a 5th century monk and theologian who held a belief that man is basically good and sin is a voluntary exercise of will. After two different Councils excoricated him, he was eventually excommunicated by Pope Innocent I.

Pelagius:

• Denied original sin. He believed nobody should be born withthe sins of their ancestors, this includes the sins of Adam and Eve.
• Denied the necessity of divine grace for admittance into heaven.
• Believed that living a good life devoid of sin was grounds for salvation.

Not a popular person to the Catholic Church. His beliefs were a direct challenge to St. Augustine's teachings, and as such, St. Augustine spent much of his time attacking his beliefs.