By Lewis Loflin
Pelagius (c. 354–post-418) mirrors Jesus’ moral focus, unlike Augustine’s Manichaean-tinged original sin (*Confessions* 5). A Persian Gnostic echo, Augustine’s guilt-trip—flesh corrupt, even in marriage—clashes with reason. Pelagius, like Arius, fought for Jesus’ ethics, not church dogma, and lost to politics. My note: Deism cheers—reason trumps nonsense.
Original sin—Paul’s seed (Romans 5:12), Augustine’s bloom (*On Merit*, 412)—Pelagius rejected. Condemned in the West (Carthage 418), he was cleared in the East (Diospolis 415); Augustine’s sway was power, not truth (*Brown*). My note: Reason sees through control.
Pelagius’ alleged beliefs (*Catholic Encyclopedia*):
Grace through free will, no church needed (*Letter to Demetrias*). Early Christians agreed—Jesus’ life saves, not priests. Zosimus caved to Augustine (418); Cassian’s Semi-Pelagianism (c. 426) split the difference—man’s sick, not dead (*Conferences*). East favored Pelagius; West’s Ephesus nod (431) was political (*O’Riada*). My note: Reason backs free will—church fears it.
Luther (*Bondage*, 1525) and Calvin (*Institutes* 3.21) rode Augustine, ditching Jesus’ ethics for fatalism. Pelagius saw Manichaean shadows in their predestination (*On Free Will*). Arminianism—Semi-Pelagian roots—revived reason, goodness, via Wesley (*Sermons*). My note: Deism nods—ethics over dogma.
Protestants tout scripture; Catholics lean tradition—both hate Pelagius. Let’s test him with Bible and reason:
Adam mortal: Genesis 2:17—“you’ll die if you eat”—no immortality; 3:22 bans eternal life (*Westermann*). Pelagius wins—reason agrees, no innate death curse.
Sin personal: Deut. 24:16, Ezek. 18:20—only sinners pay (*Zimmerli*). Jesus skips Adam/Fall (*Allison*); Paul’s “one man” (Romans 5:12) is unscriptural bunk—immoral to boot. My note: Reason rejects guilt-by-proxy.
Sinless pre-Christ: Caleb (Numbers 14:24), Josiah (2 Kings 22:2)—praised, not damned (*Wace*). Why command the impossible, as Augustine/Calvin claim? Paul twists Deut. 30:14 in Romans 10:8—drops “do it” (*Dunn*). Jesus says “keep commandments” (Matthew 19:17)—no faith-alone (*Davies*). My note: Reason proves ability—Pelagius shines.
Infants innocent: No OT guilt at birth; Paul’s alone (Romans 5). Life’s a blank slate—reason backs Pelagius.
No racial sin/rise: Luke 1:6—Zacharias/Elisabeth “blameless” pre-Christ (*France*). No Adam link needed—reason frees us.
Law equals Gospel: Matthew 5:17—Jesus upholds Law (*Davies*); Paul flips—Romans 3:20 vs. 2:13 (*Dunn*). “Faith alone” is Paul’s, not Jesus’. My note: Reason aligns Law and ethics—church crumbles.
Britannica: Pelagius, likely British, Celtic monk, pushed free will, innate goodness (*Rees*). Opposed Rome’s laxity (c. 380), Augustine’s sin (*De Libero Arbitrio*). Cleared in Jerusalem (415), damned by Carthage (418)—Zosimus flipped (*PL 45*). Celtic legacy—practical faith (*Barth*). My note: Deism loves this individualism.
Columbia: Pelagianism fought Augustine’s gloom—grace is natural ability (*Expositions*). Condemned Ephesus 431; Semi-Pelagianism (Orange 529) softened it (*Denzinger*). My note: Reason favors Pelagius’ hope.
From Pelagius’ Letter to Demetrias (c. 413), cited in Augustine’s Grace and Free Will, we see his core stance: free will enables moral action without inherited sin. This led to his trial at the Synod of Diospolis (Lydda, Palestine) in December 415, convened by Bishops Eulogius, John, Ammonianus, and others (*Augustine, Grace*). Pelagius faced charges of heresy from Western bishops Heros and Lazarus, prompted by Orosius’ accusations on Augustine’s behalf (*Orosius, Apology*).
The accusers claimed Pelagius denied original sin and divine grace, asserting humans could avoid sin solely by free will. Pelagius countered: “I never said grace isn’t needed—just that it’s God-given ability, not a cure for inherited corruption.” He cited scripture: Ecclesiasticus 15:14-17—“God made man free to choose good or evil”—and argued infants aren’t damned at birth (*Letter*). When asked about sinlessness, he clarified, “It’s possible through effort and God’s aid, not inevitable” (*Synod Records*).
Augustine’s allies faltered—Orosius was absent, Heros and Lazarus weak. Pelagius affirmed grace as “God’s gift of free will and law,” dodging the trap of denying it outright (*Augustine, Proceedings*). The Eastern bishops, less tied to Augustine’s theology, found his views orthodox, declaring: “Pelagius’ statements align with scripture and reason” (*Synod Outcome*). My note: East’s logic beats West’s politics.
Post-trial, Augustine fumed in Proceedings, claiming Pelagius deceived the synod by redefining grace. Yet Jerome’s Dialogues Against the Pelagians (415) admits Pelagius’ acquittal stuck—Augustine’s Carthage victory (418) was political, not theological (*Jerome*). Zosimus initially backed Diospolis, writing to African bishops: “Pelagius is sound” (*Epistle 2*), but flipped under pressure (*Epistle 3, 418*). My note: Reason won at Diospolis—power won later.
The trial’s fragments—via Augustine and Jerome—show Pelagius’ focus: free will, personal responsibility, and scripture over dogma. His acquittal at Diospolis, despite later Western condemnation, underscores Eastern support for reason-based faith (*Brown*). My note: Deism salutes Pelagius’ stand.
Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for assisting in drafting and refining this article. The final content and perspective are my own, Lewis Loflin.
