Tertullian — On Repentance 8
If you still doubt, unroll what the Spirit says to the churches. He charges the Ephesians with love left behind, reproaches the Thyatirenes with fornication and eating what was offered to idols, accuses Sardis of works not full, rebukes Pergamum for teaching what is crooked, and chides Laodicea for trusting riches — and yet he summons all to repentance, under threats. He would not threaten the one who will not repent if he did not forgive the one who does. Elsewhere he has poured out the same clemency: Will not the one who has fallen rise again, and the one who has turned away be turned back?
That is he — the one who prefers a sinner's repentance to his death. Who then are you to think God will cast away those who take the remedies of his mercies made known through repentance? Good is a father who does not deny his son forgiveness even after many wrongs. The shepherd seeks the one sheep lost from the flock and carries it home on his shoulders. The neighbor's little coin is sought with care, and friends rejoice when it is found. You too, leave the herd of the world if you will seek the Father again, even when he is offended, saying: I have sinned, Father, and I am no longer worthy to be called yours.
Confession lightens the fault as much as hiding it piles it higher. Confession is the plan of satisfaction; concealment is the plan of stubbornness.
Latin
VIII. [1] Id si dubitas, evolve quae spiritus ecclesiis dicat: desertam dilectionem Ephesiis inputat, stuprum et idolothytorum esum Thyatirenis exprobat, Sardos non plenorum operum incusat, Pergamenos docentes perversa reprehendit, Laudicenos divitiis fidentes obiurgat: et tamen omnes ad paenitentiam commonet, sub comminationibus quidem. [2] Non comminaretur autem non paenitenti, si non ignosceret paenitenti, dubium, si non et alibi hanc clementiae suae profusionem demonstrasset: Non, ait, qui ceciderit, resurget et qui aversatus fuerit, convertetur? [3] Ille est scilicet, ille [est] qui misericordiam mavult quam sacrificia. Laetantur caeli et qui illic angeli paenitentia hominis; heus tu peccator, bono animo sis: vides ubi de tuo gaudeatur! [4] Quid illa similitudinum dominicarum argumenta nobis volunt ? Quod mulier dragmam perdit et requirit et repperit, [et] amicas ad gaudium invitat, nonne restituti peccatoris exemplum est?
[5] Errat et una pastori ovicula, sed grex una carior non erat; una illa conquiritur, una pro omnibus desideratur, et tamen invenitur et humeris pastoris ipsius refertur: multum enim errando laboraverat. [6] Illum etiam mitissimum patrem non tacebo qui prodigum filium revocat et post inopiam paenitentem libens suscipit, inmolans vituum praeopimum convivio gaudium suum exornat: quidni? filium enim invenerat quem amiserat, cariorem senserat quem lucri fecerat. [7] Quis ille nobis intellegendus pater ? Deus scilicet: tam pater nemo, tam pius nemo. [8] Is ergo te filium suum, etsi acceptum ab eo prodegeris, etsi nudus redieris, recipiet quia redisti magisque de regressu tuo quam de alterius sobrietate laetabitur, sed si paeniteas ex animo, si famem tuam cum saturitate mercennariorum paternorum conpares, si porcos inmundum relinquas pecus, si patrem repetas vel offensum Deliqui dicens, pater, nec dignus ego iam vocari tuus. [9] Tantum relevat confessio delictum quantum dissimulatio exaggerat; confessio enim satisfactionis consilium est, dissimulatio contumaciae.