Author Archives: Matthew Phillips

Grammar is our Mother

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“Grammar is the cradle of all philosophy, and in a manner of speaking, the first nurse of the whole study of letters.  It takes all of us as tender babes, newly born from nature’s bosom.  It nurses us in our … Continue reading →

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The Importance of Speech

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“The whole community of men, the method of organising life in public and in private, procuring everything by which we preserve life, and also all communication, are held together by speech.” Philip Melanchthon, “Praise of Eloquence,” in Orations on Philosophy … Continue reading →

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Eloquence is worth the effort

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“For eloquence is something altogether greater than a noisy mass of words.  But yet, I see the young fall into error; since they know neither the power nor the nature of eloquence, they do not consider it worth the effort … Continue reading →

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Memory and Reason

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“Memory is, as it were, the mind’s treasure chest, a sure and reliable place of safe-deposit for perceptions.  Reason, on its part, is that power of the soul which examines and investigates things that make an impression on the senses or intellect.” … Continue reading →

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The Soul of a word

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“A word’s force consists in its meaning.  Without the latter it is empty, useless, and (so to speak) dead.  Just as the soul animates the body, so, in a way, meaning breathes life into a word. Those whose words lack … Continue reading →

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Eloquent Nonsense

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“We must beware of the man who abounds in eloquent nonsense, and so much the more if the hearer is pleased with what is not worth listening to, and thinks that because the speaker is eloquent what he says must … Continue reading →

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Eloquent Piety

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“We have stated that wise and eloquent piety is the goal of studies.  For it behooves all men to cultivate piety.  But the educated man is different from the unlearned in the following way: the former excels in reasoning and … Continue reading →

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Schools Preserve the Church

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“When schools flourish, things go well and the church is secure. Let us make more doctors and masters.  The youth is the church’s nursery and fountainhead. When we are dead, where are others [to take our place] if there are … Continue reading →

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Misery loves company

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“See how a teacher’s task, to my discomfort, is many sided.  Never, unless compelled by a teacher, does a boy take a book into his hands.  When he receives it, his eyes and mind wander off.  A teacher explains something, … Continue reading →

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Martin Luther on evil lawyers

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“Lawyers’ craftiness is dangerous business.  A godly man ought to know the law only for the sake of defense, to enable him to understand and prevent the wicked tricks of the world….Other lawyers are godless; they seek only their own … Continue reading →

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