The Reformation (500 Years Later)

One of the most important parts of religious and human history was the Reformation. It was a
revolutionary change in Christianity. From the time of the 95 Theses to the beginnings of the 18th
century, early Reformation events greatly influence our modern world. The Reformation inspired
more inquires or the questioning of the authoritarianism of medieval Roman Catholic ecclesiastical
authority. It established the modern existence of Protestant and Baptist religious groups. Also, the
Reformation made the Catholic Church to create their Counter-Reformation. Part of the Counter-
Reformation was the invention of the Jesuits during the 16th century. The Jesuit founder Ignatius
Loyola desired the suppression of the vibrant, growing Protestant movement. The Jesuits had been
banned in numerous nations. Not to mention that the corruption and theological errors of the
Roman Catholic Church were massive factors on why the Reformation commenced in the first
place. The evil practice of indulgences (of the Catholic Church) harmed the poor and exploited
human lives. Martin Luther of Germany was one of the many early Reformers who sought not only
the promotion of sola fide (or faith alone). Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others wanted the Bible
to be translated into their own tongues as the Catholic hierarchy back then forbid Bible translations
to be in languages other than Latin. Bloodshed followed the Reformation. This included religious
wars among Protestants and Catholics. Independent Anabaptists (who were autonomous in their
structures, they believed in the believer’s baptism, and they followed the separation of church and
state) existed back then as well. Anabaptists were also persecuted by both Catholics and Protestants.

The Greek Textus Receptus (or a Greek translation of the New Testament) were used heavily
during the Reformation period. William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible in English relied on the
Textus Receptus. William Tyndale would be murdered, because of his support of the Reformation
and because of his theological views. In fact, many Protestants would be murdered by political and
religious authorities because of their faith. The Reformation was facilitated by the printing press
(which accelerated pro-Reformers’ literature rapidly. In Europe, Gutenberg modernized the printing
press). Not to mention that many poor and working class people in Europe agreed with some of
the principles of the Reformation. The Waldensians, John Wycliffe, John Huss, Erasmus, and other
people were predecessors of the historic Reformation movement. Many people, who claimed to
support the Reformation, would be involved in many evils like slavery, racism, and sexism. Others,
who supported the teachings of the Reformation (back then and today), would go on to advance
religious tolerance, human freedom, the freedom of press, an end to slavery, and justice. So, the
Reformation was a world changing event whose legacy is diverse and whose influence is extremely
powerful.

Predecessors Before the Reformation

In terms of religious antecedents, the Reformation is no exception. Since the days of Jesus Christ
(when he was physically in the Earth) and the early Apostles, many Christians have advanced a
simplistic, culturally enriching, and powerful Gospel. The early Christian church had no purgatory,
no adoration of the host, no Inquisition, no mandatory celibacy for priests, no absolution, no Lent,
no Syllabus Errorum [Syllabus of Errors], and no infallibility of the Pope. So, we have to follow real
history and the truth in order for us to grow spiritually. Cyprian was a religious leader during the
200’s A.D. He was a bishop of Carthage. He wrote much literature about spiritual matters ranging
from theological debates to history. He was the person who wrote that no man should act as
“bishop of bishops” in saying that no bishop from Rome or anyone else should act as the primary
leader of Christendom. As time went on, the Catholic Church, as we see it, would be invented and
false doctrines from purgatory to the veneration of saints would be part of its foundational
doctrines. Vigilantius of the 5th century A.D. spoke out against many errors that were spread in
Europe. Jerome criticized Virgilantius harshly, because Vigilantius continued to oppose the vigils in
basilicas or churches. Jovianius also criticized the myth that virgin is better than a wife in the sight
of God. I don’t agree with Jovanius on every issue, but he is right to question plus oppose
authoritarian institutions and false doctrines.

After the Roman Empire ended, the Germanic tribes (like the Franks, the Angles, the Saxons, and
the Visigoths) conquered much of Western Europe and even parts of Northern Africa. They later
became part of the many kings of Europe. The Pope continued to work with the kings in
dominating European politics, religion, and culture. Still, independent Christians flourished. During
the early Carolingian Empire of the 800’s (in France), many religious scholars questioned
transubstantiation (or the belief that the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is present during
communion ceremony, which is blasphemous and illogical). These scholars included Ratrammnus
of Corbie, John Scotus Eriugena, (an Irish theologian), and others (from the 840’s A.D.). Claudius
of Turin rejected the cult of images during the 820’s A.D. Gottscahlk questioned many Catholic
doctrines too. Many people in their positions risked imprisonment, their books burned, and some
even experienced death. Many religious people, who disagreed with Romanism back then, were in
fact killed by political authorities because of their religious views.

By the 1100’s, Peter of Bruys was a French religious leader who criticized infant baptism, opposed
the erecting of churches and the veneration of crosses, opposed the doctrine of transubstantiation,
and denied the efficacy of prayers for the dead. He’s right on all of those accounts except for the
opposition of the erecting of churches. I disagree with him on some issues, but his followers called
the Petrobrusians opposed mandatory clerical celibacy. He was killed by a mob later by 1131 A.D.

