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What the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches do with St. Augustine is that not all of his writing is necessarily concensus patrum, which is the only "security measure" that guards against private, individualistic or relativistic corruptions.

That's what I meant. I don't think you kicked Augustine to the curb, just that you threw out some of his writings. This is also what I mean when I talk of the truth being determined by popular vote.

But, speaking of discarding and distortions, it is really the Protestants who throw out all the other Saints as "bogus" and embraced only one, St. Augustine, and generally only Apostle Paul, and predominately the Old Testament.

I don't disagree with them because they are Saints, it's just the theology. I'm not sure how it is that I only supposedly embrace Paul and the OT. :) To me, all scripture is Holy and true. Sure, some books are more difficult, like James, but I don't throw them out. It's still scripture, which means I have to deal with it. That's fine with me.

Tertullian is a perfect example of someone who used to be orthodox and then later on in life left the Church through heresy ...

I didn't know he left the Church. I know I've heard him quoted before, so his earlier works are still OK?

You also read Scripture that is not the Scripture of the Church but of man called Luther, and men called Calvinists. Your Scripture is not identical to ours, nor does it say the same thing and is not the same canon.

I agree that our interpretations are vastly different, but I'm not sure how we read different scripture. I can understand that a Catholic or Orthodox might not read my NIV, but from what I understand, some on your side do read the KJV. So do some on my side. So what's different? Do you mean the extra books in the "Catholic Bible"? Were those ever Canonized?

This is also what I mean when I talk of the truth being determined by popular vote.

The bishops have been tasked to guard the faith, by the Apostles such as Paul, no less. Recall the words he gave to Timothy and Titus, for example. The Bishops continue to take that role seriously, realizing that God is guiding their work to maintain HIS teachings, since the Church is not giving its own teachings, as Paul said to the Galatians and I have recently quoted. Certainly, when someone, even a St. Augustine, says something that doesn't "sound true", it is censured... No one is above God's passed-down tradition (teachings)

I'm not sure how it is that I only supposedly embrace Paul and the OT. :)

Unfortunately, many Protestants consider Romans and Galatians a "canon within a canon", totally disregarding much of what Jesus Christ HIMSELF said! I would highly recommend a daily dosage of the Gospels, brother. Perhaps you might disavow yourself of the "Calvinist" concept of who God is.

I didn't know he left the Church. I know I've heard him quoted before, so his earlier works are still OK?

Tertullian was one of the greatest Latin writers prior to St. Cyprian. He is proof that even such a mind as his can stray from the truth and follow heresy. His earlier writings are accepted as completely orthodox.

I can understand that a Catholic or Orthodox might not read my NIV, but from what I understand, some on your side do read the KJV. So do some on my side. So what's different? Do you mean the extra books in the "Catholic Bible"? Were those ever Canonized?

One of my Bibles is an NIV transcription. I often post from the KJV, but only because I have quick access to it on the internet through Blue Bible. I do not consider it superior to the Douay Rheims, the Vulgate. The Deuterocanonicals (those books missing in the NIV) were accepted as part of Scripture in the late 300's in three local councils, and completely accepted by an Ecumenical Council at Trent in the mid 1500's. Perhaps you would be interested to know that Wisdom and Sirach are behind some of Paul and James' work respectively. Jesus Himself alludes to both of these books, as well.

Regards

That's what I meant. I don't think you kicked Augustine to the curb, just that you threw out some of his writings

Not just him -- many, many other Fathers of the Church received similar reception. Others, like Tertullian and Origen were superb theologians and their early teachings are to this day considered orthodox, but later they embraced heresies, proving once again that only concensus patrum can guard against individual self-rigtheousness.

I agree that our interpretations are vastly different, but I'm not sure how we read different scripture

The Orthodox Church uses Septuagint (LXX) as the Old Testament because it was used by the Apostles in over 95% of their OT references. That which the Apostles taught and wrote and used as source is, therefore, Scripture. Unfortunately, the Protestants, do not.