Weakness And Forgiveness

Φλήναφον συνείρας ἀπολογούμενος, σχετιασμὸν συνθεὶς πολυώδυνον τὴν θείαν λέγων μὴ ἰσχύειν ἀπόφασιν, ἥνπερ τοῖς ἱερεῠσι παρέσχετο, ἀφιέναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ πταίσματα. Εἰ δὲ αὐτὴ ἀνίσχυρος πᾶσα πάντως ἀβέβαιος, καὶ εἰς μάτην ἐλπίζομεν, ὡς αὐτὸς ἐδογμάτισας. Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Βιβλίον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολή ΤΛΗ' Αγελιδῇ Source: Migne PG 78.377a

You string together babble for your defence, fitting together bitter denunciations in saying that the Divine decree granted to priests lacks power to grant forgiveness to men for their errors. 1 But if this is weak, certainly all things are infirm, and in vain we hope, and that is what you teach. Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Book 1, Letter 338, To Agelides The Novatian 1 Jn 20.23