Presented by the New Antioch Church of Christ;  Hillsboro, Alabama

The Church During the Reformation Movement

Home,  Contact Us,  Activities and Events,  News and Notes,   Archive,  Christian Evidences,  On-Line Bulletin,  The Church of Christ,  Baptism,  Music,  Links,  The Restoration Movement,  Youth,  Photos

Introduction

The Reformation movement was so named because those people involved sought to reform the Catholic Church, which had become morally and politically corrupt.  Men such as Martin Luther were able to see the depths to which Catholicism had reached and wanted to purify it by removing or reforming the policies that they considered the most corrupt.  This alone could not have caused any significant movement since the Catholic Church had become too powerful.  However, society had started to change as a result of the Renaissance.  Men had again begun to question and to ponder the world about them.  Learned men were no longer content to accept the teaching of the clergy on word alone.  They demanded to examine and read the scriptures for themselves.  Fortunately for them,  a new invention made this possible-the printing press.  Catholic officials immediately saw the threat that the printing press presented.  They condemned the printing of the scriptures and, when Guttenberg did just that, they forcibly tried to have all copies that he made destroyed.  They were fairly successful but the common people were starved for the Word and even the threats of the Catholic Church could not keep the scriptures from becoming available.  Slowly the power, that the Catholic Church had over local governments,  began to be weakened as civil leaders became more educated and affluent.  Thus the stage was set for men to begin to openly challenge Catholic policies.

THE BACKGROUND OF THE REFORMATION MOVEMENT

I.      John Wycliffe - (1328-1384)

a.      English clergyman who studied and taught at Oxford for most of his life.  He noted that the Roman Church owned most of the property in England and Europe and that Clergymen were nothing more than immoral and dishonest land owners who heavily burdened the people.

b.      In 1376 wrote Of Civil Dominion

                              i.    In it he declared that there needed to be a moral basis for ecclesiastical leadership. (All priests should be good men)

                            ii.   Said land ownership was the root of the problem.

                           iii.   The king at the time, John of Gaunt, was delighted to relieve the Roman church of its property to "purify the priesthood."  This also gave Wycliffe English Royal protection and led to church reform in 1378.

c.      After 1379 Wycliffe began opposing Catholic dogma, specifically the authority of the Pope.

                              i.   He insisted in writing that the Pope was not the head of the church, Christ was! (Calling the Pope - Anti-Christ!) and insisted that there were only two orders of officers in the church: elders and deacons.

                            ii.   The Bible, NOT THE CHURCH, was the sole authority for man.T

                           iii.   The church should re-model itself after the pattern of the N.T.

d.      In 1382 He opposed the doctrine of Transubstantiation, private masses, extreme unction, & purgatory, etc.

e.      He solidified with the preparation of a translation of New Testament in English -1382.

                              i.   An Old Testament English translation was finished by Nicholas of Hereford in 1384.

f.       Wycliffe's views were condemned in London in 1382.

g.      He was forced to retire to his rectory at Lutterworth where he founded a group of lay preachers called Lollards.

                              i.   The Lollards went throughout England teaching Wycliffe's ideas.

                            ii.   In 1401 the Roman church forced the statute De Haeretic (Comburendo through Parliament making the teaching of Lollard ideas punishable by death.

h.      31 years after his death, Wycliffe was declared a heretic, his bones removed from their tomb, burned and the ashes thrown into the Avon river. 

i.   Because of his work, Wycliffe is often called the Morning Star of the Reformation. For a detailed account of Wycliffe's work click here.

II.      John Huss - (1369-1415)

a.       Huss was a Bolfemian (Prague) pastor of Bethlehem chapel and rector of the university of Prague in 1409 and developed the views of Wycliffe to rely on the authority of scriptures.

b.      1409 he headed the National-Bohemian Party in cause of reformation. 

c.      He was excommunicated by both the archbishop and the Pope, and later the Council of Constance condemned him as a heretic.

                              i.   His desires to reform the church in Prague made him a papal "enemy resulting in being burned at the stake July 6, 1415.

                            ii.   In 1413 He wrote De Ecclesia.

d.      After His death the Taborites (radical followers of Hus) developed and more fully withdrew from Roman Church.

e.      In 1450 some of the Taborite group formed Unitas' Fratrum (United Brethren) or Bohemian Bethren.

