St.

Augustine of Hippo, On Nature and Grace

For the way belongs to those who are making progress
[12 (13), p. 31]

I. Historical Considerations
c. 350s: birth of Pelagius 354: birth of St. Augustine. 409: Pelagius and Coelestius leave Italy for Sicily. 410: the Goths, led by Alaric, sack Rome; Pelagius and Coelestius arrive in Africa. 411: Synod at Carthage excommunicates Coelestius; at the same Synod, Aurelius, Bishop of Carthage, and Paulinus put forth the doctrine of original sin.1 415: Pelagius exonerated at Synod at Lydda; Jerome applies the term Pelagiani to Pelagius and his followers; St. Augustine composes De natura et gratia. 416: Pelagius condemned by Council of Carthage; this condemnation was confirmed by Pope Innocent I, overturned by Pope Zosimus, and then, under imperial pressure, reaffirmed. 418: a plenary council of Africa condemns Pelagius and Pelagianism; this condemnation is confirmed by Pope Zosimus. 430: death of St. Augustine 431: Pelagianism condemned at the Council of Ephesus. 529: Synod at Orange condemns Pelagianism and SemiPelagianism.

William J. Collinge, Introduction, in Saint Augustine: Four AntiPelagian Writings, trans. by John A. Mourant and William J. Collinge (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1992): p. 12.
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II. Some Definitions, Distinctions, and Clarifications

A. The Will According to St. Augustine, our wills at each moment are not neutral, but better or worse as a result of what has come before.2 According to Pelagius, the will is the power of choice, unbiased and neutral.3 B. Grace According to St. Augustine, grace is a supernatural remedy that does what free will cannot do itself.4 According to Pelagius, grace is a human capacity, bestowed by God, established in the Law, affirmed by the example and teaching of Christ.5 C. Predestination and Prevenient Grace These doctrines combine to assert that the elect are given the gift of perseverance, an assertion that is difficult to reconcile with the belief in a God of justice and mercy. However, as Joan OGrady points out: It can be understood from St. Augustines sermons and
OGrady, Joan, Early Christian Heresies (New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1985): p. 123. 3 Ibid., p. 122. 4 On Nature and Grace, in Saint Augustine: Four Anti-Pelagian Writings, trans. by John A. Mourant and William J. Collinge (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1992): 42 (49), p. 60. 5 See the list from Evans, Pelagius, cited in Introduction, op. cit., p. 9.
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from his expositions of the Psalms that the very fact of striving towards God implies the reception of His grace; the very fact of perseverance in striving shows that grace is being given; thus, in life, as against theory, the harsh doctrine of planned prevenient grace should have little practical impact.6 Indeed, St. Augustine himself argued against those who, he charged, are extolling grace to such an extent that they deny the freedom of the human will.7

D. Synergism In the West, St. Augustine has most often been criticized for his doctrines of predestination and original sin, often being made the scapegoat for versions of these doctrines which were not his own. In the East, likewise, St. Augustine has been criticized, but the basis for the criticism has been somewhat different. This criticism began with St. John Cassians rejection of St. Augustines doctrine of original sin. The alternative was branded in the West Semi-Pelagianism, but this is, in fact, the doctrine of the Eastern Orthodox Church, which is properly called synergism.

OGracy, op. cit., p. 120. St. Augustine, Letter 214, cited in Rose, Fr. Seraphim, The Place of Blessed Augustine in the Orthodox Church (Platina, CA: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1996): p. 46.
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Synergism, as defined by Fr. Seraphim Rose, asserts the cooperation of Divine grace and human freedom, neither one acting independently or autonomously.8 It is only when subjected to the dictates of logic that this cooperation breaks down into an irreconcilable contradiction. In fact, in my reading of On Nature and Grace, I found St. Augustine to be very balanced in this respect, hardly ever exaggerating in favor of grace, and often expressing what I take to be the true tenor of Orthodox theology. Following are several examples: In the passage concerning the possibility of controlling the tongue, St. Augustine writes: So by this precept we are admonished to make the attempt, and, failing in our own strength, to pray for the assistance of God. 15 (16), p. 33. Noting that the in the Lords Prayer, we ask forgiveness of past offenses and help in avoiding future offenses, St. Augustine comments: Indeed, this cannot be accomplished without the cooperation of our will; nevertheless, our will along is not enough. 18 (20), p. 35. We do in fact work, but when we work, we cooperate with God who works, for his mercy comes before us. 31 (35), p. 48. Here, St. Augustine goes on to preach his doctrine of prevenient grace, wherein admittedly the balance is weighted in favor or grace. In recalling these words [concerning Gods grace] we do not take away the freedom of the will, but rather we preach the grace of God. For to whom are these words helpful, except to the one who uses his own will, but uses it humbly, not priding himself in the strength of his will, as if it alone were sufficient to achieve justice? 32 (36), pp. 49-50. St. Augustine denies that we can become equal with God, but does assert that perfection of the love of God can be achieved:
8

Rose, op. cit., p. 40.

For I accept and contend that this can be done by the will of man assisted by the grace of God. 42 (49), p. 59. Following his metaphor of the man beaten by thieves and left for dead by the side of the road, St. Augustine writes: Accordingly, God does not command the impossible, but by his commandments he counsels to do what you can and to pray for his aid in that which you cannot do. 42 (49), p. 60. Finally, St. Augustine argues that if we should wish, like Pelagius, to exhort others to lead righteous lives, we should exhort them to pious prayers as well as to good actions; we should instruct them in such soundness of doctrine that they will both give thanks, from that time when they have begun to live rightly, because they have done something without difficulty, and, whenever they do experience some difficulty, endeavor to obtain facility from the Lord by faithful and persevering prayers, and actions stemming from mercy. 68 (82), p. 88.