Cyprian of Carthage, On the Lapsed 35
But you, my most beloved brothers, whose fear is inclined toward God — even though your minds are established in ruin, you still remember your own evil — now, repenting and grieving, perceive your sins. Acknowledge the very serious crime of conscience. Open the eyes of your hearts to understand your offense. Do not despair of the Lord's mercy, yet do not presume to claim forgiveness either. God is as indulgent and always good as a Father's piety, and He is to be feared as much in the majesty of a Judge. As greatly as we have sinned, so greatly let us lament. Let diligent and prolonged medicine not be lacking for a deep wound. Let repentance not be less than the crime. Do you think the Lord can be quickly placated — you who denied Him with perfidious words, who chose your patrimony over Him, who violated His temple with sacrilegious contagion? Do you think it easy for Him to show mercy on you, you who declared He was not yours? You must pray more intensely and beg; spend the day in mourning, pass the nights in vigils and tears; occupy all time with tearful lamentations; lie prostrate on the ground; roll in ashes, haircloth, and filth. After losing the garment of Christ, desire no other clothing. After the devil's food, prefer fasting. Apply yourselves to just works, by which sins are purified. Persist frequently in alms, by which souls are freed from death. What the adversary took away, let Christ receive. Nor should the patrimony, by which someone is both deceived and conquered, be held or loved. It is a thing to be avoided as an enemy, fled from as a robber, feared as a sword and poison by those who possess it; it will have profited only insofar as what remains may redeem the crime and guilt from it. Let the work be done promptly and generously; let all our wealth be poured out as a remedy for the wound; let our resources and abilities be lent to the Lord, who will judge us. Thus faith flourished under the Apostles; thus the first people of the believers kept Christ's commands. They were prompt, they were generous; they gave everything to be distributed by the Apostles, and they did not redeem such sins as these.
Latin
Vos vero, fratres dilectissimi, quorum timor in Deum pronus est, et in ruina licet animus constitutus, mali sui memor est, poenitentes ac dolentes peccata vestra perspicite, gravissimum conscientiae crimen agnoscite, ad intelligentiam delicti vestri oculos cordis aperite, nec desperantes misericordiam Domini, nec tamen jam veniam vindicantes. Deus, quantum patris pietate, indulgens semper et bonus est; tantum judicis majestate metuendus est. Quam magna deliquimus, tam granditer defleamus. Alto vulneri diligens et longa medicina non desit. Poenitentia crimine minor non sit. Putasne tu Dominum cito posse placari, quem verbis perfidis abnuisti, cui patrimonium praeponere maluisti, cujus templum sacrilega contagione violasti? putas facile eum misereri tui, quem tuum non esse dixisti? Orare oportet impensius et rogare, diem luctu transigere, vigiliis noctes ac fletibus ducere, tempus omne lacrymosis lamentationibus occupare, stratos solo adhaerere, in cinere et cilicio et sordibus volutari, post indumentum Christi perditum nullum jam velle vestitum, post diaboli cibum malle jejunium, justis operibus incumbere, quibus peccata purgantur, eleemosynis frequenter insistere, quibus a morte animae liberantur. Quod adversarius auferebat Christus accipiat. Nec teneri jam nec amari patrimonium debet, quo quis et deceptus et victus est. Pro hoste vitanda res, pro latrone fugienda, pro gladio metuenda possidentibus et veneno: ad hoc tantum profuerit quod remansit ut inde crimen et culpa redimatur. Incunctanter et largiter fiat operatio, census omnis in medelam vulneris erogetur, opibus et facultatibus nostris qui de nobis judicaturus est Domino foeneretur. Sic sub Apostolis fides viguit: sic primus credentium populus Christi mandata servavit. Prompti erant, largi erant, distribuendum per Apostolos totum dabant, et non talia delicta redimebant.