Reformation Lesson 5 Edict of Worms

The Outcome The Emperor signed an edict against Luther on May 26, 1521 Accused Luther of heresy and disobedience against the established political authority. It placed Luther under imperial (political) ban (he was already under religious ban) Charles V did not find it expedient to press the enforcement of the imperial ban because he still needed Germans to fight against the Turks.

Edict of Worms Other ReactionsHenry VIII of England urged Charles V to eliminate the Lutheran (a term coined by Melanchthon, not Luther) heresy.Henry VIII blasted Luther’s work “The Babylonian Captivity” calling Luther a blasphemer and messenger of Satan.Luther blasts back at Henry VIII calling him the King of God’s Disgrace

Edict of Worms Humanistic ReactionAt first Erasmus supported Luther although he questioned Luther’s zeal. After Luther burned the RCC Bull Erasmus turned against him.In 1524 Erasmus attacked Luther and the Reformation on the doctrine of total depravity.In September 1524 Erasmus wrote Freedom of the will in which he linked moral responsibility with free will.

Edict of Worms In response Luther wrote Bondage of the Will December 1525. In it Luther infers that all things happen by necessity and there can be no freedom of will in a creature—thereby taking the older Augustinian view.The only reformers to reject predestination are Erasmus (if we can call him a reformer) & Melanchthon.Luther remained steadfast on his position of predestination and according to Schaff p. 432 even made stronger statements than Calvin.

Edict of Worms Radical ReactionWhile Luther was at Wartburg Carlstadt began preaching against the Mass, monastic vows, images, and fasts. Luther came back to Wittenberg to stop this (too fast in his opinion) and the influence on Carstadt of the Zwickau Prophets.Fueled by a spirit of rebellion in Germany the Peasant’s War broke out in 1524-25 seeking social reform.

Edict of WormsLuther supported only religious reform not social reform. He writes a pamphlet “Against the Murdering and Plundering Bands of the Peasants”.

The result of Luther’s stand is that 150,000 peasants are brutally killed and a major base of Luther’s support vanishes.

Luther Gets Married June 1525

Luther was not interested in marriage because he felt that at any moment he would die as a martyr for his faith.

But Luther also wanted to have his life read as a testimony to the doctrine he preached.

 Due to his writing “On Monastic Vows” monks and nuns were escaping their cloisters to find husbands or wives as the case may be.

Luther Gets Married June 1525In April 1523 Luther decided to help out a nunnery at a nearby city and facilitate the escape of 12 nuns. This action was officially against the law.Because a local merchant named Leonard Kopp, aged 60, used to deliver barrels of herring to the nunnery, Luther decided that he would ride along and return with 12 “barreled” nuns in a wagon. One of these ladies was Katherine von Bora.

Luther Gets Married June 1525

After dropping off 3 nuns to their parents Luther now has the task of finding husbands for the remaining 9. The pretty girls went fast but Katherine was not chosen.By November of 1524 Von Bora was still unwed, working as a housemaid for a family in Wittenburg.Repeated attempts to find Katherine a suitor failed. Many of the guys she rejects. Finally she quips that she would prefer Dr. Amspore (about age 61) or Luther than the losers that Luther keeps sending.

Luther Gets Married June 1525Luther goes home to visit his parents and jokes about Von Bora’s proposal. But Luther’s dad takes him seriously and begins plans for a wedding. Luther agrees. Luther says that “He is not infatuated but that other women have worse faults than Katherine.” What a romantic!Luther gets married June 1525 and says ”I have made the angels laugh and the devils weep.” Luther is 42, Katherine is 26 years old.

Germany Goes on a Diet Due to the impracticality of enforcing the Edict of Worms, which would result in civil war in the HRE, the Empire seeks to find agreement and compromise. Three Diets and one Colloquy are set up. 1st Diet of Speyer 1526, 2nd Diet of Speyer 1529, Marburg Colloquy 1529, the Diet of Augsburg 1530.From 1525 to 1530 while these Diets are ramping up in the HRE the Anabaptist Movement really kicks off.

Germany Goes on a Diet 1st Diet of Speyer 1526, Charles V fearing widespread opposition to enforcement of the Edict of Worms agrees that (1) a general church council would meet later to decide the issue (2) “Every state shall so live, rule, and believe as it may, hope and trust to answer before God and His Imperial Majesty”1527 Luther shows 1st signs of serious heart disease—suffers from depression

Germany Goes on a Diet

By the end of 1525 Catholic reaction to the soft 1st Diet of Speyer sets in. A new Diet is called this time it is to be controlled by the Catholics not Charles V. Legislation was passed ending all toleration of Lutherans in Catholic districts.

