40. But you say, It is written: “If a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him?” 1 Sam. [1 Kings] ii. 25. First of all, as I already said before, I might allow you to make that objection if you refused penance to those only who denied the faith. But what difficulty does that question produce? For it is not written, “No one shall entreat for him;” but, “Who shall entreat?” that is to say, the question is, Who in such a case can entreat? The entreaty is not excluded.