Answer to the Pelagians, II
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
What we call the Pelagian heresy actually took many forms, and had multiple proponents at different stages before it was officially condemned. Augustine, as bishop of Hippo, saw that these teachings were dangerous and set out to address them by explaining the true Church doctrine on these subjects. He first denounced the heresies verbally, in sermons and conferences. When a friend asked him to clarify the Christian doctrines contradicted by certain heresies, Augustine wrote down his rebuttal at length. Over time he wrote nearly a dozen distinct texts in direct answer to the various Pelagian heresies.
Top Highlights
“Why, then, does this man demand from us what he refuses to hear from the apostle, namely, ‘How does sin come to be in a little one? Does it come from the will or from marriage or from the parents?’63 Now let him hear how; let him hear how sin comes to be in a little one, and let him be quiet: Through the sin of the one, the apostle says, condemnation comes to all human beings (Rom 5:18). He said that all come to condemnation through Adam and all come to justification through Christ, though Christ does not, of course, bring all those who die in Adam to life. Rather, he said ‘all’ in both places, because, just as without Adam no one comes to death, so without Christ no one comes to life.” (Page 83)
“Without that lust the couple could have performed the act of begetting children, just as we perform many actions without such passion by the obedience of our other members which move at a sign from the will and are not aroused by the heat of lust.” (Page 69)
“If sin had not first been committed, a human being would be conceived without such concupiscence, and the sexual organs would calmly obey the will, just as the other members do.” (Page 64)