Chapter 5 [III.]—Pelagius Praised by Some; Arguments Against Original Sin Proposed by Pelagius in His Commentary.

But we must not indeed omit to observe that this good and praiseworthy man (as they who know him describe him to be) has not advanced this argument against the natural transmission of sin in his own person, but has reproduced what is alleged by those persons who disapprove of the doctrine, and this, not merely so far as I have just quoted and confuted the allegation, but also as to those other points on which I have now further undertaken to furnish a reply. Now, after saying, “If (they say) Adam’s sin injured even those who do not sin, therefore Christ’s righteousness also profits even those who do not believe,”—which sentence, you will perceive from what I have said in answer to it, is not only not repugnant to what we hold, but even reminds us what we ought to hold,—he at once goes on to add, “Then they contend, if baptism cleanses away that old sin, those children who are born of two baptized parents must needs be free from this sin, for they could not have transmitted to their children what they did not possess themselves. Besides,” says he, “if the soul is not of transmission, but only the flesh, then only the latter has the transmission of sin, and it alone deserves punishment; for they allege that it would be unjust for the soul, which is only now born, and comes not of the lump of Adam, to bear the burden of so old an alien sin. They say, likewise,” says Pelagius, “that it cannot by any means be conceded that God, who remits to a man his own sins, should impute to him another’s.”

CAPUT III.

5. Pelagius laudatus a nonnullis. Argumenta contra peccatum originis, quae Pelagius in Commentario suo proponit. Verumtamen nos non negligenter oportet attendere, istum, sicut eum qui noverunt loquuntur, bonum ac praedicandum virum, hanc argumentationem contra peccati propaginem, non ex propria intulisse persona, sed quid illi dicant qui eam non approbant intimasse, nec solum hoc quod modo proposui eique respondi, verum etiam caetera quibus me in illis libris jam respondisse recolui. Nam cum dixisset, Si Adae, inquiunt, peccatum etiam non peccantibus nocuit, ergo et Christi justitia etiam non credentibus prodest; quod in iis quae respondi, cernis quam non solum non expugnet quod dicimus, sed etiam nos admoneat quid dicamus : secutus adjunxit, Deinde aiunt, Si Baptismus mundat antiquum illud delictum, qui de duobus baptizatis nati fuerint, debent hoc carere peccato: non enim potuerunt ad posteros transmittere, quod ipsi minime habuerunt. Illud quoque accedit, inquit, quia si anima non est ex traduce, sed sola caro, ipsa tantum habet traducem peccati, et ipsa sola poenam meretur: injustum esse dicentes, ut hodie nata anima non ex massa Adae, tam antiquum peccatum portet alienum. Dicunt etiam, inquit, nulla ratione concedi, ut Deus qui propria peccata remittit, imputet aliena.