Protestant Reformation Facts, Timeline, Causes, Definition

Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation was a movement begun in the sixteenth century by Martin Luther, who, through the publication of his 95 Theses, protested against various points of Catholic Church doctrine, proposing a reform in Catholicism.

What was the Protestant Reformation?

The Protestant Reformation was the 16th century movement which led to the separation of the Protestant churches from the Roman Catholic Church. It is usually said to have started when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the cathedral in Wittenburg, Germany calling for a discussion of false doctrines and malpractices within the Catholic Church as he saw them. These included the sale of indulgences and the doctrine underlying them, as well as the powers of the Pope. He had not, however, intended to create a rival church.

The fundamental principles of the Protestant Reformation is known as the Five Solas. Luther was supported by several European leaders and religious provoking a religious revolution that began in Germany, and extending through Switzerland, France, Netherlands, England, Scandinavia and some parts of Eastern Europe, especially the Baltic countries and Hungary. The response of the Roman Catholic Church was the movement known as the Counter-Reformation or Catholic Reformation, that begun with the Council of Trent.

Background of the Protestant Reformation

Moral Corruption in the Leadership of the Church

The years leading up to the Protestant Reformation were plagued by moral corruption and abuse of position by some in the Roman Catholic Church. The priesthood was guilty of several abuses of privilege and responsibility, including simony (using one's wealth or influence to purchase an ecclesiastical office), the selling of relics and indulgences, pluralism (holding multiple offices simultaneously) and absenteeism (the failure to reside in the parish where they were supposed to minister). The practice of celibacy which was imposed by the church on the priesthood was often abused or ignored, leading to immoral conduct on the part of the clergy. Secular-minded, ignorant priests corrupted their position by neglect or abuse of power.

During the fifteenth century the worldliness and corruption by men in the church reached its worst. The problem of corruption reached all the way to the papacy. The Renaissance affected the popes of the period. Many of the Renaissance popes such as Julius II (1441-1513) were humanists who were more interested in classical culture and art than in spiritual concerns. Some, such as Alexander VI (1431-1503), lived notoriously wicked and scandalous lives. Leo X (1475-1521), the son of Lorenzo de' Medici and pope when Martin Luther posted the Ninety-five Theses, once said that God gave him the papacy, so he would "enjoy it."

Among those who spoke out for a reform of the church was the Dominican Giralamo Savonarola (1452-1498) of Florence, Italy. This fiery preacher spoke out against the corrupt morals of the city's leaders and the abuses of the papacy. The people were won over to Savonarola's cause in Florence, but because of religious rivalries and political circumstances, the movement was short-lived. Although innocent, Savonarola was hanged and burned for heresy in 1498.

Early Reforming Religious Movements

During the late middle ages several heretical movements arose that challenged some of the basic doctrines of Scripture and Roman Catholic Tradition. Many of these movements were officially condemned by the Church as heresy and were severely suppressed.

Albigensians

The Albigensians arose in southern France in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. The Abigensians (also called Cathari) held to a strict dualism similar to the ancient gnostics. They believed that the world with all its misery and corruption was created by an evil God (that sometimes is associated with Satan) and that the spiritual and heavenly realm was created by the good and true God. Nonetheless, the Cathars also believed that there are particles of the lost kingdom of God in this world, and they need to be found. They practiced an exaggerated asceticism (they viewed self-starvation as an "assurance" of salvation), considering themselves the only pure and perfect. They also held the New Testament to be the sole standard of authority and completely rejected the Old Testament and the vengeful and angry God described within it. (Not that there ever was a difference between the God of the Old and New Testaments, of course. More weight was simply put on God's justice in the Old Law while in the New, with the coming of Christ, more weight was put on His mercy and love. His justice and mercy have always remained the same though). The sect became the object of a fierce campaign of just persecution when Pope Innocent III launched a crusade against them in 1204.

