Liberty University

Augustines Theology of Grace as a Response to Pelagius

A Paper Submitted To Dr. Gregory Tomlin In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For The Course CHHI 525

Liberty Theological Seminary

By Harry L. Pitts

Lynchburg, Virginia Sunday, July 24, 2011

Augustine And The Pelagians Thesis The aim of this thesis is an examination of the biblical assertions of Augustine and Pelagius regarding their theological positions on original sin and grace. History has recorded a tantamount controversy that has been at the center of theological circles for decades. It is this controversy that has created exegetical resonance amongst students and theologians. This controversy surfaced in the early fifth century between Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, and Pelagius, the British monk. This argument of grace and sin was destined to have far-reaching consequences for perpetual generations. And as we continue to study the doctrines of each of these men, we will understand and see how their theological and philosophical ideals have shaped their own ideology, in addition to shaping the intellect and development of other individuals. As we study the discussions of each of these men, we can see to a large extent the development of Western theology concerning sin, grace, and salvation right up to the Reformation. For more than four hundred years this debate over grace and sin has divided evangelical Protestantism for decades. With firebrand militancy, the guardians and cynics of both Augustine and Pelagius have not wavered in their positions. And with great passion, each of these men have debated what grace and sin means. It is important to note that both of these mens names have come to represent systems that either epitomizes the totality of truth or erroneous doctrine. History has recorded that there are many who have embraced this Augustinian doctrine, have come to accept this particular view as a doctrine of Manichean pessimism. In addition to accepting this view, they have not minced their words in their acceptance that predestination is a life-long bondage to Adamic sin. Followers of Pelagius have come to accept Pelagian doctrine, which has been viewed by theologians and scholars as an irresponsible optimism about

human nature that literally removes the need of Christ or divine grace with its perennial ideals that man can become his own life-long emancipator. Our concern in this search for contextual homiletic accuracy is with the whole range of the Augustinian/Pelagian debate that specifically speaks to the doctrine of original sin and grace. [1]

Origin of Pelagianism History does not record much about Pelagius, but it is said that he arrived in Rome from the British Isles. History also states that Pelagius was a British monk, but he was not considered a clergyman. According to historians, Pelagius was mostly looked upon as a moralist, bible study leader, and a teacher who lacked the theological pedigree to be considered an astute theologian or leader. On his arrival, Pelagius immediately noticed that many individuals named the name of Christ and considered themselves to be Christians, but to him, their lives were not indicative of the title nor did their commitment to Gods word reflect what he considered sacred and holy. Pelagius was indifferent and angry to the degree that he felt a since of pessimism regarding the simplistic philosophical ideals of the people that considered themselves Christian. Pelagius, from this point, sought out to find out what he considered the cause of this moral complacency amongst these people. Pelagius simply believed that it had to be some form of irreverent doctrine that would produce this type of conduct. And thus the search begins! Pelagius search finally lead him to the teachings of Augustine. Pelagius believed that Augustines doctrine and teachings of the origins of sin and the necessity of the free grace of God for salvation had a profound and negative impact upon the moral standards of humanity. Pelagius believed that, like Adam, we were all born innocent with independent free wills to possess and control our own proclivities.

Pelagius stated that if humanity simply believed that they could take upon themselves the sinful nature of Adam, then perhaps this thought process can then justify their own sinful acts. Furthermore, Pelagius believed that a belief system such as this would lessen the importance of the holiness, sanctity, and character of God. To him, for any individual to openly declare that Gods creation would be unable to avoid sin was utterly preposterous and insulting. Pelagius especially objected to the increasingly influential works of Augustine of Hippo, such as Augustines Ad Simplicianum, wherein he presented his conception of mankind as a lump of sin, unable to make any move to save itself and wholly dependent on Gods grace. [5] And to this degree many theologians and scholars have considered the doctrine that was perpetuated by Pelagius as ambiguous and controversial. Along with his ambiguity and lacking homiletical legitimacy with his philosophical beliefs, he does provide some insight into the thought process of Pelagianism. [2] So, now we see the conception of this thought process and why Pelagius took offense, specifically to Augustines writings in the Confessions, " Grant what thou commandest, and command what thou dost desire." This mere statement inflamed Pelagius and created within him a burning passion to correct what he felt was erroneous doctrine that sounded like contrived fatalistic teaching that would weaken the morals of humanity. Pelagius would not agree at any point within his human intellect that a divine gift such as grace was needed to adhere to Gods mandates and precepts. Pelagius and his followers firmly believed that humanity must assume individual responsibility, which to both he and his followers meant that man innately had the will within himself internally and the ability to perform what was commanded individually. In essence, he was insinuating that if man has a moral responsibility to obey Gods word, then he also has the moral capability to fulfill it. Pelagius stated emphatically that the teachings of Augustine on grace would cause moral and immoral laxity amongst Christians, and would lead

