Nicene/Post-Nicene, Series I, Volume 15

Augustine, A.D. 354 - 430

... While in another passage he says: "This is the stone which was set at nought by you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."...
On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants, Book I, Chapter 52

... the ecclesiastical proceedings, by which fourteen bishops of the province of Palestine pronounced Pelagius a catholic ... .
On the Proceedings of Pelagius, Chapter 1

After this heresy had deceived a great many persons, and was disturbing the brethren whom it had failed to deceive, one Coelestius, who entertained these sentiments, was brought up for trial before the Church of Carthage, and was condemned by a sentence of the bishops. Then, a few years afterwards, Pelagius, who was said to have been this man's instructor, having been accused of holding his heresy, found also his way before an episcopal tribunal. The indictment was prepared against him by the Gallican bishops, Heros and Lazarus, who were, however, not present at the proceedings, and were excused from attendance owing to the illness of one of them. After all the charges were duly recited, and Pelagius had met them by his answers, the fourteen bishops of the province of Palestine pronounced him, in accordance with his answers, free from the perversity of this heresy; while yet without hesitation condemning the heresy itself....
On the Proceedings of Pelagius, Chapter 62

"After the conviction and condemnation of the Pelagian heresy with its authors by the bishops of the Church of Rome,—first Innocent, and then Zosimus,—with the co-operation of letters of African councils ... .
Extract from Augustin's "Retractations", Book II, Chap. 50, On the Following Treatise, "De Gratia Christi, Et de Peccato Originali."

... Pelagius himself has lately forwarded to Rome both a letter and an exposition of his belief, addressing it to Pope Innocent, of blessed memory ... .
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book I, Chapter 32

I also have read those books or writings of his which he mentions in the letter which he sent to Pope Innocent, of blessed memory, with the exception of a brief epistle which he says he sent to the holy Bishop Constantius ... .
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book I, Chapter 37

"The blessed Bishop Ambrose," says he, "in whose writings the Roman faith shines forth with especial brightness, and whom the Latins have always regarded as the very flower and glory of their authors, and who has never found a foe bold enough to censure his faith or the purity of his understanding of the Scriptures." Observe the sort as well as the amount of the praises which he bestows; nevertheless, however holy and learned he is, he is not to be compared to the authority of the canonical Scripture....
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book I, Chapter 47

... Why does Pelagius choose to be sunk in that sea whence Peter was rescued by the Rock?
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book I, Chapter 50

... To such an extent did he push his freedom as actually to refuse, when on trial before the bishops at Carthage ... . In the written statement, too, which he presented to the most blessed Pope Zosimus at Rome, he declared ... .
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book II, Chapter 2

The venerable Pope Zosimus, keeping in view this deprecatory preamble, dealt with the man ... that he should yield his assent to the rescript of the Apostolic See which had been issued by his predecessor ... . he did not dare to hold out against the letter of the blessed Pope Innocent; indeed, he went so far as to "promise that he would condemn all the points which the Apostolic See condemned."...
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book II, Chapter 8

... For the most blessed Pope Zosimus recollected what his predecessor, who had set him so worthy an example, had thought of these very proceedings.... Now what was the solemn judgment which the holy Pope Innocent formed respecting the proceedings in the Synod of Palestine, by which Pelagius boasts of having been acquitted, you may indeed read in the letter which he addressed to me. It is duly mentioned also in the answer which was forwarded by the African Synod to the venerable Pope Zosimus ... .
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book II, Chapter 9

... You see clearly from these words, how that the most blessed Pope Innocent without doubt speaks of this man as of one who was by no means unknown to him. You see what opinion he entertained about his acquittal. You see, moreover, what his successor the holy Pope Zosimus was bound to recollect ... .
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book II, Chapter 10

... you of course feel that episcopal councils, and the Apostolic See, and the whole Roman Church, and the Roman Empire itself, which by God's gracious favour has become Christian ... .
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book II, Chapter 18

... the way in which Pelagius endeavoured by deception to overreach even the judgment of the bishop of the Apostolic See on this very question of the baptism of infants. He sent a letter to Rome to Pope Innocent of blessed memory; and when it found him not in the flesh, it was handed to the holy Pope Zosimus, and by him directed to us....
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book II, Chapter 19

... in the book of his faith which he sent to Rome with this very letter to the before-mentioned Pope Innocent ... . In order to procure the condemnation of these opinions, Pope Zosimus, as you may read, annexed them to his letter, which he wrote for publication throughout the catholic world....
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book II, Chapter 24

... For the eighth day, in the recurrence of weeks, became the Lord's day, on which the Lord arose from the dead; and Christ was the rock whence was formed the stony blade for the circumcision ... .
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book II, Chapter 36

... the Archbishop Ambrose, whose faith is proclaimed by Pelagius to be the most perfect among the writers of the Latin Church ... .
A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin, Book II, Chapter 47

The new-fangled Pelagian heretics have been most justly condemned by the authority of catholic councils and of the Apostolic See ... .
On the Soul and Its Origin, Book II, Chapter 17

Then follow four books which I wrote to Boniface, bishop of the Roman Church ... .
Extract from Augustin's "Retractations, Book II. Chap. 61, On the Following Treatise, "Contra Duas Epistolas Pelagianorum."