Waldensians

A movement known as the Waldensians was probably founded in the eleventh century by Peter Waldo. Traveling preachers known as the Poor Men of Lyons emphasized the study and preaching of the Bible. They translated the New Testament into the vernacular, rejected the Catholic doctrines of the priesthood and of purgatory, and of indulgences and prayers for the dead, and advocated a return to the Scriptures as the only authority in religion, seemingly ignoring the New Testament's endorsement of tradition as equal along with scripture (2 Thessalonians 2:15). They denounced all lying as a grievous sin, refused to take oaths and considered the shedding of human blood unlawful. They consequently condemned war and the infliction of the death penalty and even renounced self-defense. Others rejected infant baptism, transubstantiation, and tried to return to "simple apostolic Christianity". They allowed any "believer" to administer sacraments, rejected Catholic feast days with very few exceptions, and they ultimately disassociated themselves from physical paraphernalia including buildings, cemeteries, liturgies, and the like.

John Wycliffe

In England, John Wycliffe (1324-84), a well-known professor at Oxford, also challenged the authority of the papacy. During the Avignon Papacy, he argued that all legitimate dominion comes from God and is characterized by the authority exercised by Christ on earth – not to be served but to serve. During the Great Schism, Wycliffe taught that the true Church of Christ, rather than consisting of the pope and church hierarchy, is the invisible body of the elect. He promoted the study of Scripture over the Tradition of the Church. He taught that the Scriptures ought to be put into the hands of the elect, and in their own language. Wycliffe thus provided an English translation in about 1384.

Wycliffe denied the doctrine of transubstantiation, called the Pope anti-Christ, argued the priesthood of all believers, condemned the saint cult and the veneration of relics. He repudiated the sale of indulgences and masses for the dead. He believed that lordship held by humans is forfeited by mortal sin. He also believed that no monks or clergy, not even the righteous, could hold temporal possessions without sin, and further that it was lawful for kings and princes to deprive them of what they held unlawfully.

Wycliffe was eventually condemned for heresy, but his influence continued. His followers, called "Lollards," spread his teachings as an underground movement in England. They rejected the doctrine of transubstantiation, the veneration of images, clerical celibacy, and other Catholic doctrines as abominations. They were an important influence in England on the eve of the Protestant Reformation.

Like the heretics of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Wycliffe started with an attack on clerical wealth; he then went on to dispute the authority of the Church and, finally, its sacramental system.

John Huss

Another early voice calling for reform was John Huss (1369-1415), a Bohemian preacher and scholar. Influenced by Wycliffe's writings, Huss argued that the true Church was not the institution as defined by Catholicism, but the body of the elect under the headship of Christ. He insisted the Bible is the final authority by which the pope or any Christian is to be judged. Huss was burned for heresy in 1415, about a century before Luther's stand in Wittenberg. The Hussite movement continued to grow after their leader's death, preparing the way for the Protestant Reformation.

Considerations

If the Bible is the only rule of faith for a Christian as the above and many other heretics claim, then logically the Church would not be a rule of faith for a Christian. However, the Bible clearly teaches that one must hear the Church and follow Tradition.

Matthew 18:17 "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."

2 Thessalonians 2:15 "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle."

Luke 10:16 "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me."

This teaching of Jesus, that one must hear the Church under pain of being considered a heathen, refutes the entire idea of Scripture alone. This proves that the heretics that denies the Church denies Jesus Christ and the Bible.

Further, the bible teaches that the church, not the bible, is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

1 Timothy 3:15 "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

As one former Protestant minister (who eventually saw the falsity of Protestantism) put it: "If I were writing that verse [1 Tim. 3:15] as a Protestant, I would have said that the Bible, not the Church, is the pillar and ground of the truth. But St. Paul says it's the Church. This means that the Church must be every bit as infallible as the Bible, and that it must present something unique by way of presenting the truth of Jesus Christ."

The unique role of the Church is that it sets forth the true meaning of Scripture and Tradition in precise terms and dogmas, something the Bible was not intended to do in all of its passages, which should be obvious to any honest person considering the issue. All the different heretical sects that has been created simply because they don't know how to interpret scripture correctly, undeniably proves this notion. Moreover, if the Church is infallible and the pillar of truth, there must obviously be a way of recognizing its infallible teaching by means of a continued succession of authority which would safeguard the truth and exercise its authority (see The Papacy in Scripture).