them into further disobedience and complacency. So, for many centuries, the Christian church saw a number of councils and theological treatises that were directed at objective doctrines that would create a stir and resonate in the hearts of theologians to insure that false doctrine was exposed and eradicated. [3] By the late fourth century, philosophical indifferences would grow and challenge theologians to provide more than mere supposition. But this particular age called for biblical scholar and prowess that would clarify their own subjective stances regarding man having a free will and what was the origin of sin? One would have to ask the proverbial question regarding the theological implications involved in salvation, and to what degree does the grace of God influences man to submit himself to Gods will? With that being said, it is natural that the source of this controversy be examined closer to receive a greater understanding of the arguments of both of these men. The process must first and foremost begin with the deeds and works of Adam, who because of his negative conduct brought upon all humanity the sinful nature that has produced the enmity between he and God. And because of the sin of Adam, many theologians believed that Adams will was antithetical to Gods word which would lead God to constitute an escape mechanism that is named grace.[4] Therefore, the grace of God and the disobedience and accountability of man were in some respects of course understood and assumed by the early Church. However, there were those that firmly believed that because of the scarcity of accurate theological doctrine and accurate exegesis of scripture that this seem to produce what they believed to be the root cause of poor theological constructions and ultimately heresy. Those involved in this debate stood firm in their positions of opposing sides to what they considered a well-defined and inviolate theological divide that has since been known as Pelagianism.

Augustine and the Pelagians

Augustine of Hippo was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province. His writings were very influential in the development of Western Christianity. Augustine was born in 354, became a priest at thirty-seven, and a bishop five years later. Hermeneutically, many scholars examine the works of Augustine for its sacred rhetoric, scholastic pedagogy, contextual accuracy, and interpretive properties. Augustine was considered by many as a resplendent rhetorician, prolific writer, and a reformist who had a keen sense of biblical theology. Although Augustine had many accolades bestowed upon him, he would face one of many of his greatest challenges during his lifetime. Augustine would have to deal with a subtle form of humanism that simply recapitulated the unvarnished heretical teachings of Pelagianistic dogma.

Augustine did in fact assume his role against the false teaching of Pelagianism, and he would later go on to champion his position in biblical orthodoxy against such a heretical teaching through his body of work that would chiefly condemn the doctrine and commentary of the Pelagians. According to scholars, Augustine entered this debate in 412 with works such as: On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins and On the Spirit and the Letter. While both of these works were a central part of the debate against Pelagianistic belief and doctrine, Augustine did not dialogue with Pelagius openly. Evans in his book, Inquiries and Reappraisals simply suggest that Augustine believed that the erroneous teachings of Pelagius were considered dangerous, and that he needed to move with great haste to expose this heretical doctrine. In 415, Augustine read what he considered the fledgling work of Pelagius On Nature, and to his surprise, he was disturbed when he saw that Pelagius had quoted some of his works along with citing some of the works of
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some of the church fathers to add plausibility to his own personal theological conclusion regarding sin and grace. Although Augustine would write another work titled On Nature and Grace, he still had to tackle the dual concerns that challenged the nature and will of man and the necessity of Gods grace for humanity.

Doctrinal Issues The seedlings of the Pelagian controversy may best be examined anecdotally. And while there were other appurtenant differences between the two schools of thought, one would surmise that this entire disagreement is based upon the ethereal doctrine of Pelagius beliefs about the Augustine doctrine of original sin. Pelagius adopted and taught to his followers that a person born without the sinful nature of Adam had a free will, and that they could choose not to sin. At this point, Augustine saw that Pelagius was referring to an inescapable form of dialectic logic that emphasizes that a person does not require the grace of God. Augustine held true to his stance, and he would not deny that fallen man through taking on the sins of Adam still has a will, and that the will of man was more than capable of making choices. Augustine would argue against his opposition that humanity still has free will (liberium arbitrium), but through the disobedience of Adam, humanity has in fact lost its moral liberty from sin (libertas). Augustine taught that because of the state of original sin humanity has be bound and given over to immoral practices that have caused man not to be able to refrain from the fallen sinful nature of Adam. The truth remains that man still can choose what he desires, but it is humanities sinful impulses that has caused man to be bound by sin. He would go on to emphasize that it is the freedom that simply remains in the will of man that would always lead him to sin and disobey Gods word. Thus in reality, the flesh is weak and can only serve its own insatiable desires, and that the will
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of man unbridled will freely sin against God. Can this be a freedom of any sort? Augustine believed that Pelagius teachings were empty and superfluous, because the freedom that he considered freedom was without liberty. Pelagius doctrines only served to create moral bondage for all of humanity. True freedom can only come from submission to the word of God. We see in Romans 7:15 this same struggle of the soul in the Apostle Paul, For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. This argument confirms the need for grace, and the transformation that the human soul must undergo through the finished work of God; therefore, humanity is dependent upon the grace of God for salvation, and to be freed from the law of sin that bounds the will of man through sin.

