Four Anti-Pelagian Writings

Preface

PREFACE This volume brings together writings from early and late stages ofAugustine's involvement in the Pelagian controversy. The first two books included here date from 415-16 and constitute two of Augustine's most extensive treatments of the actual words of Pelagius. In On Nature and Grace (De natura et gratia ), Augustine rebuts the work of Pelagius, De natura, which he says first convinced him of the dangers of Pelagius' teaching. In On the Proceedings ofPelagius (De gestis Pelagii), he examines Pelagius' testimony at the Synod of Diospolis in Palestine in 415, in order to minimize, and even turn against Pelagius, the synod's verdict that Pelagius was orthodox. In On the Predestination ofthe Saints (De praedestinatione sanctorum) and On the Gift of Perseverance (De dono perseverantiae), probably written in 428, near the end of Augustine's life, Augustine's opponents are, he admits, not really Pelagians at all. Labeled "Semi-Pelagians" in the sixteenth century, they were monks of Provence, led by John Cassian, who were disturbed by the more extreme consequences of the theology of grace and predestination that Augustine had worked out in his controversy with the Pelagians. Since Augustine's reply to these opponents continues and extends the lines of thought of those of his writings that were directed against Pelagius and his associates, we have seen fit to title this volume, Four Anti-Pelagian Writings. These writings, taken together, afford an occasion to examine both the continuity in Augustine's theology of grace and the developments in it which have been pointed out in recent scholarship and to which we make reference in the introductions to the works in this volume. They also afford insight into the fifth-century status ofmany theological questions which are still alive today, such as the extent of the damage done to huvii Vlll PREFACE man nature by sin, the theology of original sin, the effects of baptism, and the true meaning and scope of God's salvific will. Our translation is deliberately quite literal. This has the unfortunate effect ofintroducing non-inclusive language into the English which is not present in the Latin, that is, the use of "man" for homo (indeterminate in Latin as to the gender of its referent) and the use of the masculine pronoun for indeterminate third singular pronominal reference, normally accomplished by verb endings in Latin. The periphrasis commonly used in English nowadays to avoid non-inclusive language, such as pluralization of singular expressions, the use of "he or she," and the use of"human person" for "man," would, we felt, be excessively unfaithful to the wording of the Latin text and lend itselfto misinterpretation. But our choice is not an entirely happy solution to the problem, we realize. In quoting the Bible, we have sought to be faithful to the text as Augustine quotes it. We have based our quotations on the Douai translation ofthe Latin Vulgate, adapting for deviations from the Vulgate in Augustine'S quotations (he usually quotes from an Old Latin version) and at times updating the language ofthe translation. The edition used is The Holy Bible (Baltimore: John Murphy, 1914). A word is in order about the nature of the collaboration between the translators of this volume. John Mourant produced the first draft ofall the translations in this volume (except those ofLetter 225 and Letter 226, which are adapted from the translation ofSister Wilfrid Parsons in Volume 32 ofthe FOTC). William Collinge thoroughly revised the translations, wrote this preface, the introductions, and all notes except for references to Augustine'S sources, and compiled the bibliography and indices . We would like to extend special thanks to Professor Thomas F. Magner, emeritus of the Pennsylvania State University, who first arranged for this collaboration and has assisted us throughout the project. We would also like to thank Dr. Robert J. Wickenheiser, President of Mount Saint Mary's College, for President's Pride summer grants to William Collinge in 1987 and 1990 for work on this volume; Professor Robert D. Sider PREFACE IX of Dickinson College, for assistance with the revision of the translations; ProfessorJ. Patout Burns of Washington University , for advice on the introductions; Professor William E. O'Toole of Mount Saint Mary's College, for assistance with the preparation of the final manuscript; and the staff of the Phillips Library at Mount Saint Mary's College, especially Lisa Davis, for help in locating and $upplying often recondite research...