One of the most influential predecessors of the Reformation was Peter Waldo. He lived from 1140
to 1205 A.D. He was a leader of the Waldensians. He opposed purgatory and transubstantiation.
His followers preached around Europe, promoted a translation of the New Testament into the
vernacular (or the Franco-Provençal language), and he believed in the universal priesthood. His
followers existed for centuries in northern Italy to escape suppression. Many Waldensians would
ally with the Reformers centuries later. By the 1300’s, John Wycliffe was born. He is called the
Morning Star of the Reformation because of his views, which were very similar to the
Reformation’s ideologies. John Wycliffe was an English scholar, theologian, Bible translator, and
seminary professor at Oxford. He attacked the greed among some of the clergy in the United
Kingdom. He helped to create the Wycliffe Bible of 1382 (it was in the English language). He
criticized indulgences, wanted to promote anti-simony (or he was against religious bribes), and he
desired more progressive changes in the church. His views were condemned in 1377 by Pope
Gregory XI. John Wycliffe focused on helping the poor.

Wycliffe rejected transubstantiation. He wrote literature and passed away in 1384 at the age of 64.
His followers were the Lollards which expressed his doctrines throughout England. The Catholic
Church condemned him, excommunicated him, and burned his bones (and his ashes were thrown
into the River Swift, which flows through Lutterworth). William Thorpe of the 1400’s followed the
views of Wycliffe too. Jon Huss also disagreed with the Roman Catholic Church on many issues.
He lived in Prague and was a Czech priest. He was murdered in 1415. It is said that when he was
about to expire, he cried out, "Christ, son of the Living God, have mercy on us!" Hus' ashes were
later thrown into the Rhine River. The religious freedom that we take for granted in America was
brutally suppressed in many areas of the world centuries ago. The Hussites were his followers.
Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples believed in justification by faith and he believed in the authority of the
Scriptures. Erasmus wanted reform in the Catholic Church and he resisted greed and excess found
in many parts of the Catholic Church. He promoted study of theology and he was from the
Netherlands. Much of his research contributed to the Reformation Bibles of Europe. Erasmus
published Novum Instrumentum that deals with the Greek New Testament. He believed in
intellectual, theological research.

The Problems

The Reformation was created because of many factors. The Roman Catholic Church dominated the
lives of Northern and Western Europe. It didn’t have universal approval too. Many of the church
leaders wanted more worldly recognition and power than spiritual enlightenment. These realities
caused dissenters to increase their voices more forcefully. People criticized the Vatican as not going
far enough in establishing far reaching reforms. By 1500, the Renaissance took total flight in
Europe. It caused more people to question reality and the doctrines of the Vatican. The
Renaissance was a large artistic movement that focused on the creative expression of the human
mind. The printing press spread diverse ideas rapidly including ideas that challenged the Catholic
Church’s political power (as church and state are unified in the Vatican back then in most of
Europe). Many Popes were overtly corrupt. Some organized wars and lived extravagantly. One
example is how Pope John XII (955–964) gave land to a mistress, murdered several people, and was
killed by a man who caught him in bed with his wife. Pope Alexander VI admitted that he fathered
several children and had mistresses. In 1500, Pope Alexander VI called for a crusade against
Turkish peoples (who were mostly Muslims back then).

The world’s population reached about 400 million while 100 million lived in Europe and Russia.
Powerful monarchs challenged the Vatican as the supreme power in Europe. Many leaders viewed
the pope as a foreign ruler with too much power. European princes and Kings fought over wealth.
Merchants and others hated paying taxes to the Catholic Church. The sale of indulgences was not
only repugnant, but it was opposed by many. Some priests were illiterate and poorly educated, so
they couldn’t teach the people greatly. Some were using alcohol into excess and some gambled.
Some were married and I have no problem with clergymen or clergywomen being married.
Humanists like Erasmus and Thomas More promoted reform within Catholicism, but soon the
Reformation existed.

Martin Luther

The leader of the modern Reformation was Martin Luther. Martin Luther had strengths and
weaknesses. To describe both, we must start from the beginning. He lived from 1483 to 1546. He
lived in Germany. Ironically, many of his views not only opposed Catholic teachings. Some of his
views are in fact very similar to Catholicism. To begin, he was born in Eisleben, Saxony (then apart
of the Holy Roman Empire in Germany). His father was Hans Luder and his mother was
Margarethe. He had many brothers and sisters and he was close to one brother named Jacob.
Martin Luther went to Latin schools in Mansfeld and then Magdeburg in 1497. He was educated in
another school on grammar, rhetoric, and logic by 1498. Martin Luther entered the University of
Erfurt in Germany at the age of 19 in 1501. Luther did learning and spiritual exercises there. He
received the Masters of Arts in philosophy by the year of 1505. Later, he was almost struck by a
lightning bolt. He left law school, sold his books, and entered St. Augustine’s Monastery in Erfurt
on July 17, 1505. He became an Augustinian monk during the autumn of 1506. He was ordained a
priest at Erfurt Cathedral on April 3, 1507. His family wanted him to be a lawyer, but he decided to
be a monk. He taught religion at the University of Wittenburg from 1512 to his passing. He
received a Doctor of Theology on October 19, 1512.
The 95 Theses

The Vatican wanted indulgences to rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The friar Johann Tetzel
supported the promotion of indulgences (or money sent to the church which causes a church to
pardon someone of sins). Tetzel’s antics were wrong. Martin Luther opposed and protested the sale
of Indulgences. So, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five theses on the door
of the castle church in Wittenberg. He invited other scholars to debate him. The 95 theses was a
letter sent to Albert of Mainz. The full title of it was “Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power
and Efficacy of Indulgences.” Back then, Martin Luther had no intention of splitting with the
church, but an objection with one church policy. Thesis 86 asks rightfully that: "Why does the pope,
whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of St. Peter
with the money of poor believers rather than with his own money?" When word spread of the 95
Theses, Luther became well known throughout Germany. Luther later said that forgiveness was
God’s alone to grant and buying salvation via indulgences was a huge error.

