[HarleyD]

Perhaps "burned" is too strong of word. Augustine retracted some of his works when he realized his error. He discusses this in Chapter 7 of the Treatise on the Predestination of the Saints.

It was not thus that pious and humble teacher thought—I speak of the most blessed Cyprian—when he said "that we must boast in nothing, since nothing is our own." And in order to show the, he appealed to the apostle as a witness, where he said, "For what hast thou that thou hast not received? And if thou hast received it, why boastest thou as if thou hadst not received it?" And it was chiefly by this testimony that I myself also was convinced when I was in a similar error, thinking that faith whereby we believe on God is not God's gift, but that it is in us from ourselves, and that by it we obtain the gifts of God, whereby we may live temperately and righteously and piously in this world. For I did not think that faith was preceded by God's grace, so that by its means would be given to us what we might profitably ask, except that we could not believe if the proclamation of the truth did not precede; but that we should consent when the gospel was preached to us I thought was our own doing, and came to us from ourselves. And this my error is sufficiently indicated in some small works of mine written before my episcopate. Among these is that which you have mentioned in your letters wherein is an exposition of certain propositions from the Epistle to the Romans. Eventually, when I was retracting all my small works, and was committing that retractation to writing,of which task I had already completed two books before I had taken up your more lengthy letters-Augustine

Please note that Augustine finally understood that grace must proceed faith. And he finally understood this from one of the earliest church fathers-Cyprian.

So every time Catholics take the Eucharist to receive God's grace, they negate the work of Christ simply because they do not accept the grace that God has given them.

[Claud]

Please note that Augustine finally understood that grace must proceed faith.

Trent:

CANON I.-If any one saith, that man may be justified before God by his own works, whether done through the teaching of human nature, or that of the law, without the grace of God through Jesus Christ; let him be anathema.

CANON II.-If any one saith, that the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, is given only for this, that man may be able more easily to live justly, and to merit eternal life, as if, by free will without grace, he were able to do both, though hardly indeed and with difficulty; let him be anathema.

CANON III.-If any one saith, that without the prevenient inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and without his help, man can believe, hope, love, or be penitent as he ought, so as that the grace of Justification may be bestowed upon him; let him be anathema.

I can't see how what you said above is any different from the Catholic view.

So every time Catholics take the Eucharist to receive God's grace, they negate the work of Christ simply because they do not accept the grace that God has given them.

What do you mean, Catholics do not accept a grace? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Calvin's position was that I was predestined and had no free will to either accept or reject grace.

The Catholic view is this: Everything, *everything* comes from grace BUT ALSO the will is free to accept or reject that grace. That's a tough one to square I know, but that's what has come down to us. Any attempt to "simplify" the doctrine by abandoning either grace or free will is anathema.

And anyway, I know you want to drag this back to soteriology (admittedly not my strong point) but my point was much wider. Did Augustine retract his views on the Mass, on the episcopate, on celibacy, on feast-days?