Trail of Blood - Third Lecture - 1400-1600AD
1. These three centuries, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth, are
among the most eventful in all the world's history, and especially is this
true in Christian history. There was almost a continual revolution inside
the Catholic Church--both Roman and Greek--seeking a Reformation. This
awakening of long dormant Conscience and the desire for a genuine reformation
really began in the thirteenth century or possibly even a little earlier
than that. History certainly seems to indicate it.
2. Let's go back just a little. The Catholic Church by its many departures
from New Testament teachings, its many strange and cruel laws, and its
desperately low state of morals, and its hands and clothes reeking with
the blood of millions of martyrs, has become obnoxious and plainly repulsive
to many of its adherents, who are far better than their own system and
laws and doctrines and practices. Several of its bravest and best and most
spiritual priests and other leaders, one by one, sought most earnestly
to reform many of its most objectionable laws and doctrines and get back,
at least nearer, to the plain teachings of the New Testament. We give some
striking examples. Note, not only how far apart and where the reformatory
fires began, but note also the leaders in the reformation. The leaders
were, or had been, all Catholic priests or officials of some kind. There
was, even yet, a little of good in the much evil. However, at this time
there was probably not one solitary unmarred doctrine of the New Testament
retained in its original purity--but now note some of the reformers and
where they labored.
3. It is well to note, however, that for many centuries prior to this
great reformation period, there were a number of noted characters, who
rebelled against the awful extremes of the Catholic--and earnestly sought
to remain loyal to the Bible--but their bloody trail was about all that
was left of them. We come now to study for awhile this most noted period--the
"Reformation."
4. From 1320 to 1384 there lived a man in England who attracted world-wide
attention. His name was John Wycliff. He was the first of the brave fellows
who had the courage to attempt a real reformation inside the Catholic Church.
He is many times referred to in history as "The Morning Star of the Reformation."
He lived an earnest and effective life. It would really require several
volumes to contain anything like an adequate history of John Wycliff. He
was hated, fearfully hated, by the leaders of the Catholic hierarchy. His
life was persistently sought. He finally died of paralysis. But years later,
so great was Catholic hatred, his bones were dug and burned, and his ashes
scattered upon the waters.
5. Following tolerably close on the heels of Wycliff came John Huss,
1373-1415, a distinguished son from far away Bohemia. His soul had felt
and responded to the brilliant light of England's "Morning Star." His was
a brave and eventful life, but painfully and sadly short. Instead of awakening
a responsive chord among his Catholic people in favor of a real reformation,
he aroused a fear and hatred and opposition which resulted in his being
burned at the stake--a martyr among his own people. And yet he was seeking
their own good. He loved his Lord and he loved his people. However, he
was only one of many millions who had thus to die.
6. Next to John Huss of Bohemia, came a wonderful son of Italy, the
marvelously eloquent Savonarola, 1452-1498. Huss was burned in 1415, Savonarola
was born 37 years later. He, like Huss, though a devout Catholic, found
the leaders of his people--the people of Italy--like those of Bohemia,
against all reformation. But he, by his mighty eloquence, succeeded in
awakening some conscience and securing a considerable following. But a
real reformation in the Hierarchy meant absolute ruin to the higher-ups
in that organization. So Savonarola, as well as Huss, must die. HE TOO
WAS BURNED AT THE STAKE. Of all the eloquent men of that great period,
Savonarola possibly stood head and shoulders above all others. But he was
contending against a mighty organization and their existence demanded that
they fight the reformation, so Savonarola must die.
7. Of course, in giving the names of the reformers of this period, many
names are necessarily to be left out. Only those most frequently referred
to in history are mentioned here. Following Italy's golden tongued orator
came a man from Switzerland. Zwingle was born before Savonarola died. He
lived from 1484 to 1531. The spirit of reformation was beginning now to
fill the whole land. Its fires are now breaking out faster and spreading
more rapidly and becoming most difficult to control. This one kindled by
Zwingle was not yet more than partially smothered before another, more
serious than all the rest, had broken out in Germany. Zwingle died in battle.
8. Martin Luther, probably the most noted of all the fifteenth and sixteenth
century reformers, lived 1483 to 1546, and as can be seen by the dates,
was very nearly an exact contemporary of Zwingle. He was born one year
earlier and lived fifteen years later. Far more, probably, than history
definitely states, his great predecessors have in great measure made easier
his hard way before him. Furthermore, he learned from their hard experience,
and then later, and most thoroughly from his own, that a genuine reformation
inside the Catholic Church would be an utter impossibility. Too many reform
measures would be needed. One would demand another and others demand yet
others, and so on and on.
