The second trial took place afterwards at Diospolis,' a city in Palestine, before fourteen bishops, at which was kept an accurate record of the proceedings. The bishops are severally mentioned by Augustin in his work against /nlianus, Book i. chs. v. and vii. (19, 32), in the followmg order: " Eulogius, John, Ammonianus, Porphyry, Eutonius, another Porphyry, Fidus, Zoninus, Zoboennus, Nymphidius, Chromatins, Jovinus, Eleutherius, and Clematius. There can be no doubt that Eulogius, bishop of Cssarea, was also primate of the province of Pales- tine, because he is constantly mentioned by Augustin as occupying the first place before the other thirteen bishops, and even before John himself, bishop of Jerusalem.
We find from the epistle of Lucian,^ De revelatione corporis Stephani martyris, that this synod was held at the approach of Christmas. In this epistle he tells us of three visions which God had shown him in the year 415, — the first on December 3d, and the other two on the loth and 17th of the same month; that he then reported the matter to John, bishop of Jerusalem, who sent him in quest of the martyr's sepulchre. He further informs us that he discovered the sepulchre, and at once returned to John, " who (says he) was attending a synod at Lydda, which is Diospolis." This must have happened about the 21st of the month, since Lucian goes on cu say that John came, in the company of two more bishops, Eutonius of Sebaste and Eleutherius of Jericho, and that in their presence the relics of the martyr were removed on the 26th day of the same month of December.
A certain deacon, called Annianus, is supposed to have pleaded the cause of Pelagius at the synod; some learned men finding it easier to interpret of this deacon than of Pelagius what Jerome writes in a letter addressed to Alypius and Augustin {Epist. Augustijiian. 202, 2): " For every thing which he denies having ever uttered in that miserable synod of Diospolis he professes to hold in this work." Jerome bestowed the epithet of " misera- ble " on this synod of Diospolis, for no other reason (as we suppose) than because he discovered from its Acts how miserably the synod had been duped by Pelagius. Pope Innocent, after a sight of these Acts, expressly owned (see Epist. Augustinian. 183, 4) that " he could not bring himself to refuse either blame or praise of those bishops." Augustin, however, in the following treatise (see chs. 4 and 8), docs not hesitate to call them " pious judges," and (in his first book against Julianus, i. ch. v. 19) " catholic judges," who, when Pelagius abjured the errors attributed to him, pronounced him a catholic, and acquitted him; indeed, he frequently cites these fourteen bishops as witnesses of the catholic faith in opposition to Julianus.
In his letters addressed to Pope Innocent in the year 416 (see Epist. Augustinian. 175, 4, and 177, 2), Augus- ,tin intimated that he knew nothing of the Proceedings of the synod except from hearsay; and in a letter to John, bishop of Jerusalem (Epist. 179, 4), he earnestly requested him to forward them to him. But the report was in his hands about midsummer in 417, \vhei>he wrote his Epistle to Paulinus (Epist. 1S6, 31); so that the date of the following treatise is thus traced to the commencement of the year 417, supposing it to have been published immediately after he had received the Proceedings.
The title given to this work by Augustin, in his book On Original Sin (15), stands De Gestis Pahtstinis [On the Proceedings which took place in Palestine]; by this title Prosper likewise refers to the work (m his book Adv.
* That is, Lydda. * To be found in Mi?ne's Patrologia Latina, vol. vii., Appendix.
179 i8o PREFACE.
CoUatorem, 43); but yet we ought to retain the inscription De Gestis Pelagii, which is prefixed both to the ancient editions and to the particular Retractation in which Augustin reviewed this work. The treatise had this title given to it, no doubt, either because it had been already commonly accepted as a description of these proceedings of Pelagius and his vindication, which led to his boast that he had been acquitted; or else from the fact that an examination had become necessary of those jiroceedings, which the accused party had himself published in an abridged and garbled form. Hence Possidonius named the treatise by the title, Contra Gesta Pelagii [A Protest, or Vindication, against the Proceedings of Pelagius].
Out of this book Photius copied a very accurate account of the Synod of Diospolis and inserted it in his Bibliothera (cod. 54). One may therefore conclude that this work of Augustin's is one of those which Possido- nius, in his Life, ch. xi. or xxi.. No. 59, mentions as having been " translated into the Greek tongue." The Aurelius to whom the work is dedicated is mentioned by Photius in the passage just cited, and by Prosper before him (in the 43d chapter of the above-quoted Adversus CoUatorem), z.% " the bishop of Carthage." If the title-page of old did not give them this information, they could both of thera discover it from reading this book, especially ch. 23 [XI.].
