WANDERING SOUL, LONELY HEART &
THE SIDE-TRACKED CHURCH

Adding To and Taking From Perfection

13th to 16th Centuries
Thirteenth Century
FOR READERS WHO DO NOT WANT TO READ ALL THE DETAILS....

(a)  All green passages refer to objections made by protesters (protestants) to the changes in doctrine and methods.
This includes translations of the Bible into the local common language.
(b)  All bold and centered passages refer to the INTRODUCTION or the formal ORDAINING of a particular change in doctrine from the 1st century.
(c)  All brown passages refer to persecutions for protesting
(d) All centered poetry are familiar hymns
written during time of persection.
����������� To get his kingdom back, King John of England, gave in to the pope in 1213, gave him all the land in England, and became his puppet.
����������� About this time, Pope Innocent III declared that incense be used in exorcisms.
INTRODUCED INCENSE IN EXORCISMS
����������� In 1215, the church officially decreed that the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper became the actual body and blood of Jesus.� They also declared everyone should receive communion at least once a year.� Also they approved having a crucifix (cross with Jesus on it) on table of Lord's Supper.
��������������������������������� ORDAINED BREAD & WINE ACTUALLY JESUS
������������������ ORDAINED LORD'S SUPPER TO BE TAKEN AT LEAST YEARLY
��������������������� INTRODUCED CRUCIFIX ON COMMUNION TABLE (ALTAR)
������������������������������������������������������ NOT WIDELY ACCEPTED
����������� A group of people in southern France, the Albenses, denied Jesus' virgin birth, were celibates, and did not take the New Testament literally.� Rather than try to teach them better, Pope Innocent, between 1209 and 1218 massacred men, women, children and elderly until he had annihilated them.� Indulgences were allowed for the anyone joining the pope's troops to carry out the slaughter.
����������� In 1230 during the time of Pope Gregory IX, canonization of certain Christians by declaring them saints was officially adopted by the Roman Church.
ORDAINED CANONIZATION OF SAINTS
����������� In 1245 the idea of purgatory was introduced as a way to get people to pay indulgences to get their loved ones out of purgatory and into heaven.
INTRODUCED PURGATORY
NOT WIDELY ACCEPTED
������� In 1274, the church insisted that believers must not only be baptized, but they must be confirmed with laying on of a bishop's hands to receive Holy Spirit ("confirmation")
ORDAINED HOLY SPIRIT BE IMPARTED TO THE BAPTIZED
����������� At this time, also, the church decided to Anglicize and transliteration of the Greek word "Presbyter" or Elder in the Bible and call presbyters/elders priests.
ORDAINED THAT PRESBYTERS ARE PRIESTS
����������� ITALIAN TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE:� During this century, the Waldenses escaped to Italy.� There they translated the Bible into the language of the Italian people.
����������� DUTCH/NETHERLANDS TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE:� During this century, several translations of the Bible into the common language of the people in the Netherlands came into being, names of translators unknown.
����������� Late in this century, King Edward I of England, called the Model Parliament where representatives of the people ruled and recommended to the monarch what he should do.� About that same time, Dominican John of Paris announced that the authority of the church did not rest on its head alone but on every member through representatives.� But people were afraid to agree with him in public and take the chance of losing their souls.� Things were not bad enough yet.
����������� In 1299, Pope Innocent III declared that it was a sin to study the Bible alone without interpretation by the Roman Church.
ORDAINED IT A SIN TO STUDY BIBLE WITHOUT CLERGY
Fourteenth Century
����������� In 1303, King Philip IV of France assembled the first Estates General, representatives of the church, royalty, and commoners.� This was more food for thought on how to rule the church at a time when the pope was taking advantage of the members.
����������� Pope Boniface VIII tried unsuccessfully to make the clergy tax exempt in England and France.� After several other run-ins, King Philip IV of France had Pope Boniface captured by his men in 1303.� The pope died a month later.
