AUGUSTINE: THE REAL PELAGIAN

Most remaining accounts of Pelagius are from a pro-Augustinian perspective as most of Pelagius writings were destroyed by the early RCC.

The accusation of “Pelagian” is often used to discredit anyone who believes man is born without Original Sin / Sin Nature / Total Depravity with the freewill ability to choose good over evil and/or choose salvation.

Titus 2:11-12 defines the “GRACE OF GOD which BRINGS SALVATION” as appearing to “ALL MEN” as a “TEACHER” of godliness , holiness and living free from all sin.

Augustine, who denied man was born with a frewill that could obey God, accused Pelagius of claiming that man had the the freewill ability to save himself WITHOUT the assistance of God’s Grace.

However Pelagius himself stated man’s freewill ability to obey God was ASSISTED by Grace, that the Grace of God was a “TEACHER”.

Yet it was actually AUGUSTINE who said that Grace was NOT necessary if man is born with a freewill ability to obey God, that man is saved by “Grace Alone” WITHOUT freewill choice, by so-called UNMERITED FAVOR”.

In other words, Augustine, by his own definition, was the real “Pelagian”!!!