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Diospolis, Synod of

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Diotallevi, Francesco

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(called by Augustine a "Council of Palestine," and which Jerome, in a letter to Augustine, calls miserabilis Synodus Diospolitana), a council of fourteen bishops held at Diospolis, the ancient Lydda, A.D. 415, to treat of charges of heresy brought by Heros, bishop of Aries, and Lazarus, of Aix, against Pelagius. "Pelagius himself was present, but not Heros or Lazarus. Their memorial was read, containing many propositions of Pelagius; among them, that children dying without baptism are saved, and enjoy eternal life, although they do not enter the kingdom of heaven; that the grace of God is not necessary for the performance of each particular good work; that man's free will, with the law and Gospel doctrine, is sufficient; that grace is given according to our merits and depends upon man's will. Pelagius confessed some of the propositions attributed to him to be really his, but he denied the sense which his accusers put upon them, maintaining that they were capable of being understood in a sense agreeable to catholic truth" (Landon, Manual of Councils, 208). The synod acquitted Pelagius; but, as Augustine justly remarked of the decision, it was not "heresy that was there acquitted, but the man who denied the heresy." See Schaff, History of the Christian Church, 3, 148; Hefele, Conciliengeschichte, 2:95 sq.