����������� The next pope, Benedict XI was poisoned after nine months in office.� The next pope was a Frenchman and friend of King Philip and consented to being crowned pope in France to heal relationships between the two rulers.�
����������� Because the political climate in Rome was anti-papal, Benedict settled on the Rhone River in Avignon, France, and the papacy stayed there for 70 years. �The next six popes were also French.� During this time there was a great deal of graft on the papal staff, even to paying to see the pope, and putting the pope's relatives in church office.� The papacy grew more and more wealthy.
����������� Further, to finance personal luxuries, Pope John XXII demanded a tithe of all clerical income, received the first year's income from new officials, claimed for himself the house and goods of deceased bishops, demanded love offerings from the people, rented out papal land, claimed the income of any church office that was vacant, and a tax of one penny per household in more than a dozen European countries.
����������� MIDDLE ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE:� In the middle of this century, John Purvey and Nicholas of Hereford translated the Bible into the language of the common person.� However, they did not get much circulation.�
����������� During this time, Marsilius of Padua and William of Ockham publicly resurrected the idea of Conciliarism - the church being run by councils who represented the people.� They claimed the bishop and papal system was not founded by Christ but developed through time.� But this was not a good time to speak against the pope.
����������� In 1343, the church made an official decree that indulges must be paid for punishment of sins.
ORDAINED INDULGENCES FOR SINS
����������� In 1367, Pope Urban V ordered the papal palace in Rome repaired, then returned to Rome.� In 1378 Italian Pope Urban VI was elected under threat of insurrection by the Italians.� Then the French cardinals declared his papacy invalid and elected Clement VII, a Frenchman, a pope.� Europe now chose sides and excommunications and massacres were perpetuated for both.� From now on for many years, the people would be divided between the pope in Rome and the pope In Avignon, France.�
����������� What made it more glaring is that they were about evenly divided ~ two popes in the north (Europe), and a third in the south ~ Turkey.�
����������� The chaos in church leadership and insistence on paying indulgences were the "last straws thAT broke the camel's back" for many.� For years people had been thinking there had to be a better way.� Now they felt forced to not only think about it, but perhaps try to do something about it.� But they needed a leader.
����������� GERMAN TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE:� In 1366, the Bible was translated literally word for word from the Latin into the common language of the people in Germany.� It was this Bible that, a century later, would be the first one reproduced on a printing press.
����������� By this time, the idea that the pope and cardinals should answer to a general council of representatives was being taught also by Henry of Langenstein and Konrad of Gelnhausen in Germany.� �������� When the laity in Bohemia tried to form such a council, Pope Gregory XI heard about it and banished everyone involved, then put additional religious restraints on the people.
����������� At this time John Wyclif, wrote, "They blaspheme who extol the pope above all that is called God."� He trained preachers who traveled all over England preaching in the people's language, reading directly from the Gospels and Epistles, and teaching the Ten Commandments and other basic tenets of the Bible.
����������� Soon after, Wyclif denied that the bread and wine became the actually body and blood of Jesus, and he declared the pope was the Antichrist.� He also declared that only elders and deacons were to be officers in the church that Jesus established.� He also said that the elders were the same as presbyters, priests, and bishops.� By 1380 he was saying that all Christians were priests.�
����������� "He condemned the cult of the saints, relics, and pilgrimages.� He repudiated indulgences and masses for the dead, although he retained belief in purgatory." [1]
����������� MIDDLE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE:� In 1380 John Wyclif translated the Bible into English from the Latin version, almost word for word.� His was successful.�
����������� His followers, the "Lollards" used his New Testament to preach everywhere they went.� In 1382 papal decrees were enacted against him and the Council of Constance formally condemned 267 of his tenets.� Years after he died, representatives of the pope exhumed his bones, burned them, and threw his ashes into a river.
����������� Wyclif was later called "The Morning Star of the Reformation." He died in 1384.
����������� Some time during this century, someone wrote this hymn that would be set to music three centuries later:
Jesus Christ is risen today, Al-le-lu-ia!
Our triumphant holy day, Al-le-lu-ia!
Who did once upon the cross, Al-le-lu-ia!
