Immutable Kingdom Part 25

The Immutable Kingdom – Part 25

By Scott A. Klaft

German Dissent – The Reformation

There were many reasons for the success of the Reformation Movement of the 1500’s. There had been a revival of interest in the study of the scripture, by which there was an increase of the awareness that the New Testament church was vastly different from the Church in existence in Western Europe at the time. They saw that there was no scriptural authority upon which the Catholic Church could base the doctrine of sacraments dispensed by a hierarchy in order to obtain salvation. Many began to reexamine the entire concept of faith and concluded that the hierarchy had no right to stand between men and God. They also discovered that the system of “works of righteousness” was contrary to salvation by grace through faith (cf. Ephesians 2:8, 9). These conclusions had been reached by others before, but they had little success in reforming the common thinking of the religious minds of their time.

It was the obvious corruption within the Roman Catholic hierarchy that ultimately gave force to the Reformation. Selfish priests were buying and selling Church offices without restraint; many of whom would receive a salary for doing nothing at all. In the “Church Courts,” judgment could be purchased, including being able buy an exception from “Cannon Law.” Unscriptural divorces and unlawful marriages were granted for the right amount of money. The moral decay of the priesthood was blatant as many of them lived in open sin, and kept concubines. With the intellectual freedom encouraged during the Renaissance, it was high time to combat the religious and moral corruptions.

The Sale of Indulgences Resumed

Ironically, the immediate push for reformation in Germany was the result of the greedy ambition of Prince Albert. Albert was not satisfied to be the Archbishop of two provinces, but wanted a third and needed more money in order to purchase it. Pope Leo X gave authorization to sell “indulgences” in Germany in order to raise the funds. (For a brief explanation of the indulgence, see The Immutable Kingdom Part 22.) The price to purchase the release of a loved one from purgatory was adjusted according to the class standing of the individual. The rich were charged more, and the lower income had their price adjusted. Some purchasers bought guaranteed forgiveness for all their sins, past and future, supposedly insuring salvation and absolving them of any responsibility to attend masses or make confessions. They would skip purgatory and go right on to paradise. It was this last mockery of piety that aroused outrage in Martin Luther.

Martin Luther (1483 – 1546)

Born into a peasant home, his father a poor miner and his mother a devout Catholic, Martin Luther was “baptized” the day after his birth. He was raised according to the strict tenets of his mother’s religion. After many years of education, Luther had obtained degrees from several institutions for philosophy, Greek, and Civil Law. Rather than begin a practice in law, his interest became more focused upon the salvation of his soul, and he began to study the works of Augustine very carefully. It was in the year A.D. 1505 that he determined himself to be among the “non-elect” because of his sinfulness, and he committed himself to a monastery with hopes of purifying his soul. He was a very devout monk, doing more than his fellows to obtain purity in life, continually confessing his sins and going beyond the usual requisites to be a monk of the Augustine Order. He once fasted for three weeks straight and would have died had not one of the monks broken regulations by entering his cell to see how he was. No matter what Luther did, he just could not seem to get the satisfaction of heart that he longed to achieve through confessions, fasting, and prayer.

(To Be Continued Next Week…)

Immutable Kingdom Part 24

The Immutable Kingdom – Part 24

By Scott A. Klaft

(Building Reform Movements continued)

While the spirit of reformation continued to grow and linger, it not only produced outstanding leaders who were willing to be martyred for their faith, but there were also others who desired a reform from within the Catholic Church.

Girolamo Savonarola (A.D. 1452 – 1498)

A gifted intellectual, Savonarola entered a Dominican monastery with a determination to be a “Knight of Jesus Christ,” and taking his profession very seriously. When, in Florence to preach a series on “Lent,” he had less than twenty-five attendees. This caused him to rethink his approach to preaching. After diligent study, he began to preach only sermons from the Bible, and quickly became a very popular preacher. He decided that, due to the corruption in the hierarchy, the Catholic Church was in for a period of suffering before it could be purified. His attacks on the wickedness of the priesthood grew stronger over time.

