[HarleyD]

I have to tell you, FK, Blessed Augustine really disagrees with you on this one. Take a look at his Sermon XXI on Matt. 12:32

I would suggest this most likely is from one of Augustine's earlier sermons. Please note this blog and it's references about Augustine on perseverance. Perseverance: Owen, Augustine, and the Church Fathers . I also found the references to other church fathers to be equally as interesting on perseverance. They are very consistent with the Reformed Protestant view. Please look for these other gems of the Church fathers in the article. Here are a few.

Saint Augustine On the Gift of Perseverance

Clement of Rome gives plain hints of the firmness of true faith, and the perseverance of the saints in it to the end. When addressing the members of the church at Corinth, he says?[1] “Who has dwelt among you, that has not had an experience of, or proved, ten panareton kai bebaian umon pistin, your all-powerful, and firm or stable faith?” He also observes,[2] that “whereas it is the will of God, that all whom he loves should partake of repentance, and so not perish with the unbelieving and impenitent, esterizen to pantokratoriko boulemati autou, ‘he has established it by his almighty will.’ But if any of those whom God wills should partake of the grace of repentance, should afterwards perish, where is his almighty will? And how is this matter settled and established by such a will of his?”

Barnabas, an apostolic man, bears testimony to the doctrine of the saints’ final perseverance: when he says,[1] that “he that hopes in Christ, sterean petran, ‘the firm and solid rock,’ shall live for ever;”

Tertullian was no stranger to the doctrine of the saints’ final perseverance. “Satan,” he says,[1] “cannot do anything against the servants of the living God, unless he permits,

I would check out many of the quotes of the early fathers. They are rather interesting. It is possible for man to fall away, but God maintains man's salvation and upholds him to see him home. Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit cannot blasphemy against Him. He cannot deny Himself.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Excellent reference, Harley. If anyone matured as a Christian as he aged, it was Augustine. Just ask his mom.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

“Satan,” he says,[1] “cannot do anything against the servants of the living God, unless he permits."

AMEN!

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit cannot blasphemy against Him. He cannot deny Himself.

Another amen!

[Kolokotronis]

“I would suggest this most likely is from one of Augustine’s earlier sermons.”

Actually its from the later, middle period and was not retracted at the end of his life.

HD, I’m always glad to see that someone is reading the Fathers! But try not to proof-text them, HD. Western Protestant exegesis doesn’t work well at all with the Fathers. They say all sorts of things. +John Chrysostomos himself opined that the Most Holy Theotokos sinned. Consensus patrum, HD, consensus patrum, otherwise reading the Fathers is simply an exercise in looking for self confirmation.