Suffer to redeem our loss, Al-le-lu-ia!
����������� In the mean time, in 1393, the University of Paris formally sent a letter to King Charles VI of France saying they would form a general council to get control of the church if both popes did not resign immediately.� Of course, neither pope gave up their power.� Just before the end of the century, theologians at the University of Paris called for King Charles to withdraw his support of the pope in Avignon, France.
����������� ANGLO-NORMAN TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE:� This translation was done in part, but never completed.� The Anglo-Normans were of Viking descent and lived mostly in the northern part of France.
Fifteenth Century
����������� This could be called the bloody century, except it will not stop here.� The blood of Christians just trying to follow the New Testament will continue until the movement finally escapes to America some 300 years later.
����������� Two years after Wyclif's death, King Richard of England married the sister of the King of Bohemia.� With such ties, many from Bohemia studied at Oxford in England, then returned to the University of Prague, taking Wyclif's ideas of reform with them.� ������
            When John Huss entered the University of Prague, he saw Wyclif's writings and rewrote them for his own use.� He was ordained a priest in 1400.
����������� Appointed preacher of a Prague chapel, Huss's sermons were both in Latin and Czech.� He condemned church corruptions, said Christ and not Peter was the foundation of the church, and also taught moral reform to his people.
����������� In 1401, the King of England ordered that all of Wyclif's followers, called Lollards, be burned as heretics.� William Santree of Smithfield was the first to be burned.� In 1419, Sir John Oldcastle, was sentenced burned.� In 1473, Thomas Granter was burned at the stake outside London.� In 1499, Badram was burned in Norwich.
����������� RUMANIAN TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE:� In 1405, Nicodim translated the Four gospels into the language of the common people.� They were located east of the Black Sea near Russia.
����������� In 1410, Pope Alexander V in Avignon, France, prohibited preaching in private chapels and for Wyclif's books to be burned.� But Huss continued to preach, supported by his king, queen, university and the citizens of Prague in Czechoslovakia.
����������� In the mean time, in Italy, a council was called to meet at Pisa to solve the problem of two of the three popes - the two being in Europe.� Protected by King Charles VI of France 1000 churchmen and other interested people including ambassadors from England, Poland, France, Portugal, Bohemia, Sicily and smaller areas assembled.�
����������� This Council summoned both popes, but they refused to come.� So the council deposed them and elected a fourth pope - Alexander V!� But Pope Alexander V died less than a year later.� So the council elected another pope - John XXIII.� He, with his army, took over Rome, driving out Pope Gregory, but only temporarily.
����������� When John XXIII took over as pope in Avignon, France, in 1410, he began selling indulgences to raise money for a crusade against Naples, Huss attacked the pope.� Two years later Pope John excommunicated Huss.
����������� Pope John XXIII was so bad, that some 200 maidens, nuns and married women fell victims to his passions; he violated nuns and virgins; he lived in adultery and was guilty of sodomy, sold cardinal offices to children of wealthy families, and denied both heaven and hell.
����������� Angered, the Council met again, but this time in Constance, Switzerland.� About 20,000 attended.� There they had the support of even more world leaders including the pope in Rome.� The Council took Pope John prisoner for defying them.� The pope at Avignon, France exiled himself to a mountain in Spain.��
����������� Oddly, in 1415 while the Council of Constance was meeting to depose various popes and appoint their own, it summoned Huss to come and speak about the papacy.� They wanted papal reform, but did not want to get rid of the papacy completely.� So when Huss arrived, he was imprisoned.� When the King of Bohemia objected, he was told promises were not binding to heretics.
����������� Finally Europe was back to having one pope - Gregory XII.� Shortly after, Gregory resigned, and shortly after that he died.� The church was, for the next two years, without any pope!
