Germanus of Auxerre Against the Pelagian Heresy
By Simonetta Carr - Posted at Place for Truth : Published February 25, 2026 Many Christians are familiar with Pelagius, the Celtic monk who challenged Augustine of Hippo’s prayer, “Give what you command, and command what you will.” According to Pelagius, this was a useless prayer, because human beings already have what is necessary to obey God’s commands. All have, he said, the free will and ability to save themselves, but only those who “by the right use of free will merit the Lord’s grace and keep His commandments” “deserve to be rewarded” and are “assisted by grace.” [1] which is something they need to merit. Fiercely opposed by Augustine, who believed that grace is an unmerited gift of God to sinners who are unable to help themselves, Pelagius’s teachings were condemned first at the Council of Carthage (418) and then at the Council of Ephesus (431). These teachings, however, continued to have a significant influence in his native British islands, prompting the local bi...