CONTENTS OF THE TREATISE "ON THE PROCEEDINGS OF PELAGIUS."
CHAPTER PAGE 1. Introduction 183 2. The first item in the accusation; and Pelagius' answer 183 3. Discussion of Pelagius' first answer, 184 4. The same continued 184 5. The second item in the accusation; and Pelagius' answer, 185 6. Pelagius' answer examined 185 7. The same continued 186 8. The same continued 186 9. The third item in the accusation; and Pelagius' answer 186 10. Pelagius' answer examined. On Origen's error concerning the non-eternity of the punishment of the devil and the damned 187 11. The same continued,.. 187 12. The fourth item in the accusation; and Pelagius' answer 1S8 13. The fifth item of the accusation; and Pelagius' answer iSS 14. Examination of this point. The phrase "Old Testament" used in two senses. The heir of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament there were heirs of the New Testament 188 15. The same continued 189 16. The sixth item of the accusation; and Pelagius' reply 190 17. Examination of the sixth charge and answers, 190 18. The same continued. " 190 19. The same continued 191 20. The same continued. Pelagius acknowledges the doctrine of grace in deceptive terms 191 21. The same continued = 192 22. The same continued. The synod supposed that the grace acknowledged by Pelagius w^AS that which was so thoroughly known to the Church 193 23. The seventh item of the accusation: the breviates of Ccelesti us objected to Pelagius, 193 24. Pelagius' answer to the charges brought together under the seventh item...193 25. The Pelagians falsely pretended that the Eastern Churches were on their side.. 194 26. The accusations in the seventh item, which Pelagius confessed 194 27. The eighth item in the accusation '95 28. Pelagius' reply to the eighth item of accusation i9S 29. The ninth item of the accusation; and Pelagius' reply i9S 30. The tenth item in the accusation. The more prominent points of Ccelestius' work continued '96 31. Remarks on the tenth item ^9^ 181 i82 CONTENTS.
chapter pagh 32. The eleventh item of the accusation 197 22i- Discussion of the eleventh item continued 198 34. The same continued. On the works of unbelievers; faith is the initial principle from which good works have their beginning; FAITH IS THE GIFT OF God'S GRACE. I98 35. The same continued 199 36. The same continued. The monk Pelagius. Grace is conferred on the unworthy.. 199 37. The same continued. John, bishop of Jerusalem, and his examination 200 38. The same continued 200 39. The same continued. Herds and Lazarus; Orosius 200 40. The same continued 201 41. Augustin indulgently shows that the judges acted incautiously in their official conduct of the case of Pelagius 201 42. The twelfth item in the accusation. Other heads of Ccelestius' doctrine abjured by Pelagius 202 43. The answer of the monk Pelagius and his profession of faith 202 44. The acquittal of Pelagius 202 45. Pelagius' acquittal becomes suspected 20J 46. How Pelagius became known to Augustin; Ccelestius condemned at Carthage...203 47. Pelagius' book, which was sent by Timasius and Jacobus to Augustin, was answered by THE latter in HIS WORK " ON NATURE AND GrACE " 203 48. A LETTER WRITTEN BY TlMASIUS AND JaCOBUS TO AUGUSTIN ON RECEIVING HIS TREATISE " ON Nature and Grace" 204 49. Pelagius' behaviour contrasted with that of the writers of the letter 204 50. Pelagius has no good reason to be annoyed if his name be at last used in the controversy, and he be expressly refuted 204 51. The nature of Augustin's letter to Pelagius 205 52. The text of the letter 205 53. Pelagius' use of recommendations 205 54. On the letter of Pelagius, in which he boasts that his errors had been approved by fourteen bishops 206 55. Pelagius' letter discussed 206 56. Is Pelagius sincere? 207 57. Fraudulent practices pursued by Pelagius in his report of the proceedings in Palestine, IN THE paper wherein HE DEFENDED HIMSELF TO AUGUSTIN 207 58. The same continued 208 59. Although Pelagius was acquitted, his heresy was condemned 209 60. The synod's condemnation of his doctrines 209 61. History of the Pelagian heresy. The Pelagian heresy was raised by sundry persons who affected the monastic state 209 62. The hfstory continued. Ccelestius condemned at Carthage by episcopal judgment.