                              i.   From this group that the Moravian church exists today.

                            ii.   For this reason, Hus is sometimes known as the "John the Baptist of the Reformation"

     f.  For an excellent article on John Huss entitled John Huss; Priest and Martyr, click here.

III.      Savonarola (1452 - 1498) (Florence, Italy)

a.       A writer and became Dominican Monk in 1474 and was assigned to Florence Italy in 1490.

b.      Savonarola tried to reform both state and church.

                              i.   He preached against the evil life of the pope.

                            ii.   He was offered the position of Cardinal in hopes that he would be loyal to the church, but he refused.

c.      He was arrested and tortured for six days.

                              i.   He confessed to doing wrong under torture.

                            ii.   He retracted his confession and was hanged and his body burned in 1498.

     d.  For a detailed account of his life click here to go to an article entitled His Preaching Got Him Burned.

IV.      What Catholicism Had Become

a.      Simony

                              i.   By "simony" is meant the purchase of an office in the church, the name and the offense coming from Simon Magus (the Sorcerer), who offered Peter money for the power to confer the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:9­24)

                            ii.   Simony was reformed by Gregory VII.

                           iii.   Simony had developed within the church as the feudal system came into being.

1.        The ecclesiastical vacancies were sold to the highest bidder.

2.        The most unsuitable persons became bishops and abbots (Mediaeval and Modern History, Myers, p.115-116)

b.      Indulgencies ­

                              i.   Tetzel's sale of Indulgences was the occasion for Martin Luther's break with Rome.

                            ii.   According to Roman teaching, purgatory is very much the same as hell…only it does not last as long, but all have to pass through it.

                           iii.   The pope claimed to have the authority and power to lessen or remit these sufferings

                          iv.   It began with Popes Pascal I (817-824) and John VIII (872AD...882AD)

                           v.   It was very profitable and soon came into general use

                          vi.   Indulgences were offered as inducement to go on crusades or wars  against heretics, etc.

                        vii.   This became a way of "selling the privilege of sin" (Halley's Bible Handbook, Halley, p.787).

V.      The Popes

a.      French control of the papacy (1303-1378)

                              i.   Benedict XI (1303-1304)

                            ii.   After his death, papal place moved from Rome to Auignon, France

b.      "Babylonian Captivity" of the papacy (1305-1387)

                              i.   Burdensome taxes were imposed

                            ii.   Church offices were sold for money

c.      The Papal Schism (1377-1417)

                              i.   Two sets of popes, one at Rome, one at Auignon

                            ii.   Each set claimed to be "Vicar of Christ"

d.      Renaissance Popes (1447-1503)

                              i.   Nicolas V (1447-1455), authorized the king of Portugal to war on Africans, making slaves of them

                            ii.   Paul 11 (1464-1471) filled his house with concubines

                           iii.   Innocent VIII (1484-1492) had 16 children by various married women

                          iv.   Alexander VI (1492-1503) was called the most corrupt of the Renaissance popes (Halley's Bible Handbook, Halley, p.778-779)

VI.      Councils

a.      The Council of Constance (1414-1418) far surpassed that of Pisa, and any which followed.

                              i.   The council proposed three objects:

1.        To bring Schism to an end

2.        To pass a judgment on the doctrines of Wycliffe and Huss

3.        To carry out that same reform, a reform of the church in head and in members, which for all that were true of heart had been long the dearest object of their desire; and which the mournful experience had not yet taught them was never through a council to be obtained.

                            ii.   The pope's aim was to bear the council in hand till a decent opportunity for getting rid of it shall arrive.

b.      The Council of Pisa (1409)

                              i.   It purposed two main objects:

1.        The restoration of peace, by a restoration of unity of the church.

2.        The second, the reformation of it in head and in members.

                            ii.   There were twenty three cardinals, either in person or by proxy, some two hundred bishops, nearly three hundred abbots, with doctors of theology and of the canon and the civil law, little short of five hundred, and others.

