The Forgotten Reformers

Before Luther nailed his 95 Thesis on the Castle Church Door on Oct 31st, 1517, the Moravians or Unity of the Brethren had started The Reformation in Bohemia, and Kunwald, Czechia (Germany) in circa 1457 A.D. The Brethren had their own Printing presses, “Of the five printing presses in all Bohemia, three belonged to the Brethren; of sixty printed works that appeared between 1500 and 1510, no fewer than fifty were published by the Brethren; and of all the scribes of the sixteenth century, Luke was the most prolific. He wrote a "Catechism for Children." He edited the first Brethren's hymn book (1501), the first Church hymnal in history. He published a commentary on the Psalms, another on the Gospel of St. John, and another on the eleventh chapter of 1 Corinthians; he drew up "Confessions of Faith," and sent them to the King; and thus, for the first time in the history of Bohemia, he made the newly invented press a mighty power in the land.” (Illustrated History of the Moravian Church, J.E. Hutton, pg 49), seven years before Luther ever published anything on the Gutenberg Press! How the world was convinced that Luther started the Reformation is odd, for the Moravians had 100,000 members by 1510 A.D., and were confessing justified by Christ’s merits alone seven years prior to the 95 Thesis. 

Luther possibly borrowed ideas from the Moravians, Waldensians, and Lollards, all who held justification by faith alone in Christ and Scripture Alone.  The Moravians in 1500-1510 wrote that the Pope was antichrist and the Roman Church must be abandoned long before Luther’s “Babylonian Captivity,” and antichrist remarks; this explains why Pope sought to snuff out Luther quickly having already fought the Moravians, “Of all the Popes that ever donned the tiara, Alexander VI. is said to have presented the most successful image of the devil. He was the father of the prince of poisoners, Caesar Borgia; he was greedy, immoral, fond of ease and pleasure; he was even said to be a poisoner himself. If a well-known man died suddenly in Rome, the common people took it for granted that the Pope had poisoned his supper. For all that he was pious enough in a way of his own; and now, in his zeal for the Catholic cause, he took stern measures against the Church of the Brethren. He had heard some terrible tales about them. He heard that Peter's pamphlet, "The Antichrist," was read all over the country. He heard that the number of the Brethren now was over 100,000. He resolved to crush them to powder according to the Papal Bull, Feb. 4th, 1500.” (Illustrated History of the Moravian Church, J.E. Hutton, Kindle Pg 50). Many Lutheran Historians would have us believe the first showdown between Catholics and Reformed Christians was with Luther in 1517. And yet we see the Moravians were in the sights of papal pistol seven years before Luther. 

It is puzzling that in the West we are led to believe Luther, Calvin (devil of a man, an antichrist!), and Zwingli were the Fathers of Reformation, when it was more accurately Peter Waldo, and Peter Chelčický. Waldo in 1140-1204 A.D. rejected Catholic dogmas like Purgatory, and believed in strict adherence to the Bible (Sola Scriptura), his followers became known as The Waldensians.  Chelcicky helped found the Moravians who built Sola Scriptura societies in Kunwald. It was Bohemia, Czechia, and France where the Reformation came forth, but history favors the late comers of Luther, Calvin and Zwingli. Much like in sports when a Most Valuable Player (MVP) outshines a team, and who founded the team and lead their earlier victories is forgotten by later generations. The truth  is the Waldensians and Moravians paved the way with their own blood, and burned bodies, they existed as Sola Scriptura Christians before such latin words for “Scripture Alone,” existed. Before Luther translated the New Testament in German in 1522 A.D., Waldo had commissioned the first New Testament ever translated into another language than Latin, a Bible in French in 1170-80 A.D. Why is Waldo and Chelčický forgotten? Why are many Church History Books written as if reform doesn’t appear tell 1517 A.D. and glorifies Luther like he’s the sole father of the Reformation? How could scholars ommit 100,000 Moravian Christians who existed by 1510 A.D? (Illustrated History of the Moravian Church, J.E. Hutton, Pg 50) Or pretend the Waldensians don’t exist in the High Middle Ages?! I was taught to believe our reformed churches are at the end of Medieval period, and if you are to admire Christians in the “dark ages” it has to be Catholic Monks and Crusaders, but all along there was Peter Waldo and His Waldensians! In the time of King Richard the Lionheart, there were Sola Scriptura Christians in the Cottian Alps of France and Italy!!! 

We must not forget these reformers. While we may thank Luther for being an MVP who made major gains, making Germany an even more powerful engine of the Reformation, we must not forget he was not a DaVinci who came up with the reforms first, nor was it all Roman Catholic Darkness from 500-1517 A.D, but in 1170-1204 A.D. Sola Scriptura existed and a people already revolting against Rome’s superstitions and errors stood firm in the faith. 

Let us teach the Reformation more accurately, citing 1170 as the beginning. Let us stop calling Peter Waldo and Peter Checkivick forerunners and instead call them what they truly are, reformers. May we acknowledge The Reformation was in waves, 13th Century, 15th Century, and 16th Century. Amen.