CHURCH HISTORY Part 2 -:- [How Did The Reformation Start]
Published 20151109 -:- Revised 20250829
NB: I am dyslexic so please bear with me. Bible references are from MKJV unless noted otherwise.
AIM
--- The aim of this talk is to give the
listener some knowledge of church history during the lead up to the Reformation
period.
REASON
--- The Reformation did not just
start with Martin Luther! How Did The Reformation Start? Unless one can answer
this question one has no justifiable reason for breaking away from the Church
of Rome! So let’s find out the reasons.
REFERENCES
& EQUIPMENT ---
MKJ= Bible
references are from the Modern King James Bible unless noted otherwise.
WH= Classic Time
line of World History by Sebastian Adam [based on Ussher’s ‘Annals of the
World’] (9m wall chart)
HYY= History Year
by Year (by Dorling Kindersley Ltd)
GPF= Great People
of Faith and Wisdom (by Readers Digest)
HCC= History of The
Christian Church (by Philip Schaff) via e-Sword 1882 Edition
FBM= Fox’s Book of
Martyrs – via e-Sword
WP= Wikipedia
CN= e-Sword
Commentary Notes by “NAME” on Bible Ref “BOOK CH: Vrs” e.g. [ref CN Clark on
Dan 7:7].
EN= Microsoft
Encyclopaedia Encarta 2006. with reference word to be used, e.g. [ref EN i.e. Protestantism]
EB= Encyclopædia
Britannica 1999 Edition
NA= New Advent.
Catholic Encyclopaedia with reference word to be used, e.g. [ref NA i.e.
Jesuits, The]
TV= Television
for Slide presentations.
DISCLAIMER -- Clearly I don’t want to
upset anyone’s faith or beliefs. That’s why most of this work is made up of
“quotations” from reputable articles you can source to verify. HCC is in old
‘1880’ English so direct quotes are somewhat hard to understand. To change it
too much would make it harder to find the references. If a reference is
underlined you can use that exact wording to find the original article.
REVISION
I might at times make reference to prophecies. This is
for the benefit of those who understand the historic viewpoint.
In the previous lesion I covered the following points:-
THE
SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL
Legends with some factual evidence has it that the Apostles
themselves took the gospel beyond the then know Roman world. The message
travelled as far as, England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and France in the
northwest. And to Syria, Asia Minor and Russia to the north and the east. And
to the south and east, Alexandria, Cairo, India and Ethiopians. By the 200’s
the gospel was in north Sweden and China.
PERSECUTED
Christians were persecuted first by the Jews, then the
Romans for nearly 280 years. Then in 313 The Roman Emperor Constantine became a
Christian. He declared in an Edict granting tolerance to All Forms of worship,
in effect legalizing Christianity. This period of time in church history was known
as “The Church of Pergamos” she was “married to power”, the power of Rome, the
beginning of “the falling away”.
By 367
WORSHIP OF MARY, MARTYRS AND SAINTS,
IDOLATRY AND RELICS
There was an immense array of these issues; they became part
of the idolatrous false worship and an integral part of the Roman Church.
380 THE RISE OF PAPAL SUPREMACY
We covered how with the help of the Emperor the simple
bishop of Rome started to elevate himself to the lofty title of Pontifex, the
old title for the High Priest of pagan Rome. “Theodosius's edict …he referred to the western Bishop of Rome, Damasus I,
as a pontifex,”
393 The
Canon,
The Canon is the name we give to the 66 books that we call
the bible, and how it was determined, and the Apocrypha; was it in or out?
THE
FALL OF ROME
Rome was invaded some 7 times that we had covered, and these
invading kingdoms were all Arian Christian. They all feared the Pope, “Pontifex Maximus” and would bow to papal
power.
THE
INCREASE IN PAPAL POWER
From 400 to 1000AD the church and the bishop of Rome (the
pope) became more powerful. As prophesied by Daniel in ch.2: v40, the East and
Western Roman Empire, (the two legs of iron), crumbled into ten kingdoms with
the character of iron and clay, partly weak and partly strong. During this time
the pope managed to pull political strings and destroy three Arian kingdoms.
“Plucked up by the roots”
GOD’S
USE OF ISLAM
In 612 Islam rose up “from the bottomless pit” took a third
part of the Old Roman World, [Rev ch.9:15]. They created havoc destroying idols
and Christian manuscripts, which temporarily cleansed the East Empire of
idolatry. Then as prophesied after 150 years in 762 the Arabs moved their
capital to Baghdad and settled into an uneasy peace with the Christian world.