Outrageous Actions and Quotes of Martin Luther –
The Originator of the Protestant Reformation

Martin Luther is undoubtedly the father of the Protestant rebellion and spiritual father of the Modern Apostasy from God. The object of this article on Martin Luther is not to give his history, which is easily researched (see Some Interesting Facts About Martin Luther), but rather to give direct quotes from a man called a "great religious reformer" and to whom many non-Catholics trace back real origin of their respective churches.

Who will doubt that the best judge of Luther's true character than Luther himself? And so from Luther's own words we shall see him for what he really was, that is a rebellious apostate, who abandoned the faith and led many into apostasy from God under the guise of "reformation" in order to follow his perverse inclinations.[1] Keeping in mind that none of the following statements of Luther, which I will quote, were ever retracted by him, and so they may still be considered as part of his "religious thought". This should show the aspect of Martin Luther which Protestants and all alike so conveniently overlooked in these days of false ecumenism and intellectual dishonesty.

MARTIN LUTHER ON THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Christ taught:

"If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."[2]

Luther in speaking of the commandments teaches:

"Their only purpose is to show man his impotence to do good and to teach him to despair of himself"[3]

"'Thou shalt not covet,' is a commandment which proves us all to be sinners; since it is not in man's power not to covet, and the same is the drift of all the commandments, for they are all equally impossible to us." (De Lib. Chris.tom 4:2)

"Moses is an executioner, a cruel lictor, a torturer a torturer [sic.] who tears our flesh out with pincers and makes us suffer martyrdom . . . Whoever, in the name of Christ, terrifies and troubles consciences, is not the messenger of Christ, but of the devil . . . Let us therefore send Moses packing and for ever."[4]

"We must remove the Decalogue out of sight and heart." (De Wette 4, 188)

"It does not matter what people do; it only matters what they believe."[5]

"If we allow them - the Commandments - any influence in our conscience, they become the cloak of all evil, heresies and blasphemies." (Comm. ad Galat, p. 310)

What is more is that scripture constantly declares the greatness of the commandments and the importance of keeping them:

Psalms 19:7: "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes."

MARTIN LUTHER ON FREE WILL

Christ taught:

"Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."[6]

Luther teaches:

"...with regard to God, and in all that bears on salvation or damnation, (man) has no 'free-will', but is a captive, prisoner and bond slave, either to the will of God, or to the will of Satan."[7]

"...we do everything of necessity and nothing by 'free-will'; for the power of 'free-will' is nil..."[8]

"Man is like a horse. Does God leap into the saddle? The horse is obedient and accommodates itself to every movement of the rider and goes whither he wills it. Does God throw down the reins? Then Satan leaps upon the back of the animal, which bends, goes and submits to the spurs and caprices of its new rider... Therefore, necessity, not free will, is the controlling principle of our conduct. God is the author of what is evil as well as of what is good, and, as He bestows happiness on those who merit it not, so also does He damn others who deserve not their fate."[9]

"His (Judas) will was the work of God; God by His almighty power moved his will as He does all that is in this world."[10]

MARTIN LUTHER ON REASON

Christ taught:

"Be therefore, wise as serpents and simple as doves"[11]

"You know then how to discern the face of the sky: and can you not know the signs of the times?"[12]

Luther teaches:

"No good work happens as the result of one's own wisdom; but everything must happen in a stupor . . . Reason must be left behind for it is the enemy of faith."[13]

"Reason is the devils handmaid and does nothing but blaspheme and dishonor all that God says or does."[14]

"Reason is directly opposed to faith, and one ought to let it be; in believers it should be killed and buried."[15]

"One should learn Philosophy only as one learns witchcraft, that is to destroy it; as one finds out about errors, in order to refute them"[16]

MARTIN LUTHER ON SIN

Christ taught:

"He that commits sin is of the devil: for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God appeared that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)

Luther teaches:

"A person that is baptized cannot, thou he would, lose his salvation by any sins however grievous, unless he refuses to believe. For no sins can damn him but unbelief alone."[17]

"Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides... No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day."[18]

"Do not ask anything of your conscience; and if it speaks, do not listen to it; if it insists, stifle it, amuse yourself; if necessary, commit some good big sin, in order to drive it away. Conscience is the voice of Satan, and it is necessary always to do just the contrary of what Satan wishes."[19]

MARTIN LUTHER ON FAITH AND GOOD WORKS

Christ taught:

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven."[20]

