Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series I/Volume V/On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin/On the Grace of Christ

A Treatise on the grace of christ, and on original sin,

by aurelius augustin, bishop of hippo;

418.

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Wherein he shows that Pelagius is disingenuous in his confession of grace, inasmuch as he places grace either in nature and free will, or in law and teaching; and, moreover, asserts that it is merely the “possibility” (as he calls it) of will and action, and not the will and action itself, which is assisted by divine grace; and that this assisting grace, too, is given by God according to men&#8217;s merits; whilst he further thinks that they are so assisted for the sole purpose of being able the more easily to fulfil the commandments. Augustin examines those passages of his writings in which he boasted that he had bestowed express commendation on the grace of God, and points out how they can be interpreted as referring to law and teaching,—in other words, to the divine revelation and the example of Christ which are alike included in “the teaching,”—or else to the remission of sins; nor do they afford any evidence whatever that Pelagius really acknowledged Christian grace, in the sense of help rendered for the performance of right action to natural faculty and instruction, by the inspiration of a most glowing and luminous love; and he concludes with a request that Pelagius would seriously listen to Ambrose, whom he is so very fond of quoting, in his excellent eulogy in commendation of the grace of God.

Contents

 * Chapter 1
 * Chapter 2
 * Chapter 3
 * Chapter 4
 * Chapter 5
 * Chapter 6
 * Chapter 7
 * Chapter 8
 * Chapter 9
 * Chapter 10
 * Chapter 11
 * Chapter 12
 * Chapter 13
 * Chapter 14
 * Chapter 15
 * Chapter 16
 * Chapter 17
 * Chapter 18
 * Chapter 19
 * Chapter 20
 * Chapter 21
 * Chapter 22
 * Chapter 23
 * Chapter 24
 * Chapter 25
 * Chapter 26
 * Chapter 27
 * Chapter 28
 * Chapter 29
 * Chapter 30
 * Chapter 31
 * Chapter 32
 * Chapter 33
 * Chapter 34
 * Chapter 35
 * Chapter 36
 * Chapter 37
 * Chapter 38
 * Chapter 39
 * Chapter 40
 * Chapter 41
 * Chapter 42
 * Chapter 43
 * Chapter 44
 * Chapter 45
 * Chapter 46
 * Chapter 47
 * Chapter 48
 * Chapter 49
 * Chapter 50
 * Chapter 51
 * Chapter 52
 * Chapter 53
 * Chapter 54
 * Chapter 55