O my dear friends which despairs at doubts and scruples! The association of ideas and imaginings. suppositions. that occur to one are a sort of involuntary expression or depiction. If it arises from good and luminosity. the qualities of such a depiction and reality pass to an extent to its form and image.

Like the sun's light and heat pass to its image in a mirror. If the depiction is of something evil and dense. the qualities and decree of the original cannot pass to its form and spread to its image. For example. the reflected form in a mirror of something unclean and corrupt is neither unclean nor corrupt. Nor can a snake's image bite.

As a consequence. to imagine unbelief is not unbelief. and to imagine abuse is not abuse. Particularly if it is involuntary and is a hypothetical assumption that occurs to one. it is altogether harmless. Since such things are involuntary associations of ideas. imaginings that occur to one without one's consent. prohibitions do not concern them. However ugly and unclean a form they take. they are not ugly and unclean.