Augustine on authority of the Church and Scripture

I don’t recall where, but someone asked me for the citation of St. Augustine of Hippo (+430) who said that he would not accept the Scriptures were it not for the backing of the Catholic Church.   Here it is:

ego uero euangelio non crederem, nisi me catholicae ecclesiae conmoueret auctoritas. … But I would not believe in the Gospel, except that the authority of the Catholic Church moved me to do so.

This is from Contra epistulam Manichaei quam uocant fundamenti liber unus 5.6  (abbreviated as c. ep. Man. 5,6)

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4 Comments

  1. Martha says:

    Father Z:

    Do I have this right? “Repetitio est mater studiorum, Brianus”

    HEHEHE! That was funny.

  2. Martha says:

    Fr. Z;

    Funnier still, I posted under the wrong topic! :-D

  3. Paul in Bedfordshire (UK) says:

    Well that neatly deals with those who tell you that the word “Catholic Church” was not used before the reformation.

  4. Hank_F_M says:

    St Aufuastine’s quotation ends with a comment that the non catholic groups always claimed the the name Catholic but if you asked them directions to the “the Catholic Church” they would send you, no to their church, but to the real Catholic Church in town.

    The town next to us is Zion Illinois, which is town that lost the supreme court case about a cross on the town shield. The reason for the shield is it was formed by a group calling itself the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church. (They’ve changed the name since)

    But if you stood out on Sheridan Road and asked onesome for directions to the “Catholic Church” they would send you to Our Lady of Humility.

    Ce la plus change, ce la meme chose.

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