"What shall it profit, my brethren, if he has faith, but has not works? Shall faith be able to save him? So faith also, if it have not works is dead in itself."[21]

Luther teaches:

"For we account a man to be justified by faith alone, without the works of the law." (On Translation and on the Intercession of the Saints)

"It is more important to guard against good works than against sin."[22]

"Good works are bad and are sin like the rest."[23]

"There is no scandal greater, more dangerous, more venomous, than a good outward life, manifested by good works and a pious mode of life. That is the grand portal, the highway that leads to damnation."[24]

"He that says the Gospel requires works for salvation, I say, flat and plain, is a liar."[25]

MARTIN LUTHER ON SOCIAL JUSTICE

Christ taught:

"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill."[26]

Luther teaches[27]:

"Peasants are no better than straw. They will not hear the word and they are without sense; therefore they must be compelled to hear the crack of the whip and the whiz of bullets and it is only what they deserve."[28]

"To kill a peasant is not murder; it is helping to extinguish the conflagration. Let there be no half measures! Crush them! Cut their throats! Transfix them. Leave no stone unturned! To kill a peasant is to destroy a mad dog!" – "If they say that I am very hard and merciless, mercy be damned. Let whoever can stab, strangle, and kill them like mad dogs"[29]

"I, Martin Luther, have during the rebellion slain all the peasants, for it was I who ordered them to be struck dead. All their blood is upon my head. But I put it all on our Lord God: for he commanded me to speak thus."[30]

"God has given the law, and nobody observes it. He has in addition instituted rod masters, drivers and urgers; so then are rulers to drive, beat, choke, hang, burn, behead, and break upon the well of the vulgar masses."[31]

"Like the drivers of donkeys, who have to belabor the donkeys incessantly with rods and whips, or they will not obey, so must the ruler do with the people; they must drive, beat throttle, hang, burn, behead and torture, so as to make themselves feared and to keep the people in check"[32]

"Wherever the princes take their power from, it does not regard us. It is the will of God, irrespective whether they have stolen their power or assumed it by robbery"[33]

MARTIN LUTHER ON THE JEWS

Christ taught:

"You shall love your neighbour as yourself." (Matthew 22:39)

Luther teaches:

"My advice, as I said earlier, is: First, that their synagogues be burned down, and that all who are able toss sulphur and pitch; it would be good if someone could also throw in some hellfire... Second, that all their books-- their prayer books, their Talmudic writings, also the entire Bible-- be taken from them, not leaving them one leaf, and that these be preserved for those who may be converted...Third, that they be forbidden on pain of death to praise God, to give thanks, to pray, and to teach publicly among us and in our country...Fourth, that they be forbidden to utter the name of God within our hearing. For we cannot with a good conscience listen to this or tolerate it... He who hears this name [God] from a Jew must inform the authorities, or else throw sow dung at him when he sees him and chase him away."[34]

"Burn their synagogues. Forbid them all that I have mentioned above. Force them to work and treat them with every kind of severity, as Moses did in the desert and slew three thousand... If that is no use, we must drive them away like mad dogs, in order that we may not be partakers of their abominable blasphemy and of all their vices, and in order that we may not deserve the anger of God and be damned with them. I have done my duty. Let everyone see how he does his. I am excused."[35]

"If I had to baptize a Jew, I would take him to the bridge of the Elbe, hang a stone round his neck and push him over with the words I baptize thee in the name of Abraham"[36]

"The Jews deserve to be hanged on gallows seven times higher than ordinary thieves."[37]

While Martin Luther is entirely correct in teaching that Jews are to be forbidden to practice their false religion publicly, the Catholic Church however does not force Jews to be baptized against their will; nor does She do to them any other unlawful injustice; neither does She put them to death or deprive them of their lawful property unless they are guilty of some crime, such as proselytizing (trying to convert = spiritual murder).

St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part, Q. 11, Art. 3: "I answer that, With regard to heretics... they deserve not only to be separated from the Church by excommunication, but also to be severed from the world by death. For it is a much graver matter to corrupt the faith which quickens the soul, than to forge money, which supports temporal life. Wherefore if forgers of money and other evil-doers are forthwith condemned to death by the secular authority, much more reason is there for heretics, as soon as they are convicted of heresy, to be not only excommunicated but even put to death."

