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cf., Sent.I.D41.Q1.A2; QDeVer.Q6.A2; Rom.C9.L2
After treating the nature of predestination in the first three articles, he now treats the cause of predestination.
First, he asks whether there is cause on the part of the subject (i.e., whether predestination is caused by election in the order of reason).
Second, he asks whether there is cause on the part of the object (i.e., whether God predestines one over another on the basis of their merit).
It is to be noted that this question truly is a disjunction, i.e., whether predestination is caused by the election of God or the merit of men. Thus, the determination of one determines the other, i.e., if we demonstrate that there is not a reason for election on the part of the subject, then there is not on the part of the object, and vice-versa.
Here, St. Thomas puts forward one of the keys to his entire system in the principle of predilection.