[Rev 9:5. “tormented 5 months”]
By 1073AD. Pope Gregory VII rose to the chair of Peter as
the most powerful man in Europe with Emperors and Kings subject to him.
Q&A --- Are there any questions?
LESSON
-- CHURCH HISTORY Part 2
MORE FALSE TEACHING
The position of the Pope was greatly feared through out the
world for centuries, and in some circles it still is today. The paragraph and
eight articles listed below can be found in “e-Sword” [ref CN Barnes on
Dan7:28]. Over centuries these articles became part of the catholic beliefs. In
each article I have underlined key words that you can use to find more
information in “History of The Christian Church”
“The Pope has
claimed to be the head of the church, and has asserted and exercised the right
of appointing sacred seasons; of abolishing ancient institutions; of
introducing numberless new festival occasions, practically abrogating the laws
of God on a great variety of subjects. We need only refer, in illustration of
this,”
(a) to the claim of infallibility, by which an
absolute jurisdiction is asserted that covers the whole ground; [ref HCC vol.7
ch.3:49]
(b) to all the
laws pertaining to image-worship, so directly in the face of the laws of
God; [ref HCC vol.4 ch.10:103]
(c) to the celibacy of the clergy, rendering void one
of the laws of heaven in relation to marriage; [ref HCC vol.2 ch.9:107]
(d) to the whole doctrine respecting purgatory; [ref “St.
Augustin and Pope Gregory I” [ref HCC vol.2 ch.12:156]
(e) to the doctrine of transubstantiation; [ref “sanctioned
under Pope Innocent III. in 1215.” [ref HCC vol.4 ch11:130]
(f) to the practical abolition of the Christian Sabbath by
appointing numerous saints’ days to be observed as equally sacred; [HCC1-9:57]
(g) to the law withholding the cup from the laity -
contrary to the commandment of the Saviour; and [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:64]
(h) in general to the absolute control claimed by the Papacy
over the whole subject of religion. [“care of all” ref HCC vol.5
ch.2:11]
For each of the above articles their earliest dates of record
I can find are:- a=680, b=367, c=629, d=590, e=410, f=170, g=492, h=492
Q & A ------------
THE REFORMATION AND HOW IT STARTED
It was basically a matter of, “by their fruit you shall know
them” (Mat 7:20), or by the lack of fruit you will know something is wrong!
From Pope Gregory the Great about 590 to nearly 1010AD “For
nearly five hundred years heresy had been unknown in Western Europe”… “The
Bible was not an altogether forgotten book. The people remembered it. Popular
preachers like Bernard of Thiron, Robert of Abrissel and Vitalis of Savigny
quoted its precepts and relied upon its authority. There was a hankering after
the Gospel which the Church did not set forth. The people wanted to get behind
the clergy and the ritual of the sacraments to Christ himself,” [ref HCC vol.5
ch.10:79]
“It was in the early
years of the eleventh century, that the first reports of the appearance of
heresy” occurred. From about the year 1010AD, independent groups rebelled all
over Europe with their own systems of worship. [ref HCC vol.5 ch.10:80]
“But their system
extended its influence throughout the middle ages down to the thirteenth
century, reappearing, under different modifications, with a large infusion of
Christian elements, in the Priscillianists, Paulieians, Bogomiles, Albigenses,
Catharists and other sects, which were therefore called “New Manichaeans.””
[ref HCC vol.2 ch.11:135]
THE REFORMERS
OBJECTIONS
Their doctrines didn’t all agree. Some of their objections I
have listed below. You can find most of them in; [ref HCC vol.5 ch.10:79 to
83]. I have underlined key words or statements so that you can find them via
e-Sword in “History of The Christian Church”, or in a library.
“Marriage they pronounced an unclean relationship.” “Oaths
and even military service were renounced.”
“The worship of the cross and other images was regarded
as idolatry.” …
“Destroying crosses and denouncing tithes.” “doctrine,
ritual, and the organization of the Church.” also
“The sacerdotal theory of the priesthood.” (the
belief that the priest has supernatural power and the only mediator between man
and God)
“The validity of infant baptism was also quite widely denied, and
the Cathari abandoned water baptism altogether.”
They replaced it with “consolamentum”, “the laying
on of hands and the” Gospel of John,..upon the head or breast of the
candidate. The candidate made confession of all sins of thought, word, work,
and vision, “placed his faith and hope in God”. “The kiss of peace
followed.”
