reason he is said to sin "through"
choosing.
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QUESTION 79

OF THE EXTERNAL CAUSES OF SIN
(In Four Articles)

We must now consider the external causes of sin, and (1) on the part
of God; (2) on the part of the devil; (3) on the part of man.

Under the first head there are four points of inquiry:

(1) Whether God is a cause of sin?

(2) Whether the act of sin is from God?

(3) Whether God is the cause of spiritual blindness and hardness of
heart?

(4) Whether these things are directed to the salvation of those who
are blinded or hardened?
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FIRST ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 79, Art. 1]

Whether God Is a Cause of Sin?

Objection 1: It would seem that God is a cause of sin. For the
Apostle says of certain ones (Rom. 1:28): "God delivered them up to a
reprobate sense, to do those things which are not right [Douay:
'convenient']," and a gloss comments on this by saying that "God works
in men's hearts, by inclining their wills to whatever He wills,
whether to good or to evil." Now sin consists in doing what is not
right, and in having a will inclined to evil. Therefore God is to man
a cause of sin.

Obj. 2: Further, it is written (Wis. 14:11): "The creatures of God
are turned to an abomination; and a temptation to the souls of men."
But a temptation usually denotes a provocation to sin. Since
therefore creatures were made by God alone, as was established in the
First Part (Q. 44, A. 1), it seems that God is a cause of sin, by
provoking man to sin.

Obj. 3: Further, the cause of the cause is the cause of the effect.
Now God is the cause of the free-will, which itself is the cause of
sin. Therefore God is the cause of sin.

Obj. 4: Further, every evil is opposed to good. But it is not
contrary to God's goodness that He should cause the evil of
punishment; since of this evil it is written (Isa. 45:7) that God
creates evil, and (Amos 3:6): "Shall there be evil in the city which
God [Vulg.: 'the Lord'] hath not done?" Therefore it is not
incompatible with God's goodness that He should cause the evil of
fault.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Wis. 11:25): "Thou . . . hatest
none of the things which Thou hast made." Now God hates sin,
according to Wis. 14:9: "To God the wicked and his wickedness are
hateful." Therefore God is not a cause of sin.

_I answer that,_ Man is, in two ways, a cause either of his own or of
another's sin. First, directly, namely by inclining