rd particular things in time and space. Augustine saw that the danger of freedom was so great that he created the famous doctrine of adjutorium gratiae, the helping power of grace, which was given to Adam before he fell . . . This adjutorium gratiae, this assisting power of grace, implied indirectly that nature in itself cannot be good; it must be fulfilled by supernature . . ." (Tillich 125).
A considerable amount of Augustine's theology was generated as a result of dealing with the Pelagian controversy. Bertrand Russell states: "Saint Augustine taught that Adam, before the Fall had free will, and could have abstained from sin. But as he and Eve ate the apple, corruption entered into them, and descended to all their posterity, none of whom can, of their own power, abstain from sin. Only God's grace enables men to be virtuous. Since we all inherit Adam's sin, we all deserve eternal damnation. All who die unbaptized, even infants, will go to hell and suffer unending torment. We have no reason to complain of this, since we are all wicked. (In the Confessions, the Saint enumerates the crimes of which he was guilty in the cradle.) But by God's free grace certain people, among those who have been baptized, are chosen to go to heaven; these are the elect. They do not go to heaven because they are good; we are all totally depraved, except in so far as God's grace, which is only bestowed on the elect, enables us to be otherwise. No reason can be given why some are saved and the rest damned; this is due to God's unmotived choice. Damnation proves God's justice; salvation His mercy. Both equally display his goodness" (Russell 365). Essentially, then, this passage provides us with Augustine's belief concerning grace. It would seem that the approach of Pelagius was less severe; how
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