A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

§ 85. Semi-Pelagian Controversy 519The end of the Semi-Pelagian controversy.The Council of Orange, A. D. 529, was made up of severalbishops and some lay notables who had gathered for thededication of a church at Orange. Cæsarius of Arles hadreceived from Felix IV of Rome eight statements against theSemi-Pelagian teaching. He added some more of his ownto them, and had them passed as canons by the companygathered for the dedication. It is noteworthy that the laynotables signed along with the bishops. Boniface II, to whomthe canons were sent, confirmed them in 532: “We approveyour above written confession as agreeable to the Catholicrule of the Fathers.” Cf. Hefele, § 242. For the sources of thecanons, see Seeberg, History of Doctrines, Eng. trans., I, 380,note 3. For the sake of brevity the scriptural quotations arenot given, merely indicated by references to the Bible.Canon 1. Whoever says that by the offence of the disobedienceof Adam not the entire man, that is, in body and soul, waschanged for the worse, but that the freedom of his soul remaineduninjured, and his body only was subject to corruption, has beendeceived by the error of Pelagius and opposes Scripture [Ezek.18:20; Rom. 6:16; II Peter 2:19].Canon 2. Whoever asserts that the transgression of Adaminjured himself only, and not his offspring, or that death onlyof the body, which is the penalty of sin, but not also sin, whichis the death of the soul, passed by one man to the entire humanrace, wrongs God and contradicts the Apostle [Rom. 5:12].Canon 3. Whoever says that the grace of God can be bestowedin reply to human petition, but not that the grace brings it about180 The references are to Augustine, De Dono Perseverantiæ, ch. 23 [64],and to Prosper of Aquitaine's epistle to Augustine, see Augustine, Ep. 225.Citations from both in PNF, ser. II, vol. XI. p. 158.