The question that we have been discussing therefore, is what does a man that has never heard of the Catholic Church; and never will, have to do to attain to eternal salvation?
Barring a miracle from God, there is nothing he can do. God created him in a situation that is not congruent with his being saved. He is lost, just as there is nothing an unbaptized child can do before the age of reason.
It is true that if a man is not elect he is reprobate. It is ALSO true that he is reprobate because HE freely rejects God's graces, NOT because God put him in a situation that is not congruent with salvation. ANY external situation can co-exist with a path to salvation; otherwise it would not be true that God's grace is sufficient for all. It IS true that some situations make it HARDER to learn and do good and be saved, but NONE make it impossible, for a reasoning adult.
In quotes that we have seen, St. Thomas explains that over
all the ages all men have had some way to have faith and be saved - whether by implicit or explicit faith of some kind or in later ages by baptism or baptism of desire. Even heathens have this available to them (how often have I quoted this):
1. Granted that everyone is bound to believe something explicitly, no untenable conclusion follows even if someone is brought up in the forest or among wild beasts. For it pertains to divine providence to furnish everyone with what is necessary for salvation, provided that on his part there is no hindrance. Thus, if someone so brought up followed the direction of natural reason in seeking good and avoiding evil, we must most certainly hold that God would either reveal to him through internal inspiration what had to be believed, or would send some preacher of the faith to him as he sent Peter to Cornelius (Acts 10:20)..
It seems to me that you are denying THIS:
For it pertains to divine providence to furnish everyone with what is necessary for salvation, provided that on his part there is no hindrance.
Above it is clear that St. Thomas is talking about ADULTS who do not know yet what is to believed. Unreasoning babies are a separate case.
It is not GOD who places the hindrance, as I think YOU are saying.