ST. AUGUSTINE: 19 DISTINCTIVE DOCTRINES THAT SHOW, FAR FROM BEING A PROTO-PROTESTANT, HE WAS THOROUGHLY CATHOLIC This was written by my friend Stephen (@TrentMDXLV), who came from a reformed protestant background. Similar to me, he grew up hearing that St. Augustine was essentially a proto-protestant. That all changed, as it did for me, when he took the time to actually dive into St. Augustine’s works himself. Like so many protestants who do the same, he discovered what he’d been told was false. St. Augustine was thoroughly Catholic. Indeed, a close reading of his writings and the teachings of the Council of Trent—which responded to the errors of various protestant sects in the 16th century—shows them to be virtually identical. Here is what Stephen wrote summarizing nineteen of St. Augustine’s doctrinal distinctives which show he was thoroughly Catholic: “𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞: (1) For Augustine, the “Catholic Church” refers to the one visible society of Christians under Apostolic rule and authority that definitionally precludes conflicting dogmas and rival altars. (2) Apostolic authority is wrapped up in a historical succession of bishops descending from the Apostles, without which the sacramental ministry of the Church cannot exist. (3) Justification is nothing other than regeneration/renewal. (4) He condemns “sola fide” explicitly no less than 4 times, and in fact says we must do good works in order to be saved. (5) As touching unconditional election, Augustine rejects that anyone can know that he is among the elect because perseverance to the end is the only sure sign. (6) Augustine, along with all the Fathers, believed virginity is superior in dignity to marriage. (7) Augustine explicitly commends prayers to the saints. (8) He also taught that the relics of the Martyrs work miracles. (9) Augustine taught that mortal sin could not be forgiven except through the sacrament of confession and penance. Nobody could privately pray and receive forgiveness for mortal sins. (10) Augustine taught that the Mass is a sacrificial offering to God. (11) He taught that the Mass, among prayers and almsgiving, aids in the salvation of the faithful dead. (12) As touching almsgiving, Augustine taught that almsgiving atones for sins of a believer. (13) Augustine believed in purgatory. (14) Augustine believed Mary was sinless. (15) Augustine believed the size of the Catholic Church proved it is the true Church over against the schismatics who did not fill the earth by comparison. (16) Augustine did not believe the perpetual virginity of Mary was optional—for him, as for the whole Church, it was a matter of dogma. (17) Augustine taught a regenerate, justified man could lose his salvation (Lutherans, Freewill Baptists, Wesleyans, many Anglicans, Holiness movements/Pentecostals hold the same). (18) The Church has inviolable Apostolic customs and traditions not found in Scripture. (19) Baptism makes a man a Christian, and not simply his profession. There is more to the list, but suffice it to say we are dealing with a very different animal than what we find in Protestantism generally, and Calvinism specifically.”
