THE AGES DIGITAL LIBRARY COLLECTIONS THE NICENE AND POST-NICENE FATHERS FIRST SERIES, VOLUME 5 by Philip Schaff, editor B o o k s F o r Th e A g e s AGES Software • Albany, OR USA Version 2.0 © 1997 2 THE NICENE AND POST-NICENE FATHERS VOLUME 5 AUGUSTIN: ANTI-PELAGIAN WRITINGS FIRST SERIES Edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. 3 SAINT AUGUSTIN’S ANTI-PELAGIAN WORKS TRANSLATED BY PETER HOLMES, D.D., F.R.A.S., DOMESTIC CHAPLAIN TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE COUNTESS OF ROTHES, AND CURATE OF PENNYCROSS, PLYMOUTH; AND REV. ROBERT ERNEST WALLIS, PH.D., INCUMBENT OF CHRIST CHURCH, COXLEY, SOMERSET. THE TRANSLATION REVISED, AND AN INTRODUCTION PREFIXED, BY BENJAMIN B. WARFIELD, D.D., PROFESSOR IN THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT PRINCETON, N.J. 4 CONTENTS PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION PREFATORY NOTE BY THE AMERICAN REVISER INTRODUCTION TO AUGUSTIN’S ANTI-PELAGIAN WRITINGS. BY THE REV. PROFESSOR B.B. WARFIELD, D.D., DEDICATION OF VOL. I. OF EDINBURGH EDITION DEDICATION OF VOL. II OF EDINBURGH EDITION PREFACE TO VOL. I OF EDINBURGH EDITION PREFACE TO VOL. II OF EDINBURGH EDITION “On The Merits And Remission Of Sins, And On The Baptism Of Infants.” Three books. Written A.D. 412. (De Peccatorum Meritis et Remissione, et de Baptismo Parvulerum.) Extract from Augustin’s “retractions” on “De peccatorum meritis,” etc The Treatise itself. “On The Spirit And The Letter.” One book. Written A.D. 412. (De Spiritus et Littera.) Extract from Augustin’s “Retractions” on “De Natura et Gratia.” The Treatise Itself. “On Nature And Grace.” One Book. Written A.D. 415. (De Natura et Gratia, contra Pelagium.) Extract from Augustin’s “Retractions” on “DE Natura et Gratia.” Introductory Note The Treatise Itself “On Man’s Perfection In Righteousness.” One Book. Written about the end of 415. (De Perfectione Justiciae Hominis.) Preface to the Treatise The Treatise Itself 5 “On The Proceedings Of Pelagius. One Book. Written Early in 417. (De Gestis Pelagii.) Extract from Augustin’s “Retractions” on “De Gestis Pelagii” Preface to the Treatise The Treatise Itself “On The Grace Of Christ, And On Original Sin.” Two books. Written in 418. (De Gratia Christi, et de Peccato Originali, contra Pelagium.) Extract from Augustin’s “Retractions” on “De Gratia Christi,” and “De Peccato Originali Book 1. On the grace of Christ Book 2. On Original Sin “On Marriage And Concupiscence.” Two books. Written early in 419 and 420. (De Nuptiis et Concupiscientia.) Extract from Augustin’s “Retractions” on “de Nuptiis Concupiscientia.” Advertisement to the reader A letter from Augustin to the count Valerius Book 1 Preliminary Notes to the second book Book 2 “On The Soul And Its Origin.” Four books. Written late in 419. (De Anima et ejus Origine.) Extract from Augustin’s “Retractions” on “De anima et ejus Origine.” Advertisement to the reader Book 1. Addressed to renatus Book 2. Addressed to the Presbyter Peter. Book 3. Addressed to Vincentius Victor. Book 4. Addressed to Vincentius victor. 6 “Against Two Letters Of The Pelagians.” Four books. Written in 420 or a little later. (Contra Duas Epistolas Pelagianorum.) Extract from Augustin’s “Retractions” on “contra Duas Epistolas Pelagianorum.” Book 1. Book 2. Book 3. Book 4. “On Grace And Free Will.” One book. Written in 426 or 427. (De Gratia et Libero Arbitrio.) Extract from Augustin’s “Retractions” on “de Gratia et libero Arbitrio.” Two letters from Augustin to Valentinus and the Monks of Adrumetum, and forwarded with the Following Treatise. The treatise itself. “On Rebuke And Grace.” One book. Written in 426 or 427. (De Correcptione et Gratia.” Extract from Augustin’s “Retractions” on “de Correptione et Gratia.” The treatise itself “On The Predestination Of The Saints.” one book. Written in 428 or 429 (De Praedestinatione Sanctorum.) “On The Gift Of Perseverance.” One book. Written in 428 or 429 (De Dono Perseverantiae.) 7 PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION “THIS volume contains all the Anti-Pelagian writings of Augustin, collected by the Benedictine editors in their tenth volume, with the exception only of the two long works Against Julian, and The Unfinished Work, which have been necessarily excluded on account of their bulk. The translation here printed it that of the English version of Augustin’s works, published with Messrs. T. and T. Clark at Edinburgh. This translation has been carefully compared with the Latin throughout, and corrected on every page into more accurate conformity to its sense. But this; has not so altered its character that it ceases to be the Edinburgh translation, — bettered somewhat, but still essentially the same. The excellent translation of the three treatises, On the Spirit and the Letter, On Nature and Grace, and On the Proceedings of Pelagius, published in the early summer of this year by two Oxford scholars, Messrs. Woods and Johnston (London: David Nutt), was