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Summa Theologiae · I, q. 19

Question 19. The Will of God

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, First Part. 12 articles.

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Text: Summa Theologiae, Project Gutenberg #17611, First Part (Prima Pars), translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. The First Part of the Summa in the English Dominican translation (first printed 1911 to 1925; second and revised edition from 1920). A sample check on 2026-11-09 against pre-1931 printings at the Internet Archive (first printings of 1915 and 1916 and the second and revised edition of the 1920s) found that the article text matches, with no 1947 introduction, synopsis, or index. The phrase “From the Complete American Edition” in Gutenberg's catalog title is a provenance note only. Question and article numbers were added by the transcriber. Rights: Public domain (US)

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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:

(1) Whether there is will in God?

(2) 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?

(10) Whether God has free will?

(11) Whether the will of expression is distinguished in God?

(12) Whether five expressions of will are rightly assigned to the divine will?

Articles

  1. Whether There Is Will in God?
  2. 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 Will of God Is Always Fulfilled?
  7. Whether the Will of God Is Changeable?
  8. Whether the Will of God Imposes Necessity on the Things Willed?
  9. Whether God Wills Evils?
  10. Whether God Has Free-Will?
  11. Whether the Will of Expression Is to Be Distinguished in God?
  12. Whether Five Expressions of Will Are Rightly Assigned to the Divine Will?

Also online, linked only: the same translation at New Advent and the Latin text at Corpus Thomisticum. Neither is copied here.

Source: Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica, First Part. Project Gutenberg #17611. Project Gutenberg record. Public domain in the USA. Outside the U.S., check local copyright rules. Project Gutenberg notices retained. The full Project Gutenberg license is kept in the hosted text.