Letter 1517: Repentance is not a feeling but a reversal — a turning of the whole person from the wrong direction to the right one.
The one who sins knowingly is better than the one who sins and does not know he sins, and yet not knowing does not remove the sin. For the one who knows at least has the possibility of repentance, since awareness of the disease is the first step toward seeking the cure. But the one who sins without knowing that he sins is in a worse condition, not because his ignorance excuses him — for he is still responsible for acquiring the knowledge he lacks — but because his ignorance prevents him from even beginning the process of correction. The drunkard who knows he is a drunkard may one day put down the cup; but the drunkard who thinks his drinking is moderate will drink until he dies. Therefore self-knowledge is the foundation of all virtue, and the lack of it is the root of all vice. Examine yourself daily, compare your conduct with the standard of the Gospel, and you will find — if you are honest — far more to correct than to approve.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Μεϊϊού φιὶ ρεσσανς δοὶ! ρέσξαγε, δα φιὶ, ενα ρεοεαῖ, Ῥεεοαίμηι ἰσπόταπς μὲ Τόο! ποίο ἀείθειΕἰ ΝΥ, (ἀοπίεν ορίει. .) Ὁ ἁμαρτάνων μέν τι, γινώσκων δὲ, τοῦ καὶ ὦ Ρεροδηβ 4θΐάθη), Βεὰ ΔξΠ0866 ρθοεδίμπι, , αυὲ ἁμαρτάναντος χαὶ μὴ γινώσχοντος ἀμείνων εἶναί μοι δοχεῖ, Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὀρθὴν, ὁ δὲ διεφθαρμένην ἔχει τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν χρίσιν " χαὶ ὁ μὲν εἰς μετάνοιαν βαδιεῖται, ὁ δὲ εἰς ἀναλγησίαν τελευτήσει" ὁ μὲν ἐρυθριάσει πταίων, ὁ δ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἐρυθριάσει" πῶς γὰρ ἐρυθδριάσει () ὁ μηδὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ὅτι πταίει ἐπιστά- μενος ; Διὸ ὁ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀχριθῶς βασανίαας τὴν φύσιν, ἔφη «ε Οὐ μόνον αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνευδοχοῦσι τοῖς πράττουσιν, » τὸ ἐπαινεῖν τοῦ πράττειν ἀργαλεώτερον εἶναι, εἰχότως ἀρισάμενος. Χρὴ οὖν τὸν μὲν εἰς μετάνοιαν παραχελεῦσαι" τῷ δὲ αἴσθησιν τῶν γιγνομένων ἐμποιῆσαι. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ αἴσθοιτο, οὔτε ἁμαρτάνειν παύσοιτο. ΟΕ". -- ΔΙΌΓΕΝΕΙ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. ρδοοδὶ, ΠΟη ἰΔπη6 ἢ ρέξοδϑβθ [Δ(( , ἰθη86 ῬΓγ:- δίληιϊίοῦ πὶ ! θη νἱάδιυγ, ΗἾ6 οηΐπὶ γϑοΐι τη ἢ) - μοι, Πἷς νϑῆὸ δσορευρίυ ἀ6 γοα5 ᾿ἀἰείυπι ; δά Ραηϊξεηεί4πὶ ἰοπάΐι, πο ΝΜὸ ἀθίογθ ρϑεσδίυγιπι Θχβιϊησιδίυν: [Π6 ροοσδηἋ0 ὀτ δβοῖ!, ᾿ ΐ Υ6ΡῸ πιΐ-- πἴη!. θυ. διΐπὶ Γαι θγυῦσδολὶ, οὐπὶ θ6 , ποϑβεἷαι ἢ Ἠϊης 6ἱ γογυτ οὐ ΐυπι δοοιιγαῖ ὀχμίυγῶγθ μδέυ Γαι δοι ἰυ5 αἀἰχὶϊ : «Νοη δβοίυπι Ὅς [Δείυη!, δοά οἱ οομβοηιϊίυηι [ἀοϊδηϊ υυ9 ,,) γαοῖο οομοϊυάδηβ, ξτιανίυϑ ἰδυάαγθ φυδιῃ ἴϑοογα. Πππ ἰἴηαης δά γε ρ βϑοδηάυπι οοηνοηΐ! ᾿πνί ὍΔ Γ6 ; ᾿υἱς νῈΓῸ ΒΘη ) ἱπίεγα Ἰυυϊοϊυιαυθ τ8416 ψοβίς γοὶ ορογίεϊὶ. Ν͵ δὲ δηΐηιὶ ροορδίυμι 4υἱ σοφηοβοδί, ρϑοξᾶγο Π0ὴ ἀθδι δίμο!.
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