For instance, the dogmatic Council of Vienne specifically enjoined on Catholic leaders of States that they must publicly control (i.e. publicly suppress) the public practice of Islamic worship. Pope Clement V was reminding the State of its duty to prohibit the public profession of false religions.

Pope Clement V, Council of Vienne, 1311-1312: "It is an insult to the holy name and a disgrace to the Christian faith that in certain parts of the world subject to Christian princes where Saracens [i.e., the followers of Islam, also called Muslims] live, sometimes apart, sometimes intermingled with Christians, the Saracen priests, commonly called Zabazala, in their temples or mosques, in which the Saracens meet to adore the infidel Mahomet, loudly invoke and extol his name each day at certain hours from a high place… This brings disrepute on our faith and gives great scandal to the faithful. These practices cannot be tolerated without displeasing the divine majesty. We therefore, with the sacred council's approval, strictly forbid such practices henceforth in Christian lands. We enjoin on Catholic princes, one and allThey are to forbid expressly the public invocation of the sacrilegious name of Mahomet… Those who presume to act otherwise are to be so chastised by the princes for their irreverence, that others may be deterred from such boldness."

While the Church teaches that all who die as non-Catholics are lost, it also teaches that no one should be forced to embrace baptism, since belief is a free act of the will.

Pope Leo XIII, Immortale Dei (#36), Nov. 1, 1885: "And, in fact, the Church is wont to take earnest heed that no one shall be forced to embrace the Catholic faith against his will, for, as St. Augustine wisely reminds us, 'Man cannot believe otherwise than of his own will.'"

MARTIN LUTHER ON MARRIAGE AND WOMEN

Christ taught:

"For this reason shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder. . . Moses by reason of the hardness of your heart permitted you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, that whosoever shall put away [separation] his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery: and he that shall marry her that is put away, commits adultery."[38]

Luther teaches:

"If the husband is unwilling, there is another who is; if the wife is unwilling, then let the maid come."[39]

"Suppose I should counsel the wife of an impotent man, with his consent, to giver herself to another, say her husband's brother, but to keep this marriage secret and to ascribe the children to the so-called putative father. The question is: Is such a women in a saved state? I answer, certainly."[40]

"It is not in opposition to the Holy Scriptures for a man to have several wives."[41]

"Know that Marriage is an outward material thing like any other secular business. The body has nothing to do with God. In this respect one can never sin against God, but only against one's neighbour."[42]

"As to divorce, it is still a debatable question whether it is allowable. For my part I prefer bigamy to it."[43]

"The word and work of God is quite clear, viz., that women are made to be either wives or prostitutes."[44]

"In spite of all the good I say of married life, I will not grant so much to nature as to admit that there is no sin in it. . . no conjugal due is ever rendered without sin. The matrimonial duty is never performed without sin."[45]

In other words for Luther the matrimonial act is "a sin differing in nothing from adultery and fornication." (Weimar, Vol 8. Pg. 654.)

Luther also affirms that "The body asks for a women and must have it" (Grisar, "Luther", vol. iv, pg. 145.)

Luther later broke his eternal marriage and vow of chastity to Jesus Christ and "married" Katharina von Bora (June 13, 1525), one of 12 nuns he had helped escape from the Nimbschen Cistercian convent in April 1523, when he arranged for them to be smuggled out in herring barrels. "Suddenly, and while I was occupied with far different thoughts," he wrote to Wenceslaus Link, "the Lord has plunged me into marriage." (History of the Christian Church, Vol VII, Ch V). Katherina was 26 years old, Luther was 41 years old. They had six children together.