unfortunately too late in reaching America to be of any service to the editor. “What may be called the explanatory matter of the Edinburgh translation, has been treated here even more freely than the text. The headings to the chapters have been added to until nearly every chapter is now provided with a caption. The brackets which distinguished the notes added by the translator from those which he translated from the Benedictine editor, have been generally removed, and the notes themselves often verbally changed, or otherwise altered. A few notes have been added, — chiefly with the design of rendering the allusions in the text intelligible to the uninstructed reader; and the more lengthy of these have been enclosed in brackets, and signed with a W. The result of all this is, that it is unsafe to hold the Edinburgh translators too closely responsible for the unbracketed matter; but that the American editor has not claimed as his own more than is really his. “In preparing an Introductory Essay for the volume, two objects have been kept in view: to place the necessary Prolegomena to the following treatises in the hands of the reader, and to furnish the English reader with some illustrations of the Anti-Pelagian treatises from the other writings of Augustin. In the former interest, a brief sketch of the history of the 8 Pelagian controversy and of the Pelagian and Augustinian systems has been given, and the occasions, objects, and contents of the several treatises have been briefly stated. In the latter, Augustin’s letters and sermons have been as copiously extracted as the limits of space allowed. In the nature of the case, the sources have been independently examined for these materials; but those who have written of Pelagianism and of Augustin’s part in the controversy with it, have not been neglected. Above others, probably special obligations ought to be acknowledged to the Benedictine preface to their tenth volume, and to Canon Bright’s Introduction to his edition of Select Anti-Pelagian Treatises. The purpose of this essay will be subserved if it enables the reader to attack the treatises themselves with increased interest and readiness to assimilate and estimate their contents. “References to the treatises in the essay, and cross-references in the treatise themselves, have been inserted wherever they seemed absolutely necessary; but they have been often omitted where otherwise they would have been inserted because it has been thought that the Index of Subjects will suffice for all the needs of comparison of passages that are likely to arise. In the Index of Texts, an asterisk marks some of those places where a text is fully explained; and students of the history of Biblical Interpretation may find this feature helpful to them. It will not be strange, if, on turning up a few passages, they will find their notion of the power, exactness, and devout truth of Augustin as an interpreter of Scripture very much raised above that the current histories of interpretation have taught them.” The above has been prepared by Dr. Warfield. I need only add that the present volume contains the most important of the doctrinal and polemical works of Augustin, which exerted a powerful influence upon the Reformers of the sixteenth century and upon the Jansenists in the seventeenth. They constitute what is popularly called the Augustinian system, though they only represent one side of it. Enough has been said on their merits in the Prolegomena to the first volume, and in the valuable Introductory Essay of Dr. WARFIELD, who has been called to fill the chair of systematic theology once adorned by the learning and piety of the immortal HODGES, father and son. 9 The remaining three volumes will contain the exegetical writings of the great Bishop of Hippo. Philip Schaff. New York, September, 1887. 10 INTRODUCTORY ESSAY ON AUGUSTIN AND THE PELAGAIN CONTROVERSY BY PROFESSOR BENJAMIN B. WARFIELD, D. D A SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE PELAGIAN CONTROVERSY (Adapted from Dr. Schaff’s Church History, vol. in.) I. THREE works of Pelagius, printed among the works of Jerome (Vallarsius’ edition, vol. xi.): viz, the Exposition on Paul’s Epistles, written before 410 (but somewhat, especially in Romans, interpolated); the Epistle to Demetrius, 413; and the Confession of Faith, 417, addressed to Innocent I. Copious fragments of other works (On Nature, In Defence of Free Will, Chapters, Letters to Innocent) are found quoted in Augustin’s refutations; as also of certain works by COELESTIUS (e.g., his Definitions, Confession to Zosimus), and of the writings of JULIAN. Here also belong CASSIAN’S Collationes Patrum, and the works of the other semi-Pelagian writers. II. AUGUSTIN’S anti-Pelagian treatises; also his work On Heresies,88, 428; many of his letters, as e.g., those numbered by the Benedictines, 140, 157, 178, 179, 190, 191, 193, 194; and many of his sermons, as e.g., 155, 163, 165, 168, 169, 174, 176, 293, 294, etc.