which those habits were formed: but they differ from them
as perfect from imperfect. Such is the difference between sin
committed through certain malice and sin committed through passion.

Reply Obj. 3: He that sins through habit is always glad for what he
does through habit, as long as he uses the habit. But since he is
able not to use the habit, and to think of something else, by means
of his reason, which is not altogether corrupted, it may happen that
while not using the habit he is sorry for what he has done through
the habit. And so it often happens that such a man is sorry for his
sin not because sin in itself is displeasing to him, but on account
of his reaping some disadvantage from the sin.
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THIRD ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 78, Art. 3]

Whether One Who Sins Through Certain Malice, Sins Through Habit?

Objection 1: It would seem that whoever sins through certain malice,
sins through habit. For the Philosopher says (Ethic. v, 9) that "an
unjust action is not done as an unjust man does it," i.e. through
choice, "unless it be done through habit." Now to sin through certain
malice is to sin through making a choice of evil, as stated above (A.
1). Therefore no one sins through certain malice, unless he has the
habit of sin.

Obj. 2: Further, Origen says (Peri Archon iii) that "a man is not
suddenly ruined and lost, but must needs fall away little by little."
But the greatest fall seems to be that of the man who sins through
certain malice. Therefore a man comes to sin through certain malice,
not from the outset, but from inveterate custom, which may engender a
habit.

Obj. 3: Further, whenever a man sins through certain malice, his will
must needs be inclined of itself to the evil he chooses. But by the
nature of that power man is inclined, not to evil but to good.
Therefore if he chooses evil, this must be due to something
supervening, which is passion or habit. Now when a man sins through
passion, he sins not through certain malice, but through weakness, as
stated (Q. 77, A. 3). Therefore whenever anyone sins through certain
malice, he sins through habit.

_On the contrary,_ The good habit stands in the same relation to the
choice of something good, as the bad habit to the choice of something
evil. But it happens sometimes that a man, without having the habit
of a virtue, chooses that which is good according to that virtue.
Therefore sometimes also a man, without having the habit of a vice