3. To the objection that it would have been in vain: it must be said that it would not have been; because another way was possible for God, and God through evil ministers accomplishes many good things, just as through the devil he tests the Saints: and yet the devil does nothing but incur guilt, while God orders the act to good.
76. Quest. II. It is asked whether Caiaphas sinned in giving that counsel.
That he did not, it seems:
1. From the text, because it is said in the passage that he did not speak of himself: and from this it is implied that he spoke from the Holy Spirit: therefore if what is from the Holy Spirit is not sin, etc.
2. Likewise, he says that he prophesied, since he was high priest: therefore if the act of prophesying is good, he did not give evil counsel, but good: therefore he did not sin.
But to the contrary: By this word he intended to give counsel that Christ should be killed: therefore in giving this counsel he was a murderer, etc.
Praepositinus responds that Caiaphas sinned in his evil will, but in the utterance of that counsel he did not sin: because the Holy Spirit used him as an instrument, just as He used the ass of Balaam. Whence that utterance was not the fruit of evil will: because the will was nothing but evil, the utterance was nothing but good. It must be said, however, that Caiaphas did not merely speak as an ass, but as a perverse man, intending thereby to persuade evil.
Whence it must be said that the principle of this utterance was twofold: the interior formative principle, namely divine inspiration, and this was simply good; and the intention of Caiaphas, and this was simply evil. And corresponding to that twofold principle there is a twofold meaning in the utterance: the first is carnal, and this was evil, namely to avoid the offense of the Romans; the second is spiritual and good, namely for the salvation of the human race. And thus it must be granted that he sinned; and a prophet can sin in this way, in prophesying just as in working miracles, when he perverts his intention.