When the king of France led his army into Italy in A.D. 1494, Savonarola welcomed him into Florence, and thus became the dictator of the city, which gave him the power to reform the Church from within the city. Trying to stop his preaching, the Pope offered him Cardinalship, thinking that the prestige would secure his loyalty. Savonarola replied that he preferred a hat of blood to the hat of a Cardinal. When he refused to stop his reformatory efforts according to the demands of Pope Alexander VI, he was put under the papal ban, and the city of Florence was threatened with “the interdict.” The populace of the city turned on Savonarola, stormed his monastery, and arrested him.

After an unjust trial, he was tortured for six days. They coerced a confession of wrongdoing during the torture session, but as soon as the tormenting was over, he retracted the confession. He was then hanged, and his body was burned in A.D. 1498.

Ximenes (A.D. 1436 – 1517)

Another excellent example of efforts to reform the Catholic Church from within is the work of Ximenes to reform Spain. Trained from his youth in the field of law, he was so full of ability that he was made the head of the Franciscan order. Very quickly, he rose in prominence to where he was made chief advisor to Queen Isabella in matters of both church and state.

His first step toward reforming the Church was to purge out all unworthy personnel. He literally drove over a thousand corrupt priests out of Spain. His next step: convince the leaders in Spain that the purpose of the Church was to serve the masses, not exploit them. He set an excellent example, spending very little money on himself, and showing liberality toward the poor. He insisted that providing education could be a useful tool for religion, and accordingly, he improved the state of the Universities. He then instituted research projects for the purpose of improving the Greek text of the scripture. As a result, the work produced was called the most scientific and scholarly undertaking of his century. It should be said that Ximenes accepted every Roman Catholic dogma taught in his time. His efforts, instead, were focused on the purity and morality of the lives within the hierarchy, and making religion meaningful to the laity once again.

Among the many that helped prepare the way for the Reformation, a Dutch scholar of unusual brilliance named Erasmus (A.D. 1466 – 1536) made available an early history of the departures from the New Testament church. He also edited the first printed Greek New Testament, and exposed the inadequacy of the Latin Vulgate. Though he did not launch any energetic battle for reform, it is said that Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched.

(Next week: German Dissidence, The Reformation)

Immutable Kingdom – Part 23

The Immutable Kingdom – Part 23

By Scott A. Klaft

Building Reform Movements

As the Roman Catholic Church reached its peak in moral bankruptcy, it is not surprising that reformers would arise. There were several democratic thinkers who advocated the institution of a general council, to which the Pope would subject; the result of which, he would be forced to be more responsible. They introduced the ideas of empowering the common people with the ability to vote for the legislature in their government and executive power should reside in the king, while the power of the Catholic Church would be in spiritual welfare alone. They also thought that the church officials should be elected by popular vote as well. These ideas, as well as powerfully influential men, emerged, beginning to sway the thinking of the world.

William of Occam (c.1300 – 1349)

One of the most influential thinkers of his time, William of Occam built upon the ideas stated above. He taught that the Pope is not infallible and advocated the Bible as the only source of religious authority. He contended that the Pope and his officials should be subordinate to the state.

John Wycliffe (1320 – 1384)

Educated at Oxford University in England, a man of tremendous intellectual ability arose calling for the return to New Testament simplicity and authority. Called “the morning star of the Reformation,” John Wycliffe opposed the hierarchy, declaring that scripture taught only two official orders in Christianity: elders and deacons. While defending the English king’s refusal to send money to Rome, Wycliffe was granted a doctorate and was appointed professor of theology at Oxford where his influence was felt heavily. Protected from the courts by the favor of the crown, Wycliffe grew very bold and initiated substantial numbers of preachers to preach to the poor. They came to be known as the Lollards.

