Cyprian of Carthage, On the Lapsed 17
Do not deceive yourselves; do not cheat yourselves. Only the Lord can show mercy. Forgiveness for sins committed against him can come only from the one who bore our sins, who suffered for us, and whom God handed over for our sins (Jeremiah 17:5). A human being cannot be greater than God, nor can a servant cancel or grant indulgence for a graver offense committed against the Lord. If the lapsed person does not know that it is written, 'Cursed is the man who puts his hope in man,' he will add this to his crime. The Lord must be prayed to; the Lord must be appeased by our satisfaction, because he said that whoever denies him will be denied, and because he alone received all judgment from the Father. We certainly believe that the merits and works of martyrs can carry great weight with the judge, but when the day of judgment arrives, when his people stand before the tribunal of Christ after the end of this age and world.
Latin
Nemo se fallat, nemo se decipiat. Solus Dominus misereri potest. Veniam peccatis quae in ipsum commissa sunt, solus potest ille largiri qui peccata nostra portavit, qui pro nobis doluit, quem Deus tradidit pro peccatis nostris. Homo Deo esse non potest major; nec remittere aut donare indulgentia sua servus potest, quod in Dominum delicto graviore commissum est, ne adhuc lapso et hoc accedat ad crimen si nesciat esse praedictum: Maledictus homo qui spem habet in homine. Dominus orandus est, Dominus nostra satisfactione placandus est, qui negantem negare se dixit, qui omne judicium de Patre solus accepit. Credimus quidem posse apud judicem plurimum martyrum merita et opera justorum, sed cum judicii dies venerit, cum, post occasum saeculi hujus et mundi, ante tribunal Christi populus ejus adstiterit.