... and as such rooted his arguments in the notion of God-given freedom of will. Pelagius rejected the idea that grace is necessary to perform what God commands, as for Pelagius, responsibility implies ability. If man has the moral responsibility to obey the law of God, he must also have the moral ability to do it. The moral negligence of the people of Rome also affected him. Pelagius wanted a moral world, but saw a contradiction between man's action and the moral perfection required and embodied in God - he did not want God to be blamed for man's sin. Thus the nature of sin became pivotal in the Pelagian controversy, and shapes how we are to understand the issues of God's grace and free will. For Augustine, humans are sinful because humanity is universally blighted with sin. Teselle writes that, "Because of... [the fall]...all men are born in a condition of ...

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