“The Bogomili ., rejected the eucharist, and substituted
for baptism with water a ritual of prayer and the imposition of hands.”
“Transubstantiation was denied..if Christ’s body
had been as large as the largest mountain, it would have been consumed long
before”.
“As for adoring the cross, thorns and spears might
with equal propriety be worshipped, for Christ’s body was wounded by” them.
“Special honor was given by the Cathari to the Gospel of
John, and the Waldensian movement started with an attempt to make known the
Scriptures through the vulgar tongue. The humbler classes knew enough about
clerical abuses from their own observation;”
In their heresy trials:- “In the thousands of reports of
judicial cases, which are preserved, charges of immoral conduct are rare.”
“There are two Churches, they held, one of the wicked and
one of the righteous. They themselves constituted the Church of the
righteous,” “Its fruits proved that the established Church was not the true
Church. The true Church endures persecution, does not prescribe it.”
“One of the charges made against the established Church
was that it countenanced war and marshalled armies.”
“The Roman Church sits in the place of rule and is
clothed in purple and fine linen. The true Church teaches first.”
“The Roman Church baptizes first. The true Church has no
dignitaries, prelates, cardinals, archdeacons, or monks.”
“The Roman Church is the woman of the Apocalypse, a
harlot, and the pope anti-Christ.”
All this happened by about 1150AD , the west was rising from
the Dark Ages. The elite had the opportunity to learn Latin, the language in
which the Bible was written. The comments above regarding the Gospel of John
etc., it would have been hand written, large and possibly the only book they
had. “By the end of the twelfth century they were reported to have followers in
nearly 1000 cities. The Dominican Rainerius gave 4,000,000 as a safe estimate
of their number and declared this was according to a census made by the Cathari
themselves.”
I didn’t say these Early Reformers had it all right! But
they could work out from scripture what was wrong!!! [ref HCC vol.5 ch.10:80].
Q & A ------------ 10 min
THE PAPAL CLAIMS OF
AUTHORITY
This is a very delicate issue! I’ve said I’ve no wish to
upset anyone’s faith or beliefs, so I use quotations. For this I used the Roman
Catholic Encyclopaedia, “New Advent” to verify the existence of the claims. The
claims STILL exist! BUT it doesn’t matter what we believe now! But what the
world believed when the claims were made? I have underlined key words for
reference in “History of the Christian Church”
Lets say you can read your own language but not the Bible,
which is in Latin. You have seen what happens to heretics! Is it worth it?
Consider; The peasant, most probably can’t read; only
believe what you are told, “heresy is as witchcraft”, so superstition
reigns supreme!
The merchant. You have a business and family to care
for. The priest must be right, you paid him to get your mum out
of purgatory?
The monk or cleric, sure you read Latin, but you
learnt parrot fashion all services in Latin, and don’t want to loose your
job or your life.
The Lords or the King, you receive your right
to rule from the pope. “You don’t want to bite the hand that feeds you!”
We are jumping ahead in history a little bit, but I thought
it would be best to cover these claims in one section. Keep these claims in
mind as we cover the next few sections for the same period in history. Let’s
now examine each of these claims with a “short comment on each?”
607 “Pope Gregory condemned the titles of Universal Bishop..etc..
such pomposity was satanic
or antichrist in nature. ..Pope Boniface III a mere three years after
the death of Gregory, petitioned Emperor Phocus to declare the Roman See the
head of all Christian churches.. the title Universal Bishop would apply exclusively to the Bishop
of Rome.” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.4:51,53] “one of the popes must be
wrong?”
858 Nicholas I "..superior papal authority and
dominion is derived from the law of the Caesars." “...the appellation of
God had been confirmed by Constantine on the Pope, who being God, cannot be judged by man."...“so
the pope is God”
1054 Pope Leo IX sent a letter to Michael, Patriarch
of Constantinople, in 1054, that cited a large portion of the Donation of
Constantine, to include the phrase Vicarius Filii Dei..Leo provided the Greek Patriarch with
the..text..to officially notify him that Emperor Constantine.. conferred a
unique dignity, authority..on the See of Peter, making Constantinople subject
to Rome. Leo IX assured the Patriarch that the donation was completely
genuine…Little did Leo IX know that he cited and testified to the authenticity
of the most stupendous fraud in European history. The Patriarch rejected the
claims..and subsequently the Catholic Church was split in two in the Great Schism
of 1054.
