The Emperor Justinian Augustus to the inhabitants of Constantinople. We think it manifest to all men who now rightly understand that we devote our every endeavour to nothing so much, nor have anything else so much in our prayers, as that those who have been entrusted to our faith by the Lord God may live honourably and earn His benevolence; especially since God's love toward men wills not destruction but conversion and salvation, and God receives those who have offended anywhere as soon as they are raised up and return to the way. For which reason also we exhort all to conceive in their soul the fear of God and to implore His kindness. And we know that those who love God, and who await His mercy, do this.
But because certain men, held fast by diabolical instigation, have given themselves over to graver debaucheries and do things contrary to nature itself, we exhort these also to conceive in their soul the fear of God and the judgment to come, and to abstain from such diabolical and unlawful debaucheries, lest through such impious crimes cities together with their inhabitants be found to go to ruin by the just wrath of God. For through the holy Scriptures we are taught that, on account of such impious crimes, cities together with their men have perished.
Moreover, because beyond the aforesaid persons certain men utter even execrable words and oaths concerning God, provoking God to anger, we likewise admonish these too to abstain from such execrable words, and from adjurations by the hair and the head, and from other words of this kind. For if insults heaped upon men are not left at least unavenged, much more is he who assails the divine majesty with insults deserving to suffer punishment. Therefore we exhort all such men to abstain from the aforesaid offences, and to take into their soul the fear of God, and to imitate those who pass their life honourably. For on account of offences of this kind there arise famines, earthquakes, and pestilences.
And we admonish this kind of men for this reason, that they abstain from the aforementioned unlawful acts, lest they cast their own souls into destruction. For if after this admonition of ours they are found to cling at all to the same offences, they will first show themselves unworthy of God's love toward men, and then they will also undergo the lawful penalties. For we have given the task to the most glorious prefect of the royal city, that he both arrest and subject to the ultimate punishment those who, after this admonition of ours, do not hesitate to cling to the aforesaid unlawful and impious acts:
lest at any time, through contempt of such sins, by means of such impious crimes, both this very city itself and the whole body of citizens and the commonwealth be found to suffer injury. For if, even after this exhortation of ours, any persons finding such men conceal them, they likewise will themselves be condemned by the Lord God. But the most glorious prefect himself also, if he detects any committing some such offence, and does not bring upon them the punishment according to our laws, will first be liable to the judgment of God, and then will also incur indignation from us.