Pelagius acquitted by bishops in Palestine, in consequence of his deceptive ANSWERS; but YET HIS HERESY WAS CONDEMNED BY THEM 2IO 63. The SAME CONTINUED. The dogmas of Ccelestius laid to the charge of Pelagius, as his MASTER, AND CONDEMNED 2IO 64. How THE BISHOPS CLEARED PeLAGIUS OF THOSE CHARGES 211 65. Recapitulation of what Pelagius condemned. 211 66. The harsh measures of the Pelagians against the holy monks and nuns who belonged TO Jerome's charge 212 A WORK ON THE PROCEEDINGS OF PELAGIUS," In One Book, ADDRESSED TO BISHOP AURELIUS [OF CARTHAGE], BY AURELIUS AUGUSTIN.
WRITTEN ABOUT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE YEAR A.D. 417.
THE SEVERAL HEADS OF ERROR WHICH WERE ALLEGED AGAINST PELAGIUS AT THE SYNOD IN PALESTINE, WITH HIS ANSWERS TO EACH CHARGE, ARE MINUTELY DISCUSSED. AUGUSTIN SHOWS THAT, ALTHOUGH PELAGIUS WAS ACQUITTED BY THE SYNOD, THERE STILL CLAVE TO HIM THE SUSPICION OF HERESY; AND THAT THE ACQUITTAL OF THE ACCUSED BY THE SYNOD WAS SO CONTRIVED, THAT THE HERESY ITSELF WITH WHICH HE WAS CHARGED WAS UNHESITATINGLY CONDEMNED, CHAP. I.
•.INTRODUCTION.
After there came into my hands, holy father Aurelius, the ecclesiastical proceedings, by which fourteen bishops of the province of Palestine pro- nounced Pelagius a catholic, my hesitation, in which I was previously reluctant to make any lengthy or confident statement about the defence which he had made, came to an end. This de- fence, indeed, I had already read in a paper which he himself forwarded to me. Forasmuch, however, as I received no letter therewith from him, I was afraid that some discrepancy might be detected between my statement and the rec- ord of the ecclesiastical proceedings; and that, should Pelagius perhaps deny that he had sent me any paper (and it would have been difficult for me to prove that he had, when there was only one witness), I should rather seem guilty in the eyes of those who would readily credit his denial, either of an underhanded folsification, or else (to say the least) of a reckless credulity. Now, however, when I am to treat of matters which are shown to have actually transpired, and when, as it appears to me, all doubt is removed whether he really acted in the way described, your holi- ' More properly called On the Palestinian Proceedings.
ness, and everybody who reads these pages, will no doubt be able to judge, with greater readiness and certainty, both of his defence and of this my treatment of it.
CHAP. 2 [l.] — THE FIRST ITEM IN THE ACCUSA- TION, AND pelagius' ANSWER.
First of all, then, I offer to the Lord my God, who is also my defence and guide, unspeakable [ tnanks, because I was not misled in my views respecting our holy brethren and fellow-bishops who sat as judges in that case. His answers, in- deed, they not without reason approved; because they had not to consider how he had in his writings stated the points which were objected against him, but what he had to say about them in his reply at the pending examination. A case ■ of unsoundness in the faith is one thing, one of incautious statement is another thing. Now sun- j dry objections were urged against Pelagius out j of a written complaint, which our holy brethren j and fellow-bishops in Gaul, Heros and Lazarus, presented, being themselves unable to be present, I owing (as we afterwards learned from credible information) to the severe indisposition of one of them. The first of these was, that he writes, in a certain book of his, this: " No man can be 183 1 84 183 1 84 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Chap. 3.
without sin unless he has acquired a knowledge of the law." After this had been read out, the synod inquired: " Did you, Pelagius, express yourself thus?" Then in answer he said: "I certainly used the words, but not in the sense in which they understand them. I did not say that a man is unable to sin who has acquired a knowledge of the law; but that he is by the knowledge of the law assisted towards not sin- ning, even as it is written, ' He hath given them a law for help.' " ' Upon hearing this, the synod declared: " The words which have been spoken by Pelagius are not different from the Church." Assuredly they are not different, as he expressed them in his answer; the statement, however, which was produced from his book has a dif- ferent meaning. But this the bishops, who were Greek-speaking men, and who heard the words through an interpreter, were not concerned with discussing. All they had to consider at the moment was, what the man who was under ex- amination said was his meaning, — not in what words his opinion was alleged to have been ex- pressed in his book.
CHAP. 3. — DISCUSSION OF PELAGIUS* FIRST ANSWER.