“All was based on a fraud? Vicarius Filii Dei can be found in hundreds of
documents, and it opens a can of warms regarding 666”
1073 THE DICTATES OF HILDERBRAND (POPE GREGORY VII) (1073-1085)
1. That the Roman Church was founded by the Lord alone....“The
True Church was founded by the Lord”
2. That the Roman Pontiff alone is justly called universal...“Universal;
a title for Christ see Weymouth NT Eph 1:22”
3. That he alone can depose bishops or restore them ...“so
what, they should ALL be deposed”
9. That all princes should kiss
the feet of the pope alone...“pompous”
12. That it is lawful for him to depose emperors ...“pompous”
18. That his sentence
ought not to be reviewed by any one; and he alone can review [the
decisions] of all...“pompous”
19. That he ought to be
judged by no one...“Christ
will judge him in the end”
22. That the Roman Church
never erred; nor will it, according to Scripture, ever err...“In
607AD above proved otherwise”
27. That he can absolve subjects from their allegiance to unrighteous [rulers]....“that’s the only one got right so far?”
1198 Pope
Innocent III. Claims Divine Authority ……it is "not only as a man, but
as the true God's vice governor on earth" .. he "dissolves not with human, but
with divine authority"...“We are ALL God’s vice
governors.. In the Name of Jesus!”
1198 Pope Innocent III Claims Authority Over
Kings…Just as the founder of the universe established two great lights
in the firmament of heaven, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser
light to rule the night, so
too He set two great dignities in the firmament of the universal church...,
the greater one to rule the day, that is, souls, and the lesser to rule the
night, that is, bodies. These dignities are the papal authority and the royal
power.. just as the moon derives its light from the sun and is indeed lower
than it in quantity and quality, in position and in power, so too the royal power derives
the splendour of its dignity from the pontifical authority.. [ref HCC
vol.5 ch.5:37] “WOW!”
1243 Innocent IV Every cleric must obey the Pope, even if he commands what
is wrong, for no one can judge him. The only exception was if the
command involved heresy or tended to the destruction of the church. “So there is NO Right or Wrong, Do as
your told!!”
1245 Council of Lyons, Innocent IV vs
Frederick. “we (The Pope) hold
on earth the place of Jesus Christ,”[ref HCC vol.5 ch.6:44]“pass!!”
“Where Peter (or his successor) is, there is the Church."
"There is No
Allegiance to Christ Without Submission to the Pope").
[ref HCC vol.6 ch.10] [ ref HCC vol. 6 ch.1:8]...“Anti-Christ, Or In place of
Christ!! Usurper!!
1320 The Decision of the Pope and the Decision of God
Constitute One Decision.
Only the Pope is said to be the Vicar of God: because he
alone is able to bind and loose, .. given to him by God. The decision of the
Pope and the decision of God constitute one decision, ….. Therefore no one can appeal
from the Pope to God, as no one can enter into the consistory of God
without the mediation of the Pope, who is the key-bearer and the doorkeeper of
the consistory of eternal life; and as no one can appeal to himself, so no one
can appeal from the Pope to God, because there is one decision and one court of
God, and the Pope.
[Augustinus Triumphus (1243-1328) Summa…ecclesiastica
(Summary On The Power Of The Church) Internet] [ref HCC vol.6 ch.10]
“Numerous titles of Christ here are
claimed by the pope, Also NOBODY knows the mind of God, Down right
Blasphemy!!!”
1417 The
Roman Pontiff, successor of the blessed Peter, and the vicar of Jesus Christ, keeper
of the keys of the heavenly Kingdom, of all regions of the world,
and of all of the nations and those who dwell in them,..(4 April
1417).[ref HCC vol.5 ch.2:11] “Same
as above!”
NOW I am NOT out to malign the pope! This is just a sample.
Go to the Library or Google “Papal Claims to Authority” or “Concerning
the extent of Papal dignity, authority, or dominion and infallibility” or “Vicarius
Filii Dei 666”.
Now you know the bible, so what are your thoughts? Q & A ------ 25 min
REFORMERS FROM WITHIN
(these are pre 1440, people before the invention of the printing press)
Reform generally came from with in the church. Clergyman,
who understood scriptures and spoke out. Others remained loyal to the pope
because they would loose their comfortable lifestyle or worse. I would like to
mention some of these “loyal” reformers here and the teachings they brought
forth. It will help us understand how various “Orders” within the Church of
Rome developed.
