Protestant Reformation

Before his death at the Second Battle of Kappel (Capel) on October 1 1, 1531, at the age of 47, Zwingli had accomplished a great deal in the way of developing the theology of the growing Protestant faith. While Zwingli and Luther may have agreed on many points of the faith one field of honor of profound division was over the presence of Christs body in the colloquy. Luther held to the belief that when one partook of the bread and wine that, while the bread and wine did not neuter into the body and blood of Christ, the body and blood were present with them to nourish the believer. Zwingli, on the opposite hand firmly believed that that bread and the wine and the actions accompanying them in the Communion were strictly symbolic of a more spiritual reality. 6 According to Lindsay, the Fourth thesis at the Bern Disputation of 1 528 states that, it cannot be be from the Scripture that the Body and Blood of Christ are substantially and corporeally received in the Eucharist. 7 With t his, Zwingli would agree. While Zwingli was not willing to part ways on the whole with the Catholic Church in regards to infant baptism he was an ardent advocate of allowing the clergy to marry.In a meeting in which Zwingli had composed sixty-seven theses to be presented and debated he said, I know of no greater nor graver scandal than that which forbids lawful marriage to priests, and yet permits them on payment of money to have concubines and harlots. Fie for shame 8 thither were many area of disagreement between the Reformers and the established Church, such as who should rule and ake laws governing botn church and state. Zwingli upheld the right ot the state to make laws and govern faith but also allowed the people to rise up and rebel against the ruling parties if necessary.This was in great contrast to the stand taken by the Anabaptist in later years. Though changes were slow in coming and in many cases were hard won, major changes were taking place in regards to how the c hurch was to be governed, who was to receive the transfuse and bread, whether or not priests were allowed to marry, as well as many other theological issues. One group that came ab give away as a process of Zwinglis teachings, though they did ot feel that Zwingli had carried scripture or the reform of the church to its logical conclusion, was the Anabaptists.Though often referred to as rebaptizers due to their unwillingness to accept infant baptism or baptisms performed by the Catholic Church, they would re-baptize those individuals. The Anabaptists themselves did not believe they were re-baptizing people because they had not been scripturally baptized in the first place. 9 Wanting to restore the church to what they believed it was in the first century, adherents were more accurately restorationists than reformationists. Called Radical Reformers they were considered heretical and seditious by the Catholic Church as well as other Protestant groups for their rejection of the establis hed churches. Believing that all other faiths had corrupted the Word of God and the practices established in Scripture Anabaptists broke from fellowship with other believers. One of the main forces of the Anabaptist movement was Thomas Muntzer. He wrote few(prenominal) scathing attacks against Luther, in one tract calling Luther, the unspiritual soft-living flesh in Wittenberg, whose robbery and distortion of Scripture has so grievously polluted our wretched Christian Church. In he same tract he called Luther Father Pussyfoot, Dr. Liar and the Pope of Wittenberg. 11 thus reinforcing the discontent and separation between the Anabaptists and other groups of Protestants. transplant was occurring over many parts of Europe. Men like Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli were attempting to right what they believed were the wrongs and atrocities being forced on the people by a corrupt Church and nation. The Catholic Church and the Emperors or kings throughout the time of the Reformation continue d to resist the teaching of reformed theology, even to the point of executing those who would not recant their unsufferable views.Occasionally meetings (Diets) were called in an attempt to resolve many of the issues between the established church, the king , and the reformers. In response to Luthers posting of his 95 theses, in which he publically challenged and correct many of the practices of the Catholic Church, on the door of Wittenberg church, a papal bull was issued excommunicating Luther from the Catholic Church. Luther publically burned the papal bull on a bonfire, in essence defying the authority of the Pope himself. A diet was called by Emperor Charles V.Held, April 16- May 25, 1521 in Worms, Germany it was intended to determine if Luther was a heretic. Luther was under the impression that it was a hearing to discuss or debate his beliefs, to his surprise he was presented some of his writings and command to recant. In Luthers response that he could not unless he was con vinced(p) that he was wrong. One result of this Diet was the issuing of the Edict of Worms, which condemned Luther as a, heretic and an outlaw, and commanded that he be arrested and his books burned. 2 While Luther struggled in the tight tor the justness in Germany, Zwingli was having more success in Zurich. In the first of four meetings, known as the Zurich Disputation in 529, Zwingli presented his 67 theses which condemned many of limitations and practices of the clergy. He believed that the sensitives was its own authority and the Church did not give it power and truth. Jesus was the one and only way to get to God the Father, the Pope did not be possessed of ultimate power over all spiritual matters, and works cannot achieve merit, for salvation, through their good works. 3 His writings were well received and the Council would put into practices some of his recommendations. Other notable events, though there are many, would be the Augsburg Confession, and The St. Bartholomews Day Massacre on August 24, 1572. The first was written by Melanchthon, which laid out the fundamental beliefs of faith for the reformers. Presented at the Diet of Augsburg in 1530 it was rejected by the Catholic emperor but adopted by the Lutheran church as their foundational document of faith. 14 St.Bartholomews massacre was an attempt by Catherine de Medici to cover up an assassination of Admiral Coligny by Catherine and the Duke of Guise. Fearful that an investigation would reveal her part in the plan and that the Huguenots increasing violence, she ordered a massacre of the Huguenots gathered in Paris at the time. 15 Before the conflict was over thousands of Huguenots had been murdered or died from starvation. As has already been mentioned, some of the more well known writings of the reformation include the sixty-seven theses by Zwingli.https//global.oup.com/academic/product/zwingli-9780198263630?cc=ua&lang=en&https//books.google.com/https//www.liberty.edu/online/Protestant Refo rmationThe Protestant Reformation was considered as the ultimate revolutionary incident in the 16th century. This was the period when the Church occupied the seat of power. Because of the commanding control over their constituents and their questionable practices, many people became discounted with the situation. As a consequence, they were forced to choose between the traditional Catholic Church or the new concept of Protestant Reformation. Their dissatisfaction was rooted from many flaws of the Church.First, the Church focused on the conduct of rituals which many perceived as an evasion from the Churchs original objective of portion their devotees to attain personal salvation. The Church sacraments became highly ritualized that they were no longer connected with the Europeans. Its meaning and significance have become senseless. Another major reason that induce the Protestant Reformation was the dispossession of the spiritual influence of the Church officials over their people wh ich was caused by the manifestation of secularization.More criticisms commenced when popes and other high church officials change a king-like lifestyle wherein they lived in luxurious houses and palaces. More so, because of the acquired fortune of the Church, it instigated numerous forms of abuses which was unfortunately executed by representatives of the Church. As a result from all of these, many people have been driven to initiate changes in the doctrines and rituals of the Catholic Church( Kreis, 2006, Protestant Reformation).During the reformation, one man was bold enough to reveal the truth closely the misconducts of the Church, he was Martin Luther. His incessant struggle to tell the truth amid constant intimidations and threat from the Church gave him leverage in gaining the interest and trust of the people. Also, he was able to benefit on the brewing discontent of the Europeans that made it more difficult for the Church to manage and to put a stop on the dissension of th e people (cited in everythingimportant. org, What started the Protestant Reformation? ).