Modern Evangelicalism was tempered and sprang forth from the doctrines and teachings of Augustine. This theological militant would espouse a Reformation whose roots until this very day eclipsed the parochial mindset of those who would seek to discount the very grace that humanity would need in order to be free from the nature of Adam. Were it not for the works of many of the archetypes, in addition to the works of Augustine, it would have been tough for other theological reformers such as Luther who triumphed in the sixteenth century against similar humanistic philosophies. As history would record, Luther, one of the great reformers would also seek to demolish any humanistic doctrine that would challenge the accuracy of biblical pedagogy through his many critical discourses and epistemological truths. Luther believed that doctrines with similar beliefs as Pelagianism would remove the sola from sola gratia and ultimately the sola from sola fide. Even though there are still those that still hold true to this theological position, the church has been triumphant against onslaughts such as this, and for decades have been able to repeatedly dismiss Pelagiustuc theology that has been shrouded by other names.
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The doctrine of grace has always undergone much scrutiny, and has been challenged consistently by many alleged pundits and self-proclaimed scholars. Scripture would simply implicate writers such as Augustine and Luther to the demise of many of this rhetorical heretics that desire to remove the need for a grace and a personal savior. Notably, the word of God throughout the pages of scripture in the letters of the Apostle Paul addresses the heretical movements of Gnosticism, Arianism, and other such false religions. It is not until Augustine that humanity finds its champion and chief mouth piece that would sacrifice his own agenda and wholly immerse himself in what the bible declares as the amazing grace of God.

Conclusion Augustine argued against Pelagius that Adam was "posse peccare," "posse non peccare." What do these words mean? These words simply mean that Adam had the ability to sin and the ability to not sin before the fall, but because of Adams disobedience to the mandate of God to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, death through this one act entered the world because of his sins (Gen.3; Romans 5:12-21). Augustine vehemently argued against Pelagius that Adam was the figure head and chosen representative of God to represent all of humanity; therefore, because of his act of disobedience to God, Adams progeny would be born with a sinful nature, along with the inability to not sin. According to what Augustine taught, he stated emphatically that man does in fact have a freewill, but he is still bound by his sinful nature and he cannot do what is godly, and that he only seeks to fulfill the lust of his flesh, which diametrically opposes the will and directives of Almighty God (Romans 8:9; 1 Cor. 2; John 6:44). Many Church theologians during this age would agree with the accuracy and theological teachings and biblical prowess of Augustine, as he eloquently articulated the teaching of grace and sin. And as history would confirm, the accuracy of this astute theologian, we see the repeated affirmation of the teachings of Augustine in the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologiae, Luthers Bondage of the Will, and John Calvins Institutes of the Christian Religion. However, we must respectfully acknowledge the argument of Pelagius regarding Augustines position that God would not command humanity to fulfill biblical mandates that he does not have the innate ability to fulfill. Pelagius wrote to Augustine and stated that Adams act of sin was his own personal act of disobedience. His disobedience was not a reflection of all of humanity, and because of his wrong behavior God would not try all of humanity because of the sinfulness of Adam. In his argument, we see that this statement is not entirely accurate.
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"Pelagianism was officially condemned as a teaching of the Church in April 418 AD by Western Emperor Honorius at Council of Carthage. The Pelagians were exiled for holding to these unbiblical doctrines. In May 418, the Council of Carthage proclaimed that Adam became mortal by sin, and that children should be baptized for the remission of sins. 1

Ferguson, Everett. Church History Volume One from Christ to Pre-Reformation the Rise and growth of the Church in Its Cultural, Intellectual, and Political Context, (Michigan: Zondervan Publication, 2005).

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Bibliography Benjamin B. Warfield, Augustine and the Pelagian Controversy, in A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1905).

Augustine. Answer to the Pelagians. Trans. Roland J. Teske, ed. John E. Rotelle. NY: New City Press, 1997. Berkhof, Louis. The History of Christian Doctrines. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1975. Bettenson, Henry and Chris Maunder, ed. Documents of the Christian Church, 3d ed. Oxford University Press, 1999. Bruce, F. F. The Spreading Flame: The Rise and Progress of Christianity from its First Beginnings to the Conversion of the English. Exeter: Paternoster, 1958. David Calhoun, Ancient & Medieval Church History. David Calhoun & Covenant Theological Seminary, 2007. [http://worldwidefreeresources.com/upload/CH310_T_16.pdf] Duncan, J. Ligon. "Pelagian Origins." Short paper first given to the University of Edinburgh, New College, Department of Ecclesiastical History's Seminar on "The Origins of North African Christianity from the beginnings to Augustine," February 10, 1988. Evans, Robert F. Pelagius: Inquiries and Reappraisals. NY: Seabury Press, 1968. Ferguson, John. Pelagius: A Historical and Theological Study. NY: AMS Press, 1956. Gerstner, John. A Primer on Free Will. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1982. Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1. NY: HarperOne, 1984. Kidd, B. J. History of the Christian Church to A.D. 461, vol. 3. Oxford, 1922. Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology, Three Volumes. Reprint, Hendrickson, 2003. Kelly, J. N. D. Early Christian Doctrines, revised edition. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1978.

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Warfield, Benjamin B. Augustine and the Pelagian Controversy, in A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1905.

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