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

a view to their being read in the Diet as the
Confession of the Protestants. The great scholar
and divine devoted laborious days and nights to
this important work, amid the distractions and din
of Augsburg. Nothing did he spare which a
penetrating judgment and a lovely genius could do
to make this Confession, in point of its admirable
order, its clearness of statement, and beauty of
style, such as would charm the ears and lead
captive the understandings and hearts of the Roman
Catholics in the Diet. "They must listen," said he,
"in spite of themselves." Everything was put in the
least offensive form. Wittenberg and Rome were
brought as near to each other as the eternal barrier
between the two permitted.
The document when finished was sent to
Luther and approved by him. In returning it, the
Reformer accompanied it with a letter to the
elector, in which he spoke of it in the following
terms:–"I have read over Master Philip's apology: it
pleases me right well, and I know not how to better
or alter anything in it, and will not hazard the
attempt; for I cannot tread so softly and gently.
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