The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

violet. He was full of the most awful reverence and of self sacrifice in honor
of the Holy Spirit. He could merge himself entire in pure spirituality. And
yet he was well acquainted with the glories of this world, and knew how to
prize them. He was a complete man, I would say an absolute man, one in
whom matter and spirit were not divided. To call him a spiritualist,
therefore, would be as great an error as to call him a sensualist. How shall I
express it? He had something original, incomprehensible, miraculous, such
as we find in all providential men--something invincible, spirit-possessed."
Menzel & Schlegel.
"A fiery and daring spirit," Menzel calls him. "A hero in the garb of
a monk." But the most interesting testimony is that borne by Frederick
Schlegel; interesting not only because of the greatness of its source, but
because based on a thorough knowledge of the person of whom he speaks,
because uttered by a devoted and conscientious Romanist, and
accompanied by such remarks as to show that, deep as is his admiration of
Luther, he has in no respect been blinded by it. We will give extracts from
his,three great works: on "the History of Literature:" on "Modern
History:" and on the "Philosophy of History."
"I have already explained in what way the poetry and art of the
middle age were lost, during the controversies of the sixteenth, and how
our language itself became corrupted. There was one instrument by which
the influx of barbarism was opposed, and one treasure which made up for
what had been lost--I mean the German translation of the Bible. It is well
known to you, that all true philologists regard this as the standard and
model of classical expression in the German language; and that not only
Klopstock, but many other writers of the first rank, have fashioned their
style and selected their phrases according to the rules of this version. It is
worthy of notice, that in no other modern language have so many Biblical
words and phrases come into the use of common life as in ours. I perfectly
agree with those writers who consider this circumstance as a fortunate one;
and I believe that from it has been derived not a little of that power, life,
and simplicity,