The Good and the Better Nature

Talem, inquiunt, faceret hominem, qui nollet omnino peccare. Ecce nos concedimus meliorem esse naturam quae omnino peccare nolit; concedant et ipsi non esse malam naturam quae sic facta est, ut posset non peccare si nollet, et iustam esse sententiam qua punita est, quae voluntate non necessitate peccavit. Sicut ergo ratio vera docet meliorem esse naturam quam prorsus nihil delectat illicitum; ita ratio vera nihilominus docet etiam illam bonam esse quae habet in potestate illicitam delectationem, si exstiterit, ita cohibere, ut non solum de caeteris licitis recteque factis, verum etiam de ipsius pravae delectationis cohibitione laetetur. Cum ergo haec natura bona sit, illa melior, cur illam solam, et non utramque potius faceret Deus? Ac per hoc qui parati erant de illa sola Deum laudare, uberius eum debent laudare de utraque. Illa quippe est in sanctis Angelis, haec in sanctis hominibus. Qui autem sibi partes iniquitatis elegerunt, laudabilemque naturam culpabili voluntate depravarunt. non quia praesciti sunt, ideo creari minime debuerunt: Habent enim et ipsi locum suum, quem in rebus impleant pro utilitate sanctorum. Nam Deus nec iustitia cuiusquam recti hominis eget; quanto minus iniquitate perversi?  Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensis, De Genesi Ad Litteram

Could He have made man, they say, that he would be unwilling to sin. We allow that it is a better nature that is unwilling to sin at all; let them allow that it is not a bad nature which is made that is able not to sin if it does not wish to, and then that by just sentence one is punished who by will and not by necessity errs. As, therefore, true reason teaches a better nature is one that desires nothing illicit, true reason also teaches that is good which, having in its power illicit desire, stands firm, so as to restrain itself, doing not only licit and correct deeds, but even rejoicing in hindering its own depraved desires. Granted, then, this is a good nature, why did God not make the better nature only and not also the other? For then God would be praised by one nature alone and it is better that He should be praised by both. The better nature is of the holy angels and the other nature of holy men, the latter being those who may yet choose the portion of iniquity and corrupt natural praise with a culpable will.  And it is not because error can be foreseen that thus they should be less worthy to be created; for even those who err have their place in the things done for the advantage of the saints. For as God does not lack justice for the righteous man, how much less for those perverted by iniquity? Saint Augustine of Hippo, The Literal Interpretation of Genesis