9. So Martin Luther, after many hard fought battles with the leaders
of Catholicism, and aided by Melancthon and other prominent Germans, became
the founder in 1530, or, about then, of an entirely new Christian organization,
now known as the Lutheran Church, which very soon became the Church of
Germany. This was the first of the new organizations to come directly out
of Rome and renounce all allegiance to the Catholic Mother Church (as she
is called) and to continue to live thereafter.
10. Skipping now for a little while, the Church of England, which comes
next to the Lutheran in its beginnings, we will follow for a little while
the Reformation on the Continent. From 1509 to 1564, there lived another
of the greatest of the reformers. This was John Calvin, a Frenchman, but
seeming at the time to be living in Switzerland. He was really a mighty
man. He was a contemporary of Martin Luther for 30 years, and was 22 years
old when Zwingle died. Calvin is the accredited founder of the Presbyterian
church. Some of the historians, however, give that credit to Zwingle, but
the strongest evidence seems to favor Calvin. Unquestionably the work of
Zwingle, as well as that of Luther, made much easier the work of Calvin.
So in 1541, just eleven years (that seems to be the year), after the founding
by Luther of the Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church came into existence.
It too, as in the case of the Lutherans, was led by a reformed Catholic
priest or at least official. These six--Wycliff, Huss, Savonarola, Zwingle,
Luther and Calvin, great leaders in their great battles for reformation,
struck Catholicism a staggering blow.
11. In 1560, nineteen years after Calvin's first organization in Geneva,
Switzerland, John Knox, a disciple of Calvin, established the first Presbyterian
Church in Scotland, and just thirty-two years later, 1592, the Presbyterian
became the State Church of Scotland.
12. During all these hard struggles for Reformation, continuous and
valuable aid was given to the reformers, by many Ana-Baptists, or whatever
other name they bore. Hoping for some relief from their own bitter lot,
they came out of their hiding places and fought bravely with the reformers,
but they were doomed to fearful disappointment. They were from now on to
have two additional persecuting enemies. Both the Lutheran and Presbyterian
Churches brought out of their Catholic Mother many of her evils, among
them her idea of a State Church. They both soon became Established Churches.
Both were soon in the persecuting business, falling little, if any, short
of their Catholic Mother.
"THE TRAIL OF BLOOD"
Sad and awful was the fate of these long-suffering Ana-Baptists. The
world now offered no sure place for hiding. Four hard persecutors were
now hot on their trail. Surely theirs was a "Trail of Blood."
13. During the same period, really earlier by several years than the
Presbyterians, arose yet another new denomination, not on the continent,
but in England. However, this came about not so much by way of reformation
(though that evidently made it easier) as by way of a real split or division
in the Catholic ranks. More like the division in 869, when Eastern Catholics
separated from the Western, and became from that time on, known in history
as the Greek and Roman Catholic Churches. This new division came about
somewhat in this wise:
England's king, Henry VIII, had married Catherine of Spain, but unfortunately,
after some time his somewhat troublesome heart had fallen in love with
Anne Boleyn. So he wanted to divorce Catherine and marry Annie. Getting
a divorce back then was no easy matter. Only the Pope could grant it, and
he in this case, for special reasons, declined to grant it. Henry was in
great distress. Being king, he felt he ought to be entitled to follow his
own will in the matter. His Prime Minister (at that time Thomas Cromwell)
rather made sport of the King. Why do you submit to papal authority on
such matters? Henry followed his suggestion, threw off papal authority
and made himself head of the Church of England. Thus began the new Church
of England. This was consummated in 1534 or 1535. At that time there was
no change in doctrine, simply a renunciation of the authority of the Pope.
Henry at heart really never became a Protestant. He died in the Catholic
faith.
14. But this split did ultimately result in some very considerable change,
or reformation, While a reformation within the Catholic Church and under
papal authority, as in the case of Luther and others, was impossible, it
became possible after the division. Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley and others
led in some marked changes. However, they and many others paid a bloody
price for the changes when a few years later, Mary, "Bloody Mary," a daughter
of the divorced Catherine, came to the English throne, and carried the
new Church back under the papal power. This fearful and terrific reaction
ended with the strenuous and bloody five-year reign of Mary. While the
heads were going under the bloody axe of Mary, hers went with them. The
people had gotten, however, a partial taste of freedom so when Elizabeth,
the daughter of Anne Boleyn (for whom Catherine was divorced), became Queen,
the Church of England again overthrew papal power and was again re-established.
15. Thus, before the close of the Sixteenth Century, there were five
established Churches--churches backed up by civil governments--the Roman
and Greek Catholics counted as two; then the Church of England; then the
Lutheran, or Church of Germany; then the Church of Scotland, now known
as the Presbyterian. All of them were bitter in their hatred and persecution
of the people called Ana-Baptists, Waldenses and all other non-established
churches, churches which never in any way had been connected with the Catholics.
