Calvinism in the Light of Scripture

In the 5th century two men, Pelagius and Augustine, and their teachings were at odds. Pelaglus believed that man had the freedom to choose good and evil. His favorite maxim was "If I ought, I can." Augustine believed every part of man—body, soul, and will—was totally depraved, Inclined toward evil. Man was Incapable of choosing good or even wanting to serve God. As the Catholic Church emerged, it followed the teaching of Augustine. Believing man was born with original sin and Incapable of doing anything good, the Catholic Church claimed to be the infuser of grace. Christening an infant took away the stain of sin and then the Church, through its sacraments, infused grace which enabled the person to keep God's law. The more sacraments (good works) one did, the more grace he received to have more power to do even more good. As the years passed, the traditions of the Catholic Church accumulated and slowly buried the teaching of Augustine. The Catholic Church became increasingly powerful an