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Pelagius was a British theologian active in Rome in the final decade of the fourth and first decade of the fifth century. He is principally known for his debate with Augustine.

Pelagius on Human Responsibility

(Excerpt from a letter written to Demetrias)

[Instead of regarding God's commands as a priviledge] . . . we cry out at God and say "This is too hard!" This is too difficult! We cannot do it! We are only human, and hindered by the weakness of the flesh!" What blind madness! What blatant presumption!

By doing this we accuse the God of knowledge of a twofold ignorance–ignorance of God's own creation and of God's own commands.

It would be as if, forgetting the weakness of humanity–God's own creation–God had laid upon us commands which we were unable to bear. And at the same time–may God forgive us!–we ascribe to the righteous One unrighteousness, and cruelty to the Holy One; first, by complaining that God has commanded the impossible, second, by imagining that some will be condemned by God for what they could not help; so that–the blasphemy of it!

God is thought of as seeking our punishement rather than our salvation . . . . No one knows the extent of our strength better than the God who gave us that strength. . . . God has not willed to command anything impossible, for God is righteous; and will not condemn anyone for what they could not help, for God is holy.
Pelagius on Human Freedom
We distinguish three things and arrange them in a certain order. We put in the first place "possibility" (posse); in the second, "will" (velle); in the third, "being" (esse). The posse we assign to nature, the velle to will, the esse to actual realization. Ther first of these, posse, is properly ascribed to God, who conferred it on his creatures; while the other two, velle and esse, are to be referred to the human agent, since they have their source in the divine will. Therefore human praise lies in being willing and in doing a good work; or rather his praise belongs both to humanity and to the God who has granted the possibility of willing and working, and who by the help of grace assists (gratiae suae adiuvat semper auxilio) exactly this possibility. The fact that someone has this possibility of willing and doing any good work is due to God alone. . . .
Therefore (and this must be often repeated because of your foolishness), when we say that it is possible for someone to be without sin, we are even then praising God by acknowledging the gift of possibility which we have received. It is God who has bestowed this posse on us, and there is no occasion for praising the human agent when we are treating of God alone; for the question is not about velle or esse, but solely about what is possible (potest esse).

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http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~marinaj/pelagius.htm