Page 225 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

1526 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

than to the members of what they considered a corrupt other authority, led Protestants to put a major, some-
Catholic church. Many Protestant leaders, especially the times unique, stress on divine revelation in Scripture (on
Anglicans and the Lutherans, continued to think of them- the interpretation of which they disagreed). One fre-
selves as a kind of Catholicism without a pope, and they quent statement of this motif was the authority of sola
affirmed all that they could from the life of the existing scriptura (scripture alone).
Church.Yet their criticism of its forms was often searching, Second, while Protestants differed from each other in
radical, and even savage. In fact, for many, the pope interpreting the scripture, most found in the writings of
became not a faulty follower of Christ but the Antichrist. Paul and classic teachers such as Augustine an accent on
Although they were unwilling to be defined only neg- divine grace. In this case, the distinctive elements were
atively vis-à-vis the Roman hierarchy and church or sola gratia (grace alone) and sola fide (faith alone)—peo-
canon law, Protestants had difficulty defining themselves ple were saved from sin and from eternal punishment by
positively.The genus had to include everyone from Ana- the graceful and generous action of God, especially
baptists, ancestors to latter-day Mennonites and radical through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in
Baptists, to church bodies that worshiped in very formal which they had faith. Catholics, of course, also acknowl-
ways, including the use of incense and what radicals con- edged divine initiatives, but in the eyes of Protestants their
sidered the trappings that belonged in Rome, not in evan- emphasis on the need to please God through personal
gelicalism. The genus also had to include Protestants merit or works made them subject to Rome, which stip-
who supported the religious establishment, who did not ulated exactly how they should acquire merits and which
sever the ties between religion and regime, separate works were beneficial to those who would be saved.
“church and state,” or cease taxing the whole citizenry for Continuing to baptize and to celebrate the Lord’s Sup-
church support. At the same time, in the same cluster, per or Holy Communion, the sacred meal which memo-
were Protestants—again, the Anabaptists and Baptists led rialized Jesus and, most said, was a means of imparting
the way—who wanted religious life in their churches to grace among believers, most evangelical Protestants sim-
be independent of political organizations and leadership; plified worship. Preaching, singing hymns, and saying
they advocated very simple forms of worship that prayers became the main features.
demonstrated their distance from Rome.
Authority and Public Life
Authority and Grace Protestants, whose early breakthroughs were often con-
Despite these diversities and the many charismatic nected with particular nationalist or territorial movements
reformers who started independent movements, some and strivings by political rulers, knew that they had to find
broadly defined motifs can be used to characterize most ways to promote civil life and instill obedience among
Protestants. First, most Protestants did and still do give populations. Few were ready to go so far as to repudiate
highest priority to the canonical scriptures, which they existing earthly authority, be it that of emperors, mon-
share with Catholics. Most Protestants, however, want to archs, princes, or magistrates, many of whom converted to
downgrade Catholic affirmations of church tradition Protestantism and gave protective cover to reformers who
and papal interpretations of the Bible. They may affirm were allied with them and who promoted their cause. By
that the Christian faith was expressed through the ages 1555 at the Peace of Augsburg, all but the radical
wherever Catholics were baptized or observed the Lord’s reformist Protestant leaders had signed on to a concept
Supper (“the Mass”) as a second sacrament, and where that they took for granted: cuius region, eius religio (who-
the gospel of Jesus Christ was read and where it served ever determined the government of a region stipulated
as the basis of preaching and teaching to summon peo- what religion should be favored or have a monopoly).
ple to faith and the living of a godly life.The Protestant That halfway stage of reform led many Protestant lead-
rejection of so much tradition and its refusal to turn to ers to adopt a servile attitude to their government, and