preview

Essay on Gods Grace Vs. Free Will

Good Essays
Open Document
By the beginning of the fifth century, the rate of growth for Christianity was increasing exponentially. However, there was a negative result of this rapid growth. What might have simply been a different interpretation of one person, spawned into indifference among the entire population of Christian followers. The Church wished for elimination of these indifferences to maintain the strength of true worship. However, they saw it essential to put down the beliefs of one man in particular, Pelagius. His views were observed as a true threat to Christianity’s entire existence . With the very foundation of Christianity in jeopardy, Saint Augustine aggressively disputed, with the support of his own past religious struggles, the arguments of…show more content…
Pelagius explains that performing a good deed became so difficult for some because “the long custom of sin which begins from childhood and gradually brings us more and more under its power until it seems to have in some degree the force of nature.” This quote explains Pelagius’ notion of how sin can become a habit which is done unconsciously without a second thought.
Not surprisingly, many of those who knowingly commit sin are quick to develop excuses for their actions. Pelagius eventually became irate of the assortment of excuses he would hear: “It is hard!” “It is difficult!” “I am not able!” In particular, the excuse, “I am not able!” created outrage within Pelagius. He took this as a criticism of God, as the Creator, to beget men who were “insufficient for the keeping of His law.” He felt that “God could teach us the true way; God could set us a holy example; but God could not touch us to enable us to will the good.” Pelagius saw these conscious sinners as being insufficient within themselves; as they were expecting more from God than what was needed.
The basis of Augustine’s rebuttal to Pelagius’ views began with his opposing beliefs of original sin. Augustine argued that if children were born free of any sin, why were newborn infants baptized? He concluded that this common practice was to purge the child of what must have been the original sin inherited from
Get Access
Related
Get Access