                           iii.   It lasted a little more than four months; from March 25 to August 7,1409

                          iv.   The council became deserted by many of its principal members and was adjourned for three years.

c.      The Unam Sanctam

                              i.    Pope Boniface and Philip the Fair (1285-1314) were in a mortal quarrel.

                            ii.   Letters were exchanged, and all decencies of language on both sides were cast away.

                           iii.   In the end, the famous bull, called Unam Sanctam from the opening words, was published on Nov. 18,1302

1.        It declared that every human being was subject to the Roman Pontiff, which is necessary for salvation.

2.        Philip was not terrified

                          iv.   Philip led a band of lawless soldiers in an attack on Boniface and gained victory.

VII.      The Rise Of Knowledge Planted The Seed Of Reform.

a.      Humanism

                              i.   Petrarch (1304-1374) known as the first of the Humanists was the first to fully realize and appreciate the supreme excellence and beauty of classical literature and its value as a means of culture.

                            ii.   He had great feelings for the material monuments of classical antiquity.

                           iii.   He called into existence a school of ardent young humanists who looked up to him as master.

b.      Humanism Develops.

                              i.   With mid-fifteenth century invention of printing with movable type, popular education became widespread and new educational ideals arose.

                            ii.   Luther favored widespread teaching

                           iii.   The demand for books was great

                          iv.   The great controversies brought many pamphlets, tracts, and brilliant works on classics, history, criticism, education and politics

                           v.   A study of the languages became common place for their aesthetic value - In the process leading to greater knowledge ­Planting the seed for later revolt.

                          vi.   Erasmus (1536) was one of the greatest humanists of the age.

1.        A scholar and promoter of classical erudition He was editor of the Greek text of the Bible.

2.        He was also author of The Praise of Folly (which ridiculed such human weaknesses avariciousness, credulity, pedantry, and gluttony.)

                        vii.   Other leading northern humanists of the time were:

1.        Thomas More

2.        Ulrich von Hutten

3.        Johann Reuchlin (Western Civilization Since 1500, Kirchner p.29-30)

c.      Translations of the Bible

                              i.   Practical reformation has never been possible without the average person having access to the scripture itself.

                            ii.   Early attempts to translate it into English were made before 1000 A.D.

                           iii.   Wycliffe did not use the original Greek and Hebrew, but translated the Latin Vulgate of Jerome into English

1.        This translation was used extensively by the Lollards, the followers of Wycliffe.

2.         It also influenced the Husite Reformation in Bohemia.

                          iv.   The first printed English New Testament was that of William Tyndale (1495-1536); published part of the Old Testament also.

1.        Tyndale used the original language of the New Testament (Greek) in his translation, finishing the New Testament in 1525; The Pentateuch in 1530; The book of Jonah in 1531; and Psalms in 1534

2.        His work was so good that when the King James Version was done later, it was about 90% identical with that of Tyndale.

                           v.   In 1535 the Miles Coverdale work began, which was taken mostly from Wycliffe and Tyndale.

                          vi.   In 1557 the Bible was divided into chapters and verses. There was also a prologue to each book with summaries and notes throughout. 7. By 1579 versions were so readily available that the average home was able to afford one.

                        vii.   The Bishop's Bible was published in 1586; it was a revision of the Great Bible.

                       viii.   From 1615 till 1769 there were many revisions of the King James Version.

                          ix.   A better English translation was published in 1881, due to the discoveries of the Codex Alexandrinus and Codex Sinaiticus

1.        There were advanced orders for almost two million copies

2.        Over three million copies were sold the first year

                            x.   In 1901, the American Revision Committee brought out a version which was more in keeping with American usage than the English version (The Eternal Kingdom, Mattox, p.274-278)

VIII. The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries - The Reformation

a.      Causes

                              i.   Long range

1.        The church had apostatized… from New Testament purity and was corrupted  in the Dark Ages

a.      These abuses came from within the church itself

b.      This had destroyed the unity.