Hildegard
of Bingen Germany (1098-1179). She suffered a condition akin to severe
migraines and other debilitating illnesses. During these events she received
visions and prophecies that gained her even the popes respect. In her later
years she delivered some damming prophecies demanding church reform, which they
took note of and corrected. She predicted: 1- The murder of Thomas Becket, 2-
The overthrow of the German King Frederick I, 3- the European revolutions
against the church. (Rev 17:16 “ten
horns..shall hate the whore..burn her with fire”) [ref GPF page 207]. She urged
the church to self-purify, “bade men look for salvation not to priests but to
Christ.” [ref HCC vol.5 ch.8:67]
Dominic
of Guzman Spain (1170-1221). His Order, received papal sanction 1216.
This and the Franciscan Order “were the Salvation Army of the thirteenth
century, and continue to be powerful organizations to this day” [ref HCC vol.5
ch.8:68] With poverty as their base even the layman could join. They could
endure hardship and where at the grass roots level with the people in the
markets and on the battlefields.
Francis
of Assisi Italy (1181-1226). He turned the church routine of that day on
its head. He took Jesus at his word when He sent out his disciples saying
“Preach.. The kingdom of heaven…freely ye have received, freely give. Provide
neither gold, silver, brass nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats,
neither shoes, nor yet staves: Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst
of wolves” (Mat 10 7-16). With this he
started the Franciscan Order, received papal sanction in 1223. His principles
were poverty and living by faith alone. [ref GPF page 221]
Q & A ------------
HELP WAS COMING
It is very sad that millions of genuinely earnest
Christians blindly followed the Catholic principles. But help to correct the
false teaching was on its way. And guess where from? As in the last talk the
help came from Islam. But God had to gave them another push!!
The Arab Muslims-- “Under Hakim, 1010, a fierce persecution broke out against the
Christian residents of Palestine and the pilgrims.” Persecution subsided
but soon after the Pope, “Sergius IV.,. 1012, suggested the idea of an armed
expedition against the Mohammedans who had “defiled Jerusalem and destroyed the
church of the Holy Sepulchre.”” [ref HCC vol.5 ch.7:48] and [ref HCC vol.5
ch.7:49]
RISE OF THE TURKS
About 1062AD Tughrit Beg leading the Seljuks (later know as
the Turks) occupied Baghdad and ended the Buwayhid dynasty. In
1063 his successor Alp Arsian expanded Seljuk dominion into Anatolia Armenia
and Syria. By 1071 the Turks crushed the Byzantine army and held the Eastern
Emperor Romanus IV ransom. By 1077 they had taken Syria and Jerusalem. [ref HYY
page 128]
THE CRUSADES
“Gregory VII., appealed to by Michael VII. of Constantinople,
had, in two encyclicals, 1074, urged the cause upon all Christians, and
summoned them to go to the rescue of the Byzantine capital.”..“The call which
resulted in the first expedition for the recovery of Jerusalem was made by Pope
Urban II. at the Council of Clermont, 1095. Its chief popular advocate was
Peter the Hermit.” [ref HCC vol.5 ch.7:49]
“There were seven
greater Crusades, the first beginning in 1095, the last terminating with the
death of St. Louis, 1270. Between these dates and after 1270 there were other
minor expeditions, and of these not the least worthy of attention were the
tragic Crusades of the children.”
Absolution, indulgences and eternal life were commonly
offered to those who went to fight. “God, said the abbot Guibert, chronicler of
the First Crusade, invented the Crusades as a new way for the laity to atone
for their sins, and to merit salvation.” [ref HCC vol.5 ch.7:48]
“Even during the
confusion of the crusades and the disasters which overtook the empire, the love
for learning continued; and when Constantinople at last fell into the hands of
the Turks, Greek scholarship took refuge in the West, kindled the renaissance,
and became an important factor in the preparation for the Reformation.”
[ref HCC vol.4 ch.13:136]
THE CRUSADES AGAINST ALBIBENSES
“The synod of Tours, 1163…forbid..Catholics from mingling
with the Albigenses and from having commercial dealings with them..Princes
..instructed to imprison..and confiscate their goods. The Third Lateran, 1179,
extended the punishments to the defenders of heretics and their friends. It
gave permission..to reduce heretics to slavery and shortened..penance by two
years for those taking up arms against them.” “In 1244,..Montségur was
taken, the last refuge of the Albigenses. Two hundred of the Perfect were
burned.” [ref HCC vol.5 ch.10:58-86]
If you see the Book of Revelation from the historic view,
refer to Rev 13:17. “no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark”
THE FALL OF
CONSTANTINOPLE
“1280 The first
confirmed use of cannon in Europe was in southerern Iberia, by the Moors,
in the Siege of Cordoba.”