MARTIN LUTHER ON LYING

Christ taught:

"You are of your father the devil: and the desires of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning: and he stood not in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof."[46]

Luther teaches:

"What harm could it do if a man told a good lusty lie in a worthy cause and for the sake of the Christian Churches?"[47]

"To lie in a case of necessity or for convenience or in excuse – such lying would not be against God; He was ready to take such lies on Himself"[48]

MARTIN LUTHER ON GOD

Christ taught:

"You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment."[49]

Luther teaches:

"I look upon God no better than a scoundrel"[50]

MARTIN LUTHER ON DRUNKENNESS AND GLUTTONY

Christ Taught (in the words of St. Paul):

"Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers: Nor the effeminate nor liars with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards"[51]

"For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things." (Philippians 3:19)

Luther teaches:

"We eat and drink to kill ourselves, we eat and drink up to our last farthing."[52]

MARTIN LUTHER ON PRIDE

Christ taught:

"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled"[53]

"If anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." (Galatians 6:3)

Luther teaches:

"St. Augustine or St. Ambrosius cannot be compared with me."[54]

"What I teach and write remains true even though the whole world should fall to pieces over it"[55]

MARTIN LUTHER ON THE PERSON OF CHRIST

Christ taught:

"Which of you shall convince Me of sin? If I say the truth to you, why do not believe Me? He that is of God, hears the words of God. Therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God."[56]

Luther teaches:

"Christ committed adultery first of all with the women at the well about whom St. John tells us. Was not everybody about Him saying: 'Whatever has He been doing with her?' Secondly, with Mary Magdalen, and thirdly with the women taken in adultery whom He dismissed so lightly. Thus even, Christ who was so righteous, must have been guilty of fornication before He died."[57]

"I have greater confidence in my wife and my pupils than I have in Christ"[58]

"It does not matter how Christ behaved – what He taught is all that matters"[59]

MARTIN LUTHER ON SACRED SCRIPTURE

Christ taught:

"For I testify to every one that hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from these things that are written in this book."[60]

Luther teaches:

"To my mind it (the book of the Apocalypse) bears upon it no marks of an apostolic or prophetic character. . . Everyone may form his own judgment of this book; as for myself, I feel an aversion to it, and to me this is sufficient reason for rejecting it."[61]

"If your Papist annoys you with the word ('alone' - Rom. 3:28), tell him straightway, Dr. Martin Luther will have it so: Papist and ass are one and the same thing. Whoever will not have my translation, let him give it the go-by: the devil's thanks to him who censures it without my will and knowledge. Luther will have it so, and he is a doctor above all the doctors in Popedom."[62]

Luther had a perverse habit of freely falsifying scripture to justify his purposes.

"The history of Jonah is so monstrous that it is absolutely incredible."[63]

"The book of Esther I toss into the Elbe. I am such an enemy to the book of Esther that I wish it did not exist, for it Judaizes too much and has in it a great deal of heathenish foolishness."[64]

"Of very little worth is the Book of Baruch, whoever the worthy Baruch might be."[65]

"...the epistle of St. James is an epistle full of straw, because it contains nothing evangelical."[66]

"That epistle of James gives us much trouble, for the papists embrace it alone and leave out all the rest. Up to this point I have been accustomed just to deal with and interpret it according to the sense of the rest of the Scriptures. For you will judge that none of it must be set forth contrary to manifest Holy Scripture. Accordingly, if they will not admit my interpretations, then I shall make rubble also of it. I almost feel like throwing Jimmy into the stove, as the priest in Kalenberg did." (Luther, The Licentiate Examination of Heinrich Schmedenstede, July 7, 1542.)

It is worth noting that while Luther claimed for himself the right to interpret scripture according to his own view, and claimed that he was intelligent enough to judge anyone and everything by scripture alone yet he openly affirms that "We cannot claim to fathom completely the meaning of a single verse of Scripture; we succeed in apprehending only the A B C of it, and even that imperfectly." (Luther, Table-talk, trans. Gustave Brunet, Paris, Garnier, 1844, pg. 288.)

And again he states: "Let no one believe himself competent to understand Holy Scripture, unless he has, for a hundred years, governed the Church with the Prophets, with Elijiah and Elisha, St. John the Baptist, Jesus Christ and the Apostles." (Luther, Table-talk, trans. Gustave Brunet, Paris, Garnier, 1844, pg. 290.)

