The Protestant Reformation was a response from theologians and educated laity to the Roman Catholic's abuses and failures. The failure of crusades, the Black Plague, and the educating of the lower classes created a people looking for answers. The Latin Church default was always, "because of your sins," this being fill in response for every catastrophe from the Fifth Crusade to the Festering Bubonic disease. As the common man became more learned, he began to realize with help of translators that what Scripture said and Seat of St. Peters in Rome said were entirely different. The fallacies and forgeries of Canon Law became more apparent as men like Martin Luther, Zwingli, Wycliffe, and more exposed how the Rites and Rulings of Roman Church had no scripture support or basis. It began to seem that a thousand years of European history and the people therein had been under man made religion (Colossians 2:23) rather than commands of Christ and His Apostles.
The Reformation was not a sudden phenomenon brought on by men like Luther, but rather a gradual movement that actually went as far back as the 12th century. Jan Hus was one of most notable men to speak against the Roman Church and call for a return to the words of the apostles, from him came a movement called Hussites who were almost exterminated in a crusade. There were Huguenots of 14th and 15th centuries who moved in gifts of Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12) but we later hunted down and called sorcerers. Even St. Francis of Assisi of the 12th and 13th centuries was arguing a new approach, "covert the heathen, rather than cut them to pieces." These combined with later reformers like Martin Luther of Germany, Zwingli of the Netherlands, John Calvin, Zinzendorf, and William Tyndale and John Wycliffe, would lead to a break with Rome. Martin Luther often is considered the Father of Reformation, which is true in one sense of word. For Luther the goal was to reform the Catholic Church and help it become what is now Protestantism, but that failed and instead the schism took place. Luther's works and his zeal, along with advent of Printing Press gave the Reformation the 'edge' it needed. The term, "the pen is mightier than sword" became true in that moment in history, and despite saber rattling of Rome, they could not remove the ideas from the now educated common man.
Even Sir Thomas Moore, the "man of all seasons" who perished in defense of his popish beliefs, had been influenced by the reformer thoughts. The Reformation was in full swing, and it began to sweep the nations slowly. The Spanish and French remained devoutly Catholic, shoring up the "fortress of Rome," but a blow was dealt to Romanism when King Henry VIII of England broke with Rome, became Head of English Church, creating a Reformed Church known as Anglicanism. Germany, the powerhouse of Europe for most the Middle Ages plunged into Reformation when the Barons would not submit to Emperor Charles V, and thus The Reformation became protected in Germania once the "Profession of Faith" was read aloud and accepted as orthodox. With Germany and England now Reformed, the European field became split, and holy wars ensued. By the reign of Elizabeth I of England, Phillip II of Spain had been churning the machine of the Spanish Inquisition and intended to use it to invade England and make her Roman once more. This failed in a miraculous scene, as the Spanish Armada was defeated by a smaller English Armada and a storm from On High that broke the ships to pieces. France was fiercely Catholic or Agonistic, and the Huguenots were tolerated for a time, until the French Wars of Religion. France would come out of it all as humanist, embracing the ideas of Renaissance rather than Reformation. Spain to this day is Catholic, though albeit less devout and being overrun by younger generation with moral ambiguity. In Ireland and Scotland, the Reformation had come via John Calvin's teachings, and the result was the founding the Presbyterian Churches. The field of Medieval Religion was growing smaller, while field of Reform was yielding a harvest.
The Reformation was a success, and the response from Rome was the Counter-Reformation. Instead of trying to seize back territories lost, Roman decided to venture into the "undiscovered countries" of Asia, New World, and more. The Dominican Friars became the Counter Reformation ambassadors, spreading Roman Religion until the rise of Ignatius of Loyola and the Jesuit Order that took its place. Protestantism could not yet yield the surplus of missionaries and monies required for passage to the unreached regions of world, and thus Rome got an upper hand in the dark parts of the world. Eventually, Rome saw losses as The Reformed Churches bolstered by advent of Pentecostalism and Charismatic movements, the Holy Spirit outpouring spread across Asia, and the hardened lands like the Reformed words of Martin Luther, John Calvin, Zwingli, and more through Europe.
The Reformation was a key moment in Church History, when challenging the clerical authority and distrust in office of priest reached it zenith. The corruptions in Catholic Church was stark and visible, giving the Popes and their paladins little 'moral' ground to stand on. The Reformation was a God Send to free people from yoke of Rome (Matthew 23:4), and to put in hands of people The Holy Bible, and True Religion. It was an upheaval to be sure, for Christendom collapsed in this civil war and sides were drawn, but it was well worth it to achieve access to Scriptures, and to learn what it really means to serve Jesus, God the Savior. The Middle Ages had been a period of Roman ruled through the Church, and finally Rome collapsed again.
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