True Protestants and true Catholic Churchmen—Calvinists or the Reformed, Lutherans and classical Anglicans—consider Augustine to be one of the theological fathers of Reformation due to his teaching on salvation and divine grace. B.B. Warfield, the “Lion of Princeton Seminary,” has written an excellent work on Augustine and Calvin. (American Anabaptists, Revivalists, Wesleyans, Pentecostalists and other enthusiasts hardly recognize the great Doctor of northern Africa...or anyone else for that matter except their celebrities.)
Below, we offer two brief citations in memoriam of Augustine: (1) one example of an Augustinian and representative prayer from The Book of Common Prayer and (2) one quote from the vast corpus of Augustine—whom Luther often called the Blessed Augustine—a quote from Augustine concerning his conversion to the Lord and Redeemer of the Church.
(1) From the Book of Common Prayer:
The Second Collect at Evening Prayer.
O GOD, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee, we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
(2) From Augustine:
“I cast myself down I know not how, under a certain fig-tree, giving full vent to my tears; and the floods of mine eyes gushed out an acceptable sacrifice to Thee. And, not indeed in these words, yet to this purpose, spake I much unto Thee: and Thou, O Lord, how long? how long, Lord, wilt Thou be angry for ever? Remember not our former iniquities, for I felt that I was held by them. I sent up these sorrowful words: How long, how long, "to-morrow, and tomorrow?" Why not now? why not is there this hour an end to my uncleanness?
“So was I speaking and weeping in the most bitter contrition of my heart, when, lo! I heard from a neighbouring house a voice, as of boy or girl, I know not, chanting, and oft repeating, "Take up and read; Take up and read. " Instantly, my countenance altered, I began to think most intently whether children were wont in any kind of play to sing such words: nor could I remember ever to have heard the like. So checking the torrent of my tears, I arose; interpreting it to be no other than a command from God to open the book, and read the first chapter I should find. For I had heard of Antony, that coming in during the reading of the Gospel, he received the admonition, as if what was being read was spoken to him: Go, sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me: and by such oracle he was forthwith converted unto Thee. Eagerly then I returned to the place where Alypius was sitting; for there had I laid the volume of the Apostle when I arose thence. I seized, opened, and in silence read that section on which my eyes first fell: Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, in concupiscence. No further would I read; nor needed I: for instantly at the end of this sentence, by a light as it were of serenity infused into my heart, all the darkness of doubt vanished away.”
The Confessions of Saint Augustine, Book VIII, Paragraphs 28 and 29.
Lest we forget.
When I was on the verge of converting to Calvinism, St Augustine's writings were something I personally looked into heavily. To my surprise, I saw him nowhere supporting any uniquely Protestant doctrines, and in fact taught many things Protestants would consider grave heresy. He was simply "too Catholic" in his teaching to be Protestant.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link that shows just from the Confessions that St Augustine was Catholic and not a Protestant.
The Reformers and other "well educated" Calvinist scholars of old appealed to Augustine because he's the only Father who came anywhere close to supporting their claims, but even then they selectively cited and modified and threw out anything they didn't like. This realization is why no reputable scholar today will say Augustine is Catholic; that cat's out of the bag.
I looked into Augustine at length, years ago admittedly.
ReplyDeleteI think your thesis is much too grand, especially the claim to "catholicity." Protestants are Catholics, just not Romanists.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteWhy is my thesis too grand?
Just from Augustine's Confessions we see he believed in Baptismal Regeneration, Mass for the Dead, Intercession of the Saints, the power of Holy Relics, etc.
If I had to make a tally of these and other doctrines he taught, I would have no hesitation from merely a 'statistical' point of view of saying he was far, far closer to Roman Catholicism than Protestantism.
Thanks for further specification.
ReplyDeleteAs to baptismal regeneration, many Protestants have believed that with variances, e.g. Anglican, Reformed and Lutheran; I believe I was regenerated in baptism as a Confessional Catholic and Protestant Churchman. If you are talking about these Anabaptist sects in America (and elsewhere), I agree that they have no view of baptismal regeneration that generally, but not necessarily--head for head--obtains.
As to Masses for the dead, perhaps Augustine should have taken to heart his own medicine, to wit, if not established by Scripture, then nothing more should be posited. The supremacy of Scripture was decisively a catholic and universal doctrine.
The same for invoking saints.
You might be right about his belief in the power of relics. Did Augustine treat this in his book of retractions--retractions of poorly and erroneous things?