2.        There were many false doctrines in the church

                            ii.   Immediate

1.        The papacy had reached the zenith of its power and was using it to promote its selfish interests

2.        The entire church could be characterized as being morally bankrupt

3.        It was under these conditions that sincere reformers arose to work for a moral and spiritual regeneration (The Eternal Kingdom, Mattox, p. 219-223)

b.      Luther

                              i.   Martin Luther was born in 1483, the son of a miner

Martin Luther

                            ii.   He studied law, then theology, and became an Augustine monk

                           iii.   His superiors sent him to Wittenberg, Saxony, to teach

                          iv.   Terrified by the corruption he had seen in Rome, doubtful as to many teachings of the church, and convinced that only faith and grace can lead to man's salvation

                           v.   He posted, on October 31,1517, ninety-five thesis on the church door, attacking one of the worst abuses, the sale of indulgences.

                          vi.   In 1520, Luther published three pamphlets

1.        He described Rome's abuses

2.        He demanded reforms in morals and in dogma

3.        He attacked some of the sacraments, transubstantiation, and worship of the saints

                        vii.   He insisted that the Bible alone constituted the final authority for a Christian

                       viii.   The pope (Leo X) threatened a ban of excommunication against Luther, but Luther publicly burned the pope's bull, and protested to be subjected to God only (Dec. 10, 1520)

                          ix.   Luther attended the Diet of Worms in 1521, where he again restated his position - This Diet excommunicated Luther &. Outlawed writings

                            x.   Luther's religious reforms eventually turned into a European movement (Western Civilization Since 1500, Kirchner, p.41-42)

                          xi.   Even before the death, which occurred in the year 1546, the Reformation had gained a strong foothold in most of the countries of Western Christendom (Mediaeval and Modern History, Myers, p.308)

          x.  For a detailed account of Martin's life and work, click here to got an article entitled A Mighty Fortress is our God; Martin Luther

c.      Roman Opposition

                              i.   Called the counter-Reformation, during which time the old church underwent a spiritual revival and administrative renovation

                            ii.   It failed to destroy the Protestant Reformation

                           iii.   It was some time before it was generally realized how powerful a new religious inspiration had come into the world (The Reformation Crisis, Hurstfield, P.50)

                          iv.   The main characteristic of revised Catholicism was its effort to regain by force the territory lost to the Protestants

                           v.   The history of this armed struggle which lasted nearly one hundred and fifty years falls into three periods

1.        The attack on the Calvinistic regions of Western Europe (1542-98)

2.        The attack on the Lutheran regions of Central Europe (1618-48)

3.        The struggle which led to English world supremacy (The Focal Points of Christian History, Dametz, p.121)

d.      The Swiss Revolt

                              i.   The Swiss Revolt was centered about Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531)

1.        Born in the village of Wildhaus

2.        At age of fourteen, went to Bern where he studied under Heinrich Wolflin

3.        For two years he studied at the University of Vienna

4.        He became a famous preacher, and taught against many of the Catholic doctrines

                            ii.   As the religious revolt broke out in other cantons -- the confederacy became divided into two hostile groups and preparations were made for war.

1.        On June 8,1529, Zurich, the leader of the Protestant league, declared war.

2.        The troops voted against it, so peace was negotiated

3.        The peace, signed at Cappel on June 24,1529, was lacking in precision and thus contained the germs of future dispute

                           iii.     Zwingli was killed in the second Swiss revolt which took place c Oct. 11,1531, at   
  Cappel, ten miles south of Zurich (The Renaissance, The Protestant Revolution, and 
  The Catholic Reformation In Continental Europe, Holme, P.269-275)

e.      The Anabaptists - 1500's

                              i.   Radical reformers who differed widely among themselves, were generally known as Anabaptists

1.        This suggests the idea of one baptism on top of another

2.        Was applied to these because they rejected the validity of infant baptism, saying that for baptism to be valid, the person must voluntarily submit to it as a believer

                            ii.   They were persecuted by both Catholics and the followers of Luther and Zwingli

                           iii.   They were very close to the New Testament pattern

1.        Believed the church was composed of believers only

2.        Rejected infant baptism

3.        Church membership was based on faith and conscious submission to baptism

                          iv.   There were many leaders of this movement who became corrupt (1) One had seventeen wives (2) Polygamy was approved

                           v.   The Catholics and Protestants united to stamp out the movement, and almost succeeded (1) One man was left (2) He studied the scripture and saved the movement from destruction (The Eternal Kingdom; Mattox, P. 262-265)

IX.      German Protestantism

a.      Diet of Speier – 1526

                              i.   As Protestantism advanced, the execution of the Edict of Worms became less and less practicable.