����������� Then two days after forcing Pope Gregory to resign as pope, the council ordered Huss to be burned at the stake.� When chained, Huss declared, "My Lord Jesus Christ was bound with a harder chain than this for my sake, and why then should I be ashamed of this rusty one?"�
����������� When the kindling was piled up to his neck, he was asked to abdicate his teachings.� He replied, "I never preached any doctrine of an evil tendency; and what I taught with my lips I now seal with my blood."� When the fire was started he sang a hymn "with so loud and cheerful a voice that he was heard through all the cracklings of the combustibles, and the noise of the Multitude." [2]
����������� The following year, Huss's friend, Jerome of Prague in Bohemia, was similarly martyred.� Going to the place of execution he sang hymns.� When he arrived, he prayed, then embraced the stake.� When the executioner started to set fire to the kindling behind him, he said, "Come here, and kindle it before my eyes; for if I had been afraid of it, I had not come to this place."� While the fire burned, he sang hymns.� The last thing he said was, "This soul in flames I offer Christ, to Thee."  [3]
����������� In 1418, the officials of the Church of Rome decided that anyone partaking of the Lord's Supper was required to fast at least one hour beforehand, eliminating both food and water.
ORDAINED FASTING BEFORE LORD'S SUPPER
����������� In 1418, inspired by Huss, John de Trocznow " Zisca" of Bohemia formed an army of 40,000 to defend his country on behalf of religious freedom.� But his emperor died and another was opposed to such freedom, so fought Zisca's army.� Yet, in 1421 Zisca destroyed all the monasteries.� The following year, Zisca, a nickname for one-eyed, was struck in the other eye with an arrow.� But he continued to lead his army blind.�
����������� This "holy war" was bad for both sides to participate in; but at least they fought as equals on the battlefield rather than toward defenceless citizens.
����������� After showing his superiority over the armies of Bohemia, Hungary and Poland, he turned to actual Reformation.� He forbade all prayers for the dead, images, sacerdotal vestments, fasts and festivals.�
����������� He was offered the crown of Bohemia but refused it.� He died of plague in 1424 and the former king regained power.
����������� Persecution of the Reformers raged.� Thereupon, some of the Reformers went to the senate allowing such persecution and speared them.�
����������� Pope Martin V then declared for the entire Bohemian race to be exterminated, offering to everyone in Germany and nearby kingdoms full remission of all sins if they killed even one Bohemian Protestant.
����������� A merchant of Prague, who openly admired John Huss and his doctrines, was arrested in Silesia and sentenced to execution.� As his legs were bound with ropes to be dragged through the streets, he was given one last chance to recant.� He replied, "I glory in the very thoughts of dying for the sake of Christ."� Thereupon he was dragged through the city and burned at the stake.
����������� The Prince Ferdinand of the Rhine sent his own troops throughout Bohemia to get rid of the Protestants.� He had a "hanging court."�� But often the Protestants were not afforded even that.� Later he was made emperor.
����������� They killed an aged minister in his bed, robbed and murdered another, and shot a third while he was preaching at church.� A schoolmaster they stripped naked, beat, and then stoned.� Another Protestant was forced to watch his daughters raped, then tortured to death.� A minister and his wife were tied together and burned.� Another minister was hung on a cross beam and broiled to death.� Another minister was covered alternately with ice and burning coals until he died.� Some instances cannot be printed here because of its hideousness.
����������� Another minister they spit on, sent through the gauntlet, beat him with twigs, fists, ropes, wires, cudgels.� They tied him upside down until the blood came out of his mouth and nose.� They hung him by his right arm until it was dislocated and then set it.� They repeated it with his left arm.� Burning papers were placed between his fingers and toes.� He was tormented with red-hot pinchers and put on the rack.� They pulled out his fingernails and toenails.� They slit his ears and nose, dragged him through the streets, and pulled out his teeth.� Boiling lead was poured on his fingers and toes.� He endured other things that are not repeatable here.� One such torture killed him.
����������� Twenty royal Protestant sympathizers were sentenced to death in Prague, most of them tortured briefly and then beheaded.� "The prisoners left the castle with as much cheerfulness as if they had been going to an agreeable entertainment, instead of a Violent death."������
����������� This is what some of them said before their deaths:
����������� LORD SCHILIK, AGE 50:� "I have God's favor, which is sufficient to inspire any one with courage: the fear of death does not trouble me."� LORD VISCOUNT WINCESLAUS, AGE 70:� "The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away....the greater honor now attends ye, a crown of martyrdom is your portion."� LORD HARANT:� "Almighty God!� Forgive them, for they know not what they do."� LORD HENRY OTTO:� "I feel my spirits revived; God be praised for affording me such comfort."
