From the Diet of Worms to the Augsburg Confession - James Aitken Wylie

consisting of John Bugenhagen, Justus Jonas,
Melanchthon, Cruciger, Aurogallus, and George
Rover, with any scholar who might chance to visit
Wittenberg. This body met once every week before
supper in the Augustine convent, and exchanged
suggestions and decided on the emendations to be
adopted. When the true meaning of the original had
been elicited, the task of clothing it in German
devolved on Luther alone.
The most competent judges have pronounced
the highest eulogisms on Luther's version. It was
executed in a style of exquisite purity, vigor, and
beauty. It fixed the standard of the language. In this
translation the German tongue reached its
perfection as it were by a bound. But this was the
least of the benefits Luther's New Testament in
German conferred upon his nation. Like another
Moses, Luther was taken up into this Mount, that
he might receive the Law, and give it to his people.
Luther's captivity was the liberation of Germany.
Its nations were sitting in darkness when this new
day broke upon them from this mountain-top. For
what would the Reformation have been without the
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