Letter 2057: Our sons Ommatius and Eparchius have sent me a letter full of tears and lamentation, begging me especially to...

Likewise, to the same person. Our sons Ommatius and Eparchius have sent me a letter full of tears and lamentation, especially begging that I might come forward as an intercessor before your holiness on behalf of the ignorance of this our son Eparchius, trusting that, for the sake of our mutual love, you ought to deny us nothing; and I have for this same purpose dispatched our presbyter Eusebiolus to your piety in this matter. Through him I send abundant greetings and ask that, once the aforesaid man has been sufficiently admonished, as is fitting, you may deign, at our entreaty, to grant pardon for his error; because, just as the fault of one persisting foolishly and faithlessly in the defense of his sin ought not to be relaxed until he acknowledges his guilt, so the acknowledgment of the sin ought to confer forgiveness upon him who confesses. For the unfeigned confession of an offense is the remedy for the evil, nor is any room left for public vengeance where the guilty man is punished by his tormenting conscience.

LVII. ITEM AD IPSUM. Filii nostri Ommatius et Eparchius ad me litteras plenas lacrimis et deploratione miserunt specialiter deprecantes, ut apud sanctitatem uestram pro ignorantia ipsius filii nostri Eparchii intercessor exsisterem, confidentes, quod pro amore mutuo nihil nobis negare deberetis, idemque presbyterum nostrum Eusebiolum ad pietatem uestram in hac causa direxi. per quem saluto plurimum et rogo, ut praefato, sicut decet, sufficienter admonito indulgentiam errori illius dare pro nostra supplicatione dignemini, quia, sicut in defensione peccati stulte atque infideliter perduranti culpa, donec agnoscat reatum, (non) debet relaxari, ita agnitio peccati debet conferre ueniam confitenti. remedium est enim mali confessio non simulata delicti nec ultioni publicae relinquitur locus, ubi reus conscientia torquente punitur.