Dvd: the Protestant Reformation

CHURCH HISTORY LECTURE 11 DVD: THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION

Harlot offspring of the Great Whore. Roman Catholic Church birthed the Lutherans, the Presbyterians, and the Anglicans. Of these 3 harlot daughters came the majority of the church groups that we see in ‘Christendom’ today. The Reformers wanted to ‘reform’ the Roman Catholic Church; they never officially left her (though, they were excommunicated).

The following helped pave the way for the Protestant Reformation: 1. Papal schism – it made the public less confident in the papacy. 2. Less-impressive Crusades – this late resurgance was weak and less effective which caused the public to be less ‘fearful’ of them. 3. Immoral Popes – it became public knowledge of the gross immorality associated with the papacy for centuries past. 4. Financial greed – it became more obvious to the general public that the RCC was ‘filthy rich’ and greedy. 5. Printing press – The Gutenberg Press was able to print thousands of Bibles and other Christian truth which helped opened the eyes of the public to the truth (and the lies of the RCC). 6. The Renaissance – a period involving a love for learning; individual thinking. Erasmus was a great influence in all of this. One had said: “Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched”. 7. Preaching – more boldness and liberty to preach the truth.

Lutherans This was the first official breakaway group from their whorish mother (RCC). Martin Luther was a Roman Catholic priest. He had a significant religious transformation based upon the understanding of the Bible phrase “The just shall live by faith”. The selling of indulgences is what pushed Luther ‘over the edge’ in regards to the evils of the RCC. On October 31, 1577, Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the castle at Wittenburg. These theses were statements against the Roman Catholic Church. The RCC then excommunicated him. The Diet of Worms (Germany) was a famous debate involving Luther and the Catholics. It also sparked many to seek Luther’s life. Phillip Melancthon was Luther’s main co-worker. Luther translated and published the German Bible (TR based). Lutherans won the war against the Catholic Germans. They made an agreement that each German ‘province’ would have as their religion what their leader’s religion was. Lutheranism was a ‘state religion’ (forced on the people just like Catholicism). The Augsburg Confession is an official dogma of the Lutheran church. It agrees with the RCC’s dogma of infant baptism, the priesthood, the Mass, and the State church. Luther and his followers persecuted AnaBaptists.

Reformed (Presbyterians) The main men of this movement were: Zwingle and Calvin. Zwingli was from Zurich and set up a State church and was a persecutor of the AnaBaptists. Calvin was from Geneva; set up a State church; wrote ‘Institutes of the Christian Religion”; started what is now called TULIP theology on the sovereignty of God. The Reformed churches spread to France (Hugenots), Denmark (Dutch Reformed), and Scotland (the Church of Scotland). Presbyterianism began out of all the above ‘State churches’. It is based on a Presbytery form of government. The Westminster Confession is their main dogma; it came out of trying to reform the Anglican church. It promotes ‘electionism’. Anglican (Church of England; Episcopalean) King Henry VIII of England had many wives; he divorced and wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, but the Pope said ‘no’. So, Henry removed his kingdom from the RCC and started his own ‘church’. It’s main difference to RCC is that its head is the King. Kind Edward VI followed Henry; he became king at age 9. He allowed more religious freedom, but stilled persecuted some AnaBaptists (2 were burned at the stake). He died at age 16. He brought the church towards Protestantism. Queen Mary then took over and eventually had over 250 burned at the stake and 100 otherwise tortured to death. She hated the Bible. The first martyr under her was John Rodgers who translated the Matthew’s Bible. She brought the church towards Rome. Next in line was Queen Elizabeth. She was peaceful, and very Protestant. The 39 Articles of Faith was drawn up under her reign. Many say that she was a born-again Christian. There were still persecutions against the AnaBaptists all the way thru King James I….