This is Part 2 of the series.
To summarize what the early church fathers and even Augustine himself taught until 412 A.D., Dr. Ken Wilson states:
The early Augustine’s traditional theology (My note – what orthodox Christianity taught at the time) pervasively asserts that humans can respond to God without divine assistance. “But miserable friends could be masters of this world if they were willing to be sons of God, for God has given them the power to become His sons” (On True Religion, 65). Contrary to the Manichaean misinterpretation of Ephesians 2:3 (“were by nature children of wrath” meaning at birth), Augustine denounced alienation from God by nature, “Remember what the apostle said, ‘In our lifestyle (behavior) we are alienated from God,’” and, “Augustine said: ‘I say it is not sin, if it be not sinned by one’s own will; hence also there is [a] reward, because of our own will we do right’” (Against Fortunatus the Manichaean, 21). Augustine clarifies that his free will statements concern current persons, not merely Adam’s original nature.[1]