Against Two Letters of the Pelagians, Book I

Book I

• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.1 — Introduction: Address to Boniface. I Had indeed known you by the praise of your renowned fame; and by very numerous and veracious messengers I had learned how full you were of the grace of God, most blessed and…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.2 — Why Heretical Writings Must Be Answered. For the new heretics, enemies of the grace of God which is given by Jesus Christ our Lord to small and great, although they are already shown more openly to need to be avoided…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.3 — Why He Addresses His Book to Boniface. But these words which I am answering to their two letters,—the one, to wit, which Julian is said to have sent to Rome, that by its means, as I believe, he might find or make as…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.4 — The Calumny of Julian,—That the Catholics Teach that Free Will is Taken Away by Adam’s Sin. Chapter 4 [II.]—The Calumny of Julian,—That the Catholics Teach that Free Will is Taken Away by Adam’s Sin. Let us now,…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.5 — Free Choice Did Not Perish With Adam ’s Sin. What Freedom Did Perish. But in defending free will they hasten to confide rather in it for doing righteousness than in God’s aid, and to glory every one in himself, and…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.6 — Grace is Not Given According to Merits. Chapter 6 [III.]—Grace is Not Given According to Merits. But lest perchance they say that they are aided to this,—that they may “have power to become the sons of God,” but that…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.7 — He Concludes that He Does Not Deprive the Wicked of Free Will. It is not, therefore, true, as some affirm that we say, and as that correspondent of yours ventures moreover to write, that “all are forced into sin,” as…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.8 — The Pelagians Demolish Free Will. These proud and haughty people will not have this; and yet they do not maintain free will by purifying it, but demolish it by exaggerating it. For they are angry with us who say…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.9 — Another Calumny of Julian,—That 'It is Said that Marriage is Not Appointed by God.'. Chapter 9 [V.]—Another Calumny of Julian,—That “It is Said that Marriage is Not Appointed by God.” But now let us see what follows.…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.10 — The Third Calumny,—The Assertion that Conjugal Intercourse is Condemned. “They say also,” says he, “that sexual impulse and the intercourse of married people were devised by the devil, and that therefore those who…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.11 — The Purpose of the Pelagians in Praising the Innocence of Conjugal Intercourse. Chapter 11 [VI.]—The Purpose of the Pelagians in Praising the Innocence of Conjugal Intercourse. Yet what it is they wish, what they…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.12 — The Fourth Calumny,—That the Saints of the Old Testament are Said to Be Not Free from Sins. Chapter 12.—The Fourth Calumny,—That the Saints of the Old Testament are Said to Be Not Free from Sins. “They say,” says he,…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.13 — The Fifth Calumny,—That It is Said that Paul and the Rest of the Apostles Were Polluted by Lust. Chapter 13 [VIII.]—The Fifth Calumny,—That It is Said that Paul and the Rest of the Apostles Were Polluted by Lust. He…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.14 — That the Apostle is Speaking in His Own Person and that of Others Who Are Under Grace, Not Still Under Law. Chapter 14.—That the Apostle is Speaking in His Own Person and that of Others Who Are Under Grace, Not Still…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.15 — He Sins in Will Who is Only Deterred from Sinning by Fear. Nor let us be disturbed by what he wrote to the Philippians: “Touching the righteousness which is in the law, one who is without blame.” For he could be…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.16 — How Sin Died, and How It Revived. And what he says in that passage of the Epistle to the Romans, “Sin, that it might appear sin, wrought death to me by that which is good,” agrees with the former passages where he…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.17 — 'The Law is Spiritual, But I Am Carnal,' To Be Understood of Paul. Chapter 17 [X.]—“The Law is Spiritual, But I Am Carnal,” To Be Understood of Paul. But it is not so clear how what follows can be understood…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.18 — How the Apostle Said that He Did the Evil that He Would Not. Or by chance do we fear what follows, “For that which I do I know not, for what I will I do not, but what I hate that I do,” lest perhaps from these words…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.19 — What It is to Accomplish What is Good. And now does not what follows most plainly show whence he spoke? “For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing”? For if he had not explained what he said…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.20 — In Me, that Is, in My Flesh. And he declares both more plainly in what follows: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.21 — No Condemnation in Christ Jesus. Then he adds the reason why he said all these things: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The grace of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!”