CONCLUSION

While I leave to the reader to draw his own conclusions, it suffices to say that what Luther really was; and the picture that is presented of him today by modern scholars, Lutherans, Vatican II "Catholics" and Protestants alike is far from the truth. Given this fact, it's not difficult to see how a Lutheran professed nation like Germany was able to blindly follow a person like Hitler if it had previously so readily embraced a person like Luther. Adolf Hitler himself was indeed no doubt a true (spiritual) son of Luther and in many ways was only being logical to the principles set forth by Luther in his approach to things.[67] Hitler himself declared the reality of this point in one of his speeches saying: "I do insist on the certainty that sooner or later – once we hold power – Christianity will be overcome and the German Church established. Yes, the German church, without a Pope and without the bible, and Luther, if he could be with us, would give us his blessing."[68]

What is more is that from Luther's own words (which I have stated above) we are able to grasp the origin of the inversion of orders in modern society, which we see has prevailed in the modern world. Luther ushered in this new era of apostasy from God in his attempt to rationalize his own perversity and make of it the foundations for civil society. The erroneous principles upon which the modern world is based undeniably come from Luther himself and can never be reconciled to the teachings of the Gospel no matter what Luther might have thought.

What the Bible Really Teaches

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ENDNOTES

[1] As Luther himself stated "I am but a man prone to let himself be swept off his feet by Society, Drunkenness, the torments of the flesh." – Weimar, Vol. 9, Pg. 215, Pg. 13. On another occasion, he states: "I burn with all the desires of my unconquered flesh" – Enders Vol. 3, Pg. 189.

[2] Matt 19:17, Cf. Matt 5:17, 1 John 5:2

[3] Denifle's Luther et Lutheranisme, Etude Faite d'apres les sources. Translation by J. Paquier (Paris, A. Picard, 1912-13), Volume III, p. 364.

[4] D. Martini Lutheri Exegetica Opera Latina, published by Elsperger (Erlangen, Heyder, 1829-84), Vol. 18 pg. 146

[5] Erlangen Vol. 29, Pg. 126

[6] Matthew 7:21, Cf. Matt 7:24, Matt 26:24

[7] From the essay, 'Bondage of the Will,' 'Martin Luther: Selections From His Writings,' ed. by Dillenberger, Anchor Books, 1962 p. 190.

[8] Ibid., p. 188.

[9] 'De Servo Arbitrio', 7, 113 seq., quoted by O'Hare, in 'The Facts About Luther,' TAN Books, 1987, pp. 266-267.

[10] De servo Arbitrio, against man's free will.

[11] Matt 10:16

[12] Matt 16:3

[13] Trischreden, Weimer VI, 143, 25-35.

[14] Against the Heavenly Prophets, On Images and the Sacraments.

[15] Erlangen, Vol. 44, Pg. 156-157. For more quotes in this regard see: "Three Reformers", By Jacques Maritan, Pg. 34 ; Cf. also Jean Janssen, L'Allemagne et la Reforme. (Trans. E. Paris, Plon, 1887-1911), Vol VII, pg 427.

[16] Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Fol. (1516). Ficker, II, 198. Cf. Three Reformers, By Jacques Maritan, Pg. 31

[17] The Babylonian Captivity. It's worth mentioning on this point that Luther himself had early written "Pray for me I am falling into the abyss of Sin" – Enders, Vol. 3, Pg. 193.

[18] 'Let Your Sins Be Strong,' from 'The Wittenberg Project;' 'The Wartburg Segment', translated by Erika Flores, from Dr. Martin Luther's Saemmtliche Schriften, Letter No. 99, 1 Aug. 1521. - Cf. Also Denifle's Luther et Lutheranisme, Etude Faite d'apres les sources. Translation by J. Paquier (Paris, A. Picard, 1912-13), VOl. II, pg. 404).

[19] J. Dollinger, La Reforme et les resultants qu'elle a produits. (Trans. E. Perrot, Paris, Gaume, 1848-49), Vol III, pg. 248

[20] Matt 5:16, Cf. Apoc 20:12, Gal 6:2, 1 Jn 3:18, Jas 4:17, I Cor 13:2, II Peter 1:10, Gal 6:9. There are also many warnings in scripture that warn against falling away from salvation (Gal 4:9, Col 1:23, 1 Tim 1:19, 4:1, Heb 3:12-14, 12:14-15, 2 Pet 2:20-21, Apoc 2:4-5).

[21] James 2:14-17

[22] Trischreden, Wittenberg Edition, Vol. VI., p. 160

[23] Denifle's Luther et Lutheranisme, Etude Faite d'apres les sources. Translation by J. Paquier (Paris, A. Picard, 1912-13), VOl. III, pg. 47.

