Introduction The feverish woman (i.e. Simon’s mother-in-law, cf. Luke 4, 38-39) = the soul of Adam sick with the fever of sin.
Divisio (see above) 1) First part: four reasons: 1. «Praise»: one is worthy of praise if, despite being able to do evil, he doesn’t do it; 2. «Honor»: it's more honorable to succeed through one's own virtue rather than that of others; consequently, it’s more honorable to obtain heaven by one's own merits rather than by divine grace. 3. «Conservation grace»: sin allows human beings to become humble (exemplum taken from Paul 2 Cor 12, 7); 4. «Improvement»: error strengthens human beings and makes them better (exempla: St. Peter and Mary Magdalene). 2) Second part: four reasons: 1. «Perfection»: the free will of human beings is consistent with the perfection of the world; 2. «Mediation»: since angels only do good and Satan and his followers only do evil, an intermediate creature free to do good and evil was needed; 3. «Decoration»: the freedom of human beings is a beautiful thing (reference to “Ricardo [secundo Sententiarum]: perhaps Richard of Knapwell?); 4. «Exaltation»: the human being is exalted more for having sinned and then repented. 3) Third part: four reasons: 1. About the divine power: with the existence of sin God wanted to demonstrate that he has the power not only to create, but also to save human beings. 2. About the divine wisdom: divine wisdom manifests itself in the ability to derive good from evil; the usefulness of sin is in the good that comes from it (exempla: the creation of human being resulting from the sin of Lucifer; incarnation of Christ resulting from Adam's sin [“O certe necessarium Ade peccatum, quod Christi morte deletum est! O felix culpa que talem ac tantum meruit habere Redemptorem!”, quote from the Exsultet]); 3. About the divine goodness: without sin we couldn’t know God's goodness towards human beings; 4. About the divine justice: without sin God couldn’t show his justice.