Evil And Blame

Sed sunt homines qui etiam de ipso Deo se excusare conantur, quibus dicit apostolus Iacobus: Nemo cum tentatur dicat: Quoniam a Deo tentor. Deus enim intentator malorum est; ipse autem neminem tentat. Unusquisque vero tentatur a concupiscentia sua abstractus et illectus; deinde concupiscentia, cum conceperit, parit peccatum; peccatum vero, cum consummatum fuerit, generat mortem. Item de ipso Deo se excusare volentibus, respondet liber Proverbiorum Salomonis: Insipientia viri violat vias eius; Deum autem causatur in corde suo. Et liber Ecclesiasticus dicit: Ne dixeris: Quia propter Dominum recessi: quae enim odit non facias. Ne dixeris: Quia ipse me induxit: non enim opus habet viro peccatore. Omne exsecramentum odit Dominus, et non est amabile timentibus illum. Ipse ab initio fecit hominem, et reliquit eum in manu consilii sui. Si volueris, conservabis mandata, et fidem bonam placiti. Apponit tibi ignem et aquam; ad quodcumque volueris extende manum tuam. In conspectu hominis vita et mors, et quodcumque placuerit dabitur ei. Ecce apertissime videmus expressum liberum humanae voluntatis arbitrium. Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensi, De Gratia Et Libero Arbitrio, Cap III Source: Migne PL 44.883

But there are men who try to excuse themselves from evil even by God. The Apostle James says to them: 'Let no one when he is tempted say: I am tempted by God, because God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and allured. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin, but sin, when it is consummated, produces death.' 1 And to those who wish to excuse their evil by God, Solomon, in the book of Proverbs replies: 'The foolishness of a man mars his ways, yet in his heart he accuses God.' 2 And in the book of Ecclesiasticus we read: 'Do not say that it is through the Lord that I fell away, for you should not do the things that He hates. Nor say that He lead me to it,  for He has no need of the sinful man. The Lord hates all abomination, and they who fear God love it not. He Himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his own counsel. If you are willing, you shall keep His commandments and with good faith be pleasing. He has set fire and water before you: stretch forth your hand to which one you will. Before man is life and death, and whatever one pleases him shall be given to him.' 3 Observe how most plainly is set before our view the free choice of the human will. Saint Augustine of Hippo, On Grace And Freewill, Chap 3 1 Jam 1.13-15 2 Prov 19.3 3 Sirach 15:11-17