[24] Denifle's Luther et Lutheranisme, Etude Faite d'apres les sources. Translation by J. Paquier (Paris, A. Picard, 1912-13), VOl. II, pg. 128.

[25] Tischreden, P. 137

[26] Matt 5:6, Cf. Matt 19:18, I John 3:15, Matt 26:52, Romans 12:21

[27] It is important to keep in mind that these peasants were actually Protestants who favoured Luther and his views, yet in order to please the German princes and gain influence Luther did not hesitate to have even his own followers put to death! As one writer put it "I know of no example in history ( with the exception of Hitler's famous, or rather infamous, June 30, 1934) where a man turned in such an inhuman, brutal, low way against his own followers – merely in order to establish his own position, without any reason." – Peter F. Winer, Martin Luther, Hitler's Spiritual Ancestor, Pg. 57

[28] Erlangen Vol 24, Pg. 294

[29] Erlangen Vol 24, Pg. 294

[30] Tischreden; Erlanger Ed., Vol. 59. p. 284

[31] Sermon delivered by Luther in 1526. Ref. Erlanger, Vol. XV, 2p. 276

[32] Erlangen Vol 15, Pg. 276

[33] Weimar Vol. 30, Pg. 1

[34] Martin Luther; On the Jews and Their Lies, translated by Martin H. Bertram, Fortress Press, 1955

[35] 'About the Jews and Their Lies,' quoted by O'Hare, in 'The Facts About Luther,' TAN Books, 1987, p. 290.

[36] Grisar, "Luther", Vol. V. pg. 413.

[37] Weimar, Vol. 53, Pg. 502.

[38] Matt 19:4, Cf. Heb 13:4

[39] Of Married Life

[40] On Marriage

[41] De Wette, Vol. 2, p. 459

[42] Weimar, Vol. 12, Pg. 131.

[43] On Marriage

[44] On Married Life

[45] Weimar, Vol 8. Pg. 654.

[46] John 8:44

[47] Lenz: Briefwechsel, Vol. 1. Pg. 373.

[48] Lenz: Briefwechsel, Vol. 1. Pg. 375.

[49] Matt 22:37

[50] Weimar, Vol. 1, Pg. 487. Cf. Table Talk, No. 963

[51] 1 Cor 6:9

[52] Weimar, Vo. 9. pg. 215. We can also note on this point that the opinion of Luther's contemporaries on the subject is unmistakable. They all agree that Luther "was addicted to over-drinking." - Th. Brieger: "Aleander and Luther", pg. 170, 307.

[53] Matt 23:12

[54] Erlangen, Vol. 61, pg. 422.

[55] Weimar, Vol. 18, Pg. 401.

[56] John 8:86 Cf. I Peter 2:22, Heb 7:26

[57] Trishreden, Weimer Edition, Vol. 2, Pg. 107. - What a great blasphemy from a man who is regarded as "great reformer"!

[58] Table Talk, 2397b

[59] Erlangen Vol. 29, Pg. 126

[60] Apoc. 22: 18-19

[61] Sammtliche Werke, 63, pp. 169-170, 'The Facts About Luther,' O'Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 203.

[62] Amic. Discussion, 1, 127,'The Facts About Luther,' O'Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 201. Cf. Also J. Dollinger, La Reforme et les resultants qu'elle a produits. (Trans. E. Perrot, Paris, Gaume, 1848-49), Vol III, pg. 138.

[63] 'The Facts About Luther,' O'Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 202.

[64] Ibid.

[65] Ibid.

[66] 'Preface to the New Testament,' ed. Dillenberger, p. 19. - Cf. Also Jean Janssen, L'Allemagne et la Reforme. (Trans. E. Paris, Plon, 1887-1911). Vol II, Pg. 218.

[67] This was undeniably recognized by the Lutherans who welcomed and supported the regime of Hitler. A point worth mentioning in this regard is that this fact is so blatantly ignored by Protestants and the Liberal media who at the same time do not hesitate to unjustly put forward attacks against Pope Pius XII and his efforts against the Nazis.

[68] Adolf Hitler, Hitler's speeches, edited by Prof. N.H. Baynes [oxford, 1942], pg. 369.

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