The 95 Theses was translated in Latin and German by his friends in January of 1518. He later
believed in justification by faith alone. He believed that justification is the work of God, which is
true. He promoted his views by citing the verses from the books of Romans, Galatians, and
Ephesians. The salvation by God alone via grace through faith is one core belief of the
Reformation. Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz and Magdeburg did not reply to Luther's letter
containing the Ninety-five Theses. He had the theses checked for heresy and in December 1517
forwarded them to Rome. Luther believed that church teachings should be based on the words of
the Bible. He rejected the authority of the Pope and Church tradition. He believed that priests don’t
necessarily need to interpret the Bible for people since all people with faith are equal. His ideals
spread quickly. The Vatican at first tolerated him as a rebellious monk. By 1518, Luther denied that
the popes had an exclusive right to interpret scripture. He didn’t view the Pope nor church councils
as infallible. The theologian Johann Eck later wanted Luther to be defeated because of his views. In
1518, Luther appeared before Cardinal Cajetan in Augsburg and appealed to the General Council
while refusing to recant. In 1519, Luther and Johann Eck debated in the Leipzig Debate. In June 15,
1520, Pope Leo X threatened Luther with excommunication via his papal bull or edict Exsurge
Domine. The pope wanted him to recant 41 sentences drawn from his writings including the 95
Theses in 60 days. Luther refused and publicly set fire the bull and the decretals on December 10,
1520. He wrote about this in his "Why the Pope and his Recent Book are Burned and Assertions
Concerning All Articles." As a consequence, Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X on
January 3, 1521, in the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem. Martin Luther continued in his religious
views.

The Reformation Expands

After Martin Luther was excommunicated; his life was certainly in danger. As late as the 1500’s,
anyone risked death if he or she disagreed with the Vatican in public (in Europe). Devout Catholic
and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V opposed Luther’s teachings. Charles V controlled a lot of
lands and had great power. So, Charles V summoned Luther to the town of Worms. He stood trial.
Luther refused to recant or take back his statements. This event is called the Diet of Worms (which
is found on the Rhine). Prince Frederick III or the Elector of Saxony protected Luther’s life
literally. Later, the Emperor Charles V showed his final draft of the Edict of Worms on May 25,
1521. It declared Luther an outlaw, it banned his literature, and wanted his arrest. It said that: "We
want him to be apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic." It also made it a crime for
anyone in Germany to give Luther food or shelter. It permitted anyone to kill Luther without legal
consequence. Prince Frederick the Wise of Saxony protected Luther’s life. In one of his castles
(in the Wartburg Castle at Eisenach), Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into
German. He created many writings. Luther attacked with literature Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz.
He worked with his friend Melanchthon. Luther came back into Wittenburg in 1522. He had his
own separate religious group called the Lutherans.
Immediately by 1524, the heroic Peasants’ Revolt existed. This revolt was created by peasants, who
were against the injustices of feudalism and economic exploitation by the wealthy elites. The
German peasants believed that Luther’s views can inspire change. Luther opposed the revolt and
called for the princes in Germany to stop it without mercy. The German princes killed as many as
100,000 people. The peasants rejected Luther’s religious leadership, because they felt betrayed by
him. Northern German princes supported Luther. They became the Protestants. In two of his later
works, Luther expressed anti-Semitic views, writing that Jewish homes and synagogues should be
destroyed, their money confiscated, and liberty curtailed. There is no excuse for anti-Semitism as it
is racist and evil period. Today, every Lutheran denomination has condemned those views and anti-
Semitism in general. Later, Protestants included those who disagreed with Roman Catholicism in
Western and Northern Europe. Charles V of Germany fought against the Protestant princes.
Charles V won the war, but the movement of the Reformation grew. The Peace of Augsburg of
1555 allowed princes in Germany to decide for themselves their own religion.

The Diversity of the Reformers (in the Reformation)

While the Reformation grew, England had many people who started to embrace Protestantism
during the 1500’s. The Catholic Church’s stronghold in England started to end. The Lollard
movement existed in England for a while. King Henry VIII of England wanted a son to control his
empire. He wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon. The Pope refused to do so. So, King Henry
VIII decided to end the marriage himself. In 1529, he asked the Parliament to end the pope’s power
over his government in England. By 1533, Henry secretly married Anne Boleyn and the Parliament
allowed the divorce of his first marriage. In 1553, the Parliament promoted the Act of Supremacy
which ended the Pope’s control over England politically. This policy wanted King Henry VIII, not
the pope, to rule the Church of England (or the Anglican Church). Thomas More was an English
Catholic who criticized policies of the Vatican, but refused to break away from the Catholic Church.
He refused to obey the Act of Supremacy. So, King Henry VIII had him arrested and executed.
Anne Boleyn had a child named Elizabeth. She was beheaded in 1536 for not giving birth to a
son. King Henry VIII died in 1547. He had a son named Edward, who was born in 1537. Edward’s
mother was Jane Seymour.
Edward VI was advised by Protestant adult advisers. He ruled for six years. Later, Mary or the
daughter of Catherine of Aragon was on the throne in 1553. She was a Catholic and supported the
Pope. She had many Protestants executed. That is why she was nicknamed "Bloody Mary." She died
in 1558. Elizabeth or the famous Queen Elizabeth (daughter of Anne Boleyn) inherited the throne.
In 1559, Queen Elizabeth I modernized the Church of England or Anglicanism with the help of
Parliament. She tried to please both Protestants and Catholics by: allowing priests to marry to please
Protestants and to allow trappings of Catholic services to please the Catholics. Elizabeth I faced
economic problems, many Catholics trying to kill her since she was a Protestant, and other
Protestants viewed her as not going far enough in reforms.

