Memoirs and Confessions of Francis Volkmar Reinhard: From the GermanPeirce and Parker, 1832 - 164 pages |
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acquainted adherence agreeably altogether ancient arrangement attention became Bible called character Chemnitz Christian church Cicero circumcision circumstances commenced confess connected connexion conscientiousness consistory course Crusian dear friend defects delivered Demosthenes devoted Dietrichsdorf diligence discourse division doctrines Dresden duties easy eloquence entirely error examination excellent exercises exerted exhibit express feelings felt German German language give Gospel Haller hearers heart Helmstadt hence homiletics hypochondria important instruction Jesus labor language Latin Latin language learned lectures LETTER manner matter means mind minister ministry mode moral natural never nexion object obliged occasion orator pain particular passed perfect philosophy preacher preaching published pulpit Quintilian reason received Regensburg Reinhard remarks rendered respect revelation sacred Saxony Schröckh Scriptures selected sermons Socratic irony speak spect Sulzbach teacher theme theology thing thought tion treated truth Tzschirner Upper Palatinate views whole wish Wittem Wittemberg words writing
Popular passages
Page 70 - Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Page 36 - ... eloquence, particularly those of Cicero, at school. When at the university, I not only read them again, but with them connected Quintilian and Aristotle. With the theories of the ancients respecting eloquence, I compared their discourses, particularly those of Isocrates, Demosthenes, Aeschines, Lysias and Cicero ; and I have always thought, that the study of these proved of more use to me than lectures upon homiletics would have done. Here I must remark, that it was reading the ancients which...
Page 46 - ... ignorant of these disputes and discussions. The question, What connexion has philosophy with revelation, and how can the two be reconciled together ? had always been an interesting and important one to me, and it became increasingly so, from the moment I was called to deliver lectures upon theology. It is in vain for me to attempt to give you a description of the sad struggle in which I saw myself involved every morning ; — a struggle which was renewed with every preparation I made for lecturing,...
Page 100 - I have always had considerable difficulty in making a proper use of pronouns. Indeed, I have taken great pains so to use them, that all ambiguity by the reference to a wrong antecedent should be impossible, and yet have often failed in the attempt.
Page 38 - ... of an eloquence which rolls forth in periods, which are perfect in themselves, are harmonious, and fill the ear.* The more I read this orator, the clearer it appeared to me, that true eloquence is something entirely different from an artificial fluency of speech ; something entirely different from playing with antitheses and witty expressions; something entirely different from poetical prose, or, as Kant calls it, prose run mad ; and finally, something entirely different from that storminess...
Page 37 - ... or anything that bears the least resemblance to poetical prose ; — who, on the other hand, says and delivers every thing in those terms which are the most natural ; correctly distinguishing, and strikingly descriptive, and hence a man in whom are to be discovered no traces of affectation, or struggling after wit and surprising turns, or of that audacity so pleasing to many, and said to be the companion of genius ; — a man, on the contrary, who chains the attention of his hearers by a diction,...
Page 38 - ... of the heart which they ought to do ; finally, if I can procure for my discourse a fulness without bombast, an euphony without artificial rhythm, and an easy uninterrupted current which overflows, pouring itself as it were into the ear and the heart; if I can do all this, it will constitute the eloquence which is adapted to the pulpit. Then my discourse will be clear for the intellect, easy to be remembered, exciting to the feelings, and captivating to the heart. Then I...
Page 58 - Bible, which have always been recognized in my sermons, I have, on the one hand, been bitterly censured, and in reality calumniated ; and, on the other, tenderly apologized for and defended ; and I will frankly confess to you, my dear friend, that the latter has grieved me far more than the former. I commenced preaching at a time in which our illuminating theologians had succeeded in rendering the doctrines of Christianity so clear and intelligible, that nothing was left but pure Rationalism. Then,...
Page 50 - Hence, when I began to preach, I firmly resolved, never to postpone the composing of a sermon to the last moment, but always to commence the work as soon as possible. From the very outset, therefore, I made it an invariable rule, before delivering one sermon, to have another already prepared to follow it, in my desk.
Page 68 - Will they not be obliged to confess, that the very best actions they ever performed are not only entirely destitute of merit, but in addition thereto, so very defective and so far below every thing which God may and must require, that, instead of expecting complete justification, or, perhaps, a reward, they will have to entreat for connivance and forbearance? This humiliating feeling of personal unworthiness has not only not been diminished in me, as I have advanced in goodness, but been rendered...