[ref WP “Cannon”]
The first
definite use of artillery.. was against the Ottoman siege of Constantinople, in 1396, forcing the
Ottomans to withdraw. They acquired their own cannon, and laid siege to the
Byzantine capital again, in 1422, using "falcons", which were short but wide
cannon. By 1453,
the Ottomans used 68 Hungarian-made cannon for the 55-day bombardment of the walls of
Constantinople, …The largest of their cannon was the Great Turkish
Bombard, with a crew of 200 men, 70 oxen, and 10,000 men to
transport it. [ref WP “Cannon”]
If you see the Book of Revelation from the historic view,
this period in history is in Rev 9:13-21. “in their mouth, and in their tails”
Remember I said that God needed to give them a push. We can
now see how God use the Turks to kindle the Reformation. The Greek manuscripts
arriving in Europe would shed light on all the false teachings of the church.
…The lord works in mysterious ways.
Q & A ------------ 40 min
KNOWELDGE SHALL INCREASE
Let us just imaging it is 1612AD and we are the Lord and
Lady of “Boffiny in West Somewhereia”, your pageboy says “The gift from the
King has arrived sire!” It be an exquisitely bound volume entitled “Almanac of
Literary Progress And Works of The 200 Years Bygone”. The King has
mass-produced them, using His latest wonder, “The Moveable Letter Printing
Machine” and every Lord received one!
1380 “Wiclif, the first translator of the whole Bible into English (1380)” [ref HCC
vol.4 ch.2:13]
1440 “Germany invention” … “the art of printing, about
1440,” [ref HCC vol.7 ch.2:16] [ref HCC vol.6 intro:1]
1453 The fall of
Constantinople “Flight of Greek scholars to Western Europe.” [ref HCC
vol.4 ch.13:136] see above notes.
1455 “The first printed Latin Bible,..two volumes,..before 1455 and bears
the name of the Gutenberg Bible” [ref HCC vol.6 ch.9:77]
1458 “Greek,…, had its first teachers in Gregory Tifernas,
who reached Paris, 1458,” [ref HCC vol.6 ch.8:70]
1477 England’s first
printing press. “Caxton had setup his printing-press at Westminster in 1477.”
[ref HCC vol.6 ch.9:77]
1478 A copy of the Gutenberg
Bible in
Spanish [ref
HCC vol.7 ch.9:77]
1478 The Spanish Inquisition (see notes below)
1516 “Erasmus … his Greek New Testament, 1516,” [ref HCC vol.6 ch.9:77]
1520 (or just
before) A copy of the Gutenberg Bible in Italian, Bohehian, and Russian [ref HCC vol.7 ch.9:77]
1525 “Zwingli completes the entire translation five
years before Luther” NT 1525, both by 1531, in Swiss-German [ref WP “Zürich Bible”]
1526 “Tyndale…first printed English New Testament did not appear till
1526” [ref HCC vol.6 ch.9:77]
1526 Also a Swedish Bible. [ref My Red
Book]
1529 “Luther New Testament The Oldest Printed German N.T. Scripture”
[ref WP]
1535 “Robert Olivetan, Calvin’s cousin,..first edition..French translation of the
Bible at Neuchâtel in 1535”[ref HCC vol.8ch.7:60]
1535 Complete English Bible “Coverdale,
who translated the Bible in 1535,” [ref CN Barnes “Coverdale”]
1537 “The Matthew Bible, or Matthew's Version,
published 1537 by John Rogers, under the
pseudonym "Thomas Matthew"” [ref WP]
1537 Also a Danish Bible. [ref My Red
Book]
1539 “The Great Bible was the first authorized edition of
the Bible
in English, authorized by King Henry VIII of England to be read aloud in
the church services of the Church of
England. … the publication was completed in London in April 1539.”
[ref WP “Great Bible”]
1611 “The King James Version (KJV), commonly known as
the Authorized Version (AV) or King James Bible (KJB), is an English translation of the
Christian Bible
for the Church of England begun in 1604 and completed
in 1611.” [ref WP]
With the aid of the printing press in 1440, it took only 17
years (1520-37) to have the bible printed in every major language of Europe.
Q & A ------------
THE SPANISH
INQUISITION
Any one can see the obvious effect that the arrival of Greek
manuscripts and the introduction of the printing press had on the world. There
was no going back. The Pope had to do some thing to stop it, if he wanted to
maintain his control over the world. So he introduced the Spanish Inquisition.
See the above list of dates; those bibles were being produce under the penalty
of fire, torture and death!
