As many of my blog readers already know, I have lately been doing article series where I address a particular church fathers and his views on a subject like Scripture (and its authority/relationship to tradition) as well as the Eucharist. So far, I have done both Augustine and Athanasius.
In this article, I want to revisit the writings of Augustine, the great bishop of Hippo. This time I want to take a look at many testimonies from his writings used by Romanists to assert his denial of sola scriptura and espousal of the Roman Catholic view concerning the relationship between Scripture and tradition.
Reply to Faustus the Manichaean, 33.9
"if you acknowledge the supreme authority of Scripture, you should recognise that authority which from the time of Christ Himself, through the ministry of His apostles, and through a regular succession of bishops in the seats of the apostles, has been preserved to our own day throughout the whole world, with a reputation known to all." (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/140633.htm)
On many of the patristic citations used by Roman Catholic apologists, a simple way to figure out the real meaning of the father being cited is to simply get the full context of section that is being quoted. That is exactly what has to been done here. Notice what Augustine says earlier in this part of his treatise (book 33):
"You are so hardened in your errors against the testimonies of Scripture, that nothing can be made of you; for whenever anything is quoted against you, you have the boldness to say that it is written not by the apostle, but by some pretender under his name. The doctrine of demons which you preach is so opposed to Christian doctrine, that you could not continue, as professing Christians, to maintain it, unless you denied the truth of the apostolic writings. How can you thus do injury to your own souls? Where will you find any authority, if not in the Gospel and apostolic writings? How can we be sure of the authorship of any book, if we doubt the apostolic origin of those books which are attributed to the apostles by the Church which the apostles themselves founded, and which occupies so conspicuous a place in all lands, and if at the same time we acknowledge as the undoubted production of the apostles what is brought forward by heretics in opposition to the Church, whose authors, from whom they derive their name, lived long after the apostles?" (Book 33, Section 6)
Reply to Faustus the Manichaean 13.5
"The authority of our books, which is confirmed by the agreement of so many nations, supported by a succession of apostles, bishops, and councils, is against you." (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/140613.htm)
This is not inconsistent with Sola Scriptura. While we do believe in Scripture as having a self-authenticating authority in its testimony to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is confirmed and supported by other pieces of evidence as well. Apostolicity is a criterion of canonicity; this principle being found in Scripture itself (Romans 6:17; 1 Corinthians 11:23; 15:3; Galatians 1:9; Philippians 4:9; Colossians 2:6-8; 1 Timothy 6:20; Jude 1:3)
On Baptism, Book 5
"the custom, which is opposed to Cyprian, may be supposed to have had its origin in apostolic tradition, just as there are many things which are observed by the whole Church, and therefore are fairly held to have been enjoined by the apostles, which yet are not mentioned in their writings." (On Baptism, 5,23:31, in NPNF I, IV:475)
This demonstrates a misunderstanding of Sola Scriptura on the part of Roman Catholic apologists who use this quote. Again, Sola Scriptura teaches that Scripture is the only infallible rule of faith and practice. We don't deny that the church has a role in doctrine and Scripture as well. We just do not hold it to be infallible. Too often Catholic apologists equate Sola Scriptura with a "me and my Bible alone in the woods" mentality (solo Scriptura).
The wider of context of Augustine is important here as well:
"For to none of the prophets, to no one at all in holy Scripture, do we read that it was granted to baptize in the water of repentance for the remission of sins, as it was granted to John; that, causing the hearts of the people to hang upon him through this marvellous grace, he might prepare in them the way for Him whom he declared to be so infinitely greater than himself." (On Baptism, Book 5, Chapter 9)
Notice here that Augustine seems to place Scripture in a position of ultimate authority when speaking of the issue of baptism.
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