William Tyndale was a famous English scholar and a translator of the Bible. He lived from c. 1494
to October 6, 1536. He was one of the most heroic people of religious freedom. He was born in
Gloucestershire, England. He graduated from Oxford to get his B.A. and Masters of Arts. He was a
gifted linguist and became fluent over the years in French, Greek, Hebrew, German, Italian, Latin,
and Spanish, in addition to English. Between 1517 and 1521, he went to the University of
Cambridge. Erasmus had been the leading teacher of Greek there from August 1511 to January
1512, but not during Tyndale's time at the university. Tyndale was sub deacon too. He became a
chaplain and translated the Bible into English. He studied religion in Germany and worked in
Antwerp.

William Tyndale denounced the practice of prayer to saints. He taught justification by faith, the
return of Christ, and mortality of the soul. Eventually, Tyndale was betrayed by Henry Phillips to
the imperial authorities. He was seized in Antwerp in 1535, and held in the castle of Vilvoorde
(Filford) near Brussels. He was tried on a charge of heresy in 1536 and was condemned to be
burned to death, despite Thomas Cromwell's intercession on his behalf. Tyndale was strangled to
death while tied at the stake, and then his dead body was burned. His final words, spoken "at the
stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud voice", were reported as "Lord! Open the King of England's
eyes." William Tyndale's Bible was influential and contributed many words to the English language.
His work contributed heavily to future English translations of the Bible. William Tyndale was heroic
in promoting his views.
Other forms of Protestantism existed in Europe too. Huldrych Zwingli was influenced by Erasmus
and Luther. By 1520, Zwingli criticized the abuses of the Vatican. He wanted the people to control
the church in a simplistic fashion. His reforms existed in Zurich, Switzerland. Protestants and
Catholics fought it out in Switzerland and soon Zwingli died in 1531. John Calvin was a young
person. He was 8 when the 95 Theses existed. John Calvin gave additional structure to the doctrines
of the Reformation. By 1536, Calvin wrote the Institutes of the Christian Religion. It talked about
God, salvation, and human nature. Calvin was correct that humans can’t earn salvation by works
alone since only God grants that. Yet, Calvin promoted a very rigid, exaggerated form of
predestination. He believed that since the beginning of time, God preordained a select group of
people to be saved called the elect. Calvinism is his founding teaching. He formed a theocracy or a
religious government in Europe. He formed it in 1541 in Geneva, Switzerland. His theocracy had
extreme rules. Everyone was forced to attend religious classes. No one played card games or wore
bright clothes. Anyone who broke those rules risked excommunication or expulsion from Geneva
(which had 200,000 people back then). Calvin enforced his views at the point of the sword when
the Gospel ought to be voluntarily shown. By October 1563, the Geneva government burned to
death Michael Servetus for “heresy.” Servetus had Unitarian views and believed in many false
doctrines, but we should never kill someone because of their views. The unjust murder of Servetus
was supported by Calvin, Melanchthon in Germany, and Bullinger in Geneva. John Knox admired
Calvin’s views and promoted his Presbyterian movement in Scotland. He organized laymen or
presbyters to work in a church by 1559.

Calvin revolutionized the Protestant reformation. His views influenced those in France, the
Netherlands, and Scotland. Huguenots were the French followers of Calvinism. Many of them
suffered the murder in Paris on August 24, 1572 (which is called the Bartholomew Day Massacre).
This was when many Catholics executed Protestants. Over 12,000 Huguenots were murdered in
cold blood. So, there is diversity in the Reformation. All of these Protestant groups agreed that
believers can interpret the Bible for themselves, that preaching and service is important, that the
Bible is the sole source of revealed truth, they rejected purgatory, they rejected the pope being
infallible, and they rejected indulgences. Anglicans and Lutherans retained more Roman Catholic
beliefs than Calvinism. Lutherans believe in the sacramental union. Anglicanism is sense as a hybrid
between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism too. Also, Protestants back then believed in an
union of church and state (which would be rejected by the Anabaptists and early Baptist groups.
They believed in the separation of church and state). Also, Anabaptists and early Baptists believed
that adults should be baptized as they can make a conscious decision to do it (while Protestants
back then believed that infants can be baptized). Diversity in Protestantism continues to this day.
The Counter Reformation (and the Jesuits)