����������� EARL OF RUGENIA:� "I am better pleased at the sentence of death, than if the emperor had given me life; for I find that it pleases God to have his truth defended, not by our swords, but by our blood.� I shall now be speedily with Christ."� SIR GASPAR KAPLITZ, AGE 86:� "God reserved me until these years to be a spectacle to the world, and a sacrifice to himself....I will ask pardon of God, whom I have frequently offended; but not of the emperor, to whom I never gave any offence."� DIONYSIUS SERVIUS, AGE 56:� "They may destroy my body, but cannot injure my soul that I commend to my Redeemer."� TOBIAS STEFFICK:� "I have received during the whole course of my life, many favors from God; ought I not therefore cheerfully to take one bitter cup, when He thinks proper to present it?"�
����������� CHRISTOPHER CHOBER:� "I come in the name of God, to die for His glory; I have fought the good fight, and finished my course; so, executioner, do your office."� JOHN SHULTIS:� "The righteous seem to die in the eyes of fools, but they only go to rest.� Lord Jesus!� ....Behold I am come; look on me, pity me, pardon my sins, and receive my soul."� MAXIMILIAN HOSTIALICK:� "Lord, thou lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation."� JOHN KUTNAUR:� [To a priest trying to get him to recant]� "Your superstitious faith I abhor, it leads to perdition, and I wish for no other arms against the terrors of death than a good conscience."� SIMEON SUSSICKEY:� "Every moment delays me from entering into the Kingdom of Christ."  [4]
����������� Around 1430, Nicholas of Cusa wrote that the pope was not infallible, but the church was; therefore, whenever the church was represented by the Council, the Council's decisions were infallible.� The pope was just one member of the Council, therefore only got one vote.
����������� In 1436, the Council of Constance, condemned clergy who had mistresses, changed parts of the liturgy, abolished some of the taxes to the pope, made new regulations for electing the pope.�
����������� Also, in an act of conciliation, during this time they allowed the followers of Huss to rejoin their reformed Catholic church.
����������� However, the same year many of Huss's followers merged with some Waldensians from Moravia to form the United Brethren, or sometimes called the Moravian Brethren.
����������� In 1438 King Charles VII of France called his own Council that declared the pope could not decide on use of non-church property and they could nullify any French church nominee of the pope.
����������� Also another all-church Council was called in Basle, Italy. Among other things, Pope Eugenius was deposed; but he refused to step down.� They named Felix V as their pope, so once again the church had two popes for the next nine years.� Felix's followers were in Switzerland, Austria, Bavaria, and Paris.� France and Germany refused to choose sides.
����������� But the Council made a serious mistake when it began granting indulgences in order to raise money to support itself.� Therefore, most people - including French and Germans - went back to supporting the Pope Eugenius in Rome.� After that, support for any Council began a fast decline and by 1449 the Conciliary Movement was over.
����������� BIBLE BEGAN TO BE PRINTED WITH MOVABLE TYPE.� At this time there were 33 translations of the Bible into various languages.
����������� Beginning with Pope Nicholas V in 1447, attention was diverted to rediscovery of classical Rome and trying to recreate it.� Nicholas added new wings onto the Vatican Palace and began the Vatican library.�
����������� His successor Calixtus III appointed two nephews as cardinals, one was only age 25.� His successor Pius II openly bragged on his methods to seduce women.� He had at least two illegitimate children.� His successor Paul II had many concubines in the papal palace.� He also started the papal publishing house.� ����
����������� ITALIAN TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE: In 1471, Nixccolo Malermi translated the Bible into Italian from the Latin translation.� It was printed in Venice.
����������� CZECH TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE:� In 1475, the Bible was translated into the Czech language from the Latin, and printed with the new printing press.