I heard a funny but true story that happened
in 1525. Tyndale was in Antwerp producing Bibles in English and shipping them
to England. The Bishop of London visiting Antwerp heard of this and declared,
“how that he would gladly buy the New Testaments. Packington hearing him say
so,” and informed the Bishop that he could perches all he could find for the
Bishop. To which the Bishop replied, “get them for me, and I will pay
whatsoever they cost; for I intend to burn and destroy them all"
But Packington and Tyndale were mates, so they put together all the bibles they
could produce, with a reasonable mark up. So the “bishop of London had the
books, Packington had the thanks, and Tyndale had the money.” There after
Tyndale had enough money to produce three times the number of bibles. [ref FBM
ch. 12]
1478 The Spanish “Inquisition was instituted with the
express sanction of Pope Sixtus IV. (Nov. 1, 1478), was controlled by the
Dominican order and by Cardinals, and as to the benefit, the peace of the
grave-yard is worse than war.” It existed for about 350 years. “The Spanish
Inquisition pronounced its last sentence of death in the year 1781, was
abolished under the French rule of Joseph Napoleon, Dec. 4, 1808, restored by
Ferdinand VII. 1814, again abolished 1820, and (after another attempt to
restore it) in 1834.” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.6:80]
“The torture was
abolished in England after 1640, in Prussia 1740, in Tuscany 1786, in
France 1789, in Russia 1801, in various German states partly earlier, partly
later (between 1740 and 1831), in Japan 1873…Exceptional cases of judicial torture occurred in
the nineteenth century in Naples, Palermo, Roumania (1868), and Zug (1869)”
[ref HCC vol.4 ch.6:80]
“It has been
estimated that the victims of the Spanish Inquisition outnumber those of
heathen Rome, and that more Protestants were executed by the Spaniards in a
single reign, and in a single province of Holland, than Christians in the Roman
Empire during the first three centuries.” [ref HCC vol.7 ch.6:100]
If you take the Crusades against Albibenses in 1163 as the
start of the percicutions, to Japan in 1873 as the end, that is over 700 years!
No one can even “guesstimate” the number that died during
this time. They were burnt, died in prison or butchered in large massacres.
Just a simple bit of maths for you, this is talking about the Cathari, “in
France know the as the Albigenses”. Remember the 4,000,000 Cathari …
“the papal Inquisition, which had been so effective in
exterminating the Albigenses” [ref HCC vol.6 ch.7:58]. ALL wiped out!! Other
persecutions by the Pope were against the Hussites, Waldensian Huguenots and
others. If you wish to look into the Spanish Inquisition, may I suggest you use
“e-Sword”, search “Fox’s Book of Martyrs” and “The History of The Christian
Church”. And there are numerous other books available. I have heard figures as
high as 100 to 150 million Christians died at the hands of the Pope worldwide
during those 700 yrs. One example of the hatred the papists had towards the
truth was:- At Tyndale’s execution at Vilvorde, 1536 “the priest..rebuked Tyndale for proposing to translate the Bible
in the words, “We were better without God’s laws than the pope’s.”” [ref
HCC vol.6 ch.9:77]
Q & A ------------
50 min
THE REFORMATION
"The title, Reformers before the Reformation, has been aptly given to a
group of men of the 14th and 15th centuries who anticipated many of the
teachings of Luther and the Protestant Reformers. They stand, each by
himself, in solitary prominence, Wyclif in England, John Huss in Bohemia,
Savonarola in Florence, and Wessel, Goch and Wesel in Northern Germany…They
differ,..the moral reformer, Savonarola, from the group of the German mystics,
who sought a purification of life in quiet ways,..They also differ from the
group of ecclesiastical reformers, D’Ailly, Gerson, Nicolas of Clamanges, who
concerned themselves with the fabric of the canon law …Wyclif and his
successors were doctrinal reformers… John Wyclif, called the Morning Star of the Reformation,” …[ref
HCC vol.6 ch.5:40]
But there is just over 500 years from the New Manichaeans in
1010 to Luther in 1517. What happened during that 500 years?
We can liken the reformation to “a giant caldron of soup”.
The reformers were the ingredients; the heat was the papal power. 1010AD First
in go the New Manichaeans, 1163 the papal crusades against the Albigenses and
others. 1198-1245 papal claims of authority. Lets add More to the pot, 1380
Wiclif, 1440 printing press, 1458 learning Greek. So the pope puts the lid down
hard in 1478 with The Spanish Inquisition.
“Then the pope
really turned the heat UP!”