While millions of people turned into Protestants, the Catholic Church didn’t remain silent about
this development. They developed their Counter Reformation whose goal was to promote their
religion and end the spread of the Reformation. Millions in Europe remained loyal to Catholicism.
Some Catholics wanted to reform themselves without leaving and some Catholics wanted to end
the Reformation once and for all (yet, that didn’t occur). Popes Paul III and Paul IV were in league
with the Counter Reformation. Ignatius of Loyola was the founder of the Jesuit Order. The Jesuit
Order, since its inception, was created to fight against Protestantism and promote Catholicism.
Loyola grew up in Spain. He fought in a war where he injured his leg in 1521. He wanted comfort
during his recovery. He thought about his past sins and about Jesus. He had daily devotions and
almost a mystical belief system that he claimed would cleanse his soul, but even the NT has stated
that all of our works alone are as filthy rages. Works alone can never save us. You have to have
faith, do work, and ultimately God’s power saves us. Ignatius wrote his daily views in his Spiritual
Exercises. It is made of a repetition of meditation, prayer, and study. It dealt with spiritual and
physical exercise. Ignatius’ followers grew.

The Pope sanctioned the Jesuit Order in 1540. The Jesuits wanted to stop the spread of
Protestantism period. They formed schools to promote their religion, they sent missionaries to try
to convert people to Catholicism, and Jesuits were trained in theology. Later, Pope III promoted
the evil Inquisition that harmed religious freedom and civil liberty, he investigated Catholic
corruption, and he wanted to form a council to deal with religious issues. Jesuits have been involved
in theological discussions. The Jesuit theologian from Spain named Luis del Alcázar, for example,
was the modern day founder of Preterist thought (as outlined in his literature entitled, "Vestigatio
arcani sensus in Apocalypsi." It was published in 1614). Preterism is the belief that nearly all (or all)
prophecies of the Bible have been fulfilled by 70 A.D. Many of them believe that many prophecies
found in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelations has already been fulfilled. Preterism holds
that Ancient Israel finds its continuation or fulfillment in the Christian church at the destruction of
Jerusalem in AD 70. Of course, tons of Christians disagree with Preterism because of many reasons
from the Gospel not being preached into the entire world and too many prophecies referring to
future events.
Jesus Christ is rather clear according to Matthew 24:29-31 , when he has explicitly said in prophetic
terms that:

"...Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not
give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the
earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they (the angels) shall
gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other..."

The Council of Trent lasted from 1545 to 1563. It was made up of bishops and cardinals. The
Council of Trent was strict and authoritarian. It made the Catholic’s church’s interpretation of the
Bible final. It said that Christians must have faith and good works for salvation. They believed that
church tradition is equal to the Bible. They supported indulgences, but not the false selling of them.
The next Pope, Paul IV, supported the Council of Trent. He went a step further to violate the
freedom of speech by allowing the burning of the Index of Forbidden Books (which were critical of
the Catholic Church). Protestant Bibles were burned too. Thousands of books were burned in
Europe.
Conflicts involving Religious Views

Protestants and Catholics fought each other in wars for the hegemony of Europe. Spain with Philip
II and his empire wanted to promote Catholicism in Spain and the rest of Europe. Spain was not
new to religious wars. Catholics and Muslims fought each other in Spain for a long time before the
Reformation. Also, Isabella and Ferdinand supported the evil Inquisition which brutalized people
who were non-Catholics. Philip believed that it was his mission to defeat the influences of
Protestants and Muslims of the Ottoman Empire. In 1571, Philip and many Catholics fought the
Ottoman Turkish peoples. The Spanish Armada in 1588 wanted to attack England, whose leader
was Queen Elizabeth I. The Spanish Armada was defeated by the British and this caused the British
Empire to grow in strength. By 1598, Henry of Navarre promoted the Edict of Nantes, which
promoted religious freedom among Catholics and Protestants in France. This caused a Catholic
fanatic to assassinate him. In 1610, Henry of Navarre was murdered by a sword. Later, Cardinal
Richelieu had a big influence in France. He allowed Protestant to worship, but he restricted many of
their rights like not having their cities to have walls. He increased the power of the Roman Catholic
Church and sought to grow France.

The Thirty Years War from 1618 to 1649 was about Protestants and Catholics (including royal
families) fighting over territories and political power. It started with the dispute of Protestants
among Hapsburg Ferdinand II closing down Protestant churches (in Bohemia, Germany) and
Protestant revolting. In the beginning, the Hapsburg forces were defeating the Protestants in the
first 12 years of the war. Germany areas were destroyed by Hapsburg armies. Ferdinand II had an
army of 125,000 men. By 1630, the tide of the war changed when the forces of the Protestant
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden numbering 23,000 people. He was killed in battle in 1632. Ironically,
Catholics Cardinal Richelieu and Cardinal Mazarin of France joined the German and Swedish
Protestants. The reason is that they didn't want the Hapsburg to get more powerful than the French
king. So, they fought against the Hapsburg armies. Germany's population dropped from 20 to 16
million during the war. Germany wasn't unified until the 1800's. The Peace of Wesphalia in 1648
ended the war. The treaty weakened the Hapsburg states of Spain and Austria. It increased France
power by giving France more territory. German princes became independent of the Holy Roman
empire. Religious wars ended in Europe among Protestants and Catholics by 1648. More peace
negotiations exist where many people negotiated to end conflicts. A Catholic theocratic empire,
which ruled most of Europe, ended with the 1648 Treaty of Wesphalia. The modern state system in
Europe developed.

