Augustine of Hippo, on 1Tim 4:4

“For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected that is received with thanksgiving:”

“Because sin or iniquity is not a seeking of things evil by nature but an abandonment of the better things, this is found written in Scripture. "Every creature is good." Every tree that God planted in paradise was good. Man, therefore, did not desire anything evil by nature when he touched the forbidden tree. But by departing from what was better he himself committed an act that was evil.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.