…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.22 — Why the Passage Referred to Must Be Understood of a Man Established Under Grace. Chapter 22.—Why the Passage Referred to Must Be Understood of a Man Established Under Grace. And it had once appeared to me also that…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.23 — What It is to Be Delivered from the Body of This Death. Chapter 23 [XI.]—What It is to Be Delivered from the Body of This Death. For when he says also, “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” who can deny…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.24 — He Concludes that the Apostle Spoke in His Own Person, and that of Those Who are Under Grace. Chapter 24.—He Concludes that the Apostle Spoke in His Own Person, and that of Those Who are Under Grace. On the careful…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.25 — The Sixth Calumny,—That Augustin Asserts that Even Christ Was Not Free from Sins. Chapter 25 [XII.]—The Sixth Calumny,—That Augustin Asserts that Even Christ Was Not Free from Sins. In like manner as to what he…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.26 — The Seventh Calumny,—That Augustin Asserts that in Baptism All Sins are Not Remitted. Chapter 26 [XIII.]—The Seventh Calumny,—That Augustin Asserts that in Baptism All Sins are Not Remitted. “They also say,” says he,…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.27 — In What Sense Lust is Called Sin in the Regenerate. But concerning that concupiscence of the flesh of which they speak, I believe that they are deceived, or that they deceive; for with this even he that is baptized…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.28 — Many Without Crime, None Without Sin. All these products of concupiscence, and the old guilt of concupiscence itself, are put away by the washing of baptism. And whatever that concupiscence now brings forth, if they…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.29 — Julian Opposes the Faith of His Friends to the Opinions of Catholic Believers. First of All, of Free Will. Chapter 29 [XV.]—Julian Opposes the Faith of His Friends to the Opinions of Catholic Believers. First of All,…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.30 — Secondly, of Marriage. “We say,” says he, “that that marriage which is now celebrated throughout the earth was ordained by God, and that married people are not guilty, but that fornicators and adulterers are to be…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.31 — Thirdly, of Conjugal Intercourse. “We say,” says he, “that the sexual impulse—that is, that the virility itself, without which there can be no intercourse—is ordained by God.” To this I reply that the sexual impulse,…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.32 — The Aprons Which Adam and Eve Wore. For they did not use for themselves tunics to cover their whole bodies after their sin, but aprons, which some of the less careful of our translators have translated as…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.33 — The Shame of Nakedness. This kind of shame—this necessity of blushing—is certainly born with every man, and in some measure is commanded by the very laws of nature; so that, in this matter, even virtuous married…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.34 — Whether There Could Be Sensual Appetite in Paradise Before the Fall. But, while maintaining, ye Pelagians, the honourableness and fruitfulness of marriage, determine, if nobody had sinned, what you would wish to…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.35 — Desire in Paradise Was Either None at All, or It Was Obedient to the Impulse of the Will. Chapter 35.—Desire in Paradise Was Either None at All, or It Was Obedient to the Impulse of the Will. But whichever you choose…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.36 — Julian’s Fourth Objection, that Man is God’s Work, and is Not Constrained to Evil or Good by His Power. Chapter 36 [XVIII.]—Julian’s Fourth Objection, that Man is God’s Work, and is Not Constrained to Evil or Good by…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.37 — The Beginning of a Good Will is the Gift of Grace. But you think that a man is so aided by the grace of God in a good work, that in stirring up his will to that very good work you believe that grace does nothing; for…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.38 — The Power of God’s Grace is Proved. That this is true we do not surmise by human conjecture, but we discern by the most evident authority of the divine Scriptures. It is read in the books of the Chronicles: “Also in…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.39 — Julian’s Fifth Objection Concerning the Saints of the Old Testament. “We say,” says he, “that the saints of the Old Testament, their righteousness being perfected here, passed to eternal life,—that is, that by the…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.40 — The Sixth Objection, Concerning the Necessity of Grace for All, and Concerning the Baptism of Infants. Chapter 40 [XXII.]—The Sixth Objection, Concerning the Necessity of Grace for All, and Concerning the Baptism of…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.41 — The Seventh Objection, of the Effect of Baptism. “We condemn,” says he, “those who affirm that baptism does not do away all sins, because we know that full cleansing is conferred by these mysteries.” We also say…vatican.va
• Against Two Letters of the Pelagians I.42 — He Rebuts the Conclusion of Julian’s Letter. But now the manner in which he concludes the letter by saying, “Let no one therefore seduce you, nor let the wicked deny that they think these things. But if they speak…vatican.va