                            ii.   Many Catholics in the north had professed Luther's ideas while people in the south were predominately Catholic.

1.        This was made manifest at the Diet of Speier in 1526 under Archduke Ferdinand in the name of the emperor (Lutheran influence strong at this meeting)

2.        The Protestant princes dared for the first time to profess their faith

3.        The Diet came with the consent of Ferdinand to the unanimous conclusion Aug. 27, that a general or national council should be convened for the settlement of the church question concerning the Edict of Worms.

b.      The Second Diet of Speier convened in March, 1529 for action against the Turks and against further progress of Protestantism

                              i.   This meeting drew a majority of Catholics this time.

                            ii.   The Diet neutralized the recess of the preceding Diet of 1526

                           iii.    It virtually condemned (without annulling) the innovations made

                          iv.   It forbade any further reformation until the meeting of the council

                           v.   The Lutheran members, under well-founded impression that the prohibition of any future reformation meant death to the whole movement, entered in the legal form of appeal a protest on April 25,1529, against those measures of the Diet which were contrary to the word of God.

                          vi.   From this protest and appeal the Lutherans were called Protestants (History of the Christian Church, Schaff, vol.7, p.683-686, 690-693)

c.      John Calvin - More Swiss Influence

                              i.   Born at Noyon, July 10,1509

John Calvin

                            ii.   Educated for the church, he was presented, at the age of twelve, to a benefice in the Cathedral of Noyon he later, he began to preach the doctrine of Reformation

                           iii.   He became the organizer of a systematic Protestantism and laid down principles which have influenced a large part of the Protestant world until today

1.        The term Calvinismn is used to designate the system of theology worked out by him

2.        The word Presbyterian has also been used to describe the system of government Calvin adopted to the church in Switzerland

                          iv.   In order to spread his Reformation ideas, Calvin established a college with Theodore Beza as head

1.        It was so popular that students from all over Western Europe came to study

2.        Later, they returned to their home countries to spread Calvin's ideas (McClintock & Strong, vol.2, p.39)

                           v.   Calvin’s Teachings

1.        He believed the Bible was the infallible guide for the church, however, he also believed the Bible could be properly interpreted only by the elect

2.        He gave the Ten Commandments a very important place in theology

3.        He taught that the purpose of life was to glorify God instead of seeking pleasure

4.        Discipline, with excommunication for those who would not conform, was his rule

5.        He required every church member to partake of the communion at least four times a year, but he believed the sacraments were only for the elect

6.        At Geneva, Switzerland, 1536 Calvin cursed the world with his doctrine (sometimes called the Tulip Doctrine).

a.      Total Depravity (Sin of Adam inherited by all)

b.      Unconditional Election - (Predestination)

c.      Limited Atonement -(Jesus died for limited amount of people.

d.      Irresistible Grace - (Given to those predestined irresistible

e.      Perseverance Of The Saints - (Once Saved Always Saved)

                          vi.   Calvin died in 1564 and Theodore Beza took his place as leader (The Eternal Kingdom, Mattox, p.257-260)

          vii. Click here to go to the John Calvin Center.

d.      Council of Trent (1545 - 1563)

                              i.   Most of the reform of the Catholic Church was carried out in great measure by the Council of Trent

1.        The most important church assembly since that of Nicaea, 325 A.D.

2.        It passed upon all points that had been raised by the reformers

a.      Declared the traditions of the church to be of equal authority with the Bible

b.      Reasserted the divine character of the papacy

c.      Condemned as heresy the Lutheran doctrine of justification by faith only

d.      Made everything so clear that no one need err either in doctrine or duty and demanded that the lives of priests and bishops should be an exemplification of Christian purity and morality.

3.        These measures helped to check the Protestant movement. (Mediaeval and Modern History, Myers, p.310-311)

X. Other Reforms

a.      Thomas Cartwright - In 1572 began Presbyterian Church of England.

b.      Baptist Church - John Smyth - 1607 - First Baptist In England - 1611.

c.      John Knox - 1550's development of the Presbyterian church of Scotland. D. These denominations are still here today.

d.      Other Things To C