Sin And Holiness

Sic docuit Apostolos suos, ut quotidie in corporis illius sacrificio credentes audeant loqui: Pater noster, qui es in coelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Illi nomen Dei, quod per se sanctum est, in se sanctificari cupiunt; tu dicis: 'Nosti, Domine, quam sanctae, et quam innocentes, et quam purae manus meae sint.' Illi inferunt: Adveniat regnum tuum: spem regni futuro tempore praestolantes, ut regnante Christo, nequaquam regnet peccatum in mortali eorum corpore, junguntque: Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in coelo et in terra, ut imitetur Angelos humana fragilitas, et voluntas Domini compleatur in terra. Tu dicis: "Potest homo si voluerit omni carere peccato. Panem quotidianum, sive, super omnes substantias, venturum Apostoli deprecantur, ut digni sint assumptione corporis Christi. Et vos per nimiam sanctitatem, securamque justitiam audacter vobis coelestia dona vendicatis. Sequitur: Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. De baptismatis fonte surgentes, et regenerati in Dominum Salvatorem, impleto illo, quod de se scriptum est: Beati quorum remissae sunt iniquitates, et quorum tecta sunt peccata, statim in prima communione corporis Christi dicunt: Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, quae illis fuerant in Christi confessione dimissa; et tu arrogans et superbus de sanctarum puritate manuum, et munditia eloquii gloriaris. Quamvis sit hominis perfecta conversio, et post vitia atque peccata virtutum plena possessio, numquid possunt sic esse sine vitio, quomodo illi, qui statim de Christi fonte procedunt? Et tamen jubentur dicere: Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris: non humilitatis mendacio, ut tu interpretaris, sed pavore fragilitatis humanae suam conscientiam formidantis. Illi dicunt: Ne nos inducas in tentationem, tu cum Joviniano loqueris, eos qui plena fide baptisma consecuti sunt, tentari ultra, et peccare non posse. Ad extremum inferunt: Sed libera nos a malo. Quid precantur a Domino, quod habent in liberi arbitrii potestate? O homo, nunc mundus factus es in lavacro, et de te dicitur: Quae est ista, quae ascendit dealbata, innitens super fratruelem suum? ut lota quidem sit, sed custodire non valeat puritatem, nisi a Domino Deo sustentetur. Quomodo cupis Dei misericordia liberari, qui paulo ante liberatus es a peccatis? nisi hac ratione qua diximus, ut cum omnia fecerimus, nos inutiles esse fateamur. Oratio ergo tua Pharisaei vincit superbiam, et publicani comparatione damnatur; qui de longe stans, oculos ad Deum non audebat attollere, sed percutiebat pectus suum, dicens: Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori. Unde profertur Domini sententia: Dico vobis, descendit hic justificatus in domum suam plus quam ille. Omnis enim qui se exaltat, humiliabitur, et qui se humiliat, exaltabitur. Apostoli humiliantur, ut exaltentur. Discipuli tui elevantur, ut corruant. Sanctus Hieronymous, Dialogus Adversus Pelagianos, Liber III Source: Migne PL 23.585a-586b

He instructed His Apostles that every day at the sacrifice of His body the faithful may dare to say, 'Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be your name,' 1 earnestly desiring the name of God, which in itself is holy, to be hallowed in themselves, but you say, 'You know, O Lord, how holy, how innocent, and how pure are my hands.' They say, 'Your Kingdom come,' anticipating the hope of the future kingdom, so that when Christ reigns sin may no longer reign in their mortal bodies, 2 and they add, 'Your will be done in earth as it is in Heaven,' so that human weakness may imitate the angels, and the will of our Lord may be fulfilled on earth, but you say, 'If a man wishes, he can be free from all sin.' The Apostles prayed for the daily bread, or the bread surpassing all things, which was to come, so that they might be worthy to receive the body of Christ, but you are led by an excess of holiness and assured righteousness to claim with all audacity the heavenly gifts. It follows, 'Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.' Rising from the baptismal font, and being born again and incorporated into our Lord and Saviour, they thus fulfil what is written of them, 'Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are blotted out,' 3 and then again at the first communion of the body of Christ they say, 'Forgive us our trespasses,' although they were forgiven them with their confession of Christ, but you in your arrogance and pride glorify the cleanliness of your holy hands and the purity of your speech. Although a man may have converted fully, and however firm his possession of virtue is after a time of sins and failings is, can he be as free from fault as those who are just leaving the font of Christ? And yet these latter are commanded to say, 'Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,' and this not in a spirit of a false humility, as you would understand it, but because of the fear of human frailty and a dread of their own conscience. They say, 'Lead us not into temptation,' but you with Jovinian say that those who have been baptized with a full faith are beyond temptation and cannot sin. Lastly they add, 'But deliver us from evil.' Why do they beg from the Lord what they have already by the power of free will? O, man, now you have been made clean by washing, and it is said of you, 'Who is this that comes up all white, leaning upon her beloved?' 4 that is, she is washed, yet she cannot keep her purity unless she is supported by the Lord. How is it that you long to be delivered by the mercy of God, who just a little while ago were released from your sins? It is for the reason we have spoken of, that when we have done everything that we confess we are useless. 5 Therefore your prayer outdoes the pride of the Pharisee, and you are condemned when compared with the tax collector,  who, standing at a distance, did not dare lift up his eyes up to Heaven, but struck his own breast, saying, 'God be merciful to me a sinner.' Hence the Lord's declaration, 'I say to you this man went down to his house justified and not than the other. For every one who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.' 6 The Apostles are humbled so that they may be exalted. Your disciples are lifted up so that they may fall Saint Jerome, Dialogue Against the Pelagians, Book 3 1 Mt 6.9 2 Rom 6.12 3 Ps 31.1 4 Song 8.15 5 Lk 17.10 6 Lk 18.13-15