With two days until October 31st, I
thought I would use this week’s time line Tuesday to cover the anniversary of
the start of the Protestant Reformation.
The 95 Theses
On October 31, 1517, an Augustinian monk by the name
of Martin Luther posted a list of what amounted to 95 points on which he
disagreed with things that were going on in the Catholic Church. He did it before All Saint’s Day, as he knew
that the next day was a day of Holy Obligation, which meant that absolutely
everyone would be at the Church the next day for Mass.
This was a common practice back in the day, and it wasn't usually intended to cause dissension but as a starting point for a
discussion. However, when the Church
investigated what Martin Luther had written, they declared that the statements
were heretical and began proceedings against him. Johann Eck, a prominent
theologian of the day, studied the theses and outlined 18 of them which were
identical in nature to the tenets of the Hussite heresy. Luther received wind
of this declaration and was indignant.
Papal Summons
After reviewing the 95 theses, the papal court sent
a summons to Luther that he was to go to Rome within 60 days. He obtained a
waiver based on ill health which allowed him to remain in Germany and to be
tried there. The papal legate, Cajetan, and Luther met face-to-face on the 11th
of October in 1518. Cajetan was considered one of the foremost theologians and
philosophers of the time, well trained in both sciences and humanitarian
studies.
The confrontation between the two did not go well.
Cajetan was shocked at the “rude,
discourteous, bawling tone of the friar” and left warning
Martin Luther to cease teaching and to not call on the pope again until such
time as he was willing to recant.
Promises Made, Soon Broken
A papal nuncio (ambassador) was sent to Luther in an
effort to secure a recanting of the 95 theses. Martin Luther did promise the
following:
- to observe
silence if his assailants did the same;
- complete
submission to the pope;
- to publish
a plain statement to the public advocating loyalty to the Church;
- to place
the whole vexatious case in the hands of a delegated bishop.
Luther then promptly broke that promise as soon as
the nuncio had gone.
The Fruits of the Theses
If, as Christ has said, we may know the nature of a
thing by the fruit that it produces, it can assuredly be said that though
Martin Luther may not have originally had this as his intention, Christianity
has seen nothing but misery and woe arise out of his acts of rebellion.
Instead of humbling himself and submitting himself
to the authority of the Church, he ignored it and continued to lead others
astray by his teaching and preaching of heresy.
His concern, clearly, was not for the souls of those he led but for his
own glory and his own vindication.
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