Righteousness and Error

Justitia justi non liberabit eum in quacumque die peccaverit: et iniquitas iniqui non nocebit ei, quacumque die conversus fuerit.   Unumquemque judicat Deus sicut invenerit. Nec praeterita considerat, sed praesentia: si tamen vetera crimina, novella conversione mutentur. Septies cadit justus, et resurgit. Si cadit, quomodo justus, si justus quomodo cadit? Sed justi vocabulum non amittit, qui per poenitentiam semper resurgit. Et non solum septies, sed septuagies septies delinquenti, si convertatur ad poenitentiam, peccata donantur. Cui plus dimittitur, plus diligit. Meretrix lacrymis pedes Salvatoris lavat, et crine detergit: et in typum Ecclesiae de gentibus congregatae meretur audire: Dimittuntur tibi peccata tua Pharisaei justitia perit superbia, et publicani humilitas confessione salvatur. Sanctus Hieronymus, ex Epistula CXXII Ad Rusticum

'The righteousness of the righteous will not free him on the day that he sins and the wickedness of the wicked will not harm him on the day he is converted.' 1 The Lord judges every man as He finds him. He does not consider the past but the present. If there are old crimes, new conversion removes them. 'A righteous man falls seven times and rises.' 2 If he falls, how is he righteous? If righteous, how does he fall? He does not lose the name of righteous who always rises by penance. And not only seven times, but seventy times seven for the one who errs, if he turns to penance. 3 To whom much is forgiven, he loves the more. 4 The harlot washed the Saviour's feet with tears and wiped them with her hair, and this type of the Church gathered from the Gentiles was made worthy to hear, 'Your sins are forgiven.' 5 The righteousness of the Pharisee perished in pride, and the humility of the publican in confession gained salvation. 6 St Jerome, from Letter 122, To Rusticus 1 Ezek 33.2 2 Prov 24.16 3 Mt 18, 21-22 4 Lk 7.47 5 Luke 7:48 6 Lk 18.14