Reformed Anglicans

1.      LUTHER’S OUT. ROME’S IN. The Diet begins closing down in late May with an epidemic and deaths with Charles remaining in his quarters. Aleander obtains the signatures of all with a back-dating of the document to 8 May 1521. “It tells the story of Luther's heresies, narrates what had taken place at Worms, vaunts the justice of the Emperor, the clemency of the Pope, paints with a broad brush the wickedness of the criminal on whom it is about to pass sentence. It places Luther and his adherents out of the pale of the law; condemns his books to the flames; and subjects all printing to the control of the bishops” (455). The Reformation was not stayed for a moment. Variously, Luther preaches as he heads home. He writes letter with the same themes offered at the Diet. On May 4, he is interdicted near Eisenach in a secret operation run by the Elector who has a close-hold on the project. “They put Luther on horseback, and by devious ways brought him to the "Wartburg, a...

THE HEAT’S ON. CHARLE’S RESULTS. Charles brags of his descent from Emperors, Kings of Spain, Archdukes of Austria, and Dukes of Burgandy (failing to mention his relationship to the first and second Adam) and that he’d uphold their decisions including Constanz and other councils. Luther, the mere “son of a peasant,” was resisting 1000 years of Christendom. Dr. Charles decrees (French, German): “And as we have before said, it is our will that he should be proceeded against as a true and evident heretic. Admonishing you that in this thing you should give your opinions as good Christians, and as you have promised. Given under my own hand” (442). Why they ever let Luther go from Worms is amazing, given Dr. Charles’s and the Pope’s decrees? Charle’s document was rapturously reported to Rome and translated into Latin, Italian, German, Spanish, French and Flemish and published throughout Christendom. Luther versus Emperor, Councilors, Electors, Princes and the Diet. A “maimed” affair in terms ...

THE HEAT’S ON. Luther’s cavalcade arrives in Worms with Luther in a horse-drawn carriage and knightly escorts. News spreads fast and crowds of supporters applaud. Aleander is the grand marshal and writes the agenda to be pitched by Eck (a different Eck than the Leipzig debate). The audience was set for 4 PM. Two leading questions: are these your books and do you recant? We might add that Charles V was a young and uneducated layman—he will run with the Pope’s boys. The Electors are gathered including other prelates, princes, delegates of free cities and noblemen—Electors of Mainz, Koln, Trier, Saxon, Pfalz, Brandenburg, all representing the varying shades and colors of German and ecclesiastical opinions. Luther’s counsel asked, “What’s the list of books under review?” After owning authorship to the books, Luther seems to have equivocated and skirted around the second question, fearing he would injure the faith, true, believing souls and giving sanction to error and tyranny. The reaction...

1.      ON TO WORMS. Beard chronicles the journey from Wittenberg to Worms, starting and ending 2 Apr and 16 Apr, respectively. Will he get safe conduct or the Hus-treatment? That’s fresh on the minds of the church historians. There was a “gravamina,” a long-known and standard list of abuses going back to the Council of Constanz, an annual event of complaining, that most agreed needed to be addressed, but Luther was beyond that. He was special. Charles V’s summons was dated 6 Mar but was dispatched 16 Mar. Beard stresses that since ceremonious burning the Bull of Excommunication at Wittenberg, 10 Dec 1520, until his departure from Wittenberg, Luther had engaged in ceaseless literary activity. A creature of academic and ecclesiastical routine and duties. Also, Luther preached variously as he travelled to Worms. The “chatterbox,” Martin Bucer, is in the vicinity. Amidst the wide intrigues, Spalatin advises Luther to end the mission upon intel. Luther’s answer: “Though ...

1.      “But they [Papists, including the legates Aleander and Caracciola] bear abundant witness to the contemptuous hatred, not unmingled with fear, with which Luther was regarded by the leading Papalists; he has no better names for him than `ribald,’ ‘thief,’ ‘assassin,’ ‘monster,’ ‘Alius,’ ‘Mahomet,’ and the like” (415). Yet, in Germany, things are afoul: “`At present,’ he writes on the 8th of February, `all Germany is in commotion: nine out of every ten cry `Luther,’ and the tenth, if he do not care for what Luther says, at least cries, `Death to the Court of Rome!’ and every one demands and shrieks `Council! Council!’ and will have it in Germany” (416). Aleander was instructed to demand the burning of Luther’s books and that Luther should be remanded to Rome. Meanwhile, things were being watched from Wittenberg. Italian politics was “ever-eddying” (417). Luther had burned the Pope’s bull on 10 Dec 1520. Should Luther go? His response to Spalatin on 21 Dec 1521: ...

The Diet of Worms, 406-415. THE DIET WAS A BIG, BIG DEAL, NOT JUST THEOLOGICALLY., ALTHOUGH IT WAS THAT TOO. Beard spends a significant amount of time on the political situation leading up to, shaping and informing the Diet of Worms in 1521. It was the first Diet for Charles V. The Reichsregiment was a Supreme Court to adjudicate (and regionalize) judicial power from lower tribune. Charles wanted money for an escort to Rome for enthronement but Germans were unwilling to cough it up. Spain had internal turmoils with requests for Charles V to return. Francis 1, a competitor for the Empire, was Charles V’s peril, each arguing that they were the just heirs of the preponderance of Europe. Charles V added Austria, Burgundy, other kingdoms in Spain and also Naples. Diplomatic intrigues festered with varied Papal interventions through Alexander VI, Julian 2, Adrian and Leo’s times. Charles V had no time for doctrinal or disciplinary reforms being young and unread as a youth and he had no time ...

Context of 1547-1550. The “history of the doings and attempts of Stephen Gardiner.” Several letters are offered. The first two letters are dated: one is undated and the second is in May 1547 concerning the destruction of images in Portsmouth. One can see how slippery he is—undercutting Edward’s authority and in line with Mary’s same arguments. He also is sycophantic to the Protector. He’s crafty, that’s for sure. 24-27.