Augustine's error - 001

Straw man argument

On Christian Doctrine, in Four Books Preface 2-9

Augustine supposes to put down all objections to his rules before he states them:

1. "There are some, then, likely to object to this work of mine, because they have failed to understand the rules here laid down."

2. "Others, again, will think that I have spent my labour to no purpose, because, though they understand the rules, yet in their attempts to apply them and to interpret Scripture by them, they have failed to clear up the point they wish cleared up; and these, because they have received no assistance from this work themselves, will give it as their opinion that it can be of no use to anybody."

3. "There is a third class of objectors who either really do understand Scripture well, or think they do, and who, because they know (or imagine) that they have attained a certain power of interpreting the sacred books without reading any directions of the kind that I propose to lay down here, will cry out that such rules are not necessary for any one, but that everything rightly done towards clearing up the obscurities of Scripture could be better done by the unassisted grace of God."

Having first seen Christ revealed in the scriptures, then and only then evaluating Augustine's works, can I say that he is in error because his rules obfuscate Christ and prevent the sincere reader from discovering him in much of the sacred text.

There are indeed rules, and helps and hints. These are taught by none less than the prophets and the apostles. Their instruction will be shown in future articles.

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