In all of his writings against Plegius Augustine took the position of Sola Fide. He specifically rejected even the semi-Pelagianism which the Catholic church clings to today. Calvin documents it very will in the Institutes and it’s right there in his collected writings against Pelagius.
I have given you the exact words from the exact writings of +Augustine.
He was not a sola fide proponent. +Augustine taught what the Church teaches -- that we are saved by grace. There is no "only faith" in his beliefs.
Here are the key points of what I posted above and what Augustine wrote:
"When you shall have been baptized, keep to a good life in the commandments of God so that you may preserve your baptism to the very end. I do not tell you that you will live here without sin, but they are venial sins which this life is never without. Baptism was instituted for all sins. For light sins, without which we cannot live, prayer was instituted. . . . But do not commit those sins on account of which you would have to be separated from the body of Christ. Perish the thought! For those whom you see doing penance have committed crimes, either adultery or some other enormities. That is why they are doing penance. If their sins were light, daily prayer would suffice to blot them out. . . . In the Church, therefore, there are three ways in which sins are forgiven: in baptisms, in prayer, and in the greater humility of penanceAugustine says that Baptism was instituted for all sins, meaning that
Now, if the wicked man were to be saved by fire on account of his faith only, and if this is the way the statement of the blessed Paul should be understood--"But he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire"--then faith without works would be sufficient to salvation. But then what the apostle James said would be false. And also false would be another statement of the same Paul himself: "Do not err," he says; "neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the unmanly, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God."This is clearly against the error of sola fide
Now, If you say "only faith", then you say that James was wrong, that means you say that the Bible is wrong -- and THAT :) is wrong +Augustine quotes +Paul saying Paul himself: "Do not err," he says; "neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the unmanly, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God." --> so even if these have faith and do not show the works of faith, they will not be saved
Dear circlecity, It is not saved by faith alone -- we are saved by grace alone. it is the grace of God that has saved us through Christ's one-time sacrifice on the Cross. Scripture emphasises that it is not a "Lord, Lord, I believe" and zoom, but an actual change, a "work" of acceptance and repentence that is needed. We are told in Phil 2:12 to 12Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. and beyond this in many Biblical passages we're told that we must do something beyond just saying I believe. Jesus Himself said inMatt. 7:21
Matt 10:22
we must "endure" in our Faith to the end, not reject our God-given salvation We are asked to confess, to repent in Rom. 10:9
AND, we are told that Baptism is also critical in 1 Pet. 3:21
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