Category Archives: Augustine of Hippo

Melanchthon on the Sacraments

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Matthew Phillips

“Sacraments are signs of God’s will toward us, not simply signs of the people’s will among themselves, and so it is right to define the New Testament sacraments as signs of grace.  A sacrament consists of two parts, the sign … Continue reading →

Posted in Apology of Augsburg Confession, Augsburg Confession, Augustine of Hippo, Book of Concord, Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, sacraments | Tagged | Leave a comment

Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Divine Law

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Matthew Phillips

“One may well ask, ‘How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?’ The answer is found in the fact that there are two types of laws: there are just laws, and there are unjust laws. I would agree … Continue reading →

Posted in Augustine of Hippo, Martin Luther King Jr, Politics, Thomas Aquinas | Leave a comment

Augustine, Luther, and the Lord’s Supper

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Matthew Phillips

“Holy Christendom has, in my judgment, no better teacher after the apostles than St. Augustine.  Should this dear and holy teacher be so reviled and defamed by the fanatics as to be regarded as the cloak and support of their … Continue reading →

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Augustine, Luther, and the Sacraments

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Matthew Phillips

“Baptism is a very different thing from all other water, not by virtue of the natural substance but because here something nobler is added, for God himself stakes his honor, his power, and his might on it.  Therefore it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Augustine of Hippo, Martin Luther, sacraments | 2 Comments

Contemplation, leisure, action, and bishops

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“As for these three kinds of life, the life of leisure, the life of action, and the combination of the two, anyone, to be sure, might spend his life in any of these ways without detriment to his faith, and might thus attain … Continue reading →

Posted in Augustine of Hippo, Bishops | Leave a comment

Criminal gangs or kingdoms

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“Remove justice, and what are kingdoms but gangs of criminals on a large scale? What are criminal gangs but petty kingdoms? A gang is a group of men under command of a leader, bound by a compact of association, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Augustine of Hippo, government | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Augustine of Hippo, eloquence, teaching | Leave a comment