Pelagians taught that Christians can take steps towards God by their own efforts

This view was propounded by the British theologian and exegete, Pelagius, who taught in Rome during the late fourth and fifth centuries. Pelagius did not recognize an original sin which leads to actual sins and argued that each individual is born with the freedom to sin or not to sin. Correspondingly, Pelagius taught that individuals are unhindered by original sin. They are thus free to accept the divine offer of salvation without the aid of grace, or to reject it. Controversy over Pelagianism continued for centuries in the West, through the period of the Protestant reformation and beyond. It was frequently rejected by councils and theologians. Augustine of Hippo was the most formidable of Pelagius' many opponents in the ancient church.