Augustine in His Own Words (continued)
tribunal was held in Carthage, with Paulinus acting as prosecutor and Aurelius, bishop of Carthage, serving as judge. In the following passage, Augustine writes to Aurelius and recalls six heterodox positions that Caelestius was accused of holding. From On the Deeds of Pelagius:
(11.23) For there follow certain objections made against Pelagius, which are said to have been found in the doctrine of his disciple Caelestius:
"That Adam was created mortal, and, whether he had sinned or not, he would have been going to die."
"That the sin of Adam injured only himself and not the human race." "That the Law leads to the Kingdom just as does the Gospel." "That before the coming of Christ there were men without sin." "That newborn infants are in the same condition in which Adam was before his transgression."
"That the human race as a whole does not die through the death or transgression of Adam, nor does the human race as a whole rise again through the resurrection of Christ."
These statements were raised in objection, just as also they are said to have been heard and condemned at Carthage by your Holiness and other bishops with you. As you will recall, I was not present there myself, but later, on my arrival in Carthage, I examined the acts of the synod, some of which I remember.41
Augustine has preserved one segment of the tribunal's record. This verbatim transcript allows us to hear the sometimes tense exchanges between Paulinus, Caelestius, and Aurelius. Quoted by Augustine in On the Grace of Christ and Original Sin, Book 2:
(3.3) Bishop Aurelius: "Let what follows be read out." And it was read out: "That the sin of Adam injured himself alone and not the human race."
Caelestius: "I said I was in doubt about the transmission of that sin, but that I would agree to it should someone bestowed with the grace of knowledge explain it, since I've heard various views from those who hold positions as presbyters in the Catholic Church."
Deacon Paulinus: "Tell us their names." Caelestius: "The holy presbyter Rufinus, who stayed in Rome along with the holy Pammachius. I heard him say that there was no transmission of sin."
Deacon Paulinus: "Is there anyone else?"
41. De gestis Pelagii 11.23 (CSEL 42:76–77); trans. Mourant and Collinge, FOTC 86:134–35. See also Augustine's discussion in ep. 157.3.22 (BA 21:78–80). The same six charges appear in a slightly different order in Marius Mercator, Commonitorium super nomine Coelestii (PL 48:69–70).