Seeing the need for the general use of the scriptures, in A.D. 1380, Wycliffe translated the first complete Bible to English. His deeply imbedded trust in the scripture is clearly seen in his statement: “If there were one hundred Popes and all the friars were turned into cardinals, their opinion ought not be acceded to in matters of faith except in so far as they based themselves upon Scripture.”

He swiftly aroused Catholic ire as he repudiated the use of images, relics, Latin in the masses, the doctrine of extreme unction; proclaimed indulgences and the interdict are blasphemous and completely rejected the doctrine of purgatory. He even wrote against the Pope as the anti-christ. Thirty-one years after his death, the Catholic authorities declared him a heretic, ordered his bones exhumed, burned, and the ashes thrown into the Severn River.

John Huss (c.1373 – 1415)

The powerful influence of Wycliffe quickly spread through his students. A powerful preacher, who is termed “John the Baptist of the Reformation,” John Huss was very active in preaching many of the same things as Wycliffe. When excommunication did not silence him, he was commanded to appear before the Catholic leadership. Hesitant to go, Emperor Sigismund promised safe conduct to and from Rome. The Catholic council condemned him as a heretic, convinced Sigismund that he was not obligated to keep his promise to a heretic, and burned John Huss at the stake on July 6, 1415. His colleague, Jerome of Prague was also martyred, but these events only served to strengthen the resolve of their followers.

As a result of the work done by these men, some great educators arose like John Amost Comenius who held great influence on John Wesley. The courage of Wycliffe and Huss was also an inspiration to Martin Luther when he was in similar situations.

(To be continued next week)

Immutable Kingdom – Part 22

The Immutable Kingdom – Part 22

By Scott A. Klaft

Stimulus for Change

Although there were a multitude of errors being practiced by the Roman Catholic Church in the dark ages, there were approximately four major doctrines enforced by the papacy that motivated a great deal of protest among the people.

One of the earliest of errors, the doctrine that married life was spiritually inferior to the celibate life, very quickly merged with the idea that “priests” were superior to “laymen.” Celibacy for the clergy became an imbedded source of corruption. The widespread immorality that resulted within the Catholic clergy thereafter is an obvious mark of its own apostasy (cf. 1Timothy 4:3). In the years preceding the Reformation movement, forced celibacy produced considerable resentment among the religiously minded. It continues, however, as a part of the Roman Catholic doctrine and a source of immorality, still shocking today’s modern society.

In addition to the wealth amassed by owning a significant amount of European real estate, the Catholic Church placed a tax on its own members. The clergy paid dues to the papacy for the right to hold office, and the priests reimbursed themselves by charging the lay-people exorbitant fees to perform their services. This process, known as Simony, grew to be extremely lucrative, and it was so named to suggest a similarity to Simon the Sorcerer (see Acts 8:9-23) who tried to purchase, with material wealth, a spiritual position with the apostles. At a time when the monasteries preached idealistic poverty, this abounding wealth in the clergy was looked upon as quite scandalous. Ranking positions within churches were often occupied by men who neither lived in the city nor cared for the church located there. These offices were often purchased by noblemen like tuition to pay for their son’s education, the value of which is obvious, considering that only one in ten thousand people could read or write in the medieval period of A.D. 1000 to 1300. With obvious benefits, and few drawbacks, the clergy found little reason to reform this heinous practice of widespread religious extortion and corruption.

Closely related to the “sacrament of penance,” the papacy found a new source of revenue called Indulgences. According to this doctrine, satisfaction for sin must be made both in heaven and on earth. While penance was sufficient for heaven, earthly release from guilt required earthly satisfaction. It works like this: the Pope has something in heaven called the “treasury of merits,” which is supplied by the good earthly works of the departed saints. When someone sins, he may purchase an indulgence for a specific sum of money; the Pope then draws from this resource, applying it to the individual, and satisfaction has been made. This practice arose in connection with the crusades as enticement to enlist in the armies. Overly enthusiastic salesmen of the indulgence began to offer forgiveness of sins not yet committed, resulting in an open license to immorality and crime for those who could afford it.

