Understanding what Scientia media (middle knowledge) is

God doesnt know free conditional futures in any decree; and this knowledge is called scientia media because it mediates between the sciences of of simple understanding and the science of vision and participates in both. It’s necessary on God’s part since it precedes His decree its free on the part of the object since it concerns contingent futures like the science of vision or because it regards future conditionals, which occupy a middle place between mere possibilities and absolute futures or finally because its a medium divinely discovered for defeating the heresies of Lutherans and Calvinists.

Simply it is knowledge by which God before any actual decree determining the conditional futurition of free acts, explores and certainly foresees what a created will would do by its innate liberty, (if placed in such circumstances with the divine aid offered indifferently)

• if it would consent and act well = He [God] decrees to place it in such circumstances

• if it dissent and acts badly = He [God] decrees to place it in other circumstances

Its prior to the actual decree determining the futurition of conditionals. God does not forsee the future consent upon the condition being posited unless by medium of concurrence

The origins of scientia media:

• some hold that its molina’s invention

• some hold that its from the fathers

the truth: semi pelagians (letters of st. prosper, letters of st. hilary to st. augustine)

What the semi pelagians held on middle knowledge: They abused middle knowledge by claiming that through it God foreknew every human will that from which he would be moved to confer grace. The semi pelagians thought that God couldnt without unjust acceptance of persons decree to grant grace unless there was some beginning on the part of the human will.

In what quo medium does God know them?

Thomists: theyre known by God in His decree that is subjectively absolute and objectively conditional.

ex:

I will that the the jews be converted if the Gospel be preached to them.

Just as there isnt an absolute future except by God’s simply absolute decree there is neither any conditional future except by God’s objectively conditional decree. God knows absolute futures in his absolute decree, so also He knows conditional futures in His conditional decree. Such decrees are objectively conditional and subjectively absolute