Now to say that " a man is by the knowledge of the law assisted towards not sinning," is a dif- ferent assertion from saying that " a man cannot be without sin unless he has acquired a knowl- edge of the law." We see, for example, that corn-floors may be threshed without threshing- sledges, — however much these may assist the operation if we have them; and that boys can find their way to school without the pedagogue, — however valuable for this may be the office of pedagogues; and that many persons recover from sickness without physicians, — although the doctor's skill is clearly of greatest use; and that men sometimes live on other aliments besides bread, — however valuable the use of bread must needs be allowed to be; and many other illus» trations may occur to the thoughtful reader, without oar prompting. From which examples we are undoubtedly reminded that there are two sorts of aids. Some are indispensable, and with- out their help the desired result could not be attained. Without a ship, for instance, no man could take a voyage; no man could speak with- out a voice; without legs no man could walk; without light nobody could see; and so on in numl)erless instances. Amongst them this also may be reckoned, that without God's grace no man can live rightly. But then, again, there are other helps, which render us assistance in such a way that we might in some other way effect the object to which they are ordinarily auxiliary in their absence. Such are those which I have I Isa.
already mentioned, — the threshing-sledges for threshing corn, the pedagogue for conducting the child, medical art applied to the recovery of health, and other like instances. We have there- fore to inquire to which of these two classes belongs the knowledge of the law, — in other words, to consider in what way it helps us towards the avoidance of sin. If it be in the sense of indispensable aid without which the end cannot be attained; not only was Pelagius' answer before the judges true, but what he wrote in his book was true also. If, however, it be of such a character that it helps mdeed if it is present, but even if it be absent, then the result is still possible to be attained by some other means, — his answer to the judges was still true, and not unreasonably did it find favour with the bishops that " man is assisted not to sin by the knowledge of the law;" but what he wrote in his book is not true, that " there is no man with- out sin except him who has acquired a knowledge of the law," — a statement which the judges left undiscussed, as they were ignorant of the Latin language, and were content with the confession of the man who was pleading his cause before them, especially as no one was present on the other side who could oblige the interpreter to expose his meaning by an explanation of the words of his book, and to show why it was that the brethren were not groundlessly disturbed. For but very few persons are thoroughly acquainted with the law. The mass of the members of Christ, who are scattered abroad everywhere, being ignorant of the very profound and complicated contents of the law, are com- mended by the piety of simple faith and unfail- ing hope in God, and sincere love. Endowed with such gifts, they trust that by the grace of God they may be purged from their sins through our Lord Jesus Christ.
CHAP. 4 [11.] — THE SAME CONTINUED.
If Pelagius, as he possibly might, were to say in reply to this, that that very thing was what he meant by " the knowledge of the law, without which a man is unable to be free from sins," which is communicated by the teaching of faith to converts and to babes in Christ, and in which candidates for baptism are catechetically in- structed with a view to their knowing the creed, certainly this is not what is usually meant when any one is said to have a knowledge of the law. This phrase is only applied to such persons as are skilled in the law. But if he persists in describ- ing the knowledge of the law by the words in question, which, however few in number, are great in weight, and are used to designate all who are faithfully baptized according to the prescribed rule of the Churches; and if he maintains that it was of this that he said, •' Xo Chap. 6.J ON THE PROCEEDINGS OF PELAGIUS.
185 one is without sin, but the man who has acquired the knowledge of the law," — a knowledge which must needs be conveyed to believers before they attain to the actual remission of sins, — even in such case there would crowd around him a countless multitude, not indeed of angry dispu- tants, but of crying baptized infants, who would exclaim, — not, to be sure, in words, but in the very truthfulness of innocence, — " What is it, O what is it that you have written: ' He only can be without sin who has acquired a knowledge of the law? ' See here are we, a large flock of lambs, without sin, and yet we have no knowl- edge of the law." Now surely they with their silent tongue would compel him to silence, or, perhaps, even to confess that he was corrected of his great perverseness; or else (if you will), that he had already for some time entertained the opinion which he acknowledged before his ecclesiastical examiners, but that he had failed before to express his opinion in words of suffi- cient care, — that his faith, therefore, should be approved, but this book revised and amended. For, as the Scripture says: " There is that slip- peth in his speech, but not in his heart." ' Now if he would only admit this, or were already saying it, who would not most readily forgive those words which he had committed to writing with too great heedlessness and neglect, espe- cially on his declining to defend the opinion which the said words contain, and affirming that to be his proper view which the truth approves? This we must suppose would have been in the minds of the pious judges themselves, if they could only have duly understood the contents of his Latin book, thoroughly interpreted to them, as they understood his reply to the synod, which was spoken in Greek, and therefore quite intel- ligible to them, and adjudged it as not alien from the Church, cases.
Let us go on to consider the other CHAP. 5 [hi.] THE SECOND ITEM IN THE ACCU- SATION; AND PELAGIUS' ANSWER.
