in God ? (z) Whether God wills
things apart from Himself ? (3) Whether whatever God
wills, He wills necessarily ? (4) Whether the will of God
is the cause of things ? (5) Whether any cause can be
assigned to the divine will ? (6) Whether the divine will
is always fulfilled ? (7) Whether the will of God is
mutable ? (8) Whether the will of GOd imposes necessity
on the things willed ? (9) Whether there is in God the will
of evil ? (IO) Whether God has free will ? (ii) Whether the
will of expression is distinguished in God ? (x2) Whether
five expressions of will are rightly assigned to the divine
will ?
FIRST ARTICLE.
WHETHER THERE IS WILL IN GOD ?
We proceed thus to the First Article :_
Obieztion i. It seems that there is not will in God. For
the object of will is the end and the good. But we cannot
assign to God any end. Therefore there is not will in
God.
Obj. _. Further, will is a kind of appetite. But appetite,
as it is directed to things not possessed, implies imperfec-
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