Anabaptists

The Anabaptists evolved from the Protestant views. The difference was that the Anabaptists went
further in their reforms than even what the Protestants had enacted. In their earliest years, many of
the Anabaptists were followers of Zwingli in Zurich. Memmo Simons was a Catholic priest. Later,
he converted to Anabaptism. He was one leader of the Memmonites. Around 1526 or 1527,
questions surrounding the doctrine of transubstantiation caused Menno Simons to begin a serious
and in-depth search of the Holy Scriptures, which he confessed he had not previously studied, even
being a priest. From 1536, he was a committed Anabaptist believer. He didn't find anywhere in the
scriptures supporting mandatory infant baptism, so he followed his conscience. His wife was
Geertruydt Jansdochter and they had 3 children together. He worked in the Netherlands vigorously
to advance his creed. Some Memmonites traveled into Ukraine, Poland, the Netherlands, America,
and other places to escape religious persecution. Many Anabaptists would express neutrality during
wars.
Memmo Simons gave his views in these terms too:

“Because we teach from the mouth of the Lord that if we would enter into life, we must
keep the commandments; that the love of God is that we keep his commandments, the
preachers call us heaven-stormers and meritmen, saying that we want to be saved by our
own merits even though we have always confessed that we cannot be saved by means of
anything other than by the merits, intercession, death, and blood of Christ.”

He would show his following views on war:

“All Christians are commanded to love their enemies; to do good unto those who abuse
and persecute them; to give the mantle when the cloak is taken, the other cheek when one
is struck. Tell me, how can a Christian defend scripturally retaliation rebellion, war,
striking, slaying, torturing, stealing, robbing and plundering and burning cities, and
conquering countries?”

While many Anapatists baptized people who believed in adult age, Protestants back then readily
baptized babies. While many Protestants had a union of church and state, Anabaptists believed in
the separation of church and state. The Anabaptists believed that a state churches is totally
antithetical to the simplistic model of true bodies of believers in communities. They wanted holiness
in their lives with earnest and zeal. Anabaptists wanted people old enough to decide for his or
herself before getting baptized. Anabaptist came from a Greek word meaning "baptize again." The
Anabaptists also believed in not fighting in any wars, because of the words in the New Testament
about not being involved of the things of the world (and our kingdom is not of this world). They
shared possessions too. Both Protestants and Catholics persecuted Anabaptists viciously.
Anabaptists evolved into the Mennonites and the Amish today. Also, the Quakers and the Baptists
(who came out of the Anglican Church) would be influenced greatly by Anabaptist teachings.

Conrad Grebel, George Blaurock and Felix Manz were famous Anabaptists of Switzerland. Felix
Manz was a martyr at the age of 30, because he wanted to peacefully express his religious views. He
was the first Swiss Anabaptist to be martyred at the hands of the Protestant followers of Zwingli.
Manz was influential to led hundreds and even thousands to believe in the teachings of the Lord
Jesus Christ. During his lifetime, he suffered much persecution and numerous imprisonments. He
was drowned to death on January 5, 1527 (in Zurich, Switzerland). His last words were, "Into thy
hands, O God, I commend my spirit."

During the early years of the Reformation, women had a prominent role. One example is how the
sister of King Francis I (she is Marguertie of Navarre) protected John Calvin from being executed
because of his religious beliefs in France. Many noblewomen protected reformers. Katherina von
Bora played a behind the scenes role as Luther's wife. Women fought for equality during the
Reformation including Luther's wife. Unfortunately, it would take long years and centuries for
women to get massive leadership roles in clergy.
The Later History of the Reformation

By the 17th century, the Reformation changed the world. Arminius in 1603 believed in the view that
predestination is based on foreknowledge. By 1603, King James I was the leader of the Kingdom of
England. He was a person raised Presbyterian in the Church of Scotland. He was a Protestant who
would strongly embrace many Protestant views. Later, he would commission the creation of a new
Bible. King James I (who was from the House of Stuart) have been loved and hated by tons of
people (then and now). The truth is between the two extreme views of the man (those views are
that either he was the greatest saint in history or the other view is that he was evil incarnate). King
James I did the right thing to have theological disagreements with certain doctrines of Romanism.
King James I made the mistake of persecution of many Baptists and religious dissidents. He was an
author who wrote the following books: Daemonologie (1597), The True Law of Free Monarchies
(1598), and Basilikon Doron (1599). He tried to avoid religious wars and tried to prevent the
hawkish members of the Parliament to fight Spain. He survived the Gunpowder plot when
dissident Catholics like Guy Fawkes wanted to use explosives to kill him and the members of the
Parliament House.

The plot was led by Robert Catesby. King James I had long debates with Puritans since the Puritans
wanted King James I to make reforms to eliminate certain rituals from the Church of England that
they felt were too allied with Catholicism. The Separatists (or the Pilgrims) wanted no compromise
with King James I and left England to the Netherlands and to America. The King James Version of
the Bible of 1611 would be the most famous Bible of the English language. It was created by many
scholars and human beings who were polyglots, experts in theology, and trained religious leaders. It
took years to create the KJV and it was a compromise between Anglican views and Puritan views. It
came out of the Greek Textus Receptus and it was influenced by the Tyndale Bible. As the Puritan
movement grew, Calvinism responded to Arminian doctrine with the 5 Point Calvinism by 1619
(after the Synod of Dort from 1618-1619).