Their great help in the struggle for reformation had been forgotten, or
was now wholly ignored. Many more thousands, including both women and children
were constantly perishing every day in the yet unending persecutions. The
great hope awakened and inspired by the reformation had proven to be a
bloody delusion. Remnants now find an uncertain refuge in the friendly
Alps and other hiding places over the world.
16. These three new organizations, separating from, or coming out of
the Catholics, retained many of their most hurtful errors, some of which
are as follows:
- (1) Preacher-church government (differing in form).
- (2) Church Establishment (Church and State combination).
- (3) Infant BAPTISM
- (4) Sprinkling or Pouring for Baptism.
- (5) Baptismal Regeneration (some at least, and others, if many of their
historians are to be accredited).
- (6) Persecuting others (at least for centuries).
17. In the beginning all these established Churches persecuted one another
as well as every one else, but at a council held at Augsburg in 1555, a
treaty of peace, known as the "Peace of Augsburg" was signed between the
"Catholics" on the one hand, and the "Lutherans" on the other, agreeing
not to persecute each other. You let us alone, and we will let you alone.
For Catholics to fight Lutherans meant war with Germany, and for Lutherans
to fight or persecute Catholics meant war with all the countries where
Catholicism predominated.
"THE TRAIL OF BLOOD"
18. But persecutions did not then cease. The hated Ana-Baptists (called
Baptists today), in spite of all prior persecutions, and in spite of the
awful fact that fifty million had already died martyr deaths, still existed
in great numbers. It was during this period that along one single European
highway, thirty miles distance, stakes were set up every few feet along
this highway, the tops of the stakes sharpened, and on the top of each
stake was placed a gory head of a martyred Ana-Baptist. Human imagination
can hardly picture a scene so awful! And yet a thing perpetrated, according
to reliable history, by a people calling themselves devout followers of
the meek and lowly Jesus Christ.
19. Let it be remembered that the Catholics do not regard the Bible
as the sole rule and guide of faith and life. The claim that it is indeed
unerring, but that there are two other things just as much so, the "Writings
of the Fathers" and the decrees of the Church (Catholic Church) or the
declarations of the Infallible Pope.
Hence, there could never be a satisfactory debate between Catholic and
Protestant or between Catholic and Baptist, as there could never possibly
be a basis of final agreement. The Bible alone can never settle anything
so far as the Catholics are concerned.
20. Take as an example the question of "Baptism" and the final authority
for the act and for the mode. They claim that the Bible unquestionably
teaches Baptism and that it teaches immersion as the only mode. But they
claim at the same time that their unerring Church had the perfect right
to change the mode from immersion to sprinkling but that no others have
the right or authority, none but the infallible papal authority.
21. You will note of course, and possibly be surprised at it, that I
am doing in these lectures very little quoting. I am earnestly trying to
do a very hard thing, give to the people the main substance of two thousand
years of religious history in six hours of time.
22. It is well just here to call attention to facts concerning the Bible
during these awful centuries. Remember the Bible was not then in print
and there was no paper upon which to have printed even if printing had
been invented. Neither was there any paper upon which to write it. Parchment,
dressed goat of sheep skins, or papyrus (some kind of wood pulp), this
was the stuff used upon which to write. So a book as big as the Bible,
all written by hand and with a stylus of some sort, not a pen like we use
today, was an enormous thing, probably larger than one man could carry.
There were never more than about thirty complete Bibles in all the world.
Many parts or books of the Bible like Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, or Acts,
or some one of the Epistles, or Revelation or some one book of the Old
Testament. One of the most outstanding miracles in the whole world's history--according
to my way of thinking--is the nearness with which God's people have thought
and believed together on the main and vital points of Christianity. Of
course God is the only solution. It is now a most glorious fact that we
can all and each, now have a full copy of the whole Bible and each in our
own native tongue.
23. It is well also for us all to do some serious and special thinking
on another vital fact concerning the Bible. It has already been briefly
mentioned in the lecture preceding this, but is so very vital that it will
probably be wise to refer to it again. It was the action taken by the Catholics
at the Council of Toulouse, held in 1229 A. D., when they decided to withhold
the Bible, the Word of God from the vast majority of all their own people,
the "Laymen." I am simply stating here just what they stated in their great
Council. But lately in private a Catholic said to me, "Our purpose in that
is to prevent their private interpretation of it." Isn't it marvelous that
God should write a book for the people and then should be unwilling for
the people to read it. And yet according to that book the people are to
stand or fall in the day of judgment on the teachings of that book. No
wonder the declaration in the book--"Search the Scriptures (the book) for
in them ye think ye have eternal life. And they are they which testify
of me." Fearful the responsibility assumed by the Catholics!
Copyright 1931, Ashland Avenue Baptist Church, Lexington, Kentucky