Page:Thirty-five years of Luther research.djvu/159

Rh casuistic "morale" and held that in the end a smaller sin might be substituted for a greater one, instead of discarding this opinion from the very outset. Or it may be explained according to Hermelink, first, through the distinct difference between spiritual and secular justice as it existed in Luther's conception of religion, i.e., the first marriage would be binding according to secular law, whereas the second only before God and the conscience of the contracting parties; second, through practice according to which a dispensation could be granted secretly for an action that the public law prohibited.

The year 1541 saw the completion of the revision of his Bible translation which he had begun in 1531, which gave us the German Bible as we know it today, with the exception of a few individual passages, the revision of which took place later on. What great care and work Luther devoted to the work of his translation of the Bible is now made evident by the third volume of Luther's "Deutsche Bibel" (Weimar Edition). Here we find the newly-discovered minutes of the sessions arranged by Luther with Melanchthon, Bugenhagen, Jonas, Cruciger, Aurogallus, etc., for the special purpose of revision of Luther's translation. Three such revisions have taken place in 1531, 1534 and 1539-1541. In 1531 only the Psalter was revised, in 1539-1541 the entire Bible. The minutes of the revision in 1534 are lost, so nothing can be stated positively. Reichart and Koffmane, who have treated the pertaining questions before, furnished the text of the minutes and commented successfully on them.85 How interesting it is to watch now the gradual growth of Luther's Bible! Risch sums up the problems