Even in the early history of the church, people have been worshiping the departed saints and special relics. This is called Hagiolatry. Near the time of the Reformation movement, however, it was beginning to be recognized for what it is: polytheism (i.e. worshiping many gods). One man wrote that there appeared to be enough wood from the original cross of Christ to build an entire ship, and that somehow, there were at least five shinbones of the animal upon which Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Fugitive nuns prayed to saints to hide their sins rather than seeking God’s forgiveness. Gamblers prayed to saints for luck, and prostitutes prayed for generous patrons. Simple faith in Christ had ceased to be the essence of religion, and it was replaced with ceremonialism and hagiolatry.

(Next week: Movement to Reform)

Immutable Kingdom – Part 21

The Immutable Kingdom – Part 21

By Scott A. Klaft

The Inquisition

Zealous for the eradication of heresy, the Dominican monks were charged with the function of The Inquisition. Other than the Pope, they would answer to no authority whatsoever, civil, or ecclesiastical. The inquisition was introduced to France in A.D. 1233, Argon in A.D. 1238, and Italy in A.D. 1254; but, perhaps, the most terrifying exercises of the inquisition were found being conducted in Spain. The accused were usually arrested at night with a startling suddenness, often violently. Loved ones such as wives, children, or servants were not allowed to testify to the innocence of the accused, but if they had something useful to say to the prosecution of guilt, they were not only permitted but also encouraged to speak. The Inquisitors’ mission was not to determine guilt or innocence, but rather to coerce an admission of guilt.

Those accused were tormented and tortured until an admission of guilt was made. The degree of the torture was left up to the discretion of the Inquisitor, who, after several years of fulfilling such duties, developed a taste for it, as well as became very creative in the art of inflicting pain. Once accused, the only release from this treatment was a confession of heresy, or death. Those who lived long enough to succumb to a forced confession and denunciation of their heresy were sentenced with a terrible period of penance, which consisted of a weekly scourging by a priest with a rod in the presence of the congregation. Many were forced to make pilgrimages, wearing yellow crosses on their clothes that could never be laid down whether they were inside or out of a dwelling.

Catholic apologists have attempted to justify the use of the Inquisition by asserting it was not intended to be used on non-Catholics, but it was supposed to be only for the punishment of the Church’s own children. Since every person in every land was declared to be subject to the Pope, this argument has no validity at all. Claims have also been made that torture was never imposed more than once. Historical facts plainly show that these “one time only” torture sessions were stretched out over several weeks with no time limit involved. Catholic officials would like to credit the secular officials with this unrestrained behavior, but these “secular rulers” were all loyal Catholics, and the Inquisitors were very high in the Catholic hierarchy with the authority to make it stop. Obedience was expected, and orders from these Franciscan and Dominican monks were enthusiastically carried out, lest the rulers be accused themselves.

What About Current ‘Religious Toleration’?

To this very day, the Roman Catholic Church and its officials have maintained that they are the original and true church, and that all who dissent from Catholic doctrines are properly labeled “heretics.” If the first assertion were true, then their second would also be, but we have seen how Catholicism evolved, devoured, and contorted the church until it could no longer be identified as it was in the New Testament. Considering the historical development of Catholicism, it is reasonable to come to the conclusion that Catholic “religious toleration” was not adopted willingly. Numerous wars were fought and countless lives were lost as a result of Catholic onslaughts, but when dissenters could no longer be overpowered, the hierarchy reluctantly “permitted” others to live and practice their religion in whatever way their faith dictated, despite being at variance with Catholic doctrines.

During the gradual apostasy from New Testament purity to the resulting corruption during the “dark ages,” there were some very specific abuses that brought about the period of time called, “The Reformation” of the sixteenth century. We should take note of these abuses that had their origin in the church itself, and worked as a deadly disease of division.

(Next week: Stimulus for Change)