“St. Peter’s Dome ..the glory and the shame of papal Rome
..built ..from the sale of indulgences ..broke up the unity ..Christendom
..begun in 1506 under Pope Julius II..completed..1626 ..cost ..46,000,000
scudi, ..annual expense 30,000 scudi (dollars).” [ref HCC vol.7 ch.3:30]
QUESTION – Do any of you have any experience with a
pressure cooker and a blocked relief valve??
BANG!!
1517
The reformation theoretically has a starting date as, 31
October 1517, when “Luther posted the ninety-five theses, which he had
composed in Latin, on the door of the Castle Church of Wittenberg,”
[ref internet, WP]. “Jesus began his public ministry with the expulsion of the
profane traffickers from the court of the temple. The Reformation began with
a protest against the traffic in indulgences which profaned and degraded
the Christian religion.” [ref HCC vol.7 ch.3:30]. Luther’s ninety-five theses
were predominately just an attack on indulgences. The key difference with
Luther is that his teachings and his bible in German, was the essence that
galvanized the German princes together to stand up to the pope and the Emperor.
More into the pot 1525-37 bibles printed in all major languages. “Bang went
the Pot altogether!”
“The Reformation
began simultaneously in Germany and Switzerland, and swept with
astonishing rapidity over France, Holland, Scandinavia, Bohemia, Hungary, England
and Scotland; since the seventeenth century it has spread by emigration to
North America, and by commercial and missionary enterprises to every Dutch and
English colony, and every heathen land. It carried away the majority of the
Teutonic and a part of the Latin nations, and for a while threatened to
overthrow the papal church.” [ref HCC vol.7 ch.1:2]
“But towards the close of the sixteenth century the
triumphant march of the Reformation was suddenly arrested. Romanism rose like a
wounded giant, and made the most vigorous efforts to reconquer the lost
territory in Europe, and to extend its dominion in Asia and South America.
Since that time the numerical relation of the two churches has undergone little
change. But the progress of secular and ecclesiastical history has run chiefly
in Protestant channels.
In many respects the Roman Church of to-day is a great
improvement upon the Mediaeval Church. She has been much benefited by the
Protestant Reformation, and is far less corrupt and far more prosperous in
Protestant than in Papal countries”. [ref HCC vol.7 ch.1:2]
Q & A ------------
THE COUNTER-REFORMATION
The Church of Roman - “She was driven to a counter-reform
which abolished some of the most crying abuses and infused new life and zeal
into her clergy and laity. No papal schism has disgraced her history since the
sixteenth century. No pope of the character of Alexander VI. or even Leo X.
could be elected any more. She lives chiefly of the past, but uses for her
defence all the weapons of modern warfare.”..“she attracts intelligent and
cultured minds; while the common people are kept in ignorance and in
superstitious awe”.. “Thus the two branches of Western Christendom seem to hold
each other in check, and ought to stimulate each other to a noble rivalry” [ref
HCC vol.7 ch.1:2]
The ‘New Advent’ gives the catholic view as: - “The term Counter-Reformation
denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in
1560 to the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648. The name, though long in use
among Protestant historians, has only recently been introduced into Catholic
handbooks. The consequence is that it already has a meaning and an application,
for which a word with a different nuance should perhaps have been chosen. For
in the first place the name suggests that the Catholic movement came after the
Protestant; whereas in truth the reform originally began in the Catholic
Church, and Luther was a Catholic Reformer before he became a Protestant. [ref
NA Counter-Reformation]
Remember I said in “REFORMERS
FROM WITHIN”, Reform generally came from with in the church. But the fact is
that Rome still vigorously worked hard to stop ANY reform, as shown by the
Inquisition.
CONCLUSION
At this period in time, the early 1500’s, we now leave the western world on the brink of religious wars. The Roman Church fighting to hold control. She has the Inquisition and the use of armies from loyal Kings and Emperors. The Protestant Church had the light of the gospel and the sword of the Lord to use to fight for their very existence, and to rapidly convert whole provinces and Kingdoms for the Lord.
We have covered only 500 years in this lesion, but you can
see how the Reformation brought the religious world to the boil. So I will just
go out and bring the urn to the boil and we can relax, have a cuppa and chat.
And I will be happy to answer any questions.
In my next talk I hope to cover ‘The Historic
Interpretation’ and why it is importance to understand! Also talk about most of
the well-known Reformers, dates, events and some of their beliefs. Then in
later talks we can study each of the Reformers in detail.
Thank you very much for attending. 65
min
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