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 venerable Pope Boniface!...
A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians, Book I, Chapter 1

... For while so many and such important ecclesiastical documents were passing and repassing between the Apostolical See and the African bishops,—and, moreover, when the proceedings in this matter in that see were completed, with Coelestius present and making answer,—what sort of a letter, what decree, is found of Pope Zosimus ... . when he replied that he consented to the letters of Pope Innocent ... . he confessed his general consent to the letters of Bishop Innocent ... . But if, which be far from the case, it had so been judged in the Roman Church concerning Coelestius or Pelagius, that those dogmas of theirs, which in themselves and with themselves Pope Innocent had condemned, should be pronounced worthy of approval and maintenance, the mark of prevarication would rather have to be branded on the Roman clergy for this. But now, when the first letters of the most blessed Pope Innocent, in reply to the letters of the African bishops, would have equally condemned this error which these men are endeavouring to commend to us; and his successor, the holy Pope Zosimus, would never have said ... .
A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians, Book II, Chapter 5

... whereby he professed that he consented to the letters of Pope Innocent ... . Because these are the words of the venerable Bishop Innocent concerning this matter to the Carthaginian Council ... . Accordingly, if he would condemn the views objected to by Paulinus with a truthful heart and tongue, according to the judgment of the blessed Pope innocent ... .
A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians, Book II, Chapter 6

What was that which the same pope replied to the bishops of Numidia concerning this very cause, because he had received letters from both Councils, as well from the Council of Carthage as from the Council of Mileve ... . Lo, Pope Innocent, of blessed memory, says that infants have not life without Christ's baptism ... .
A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians, Book II, Chapter 7

What do they say to these things who dare also to write their mischievous impieties, and dare to send them to the Eastern bishops? Coelestius is held to have given consent to the letters of the venerable Innocent ... .
A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians, Book II, Chapter 8

... And still the Pelagian bishops do not dread, and at least are not ashamed, to send their letters to the catholic Eastern bishops, in which they charge us ... .
A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians, Book II, Chapter 10

... throughout nearly the whole of the West a dogma not less foolish than impious is taken up, and from simple bishops sitting in their places without a Synodal congregation a subscription is extorted to confirm this dogma," - although the Church of Christ, both Western and Eastern shuddered at the profane novelties of their words - I think it belongs to my care not only to avail myself of the sacred canonical Scriptures as witnesses against them ... .
A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians, Book IV, Chapter 20

And in the epistle which he wrote with sixty-six of his joint-bishops to Bishop Fidus ... . To which consultation the most blessed Cyprian in reply said: "But as regards the case of infants, which you say ought not to be baptized within the second or third day after their birth, and that the law of the ancient circumcision should be regarded, so that you think that one who is born should not be baptized and sanctified within the eighth day, we all thought very differently in our council. For to the course which you thought was to be taken no one agreed ... .
A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians, Book IV, Chapter 23

... by the perusal whereof you would have been able to gain a more exact and full knowledge of all that has been done by the bishops in their councils against these Pelagian heretics....
Two Letters Written by Augustin to Valentinus and the Monks of Adrumetum, Letter I, § 5

... For the letters to Pope Innocent, Bishop of Rome, from the Council of the province of Carthage, and from the Council of Numidia, and one written with exceeding care by five bishops, and what he wrote back to these three; our letter also to Pope Zosimus about the African Council, and his answer addressed to all bishops throughout the world; and a brief constitution, which we drew up against the error itself at a later plenary Council of all Africa ... .
Two Letters Written by Augustin to Valentinus and the Monks of Adrumetum, Letter II, § 2

... Against this system of error there was first a good deal of discussion; then, as the ultimate resource, it was referred to sundry episcopal councils, the proceedings of which ... .
A Treatise on Grace and Free Will, Chapter 6

... Therefore when Christ says, "I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not," we may understand that it was said to him who is built upon the rock....
Treatise on Rebuke and Grace, Chapter 38


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