After King James I died in 1625, because of health issues, Charles I again disagreed with the
Puritans.
While this was going on in England, there was the debate among the Monarchy and Parliament.
The Monarchy wanted to maintain its huge power while the Parliament wanted reforms to limit the
power of the monarchy in England. Charles I was King James I’s son. Charles wanted more money
to fight France and Spain. When Parliament refuses to send him money, Charles I dissolved the
Parliament. By 1628, the Parliament wanted him to sign the Petition of Right before he is given
money. This petition was about wanting due process, allowing the Parliament to have the power to
give consent to taxes, soldiers not being allowed to go into private homes, and the King being
banned to advance martial law during peacetime. Charles I agreed with the petition, but he later
ignored it.

The petition wanted to show that the law was more powerful than a king. By 1629, King Charles I
dissolved the Parliament and refused to call it up again. King Charles I imposed taxes and fines on
the English people (without permission from the Parliament) to get money in order to fund his
projects. His popularity declined. Charles I angered the Puritans by maintaining the rituals of the
Anglican Church. By 1637, he wanted Presbyterians Scots to follow an Anglican prayer book to
make people to exist on one religious accord. The Scots threatened to invade England. He or
Charles wanted money and Parliament was ready to oppose him. Parliament limited royal power in
the fall of 1641. King Charles was angry and threatened to arrest members of Parliament.
Parliament members escaped arrested in January of 1642. People in London rallied to oppose
Charles. He left London to go with his supporters in northern England.

The English Civil War began and it lasted from 1642 to 1649. It was between King Charles I and
his supporters (called Cavaliers) vs. the Roundheads (or those who opposed King Charles I). The
Roundheads included Puritans too. Many of them wore their hair short over their ears, so the
Cavaliers called them Roundheads. Each side had a stalemate in battles originally. Later, Oliver
Cromwell, who was a general and allied with the Puritans in 1644, fought in the war. He started to
defeat the Cavaliers. By 1647, he held King Charles I prisoner. In 1649, the Puritans and Oliver
Cromwell tried King Charles I for treason. They found him guilty and he or Charles I was executed.
So, Charles I experienced a trial and he was killed. Cromwell was the leader now of England. He
formed a commonwealth. He abolished the monarchy and the House of Lords. His ally John
Lambert formed a constitution, which was the first in English history. Later, Cromwell became a
military dictator. He ended an Irish rebellion. Cromwell was right to disagree with Catholicism on
many issues, but he went too far in his brutal response to end the crisis. Both sides (i.e. the British
and the Irish) would cause a conflict resulting in the deaths of hundreds plus thousands of people.

The Puritans (under Cromwell) restricted theaters, sporting events, and dancing in England for
morality purposes. Cromwell favored religious toleration for all except for Catholics. He allowed
Jewish people to return since they were once expelled from England in 1290. That was a good
thing. As for the Catholics, I don’t theologically agree with every aspect of Catholicism, but
everyone (regardless of creed) should have the right to believe in what they want without
suppression of their rights. Cromwell was the leader of England until his death in 1658. The
Parliament ended the military rule as people were sick of it. Later, Charles II ruled England (or the
son of Charles I). His reign was the Restoration or the time when the Monarchy was restored.
Parliament passed habeas corpus. This means that anyone accused of a crime has the right to see a
judge and the judge can decide if a prisoner is set free or not. Charles II wanted to rule like his
cousin King Louis XIV (of France). He obtained funds from his rich French cousin Louis XIV.
Charles II was a very popular monarch in England. By February 6, 1685, Charles II died and James
II was on the throne. James II was an overt Catholic. He appointed Catholics to high office, which
was a violation of English law. Parliament opposed him and he dissolved Parliament. In 1688,
James II’s wife gave birth to a son. English Protestants were afraid of a line of Catholic kings
dominating England. James II’s older daughter was Mary. She was a Protestant. She married
William of Orange (or a prince from the Netherlands). Many people from the Parliament invited
William of Orange to overthrow James II, so Protestantism can dominate English politics.

By 1688, William and his army came into England. James

II fled to France. This was a bloodless Revolution and it
was called the Glorious Revolution. Later, William and
Mary promised to be a partner with Parliament in
government. The government became a constitutional
monarchy, which had laws to limit the powers of the
monarchy. The Parliament drafted a Bill of Rights on
1689. This Bill of Rights bans suspending Parliament laws,
it allows Parliament to approve of taxing laws, it allowed
for free speech in Parliament, and no one is punished if a
citizen petitions a king about grievances. William and This image shows King William
Mary agreed with these policies and other limits to their III "William of Orange" (1650-
power. So, after 1688, no British monarch can rule
1702) & Queen Mary II (1662-
without the Parliament’s consent. In essence, the Glorious
Revolution resulted in a reduction of the power of the 1694)
monarchy (which was in contrast of the absolutist agenda
of the Stuarts). The Glorious Revolution and the English 1689 Bill of Rights influenced John Locke
& the American Revolution. The Tories and the Whigs political parties grew in England. By the
1700’s and beyond, cabinet would govern political policies in England.