����������� FINNISH TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE:� M. Agricola translated the New Testament from the original Greek in the common language of his people.
����������� Pope Sixtus IV, made at least six of his nephews cardinals, and gave another nephew four bishoprics and cardinal all at the same time.� He gave Giovanni de Medici (later Leo X) a church office at age 7, made him an abbot at age 8, and two more by the age of 12.� Sixtus also built the Sistine Chapel in 1483.�
����������� In 1476, the church decided that the righteous dead could never leave purgatory and move on to heaven because they had not paid the penalty for their sins.� Therefore, relatives of the dead were required to pay indulgences to get their loved ones out of purgatory.
ORDAINED INDULGENCES TO LEAVE PURGATORY
����������� In 1477, the Roman church decided that Mary was the Spiritual Mother of all mankind.
ORDAINED MARY SPIRITUAL MOTHER OF MANKIND
    ������ DUTCH TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE:� That same year, the Delfth Bible was translated from Latin into the language of the common people, but it was only the Old Testament.������
����������� ITALIAN TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE:� Bonifacio Ferrer made the Catalan translation from the Latin translation.� It was later destroyed in the inquisition in 1498.� Only a few fragments remain today.
����������� Pope Innocent VIII had 16 children by various married women which he openly acknowledged and which he put into church offices.� Previous popes had called their children nieces and nephews.� He made his son by a previous marriage, Giovanni, a cardinal at age 12.�
����������� With building projects and supporting family members in church offices there was a need for more money.� More and more church offices were sold to the highest bidder.� Pope Innocent pawned the papal triple tiara to line his pockets.� A ring of cardinals forged papal decrees to sell on the market for hefty sums.
����������� At Innocent's death, Alexander VI, who had tried unsuccessfully to be made pope previously, succeeded this time by offering the most money.� As cardinal he had several mistresses, one of whom bore him four children.�
����������� In 1489 he took a 13-year-old as a mistress and she bore him two more sons.� He made her brother a cardinal and one of his sons a cardinal at age 18.� Selling church office got so bad that the French threatened him.� So Pope Alexander went to the Turkish sultan, a Moslem, for assistance.�
����������� In 1480, in reaction to the Protestant Reformation, the Catholics entered into their own reformation, carried out by the Inquisitions as to just how converted people were to be true Catholics.� The most infamous one was the Spanish Inquisition.� It was about this time that Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella financed Columbus who thereupon discovered America.
����������� Around 1494, a monk named Girolamo Savonarola began preaching about morals of both the people and the church leaders.� Pope Alexander VI unsuccessfully tried to shut his meddling up by offering him a cardinal position.� The following year Alexander ordered him to stop preaching.� By 1497 Savonarola was boldly attacked corruption in the church, so Alexander excommunicated him.� The latter retorted that Alexander was not only a false pope, but not even a Christian.
����������� The next year some of his political enemies had him arrested.� He was tortured 14 separate times, and later hung with two of his followers.
����������� In 1495, the church introduced use of the rosary beads in prayer, each one representing one "Hail Mary" or whatever was designated.�
INTRODUCED ROSARY
NOT WIDELY ACCEPTED
����������� Also about this time, choirs were introduced into the church.� They had to be men, and always were monks.
INTRODUCED CHOIRS
����������� In the mean time, Pope Alexander's son by an earlier mistress was being groomed to be the next pope, but he was murdered in 1497.� So the son of his youngest mistress made friends with the French who helped him grab land in northern Italy from other church office holders in the family.� Once, for diversion, he turned some criminals loose in a courtyard of the Vatican and shot them from a window.� But, when his father died, rather than be appointed pope, he became a mercenary soldier in Spain.
Continue on Next Page

Bibliography Same For All History Chapters
Endnotes for this Page
[1].� North, James B., From Pentecost to the Present, College Press, Joplin, MO, 1983, pg. 247
[2].� Fox, pg. 143
[3].� Fox, pg. 146
[4].� Fox, pg. 154ff
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1