Summa Theologiae Moralis, vol. I: De Principiis

S. Th. II-II, q. 21.

**833. Presumption is any immoderate or excessive hope¹, not however every presumption is opposed to divine hope. For the object of every hope is an arduous possible good. But something is possible for a man in two ways: by his own virtue, and by divine virtue. Whence there are two kinds of presumption: one by which someone tends toward a good as possible for him, which however exceeds his own power; and such presumption per se is opposed to the virtue of magnanimity which is concerned with this kind of hope, and is opposed to the theological virtue of hope only per accidens, inasmuch as one would presume to obtain by his own powers that which is possible only by divine virtue. — The other is that which tends toward some good as possible by divine virtue, which is not possible, as when someone hopes to obtain pardon without penitence; this per se concerns the theological virtue of hope, by which one adheres to divine power.

Presumption therefore opposed to divine hope can be defined: a rash and inordinate expectation of beatitude or of the means thereto. It is born of following heresy or infidelity, and is easily joined with it; without these however it can exist, in the same way as despair: for it is not required for presumption that one affirm by a speculative judgment something against faith, e.g. that pardon can be obtained without penitence; but it suffices that practically one acts as if he so believed, or even thinks that God will use with him some singular privilege.

834. Presumption opposed to divine hope is manifold. — One presumption is directly against hope, another beside hope.

The first is directly opposed to the motive of hope: to the helping virtue of God, and therefore destroys hope. It is committed in two ways: a) by trusting too much to one's own powers, as if someone positively refuses to hope for beatitude or remission of sin from divine virtue, but intends to obtain this or that by his own powers alone; and this presumption is called Pelagian; — b) by trusting inordinately to God's virtue, as if one attributes to him what does not befit him, and so detracts from him and diminishes him, hoping e.g. for remission of sin without penitence or glory without merits; and this presumption is called Lutheran².

The other is beside hope: this does not remove the motive of hoping, nor does it destroy hope, but it hopes in an inordinate and rash manner for what befits God. It is committed in various ways: a) by hoping from God supernatural goods beyond the common order of divine providence, as if someone hopes to have as much glory as the B. V. M.; — b) by hoping from God ordinary supernatural goods, but which are not promised, such as time for penitence precisely at the end of life, caring nothing for salvation; — c) by taking confidence in God as a motive for sinning more freely, or for increasing or multiplying sins, or for persevering long in sin, as if one commits more sins precisely because their remission is easily obtained, or because as easily are remitted many as one. He however who sins many times solely because as many sins are as easily accused in confession as one, although he has a bad disposition, does not seem to commit the sin of presumption.

835. Gravity of presumption. — I. Presumption which is against hope is a sin mortal of its whole genus; because it removes the motive of hope and therefore hope itself. Lutheran presumption however is graver than Pelagian: for it is graver to diminish the divine virtue than to extol one's own. Indeed it is a sin against the Holy Spirit: for it is most injurious to God to think that he gives pardon of sin without penitence, or glory without merits; for by despising the divine omnipotence helping under the aspect of justice, the fear of God is cast away, which is the special remedy granted by the Holy Spirit that we may be drawn back from sin.

Presumption however is less grave than despair, because it is more proper to God to have mercy and to spare than to punish: for the former befits God according to himself, the latter however according to our sins.

The sin of presumption is rarely fully deliberate; if it is not, it is not a sin against the Holy Spirit nor does it remove hope.

II. Presumption which is only beside hope is a sin mortal of its own genus, which admits of lightness of matter. It is light a) if one hopes for an extraordinary supernatural good, but with full subjection toward divine providence; — b) if in some danger, without prayer and preparation, one hopes for an ordinary but small help, which God has not promised; — c) if the hope of pardon is the motive for committing only venial sins.

836. Causes of presumption and remedies. — Presumption indirectly arises from the errors in faith described above; moreover that which rests on one's own virtue directly proceeds from vainglory: for from the fact that someone greatly desires glory, it follows that he attempts something beyond his powers. — Presumption which rests inordinately on divine virtue directly arises from pride, from which it happens that someone esteems himself so much, that he does not think he is to be punished for sins or excluded from beatitude.

Remedies against presumption are: a) humility, which is directly opposed to the causes of presumption, namely pride and vainglory; — b) meditation on the inscrutable judgments of God, which directly fosters the fear of God, by which presumption is excluded: "For God is not mocked, and those who presume too much of themselves he punishes by a just judgment".

837. Practical corollaries. — 1. The hope of pardon can be a motive of sinning, in which case the sin is aggravated by the malice of presumption; but if it is not a motive of sinning, but only accompanies the sin, it is not presumption, indeed it diminishes the sin: "To sin with the purpose of persevering in sin under the hope of pardon, pertains to presumption, and this does not diminish but increases the sin. But to sin under the hope of pardon... with the purpose... of doing penance (afterwards) for the sin (if the hope is not a motive of sinning but only accompanies the sin), this is not of presumption, but this diminishes the sin, because by this one seems to have a will less firmly fixed on sinning", q. 21, a. 2, ad 3.

2. Since presumption that is mortally bad is a special sin, hence it must be declared in confession if one has committed any sin from this motive, because it is a circumstance changing the species.