More Puritans go into America from the 1600’s and beyond. Protestantism in America was filled
with spiritual growth like universities being built and the Great Awakening with people like
Jonathan Edwards preaching in New England. Also, many Protestants and many Catholics would
promote the evil of slavery in the Americas too. This evil would ruin lives, harm black people, and
promote theological poison (that poison is promoting the evils that slavery is fine and racism is fine,
which are lies) for many years to come. In 1685, King Louis XIV of France (1638-1715) revoked
the Edict of Nantes (this edict promoted religious freedom and toleration). King Louis XIV was
known for his extremism and his absolutism. This caused French Protestants to exodus France and
travel worldwide including into America.
By the 18th century, the Methodists would exist, Princeton would be founded by Presbyterians in
1764, Brown would be founded by Baptists in 1764, and the first black Baptist church in America
would be created (it is found in Silver Bluff, South Carolina). While this is going on, many Baptists
were persecuted by members from the Church of England in Virginia and in other places. Baptists
in Virginia grew rapidly during the 1700’s.

From 1750-1777, more than forty Baptist ministers (both Regular and Separate) are imprisoned for
license violations and disturbing the peace. Many other Baptists encountered critics and mobs
during this same period. By 1786, General Assembly passed the Act for Establishing Religious
Freedom, which effectively disestablishes the Church of England and gives dissenters full and equal
legal privileges. The Baptists back then believed in the separation of church and state. This concept
has been embraced by many religious people to this very day, because the government has no right
to dictate the religious matters of any religious body (and vice versa). Catholics would be persecuted
in many places like Maryland. Quakers and other religious dissidents would be persecuted in
America. Native Americans would tragically experience massive genocide, rape, etc. by white
supremacists throughout the Americas. So, it was a time of massive change including massive
tragedies. From the 19th century and beyond, Protestantism became here to stay.

This graph below shows the percentages of Religious Affiliation Worldwide

based on Percentage (from the Pew Research Center in 2012). Christianity has 31.5%,
Islam has 23.2%, Hinduism has 15%, Buddhism has 7.1%, Chinese religions have 5.9
percent, Judaism has 0.2%, Unaffiliated has 16.3%, and other has 0.6 %

Religious Affiliation Worldwide (by Percentage). The

percentages on the graph are estimates.
1% 0.2% Christianity
6%
Islam
7%

32%
Unaffiliated

Hinduism
15%
Buddhism

Chinese religions

Other
16%
Judaism
23%
The Legacy of the Reformation

The Reformation has a diverse legacy. First, the positive legacy of the Reformation must be shown,
then the mistakes of the Reformation, and a conclusion. There were many positive results of the
Reformation in Europe and throughout the world. The Reformation ended the Catholic religious
and political hegemony in Europe. It allowed more people to read the Bible in their own languages.
It inspired religious debate and questioning of authoritarian, ecclesiastical institutions. The
Reformation formed the basis of the modern nation-state since it allowed more governments to
grow outside of the influence of the Catholic Church. It also inspired the Enlightenment as the
Enlightenment was about a further questioning of conventions and desired the figuring out of
natural laws (and other philosophical components of everyday life). The Reformation existed long
before Luther. Its views were heavily influenced from Peter Waldo (along with the Waldensians)
and others who wanted a simplistic community of believers who existed peacefully without religious
oppression.

Many people risked their lives to speak about the universality of believers, the symbolic nature of
communion, and the right of religious freedom from William Tyndale to John Wycliffe. The
Reformation also caused the Protestants ironically enough to further divide into different
denominations like Methodists, Episcopalians, Reformed, Presbyterians, etc. The Reformation
wasn’t perfect either. The problem with the Reformation wasn’t that it went too far. It was that it
didn’t go far enough. Some in the Reformation refused to accept the separation of church and state.
Like many Catholics, many Protestants were complicit in the slave trade and were involved in the
brutalization of Africans, Asians, Native Americans, etc. Not everyone in Christianity is responsible
for this (I want to make that perfectly clear. We know that many Christians were strong abolitionists
and fighters for social justice), but these criminals (who claimed to be "Christians") exploited
Christianity for nefarious purposes. Europe is more secularized than 500 years ago. Europe is
having debates about the EU, immigration, refugees, and religion. The truth is that we don't have to
agree with each other on every issue, but us sending authentic compassion to immigrants and to the
refugees is representative of the compassionate spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, Islamophobia
(i.e. demonization and hatred of Muslims because they are Muslims) and discrimination against
Muslims in Europe (and anywhere in the world) is completely wrong and abhorrent. That is why
heroic men and women are continuously fighting for racial, social, gender, and environmental
justice in 2017 plus beyond.

Therefore, we live in a new century and the same principle of the Golden Rule applies to humanity
regardless of someone's race, color, creed, sex, and background. Ironically enough, some of the
most religious Protestants and Baptists in our time are people of color (including black people,
Asians, Latinos, etc.). The Catholic Church’s overt political and religious influence declined for a
while as a result of the Reformation. Today, the Catholic Church is over 1 billion in membership
and advances the Ecumenical movement (which promotes blatant compromise among religious
bodies. Also, the Apostle Peter had a wife, which refutes the false notion that any religious bishop
must not have a wife. Peter was an apostle not a Pope). Also, there are still very spiritual Protestants
and Baptists living their lives in positive ways. The Reformation promoted self-analysis involving
theology and a sense of transforming the lives of many people forever. The Reformation
represented a new era in world history that resulted in part to the modern era of our history.

By Timothy

“…Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye. shall find; knock,
and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh
receiveth; and he that seeketh. findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened…”
-Matthew 7:7-8