PRE-REFORMATIONSOMEONE HAS TO BE FIRST

DEVOTIONAL TEXT

• Matt 16:18, 19 (NASB)• I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will

build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. • I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;

and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” 

PRE-REFORMATION: CONCILIARISM

• A movement that saw ecumenical councils as having precedence over the pope.• This grew out of a growing cry for reform within the Church,

(reformation in capite et in membris).• Papal schism of the late fourteenth to early fifteenth century with

three competing popes gave impetus to a reformation call.• Saw a dichotomy between the universal Church and the Roman

Church.

PRE-REFORMATION: CONCILIARISM

• Took advantage of a loophole in the doctrine of papal supremacy, (nisi deprehendatur a fide devius, unless he departs from the faith).• Promoted a change in the understanding of the plenitude

potestatis, fullness of power, resided in God and not humankind, even the pope.• Promoted the concepts of “one pope, one undivided church,

and a program of moral reform modeled on the example of the early church.”

PRE-REFORMATION: CONCILIARISM

• Council of Constance can be seen as being the highpoint of this movement; two decrees – Sacrosancta (1415) and Frequens (1417) - were supposed to give greater strength to the conciliar movement. • Pope Pius II basically killed this movement in his bull

Execrabilis, of 1460.

PRE-REFORMATION: HUMANISM

• Within the context of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, humanism is not to be understood in the same way it is today. Humanism at that time was more of a movement which placed an emphasis upon the study of the humanities or liberal arts. • Humanism was methodological; in that its point of emphasis was the manner in

which ideas are obtained and expressed and not in the substance of the ideas themselves. • The slogan of humanism is best summarized in the term ad fontes, back to the

sources. There was a concerted effort to return to the original texts; such as the Fathers and the Bible.

DEVOTIONAL TEXT

• 2 Tim 3:16 (NKJV)• All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable

for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

PRE-REFORMATION: HUMANISM

• This idea also brought with it a return to the study of the original biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek.• Humanism gave to the reformers some of the tools that they used for

understanding the Bible.• Humanist believed that the scripture was the key to reforming the Church.• They saw the theology of the Church as being in need of change when

compared to the scripture. • Many of the humanists saw the Bible as a source of moral conduct.

PRE-REFORMATION: JOHN WYCLIFFEJohn Wycliffe 1329-1384• Oxford professor, English philosopher, religious reformer, morning

star of the reformation• Service of English leaders fighting for control of the Church of England• Focus on study of Scriptures rather than scholastic speculation.• Attacked the luxury and venality of Popes.• Denied authority of Pope over all Christendom.• Preached religion of personal purity and universal priesthood of all

believers.• Championed the cause of clerical marriages

PRE-REFORMATION: JOHN WYCLIFFE

Three major points of Wycliffe• Theory of Dominion of Grace.• opposed theory that dominant lordship—spiritual and temporal came

from God through intermediaries - every man was God’s tenant in chief—every man responsible before God.

• Scripture:• Should be available in the language of the people. Thus he translated

the Bible into English.

PRE-REFORMATION: JOHN WYCLIFFE

• Sacraments• No problem with - baptism, confirmation, marriage or unction.• Problem with - penance and the mass• No difference in good behavior of bishop and priest• Canon law has no validity for Christian conduct• Layman might preach• Confession to priest unnecessary• Doctrine of Transubstantiation not found in the Bible• Philosophical argument for changes in the sacred elements not found in the Bible

PRE-REFORMATION: JOHN HUSS

• Opposed the claims of papacy and the overlord ship of the church• Denounced the worldliness of the clergy• Sin of simony• Declared that laity (knights) could reform the church• Church could not try heresy cases• Reverenced Augustine• Opposed the withdrawal of the cup from laity; non-biblical

PRE-REFORMATION: JOHN HUSS

• He was of the opinion that if a pope is not worthy of the office then he should not be obeyed. In his opinion the pope was to act out of an interest for the welfare of the Church and not for his own selfish purposes. • He saw the Bible as being the final authority and both the pope as well as

the lay member was to be judged by it. If the pope did not obey the Bible then he should not be obeyed.• He grew to abhor the practice of selling indulgences and felt that God can

grant forgiveness without them.

PRE-REFORMATION: JOHN HUSS

• Asked to appear before Council of Constance• Emperor gave him safe conduct; Huss goes• Put under arrest when he arrived• Council refuses submission of alternate Christian to its councils

• Huss refuses to recant; burnt 1415• Jerome leader of those who gave cup to laymen burnt 1416

PRE-REFORMATION: SAVONAROLA • Born Florence 1452, died 1498• Dominican Monk 1475• 1482- preacher of San Lorenzo church of Medici family• Powerful preacher of judgment• Promoted Christian piety and systematically attacked the excesses of the

society. • He can be seen as being a champion for social reform since he even sold

monastic lands and gave the proceeds to the poor. He also arranged periodical “burnings of vanities” where citizens of Florence threw their “vanities” into a large bonfire.• Was seen as being a prophet by some of his followers; it is doubtful that he ever

made such claims himself.

PRE-REFORMATION: SAVONAROLA

• Due to a political circumstance, he stirred up the ire of Pope Alexander VI, who in turn, countered with a series of harsh measures that made life difficult for the Florentines and eventually was arrested at St. Marks. • He was tried and condemned for an unspecified heresy and

hanged by the state, later on his body was burnt.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE REFORMATION• Renaissance and its shift of focus from heavenly to earthly

things• Geographical expansion into the new world• Renaissance’s emphasis upon classical antiquity over

Christian antiquity • Rise of the nation states helped to weaken the papacy• Incipient capitalism shook the economic system of the Middle

Ages.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE REFORMATION• A feeling of hopelessness among the general populace;

contributing factors such as:• The Black Death 1348-51 widespread death led to loss of hope among

the population. • The Hundred Years War 1337-1453 between England and France.• Famines. Europe had experienced a series of serious famines.• War with Muslims.• Age of anxiety

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE REFORMATION• Babylonian Captivity 1309-1377 the papacy was moved to the

French city of Avignon.• Abuses by the clergy, such as simony.• Papal Schism (1378 – 1417) there was at one time three

competing popes; settled at the Council of Constance in 1417.• Age of a thirst for God. One of the outgrowths of this thirst was

the preponderance of mysticism. • Mysticism attempted to bring about spiritual healing to the soul.

Spiritual healing was to come about via the contemplation of the word of God; if one can get close to God then, to the mystics, there can be spiritual transformation taking place.