Sins And Perfection

Etiam vos ipsi, qui santis et innocentes videri ab hominibus vultis, dicite, unde est ista sanctitas, quam vobis licentius usurpatis? Quam Joannes apostolus profiteri non audet, qui ait: Si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus, nos ipsos decipimus, et veritas in nobis non est.  Hoc qui dixit, sapienter se ad Dei gratiam reservavit. Est enim Christiani hominis, quod bonum est, velle; et in eo, quod bene voluerit currere: sed homini non est datum, perficere: ut post spatia, quae debet homo implere, restet aliquid Deo, ubi deficienti succurrat: quia ipse solus est perfectio, et perfectus solus Dei Filius Christi. Caeteri omnes semi-perfecti sumus. Quia nostrum est velle, nostrum est currere; Dei, perficere. Unde beatissimus apostolus Paulus, ait: Neque volentis, neque currentis, sed ad Dei gratiam pertinentis. Nam et a Christo salvatore nostro, perfecta sanctitas non est data, sed promissa. Denique sic ait: Sancti eritis, quia ergo sanctus sum.  Solus est ergo perfectus et santus. Denique non dixit, sancti estis, sed, sancti eritis, dixit. Unde est ergo, quod vobis perfectam sanctitatem de superbia vindicatis? Nisi ut appareat, quia vos ipsos decipitis et veritas in nobis non est. In Joannis schola esse noluistis. Cum enim seducitis aliquos, promittitis vos indulgentiam peccatorum esse daturos: et cum vultis donare peccata, vestram profitemini innocentiam: et remissionem peccatorum sic datis, quasi nullum habeatis ipsi peccatum. Non est ista praesumptio, sed deceptio, nec veritas, sed mendacium. Etenim inter vicina momenta, dum manus imponitis et delicta donatis, mox ad altare conversi, dominicam orationem praetermittere non potestis. Et utique dicitis: Pater noster, qui es in caelis, dimitter nobis debita et peccata nostra. Quid vocaris, dum peccata confiteris tua? Si sanctus es, dum dimittis aliena? Hoc modo et vos ipsos decipitis, et veritas in vobis non est. Sed ut apparet, hoc vobis dicat nutrix vestra superbia, quam Christus in Evangelio testificatur: quia etsi nomina vestra non dixit. Per similitudinem tamen vestros mores ostendit; sic enim scriptum est: Dicebat Jesus hanc similitudinem, propter eos qui se sanctos putant, et contemnunt caeteros. Hoc de vobis dictum esse, ipsa res evidenter ostendit; dum vos quasi sanctos extollitis, et nos manifeste aperteque contemnitis: Duo ascenderunt in templum adorare, unus Pharisaeus, et unus Publicanus. Pharisaeus tumidus, superbus, inflatus, talis, quales et vos videmus: non humiliato corpore, non inclinata cervice: sed erecta facie, et tumenti pectore: Gratias tibi, Deus, quia nihil peccavi; hoc est dicere Deo, non habeo quod ignoscas. Hoc insanus furor, hoc punienda et damnanda superbia. Deus paratus est ignoscere, et reus festinat indulgentiam recusare. Publicanus humilis, hominem se esse cognoscens, sic rogavit, dicens, 'Propitius esto, Domine, mihi peccatori.' Sic justificari meruit humilitas: sic superbia in Pharisaeo, magistro vestro, templo damnata descendit. Meliora inventa sunt peccata cum humilitate, quam innocentia cum superbia. Sanctus Opstatus, De Schismate Donatistarum, Liber Secundus, Cap XX Source: Migne PL 11.974-976

Do tell me, you who wish to be seen by holy men as innocents, whence comes this sanctity, which you too freely claim for yourselves? It is something which the Apostle John does not dare to profess when he writes: 'If we shall say that we are without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.' 1 He who said this wisely preserved himself for the grace of God. For it is of the Christian man that what is good he wills, and in that which he rightly wills to run, but it is not given to man to perfect; so that after certain distances, which a man can himself complete, there remains something for God, where He may race to repair deficiencies, for He alone is perfection, and perfect alone is Christ, the Son of  God. We, the others, are all half-perfect. For it is ours to wish, it is ours to run, but it is for God to perfect. Whence the most blessed Apostle Paul says,  'It is not of him that wills nor of him that runs, but of  the coming of the grace of God.' 2 For by Christ our Saviour perfect sanctity has not been given, but promised. Thus He says, 'You shall be holy, because I am holy.' 3 Therefore He alone is perfect and holy. He did not say 'You are holy' but He said 'You shall be holy.' Why then is it that you, in your pride, claim for yourselves perfect sanctity? Unless that it might be made clear that you deceive yourselves, and that the truth is not in you. You have been unwilling to attend the school of John. For when you seduce some, you promise them that you will grant them forgiveness for their sins; and when you wish to forgive sins you announce your own innocence and bestow forgiveness of sins, as if you had no sin yourselves. This is not presumption in you, it is deception; not truth, it is a falsehood. For it is only a moment later, when you have imposed your hands and pardoned crimes, that you turn to the altar, and there are unable to pass over the Lord's Prayer. For certainly then you say: 'Our Father who art in Heaven, forgive us our debts and sins.' And what should you be called when you confess your own sins? If you are holy when you forgive the sins of others? In this way you deceive yourselves and the truth is not in you. But it is clear that this is dictated to you by your nurse pride, as Christ bears witness in the Gospel, because even if He did not mention your names, with a parable he exhibited your character. For so it has been written: Jesus spoke this parable on account of those who consider themselves holy and despise others.' 4 The thing itself clearly shows that this is spoken about you when you praise yourselves as holy and plainly and openly despise us. Two men went up into the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee and one a Publican. The Pharisee swollen, proud, puffed up, such as we see you to be, his body unhumbled, his neck not bent, but with raised face and swelling breast, cried aloud,  'I give thanks to you, O God, because I sinned in nothing.' This is to say to God:  'I have nothing for you to forgive.' This is insane fury; this is a pride that must be punished and condemned. God is prepared to pardon and yet the guilty one hastens to reject forgiveness. The humble Publican, knowing himself to be but a man, entreated, saying,  'Have mercy, O Lord, on me a sinner.' Thus did he merit to be justified; thus did pride, your teacher, in the Pharisee go down from the Temple condemned. Better to find sins with humility, than innocence with pride. Optatus of Milevis, On The Schism of the Donatists, Book 2, Chap 20 1 1 Jn 1.8 2 Rom 9.16 3 Levit 11.45 4 Lk 19.9