Letter 536

To Theocles the Scholasticus. [scholasticus: an advocate or lawyer.] So great is the power of the finest repentance that even one who is breathing his last upon his very bed, if he makes use of it, is set free from countless trespasses in a single instant of time. For the shortness of the moment would not constrain the divine love for mankind; for it is written in the prophetic book: "When, having turned away from your own most evil deeds, you groan from the depth of your heart, then you shall be saved." And let the humble tax-collector persuade you, who with a groan offered up some small petition, and on the spot received remission of countless debts, and was pronounced righteous by the divine verdict above the arrogant Pharisee, who had performed very many righteous deeds. [an allusion to the parable of the Pharisee and the tax-collector, Luke 18:9-14.]

Τοσοῦτον ἰσχύει καλλίστη μετάνοια, ὥστε καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτῆς τῆς κλίνης ψυχοῤῥαγοῦντά τινα ταύτῃ χρησάμενον, ἐλευθεροῦν μυρίων παραπτωμάτων ἐν στιγμῇ χρόνου. Τοῦ γὰρ καιροῦ ἡ στενοχωρία οὐκ ἂν θλίψοι τὴν θείαν φιλανθρωπίαν· γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν προφητικῇ δέλτῳ, ὅτι « Ὅταν ἀποστραφεὶς τὰ ἑαυτοῦ κάκιστα ἔργα, ἐκ τοῦ βάθους τῆς καρδίας στενάξῃς, τότε σωθήσῃ. » Καὶ πείθετω σε ὁ ταπεινὸς. τελώνης ἐν στεναγμῷ μικράν τινα δέησιν προσε- μίσαο, καὶ παραχρῆμα μυρίων ὀφλημάτων δεξάμενος ἄφεσιν, καὶ δεδικαιωμένος τῇ θείᾳ ψήφῳ ὑπὲρ το ρισαῖον ἀλαζόνα, πολλὰ πάνυ δικαιοπραγήσαντα.