Pelagians

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a sect of heretics that arose in the Church about the beginning of the 5th century. Their founder was Pelagius, a monk, a native of Britain, Morgan. He whose original name was was greatly scandalized by the gross sensualities and immoralities that prevailed in the Church, and was of opinion that they arose from a belief in the efficacy of the sacraments and the sufficiency of faith. The remedy for all, he thought, would be a creed holding man's salvation to be dependent on his own exertions. Pelagius went to Rome, and afterward to Carthage, where condemned by a council as following heresies: by nature mortal, and would have died whether he had the consequences of Adam's sin were confined to the human race; ( 3) that new fants are in the fall; (4) that the law was before his as well as the qualified man for heaven, some men Gospel; and that before Christ 5) that a man had lived without sin; ( commandments of God may keep the without difficulty, and preserve himself innocence; and that in a state of perfect proportion the grace of God is given in to our merits. These are the chief errors reckoned under the which are generally name of Pelagianism. Augustine and Pope Innocent I., in 417, anathemized the rising heresy. His successor, Zosimus, also condemned the obnoxious doctrine, and the emperor promulgated debanishment crees of confiscation and against them. Pelagius retired into exile, where he died. The ninth article of the English Church is directed against the Pelagian error respecting original sin.