"Even shoemakers, women, and ignorant people, who have learned only a little German, are eagerly reading the New Testament as the fountain of all truth; and that, moreover, with such frequency that they know it by heart. They also carry it about in their pockets, and in this way conceive in a few weeks such a high opinion of their knowledge that they dispute not only with Catholic laymen, but with the priests and monks, and even with doctors of theology, about faith and the gospel."

Luther's efforts in behalf of education were not fruitless. All Protestant Germany was aroused by his appeals. In 1525 he was commissioned by the Duke of Mansfield to establish two schools in his native town, Eisleben, one for primary and the other for secondary instruction. Both in the course of study, and in the methods of instruction, these schools became models after which many others were fashioned. As a direct and comprehensive result of Luther's educational endeavors, the forms of church government adopted by the various Protestant cities and states contained provisions for the establishment and management of schools. In a few years the Protestant portion of Germany was supplied with schools. They were still defective in almost every particular; but, at the same time, they were greatly superior to any that had preceded them. Though no complete system of popular instruction was established, the foundation for it was laid. To this great result Luther contributed more than any other man of his time; and this fact makes him the leading educational reformer of the sixteenth century.

(B.) MELANCHTHON.

Philip Melanchthon has been honored with the title Preceptor Germania. Excepting Luther, no other reformer did so much for education in Germany. His real name was Schwarzerd, meaning black earth; but this was translated by Reuchlin into the more euphonious Greek equivalent, Melanchthon. He was born at Bretten, Germany, in 1497, where he received his early education from a strict but faithful schoolmaster. "I had a teacher," he tells us, "who was an excellent grammarian, and held me rigidly to grammar. Whenever I made mistakes I received blows, yet with moderation. In this way he made a grammarian out of me. He was a good man; he loved me as his son, and I him as my father."

His precocity and thirst for knowledge were remarkable. Reuchlin admired the young scholar's ability, and one day playfully brought him a doctor's hat. Erasmus had a high opinion of him. "My God!" he exclaimed, "what promising hopes does Philip Melanchthon give us, who, yet a youth, yes almost a boy, deserves equal esteem for his knowledge of both languages! What sagacity in argument, what purity of expression, what a rare and comprehensive knowledge, what extensive reading, what a delicacy and elegance of mind does he not display!"

Melanchthon attended the University of Heidelberg, and took his bachelor's degree there at the age of fifteen. About this time he prepared a Greek grammar, which was not published, however, till several years later. He spent six years at the University of Tübin

gen, first as a student and afterward as a lecturer. In 1518 he was called to the chair of Greek at the University of Wittenberg. His small stature, youthful look, and timid manner, made at first an unfavorable impres sion; but his introductory lecture captivated his hear ers, and established his reputation. Luther, in particular, was delighted, and wrote to his friend Spalatin as follows: "Philip delivered a very learned and chaste address on the fourth day after his arrival, and that too with such applause and admiration on every side, that you need not trouble yourself further in commending him to us. We must look away from his exterior appearance; we rejoice in his gifts, at the same time that we are amazed at them; and we heartily thank our gracious prince, as well as your own assistance."

A warm affection and lasting intimacy soon sprang up between Luther and Melanchthon. They were complements of each other. This fact has been well exhibited by D'Aubigné in the following parallel: "Luther possessed warmth, vigor, strength; Melanchthon, clearness, discretion, and mildness. Luther gave energy to Melanchthon, Melanchthon moderated Luther. They were like substances in a state of positive and negative electricity, which mutually act upon each other. If Luther had been without Melanchthon, perhaps the torrent would have overflowed its banks; Melanchthon, when Luther was taken from him by death, hesitated and gave way, even where he should not have yielded. Luther did much by power; Melanchthon perhaps did no less by following a gentler and more tranquil method. Both were upright, open-hearted, generous; both ardently loved the Word of eternal life, and obeyed it with

a fidelity and devotion that governed their whole lives."

During his whole life Melanchthon was a student of remarkable industry. He often arose as early as two or three o'clock in the morning to pursue his studies, and many of his works were written between that hour and dawn. Literature was his passion, and it was against his will that he was drawn into theological controversy. On one occasion a Frenchman visited him at his home in Wittenberg. He found Melanchthon in the nursery, where he was rocking the cradle with one hand, while he held a book in the other. Observing the surprise of his guest, Melanchthon praised domestic life, and the gratitude of children toward God, in such appreciative terms that the stranger went away greatly edified.

Melanchthon earnestly desired the diffusion of learning. "I apply myself solely to one thing," he says, "the defense of letters. By our example we must excite youth to the admiration of learning, and induce them to love it for its own sake, and not for the advantage that may be derived from it. The destruction of learning brings with it the ruin of everything that is good—religion, morals, and all things human and divine. The better a man is, the greater his ardor in the preservation of learning; for he knows that of all plagues ignorance is the most pernicious." He says again: "To neglect the young in our schools is just like taking the spring out of the year. They, indeed, take away the spring from the year who permit the schools to decline, because religion can not be maintained without them. And a terrible darkness will fall upon society, if the study of the sciences should be neglected!"

Melanchthon exerted an influence upon the educational progress of Germany in various ways. First of all, he was an able teacher, whose instruction was largely attended. Two thousand students, from all parts of Europe, thronged his lecture-room at Wittenberg, and bore away the precious seed both of the gospel and of ancient learning. His personal relations with students. were peculiarly cordial. He welcomed them to his home, and gave them individual encouragement and aid. "I can truthfully affirm," he says, "that I love all the students with a fatherly affection, and feel the greatest solicitude for their welfare." Many of the leading educators of Protestant Germany, among whom may be mentioned Camerarius, Michael Neander, and Trotzendorf, were once his students. He contributed to the advancement of learning by his text-books. Besides a Greek and a Latin grammar, he published works on logic, ethics, rhetoric, and physics, and prepared annotated editions of the principal ancient classics. These works, written in a clear and scientific form, soon became popular, and some of them held their place in the schools for more than a hundred years. To him we are indebted for the well-known definition, "Grammar is the science of speaking and writing correctly."

To Melanchthon belongs the honor of having produced the first work on dogmatic theology in the Protestant Church. It appeared in 1521, and is known as the Loci Communes. Luther set a high estimate upon this work." Whoever wishes to become a theologian now," he says, "enjoys great advantages; for, first of all, he has the Bible, which is so clear that he can read it without difficulty. Then let him read in addition