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Untitled Article
Another great . point in controversy between Pelagius and hi § opponents was infant baptism * . not that he openly , or avowed - ly opposed that practice but he denied that it procured the remission of sin , as he looked upon infants to be sinless . His
enemies , indeed , thought or suspected that he was hot in his heart an approver of infant baptism , in which they were very proba * bly , not mistaken ; as it is not very likely that the practice had ever been adopted in his native country * Austin , in several places , speaks as if he thought the Pelagians had a great rnind to deny infant baptism , if they could have had the fade : and ** . Marius Mercator would" needs have it , that their inward
sense was against it ; only , to keep up their credit with Christians , they , in words and declarations , owned it : which seems not unlikely . Pelagius himself , appears to have been but a timid man , unwilling to expose himself uselessly ., to the rage of his opponents , or to put himself in the power of enemies who would have shewn him no mercy ; at least s not without an explicit asid full recantation . He knew his men , and the spirit of the
times well ; and therefore acted warily , and kept t ) n his guard , as our Lord also did with his ensnaring enemies . Pelagius , in * deed , is charged by his enemies with going beyond mere caution or guarded ness , and even with having recourse to prevarication , evasion , and hypocrisy , for his own safety . If he did so , he was doubtless blameable ; but even then , the conduct cf his enemies , who forced him to . it ,-must have been still far more so ; snd while they are accusing him ^ they are but publishing their
own infamy . Whatever prevarication , evasion , or duplicity he might be guilty of , it was all owing to their base , intolerant , and persecuting conduct . Had they allowed him liberty of conscience ^ he would , no doubt , have declared his sentiments , without fear , disguise , or reserve . But when we consider that his good name , his safety , his life and all were at stake , some g rains of allowance may well be made for human weakness , or the frailty of a Hian in so undesirable , untoward and critical
a situation . All his precaution , however , did not avail him , but \\ kt the case of Paul in his last visit to Jerusalem , it seemed rather to increase the rage of his enemies- One of Austin's emissaries , named Orosius ^ followed him to Palestine , with letters of accusation and a hue and cry of heresy . In conseqence of which he was first examined at a meeting- or council of bishops held at Jerusalem , where Austin ' s letter against him was read by an interpreter , it being written in Latin : and when he was asked if $ he charges there exhibited were truc ^ he answered , out of re-
Untitled Article
514 Some Accoxmi of Mor ' gant , commonly called l * elagius 9
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1807, page 514, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2385/page/6/
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