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that Calvin and Luther both found great favor with Augustine

That alone should put a damper on any historical aspirations, as St. Augistine is a late authority with regional appeal. fortunately for him, while he was an inspiration for the Reformers, he never actually believed anything the Reformers accuse him of believing and in fact he made sure later in life that his treatise on Predestination is not misunderstood in any proto-Calvinist way.

If you want to know what the early church universally believed, read "Against Heresies". Very easy read, two centuries earlier and universally recognized. Also hit Ignatius of Antioch, especially passages like

Chapter 7. Let us stand aloof from such heretics.

They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again. Those, therefore, who speak against this gift of God, incur death in the midst of their disputes. But it were better for them to treat it with respect, that they also might rise again. It is fitting, therefore, that you should keep aloof from such persons, and not to speak of them either in private or in public, but to give heed to the prophets, and above all, to the Gospel, in which the passion [of Christ] has been revealed to us, and the resurrection has been fully proved. But avoid all divisions, as the beginning of evils.
Chapter 8. Let nothing be done without the bishop.

See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid.
Chapter 9. Honour the bishop.

Moreover, it is in accordance with reason that we should return to soberness [of conduct], and, while yet we have opportunity, exercise repentance towards God. It is well to reverence both God and the bishop. He who honours the bishop has been honoured by God; he who does anything without the knowledge of the bishop, does [in reality] serve the devil. Let all things, then, abound to you through grace, for you are worthy. You have refreshed me in all things, and Jesus Christ [shall refresh] you. You have loved me when absent as well as when present. May God recompense you, for whose sake, while you endure all things, you shall attain unto Him.
to the Smyrnaeans

, and tell me if this reminds you of Protestantism.

and tell me if this reminds you of Protestantism.

Thankfully, and PRAISE GOD, NO!

Nor, does it remind me

Of the Scripture:

Where two or three [believers]
are gathered together,
in my name,
THERE am I
IN THE MIDST
OF THEM.

Clearly, Jesus didn't get the memo that it had to be with the magesterical's sanction, approval, scrutiny, blessing and the Bishop's sanction, approval, scrutiny, blessing and the umptyump's sanction, approval, scrutiny, blessing and the . . .

I think I'll choose Jesus' perspective and way over the Roman edifice's any day or century.

Matthew 18:20 (Amplified Bible)
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
20For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them.(A)

Matthew 18:20 (The Message)
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
18-20"Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there."

Matthew 18:20 KJV: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

And don't forget this passage from Against Heresies, Chapter 8:

1. Such, then, is their system, which neither the prophets announced, nor the Lord taught, nor the apostles delivered, but of which they boast that beyond all others they have a perfect knowledge. They gather their views from other sources than the Scriptures; and, to use a common proverb, they strive to weave ropes of sand, while they endeavour to adapt with an air of probability to their own peculiar assertions the parables of the Lord, the sayings of the prophets, and the words of the apostles, in order that their scheme may not seem altogether without support. In doing so, however, they disregard the order and the connection of the Scriptures, and so far as in them lies, dismember and destroy the truth. By transferring passages, and dressing them up anew, and making one thing out of another, they succeed in deluding many through their wicked are in adapting the oracles of the Lord to their opinions.

The thing I like about Iraneus is that he uses scripture to refute errors; not opinions of other Church members.

FK: "... that Calvin and Luther both found great favor with Augustine."

That alone should put a damper on any historical aspirations, as St. Augustine is a late authority with regional appeal. fortunately for him, while he was an inspiration for the Reformers, he never actually believed anything the Reformers accuse him of believing ...

I find it interesting that when Augustine says things you don't like, he is a late comer with only regional appeal, and besides, he took back everything that you didn't like. But when he says things you do like, he is "Blessed Augustine". It was your folks who declared him a saint. Based solely on comments from Catholics, I really see a love-hate relationship with this man.

[Irenaeus:] Those, therefore, who speak against this gift [Eucharist] of God, incur death in the midst of their disputes.

Unless the human ritual of Eucharist is salvation itself, isn't death a pretty harsh sentence to proclaim against all non-Apostolics?

..............

and tell me if this reminds you of Protestantism.

Well of course it doesn't, but why should it? Probably most of the writings of the Fathers which survived I disagree with. It wasn't my attempt to show otherwise. My point was to note that Protestant ideas DID exist from early on, and that the Reformers did not make everything up, as is so often the accusation from Apostolics.