The synod of bishops then proceeded to say: "Let another section be read." Accordingly there was read the passage in the same book wherein Pelagius had laid down the position that " all men are ruled by their own will." On this being read, Pelagius said in answer: " This I stated in the interest of free will. God is its helper whenever it chooses good; man, however, when sinning is himself in fault, as under the direction of a free will." Upon hearing this, the bishops exclaimed: " Nor again is this opposed to the doctrine of the Church." For who indeed could condemn or deny the freedom of the will, when God's help is associated with ' Ecclus. xix. 16.
it? His opinion, thefefore, as thus explained in his answer, was, with good reason, deemed satis- factory by the bishops. And yet, after all, the statement made in his book, " AH men are ruled by their own will," ought without doubt to have deeply disturbed the brethren, who had discov- ered what these men are accustomed to dispute against the grace of God. For it is said, " All men are ruled by their own will," as if God rules no man, and the Scripture says in vain, " Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance; rule them, and lift them up for ever." ^ They would not, of course, stay, if they are ruled only by their own will without God, even as sheep which have no shepherd: which, God forbid for us. For, unquestionably to be led is something more compulsory than to be ruled. He who is ruled at the same time does something himself, — indeed, when ruled by God, it is with the ex- press view that he should also act rightly; whereas the man who is led can hardly be understood to do any thing himself at all. And yet the Saviour's helpful grace is so much better than our own wills and desires, that the apostle does not hesitate to say: " As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." 3 And our free will can do nothing better for us than to submit itself to be led by Him who can do nothing amiss; and after doing this, not to doubt that it was helped to do it by Him of whom it is said in the psalm, " He is my God, His mercy shall go before me." ■* CHAP. 6. pelagius' ANSWER EXAMINED.
Indeed, in this verv book whicli contains these statements, after laying down tlie position, '' All men are governed by their own will, and every one is submitted to his own desire," Pelagius goes on to adduce the testimony of Scripture, from which it is evident enough that no man ought to trust to himself for direction. For on this very subject the Wisdom of Solomon de- clares: " I myself also am a mortal man like unto all; and the offspring of him that was first made of the earth," s — with other similar words to the conclusion of the paragraph, where we read: " For all men have one entrance into life, and the like going out therefrom: wherefore I prayed and understanding was given to me; I called, and the Spirit of Wisdom came into me." ^ Now is it not clearer than light itself, how that this man, on duly considering the wretchedness of human frailty, did not dare to commit himself to his own direction, but prayed, and under- standing was given to him, concerning which the apostle says: " But we have the understanding of the Lord; " 7 and called, and the Spirit of ^ Ps. xxviii. 9. 5 Wisd. vii. 1.
•♦ Ps. lix. lo. 7 I Cor. ii. 16.
i86 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Chap. 7.
AVisdom entered into hiiia? Now it is by this Spirit, and not by the strength of their own will, that they who are God's children are governed and led.
CHAP. 7. — THE SAME CONTINUED.
As for the passage from the psalm, " He loved cursing, and it shall come uj)on him; and he willed not blessing, so it shall be far removed from him," ' which he quoted in the same book of Chapters, as if to prove that " all men are ruled by their own will," who can be ignorant that this is a fault not of nature as God created it, but of human w-ill which departed from God? The fact indeed is, that even if he had not loved cursing, and had willed blessing, he would in this very case, too, deny that his will had re- ceived any assistance from God; in his ingrati- tude and impiety, moreover, he would submit himself to be ruled by himself, until he found out by his penalties that, sunk as he was into ruin, without God to govern him he was utterly unable to direct his own self. In like manner, from the passage which he quoted in the same book under the same head, " He hath set fire and water before thee; stretch forth thy hand unto whether thou wilt; before man are good and evil, life and death, and whichever he liketh shall be given to him," ^ it is manifest that, if he applies his hand to fire, and if evil and death please him, his human will effects all this; but if, on the contrary, he loves goodness and life, not alone does his will accomplish the happy choice, but it is assisted by divine grace. The eye indeed is sufficient for itself, for not seeing, that is, for darkness; but for seeing, it is in its own light not sufficient for itself unless the assist- ance of a clear external light is rendered to it. God forbid, however, that they who are *' the called according to His purpose, whom He also foreknew, and predestinated to be conformed to the likeness of His Son," ^ should be given up to their own desire to perish. This is suffered only by " the vessels of wrath," * who are per- fected for perdition; in whose very destruction, indeed, God " makes known the riches of His glory on the vessels of His mercy." 5 Now it is on this account that, after saying, " He is my God, His mercy shall go before me," ^ he imme- diately adds, " My God will show me vengeance upon my enemies."^ That therefore happens to them which is mentioned in Scripture, " God