On April 19, 1529 5 princes and 14 cities made a formal “protest” addressed to Archduke Ferdinand defending freedom of conscience and the right of minorities. Henceforth the reformers were known as ”Protestants” (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church pg 1529)

Germany Goes on a Diet In order to have a united front at Augsburg Phillip of Hesse puts together the Marburg Colloquy (Webster’s Dict. “A conversation, a formal discussion; conference”)

Germany Goes on a DietLuther and Zwingli agree on all but one of 15 articles—the Lord’s Supper. Luther at the close refuses to shake Zwingli’s hand. Luther says “I would rather drink blood with the Papist than drink wine (communion) with Zwingli” Also in 1529 Luther publishes his small catechism (for children) and the large catechism

Germany Goes on a DietThree confessions came from this meeting –Zwingli: Fidei Ratio; Bucer: The Tetrapolitana; and Luther and Melanchthon: Augsburg Confession

Diet of Augsburg 1530 The Diet was called by Charles V (do not confuse this Diet with the later Diet of Augsburg 1555 where the “Peace of Augsburg” was issued)In an effort to compromise with the Catholics Melanchthon went “soft” on various doctrines

Diet of Augsburg 1530 Result—the Catholics

Accepted 9 articles without comment

Accepted 6 articles with qualifications

Condemned 13 articles

The unaltered Augsburg Confession of 1530 became the authoritative and identifying confessional standard of the Lutheran Church until today (James Stitzinger, the Master’s Seminary Class notes pg 152)

Diet of Augsburg 1530

Analysis of the Augsburg Confession of Faith

2 basic divisions to the confession

Articles 1-21 Lutheran and Roman Catholic doctrine, Melanchthon tried to show unity of doctrine

Articles 22-28 abuses in the RCC these were not answered until Trent 1545-1563

Diet of Augsburg 1530 Strengths of the Augsburg Confession

Justification by faith alone Article IV (weakened by Article IX see weaknesses)

Individual right to interpret Scripture

Strong statements on the doctrine of God (Art I) Original sin (Art II) and Christ (Art. III)

The church is comprised of individual saints (Article VIII)

Opposition to various abuses – such as worship of saints (Art 22-289)

Diet of Augsburg 1530 Weaknesses of the Augsburg Confession

Baptismal Regeneration (Art IX see Justification by Faith above)

Confession Retained (Art IV and XI)

Lord’s Supper as real presence (Art. X)

The Holy Spirit who produces faith is given through the Sacraments (Art V)

Administration of Sacraments to unsaved is okay (Art VIII)

Luther’s Later Years 1530-1546

Lutheranism was now becoming more authoritarian

Luther insisted that it was the state and the parents duty to educate children. He encouraged the study of history, music, grammar, and literature. With Melanchthon’s help many schools were established.

Luther’s Later Years 1530-1546

Luther completed his translation of the Bible into German with the completion of the Old Testament in 1534.

Luther’s Later Years 1530-1546As Luther grew more ill he became more caustic. In 1538 he suffers from “the stone”, (probably uric acid stones) moderately severe arthritis, heart problems, and digestive disorders. The volume of his writing begins to decrease. In 1538 he is 54 years old.Luther dies February 18, 1546 at Eisleben with his sons, Martin, Paul, Justus, Jonas, Aurifaber, and Coelius at his side. Jonas asked him, “Will you stand firm in Christ and the doctrine which you have preached?” His last dying word was “Yes!” He was buried at the Castle Church at Wittenberg where he remains today.

Luther’s Contributions

Original thinker, brought back Biblical doctrines after over 1000 years in retreat. 

Taught many Biblical truths and advanced Reformed Theology. Over 50 of his “works” available today.

Reconstructed domestic life by his example.

Introduced congregational singing in the language of the people.

Luther’s Defects

Crude and use of coarse language

Free use of wine and beer trusting God to forgive him—Katie operated a still and brewery in his home

Very overweight, want “the worms to find a good fat doctor in the coffin”

Taught Justification by Faith but also Baptismal Regeneration

Intolerant toward Anabaptist and Peasants

Philip Melanchthon 1497-1560

Catholic humanist heritage

Known for an ability in languages

Received MS degree from Tubingen at age 17

Taught Greek at Wittenberg in 1518

Became Luther’s dearest friend. Luther had to prod him to rely on the authority of Scripture

Philip Melanchthon 1497-1560

Had no real deep convictions and found it easy to compromise Luther’s convictions

Wrote the Augsburg Confession a Lutheran Standard.

His propensity to compromise even had John Calvin “ashamed” of him

Said to have a humble and sweet spirit – had no enemies