On Dreams (De Insomniis) (14th century) - Page 21

⚠Institutional watermark and copyright stamps ("Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana") are overlaid across the entire page, partially obscuring the manuscript text.

For having seen the reasons why God original: "theos", in turn, just as He preserved the natures of men, Himself preserved them; to Him be glory and power for ever and ever and ever. Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A rectangular title block is enclosed in a decorative border made of repeated dots and short vertical strokes. The text inside is written in a larger, majuscule (uncial-style) script, typical of medieval headings to signal a new chapter or sermon. Second

SECOND CATECHETICAL LECTURE FOR THE ILLUMINATED IN JERU-

SALEM, DELIVERED EXTEMPORE, CONCERNING REPENTANCE AND

THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, AND CONCERNING THE ADVER-

SARY; AND THE READING FROM EZEKIEL: "AS I

LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, I DO NOT DESIRE THE DEATH

OF THE SINNER SO MUCH AS THAT HE REPENT AND

LIVE," AND SO FORTH. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sin original: "hamartia" — literally "missing the mark"; in a theological sense, it refers to a moral failing or transgression against divine law. is a terrible thing; and lawlessness original: "paranomia" — a state of being "beside the law"; a grievous spiritual disease. is the most difficult disease of the soul, cutting through its sinews The "sinews" (neura) of the soul refer to its inner strength and moral resolve; sin is described here as a paralyzing force. and becoming the cause of eternal fire. It is a self-chosen evil, an offshoot of the will original: "proaireseōs" — the power of choice or deliberate purpose.. For that we sin by our own choice, the prophet says somewhere clearly:

> "But I planted you as a fruitful vine, entirely true; how were you turned into bitterness, the strange vine?" A quotation from the book of Jeremiah 2:21, used to argue that God creates humans "good," but they choose to become "bitter" or sinful.

The planting was good, but the fruit was wicked; the evil comes from the will. The planter did not plant sin. The vine shall not be burned with fire because it was planted for that purpose, but because it refused to bear fruit as intended; this happened by choice.

For God made man upright, according to what is written; but they themselves sought out many schemes A quotation from Ecclesiastes 7:29, reinforcing the idea that human suffering and sin are products of human invention, not divine creation..