Always being played by guilt over his sins, Martin Luther, like many in his day, sought the answer to how he could e saved. His studies eventually led him to his three “sola principles.” These were faith alone, grace alone, and scripture along. These were not new ideas, but the notion that one did not need the Pope or any other human being to be saved was revolutionary for Martin Luther and influenced all of his later actions.
Shortly after he had come to this realization, a friar named Johann Tetzel arrived in Saxony with authority from the Pope to sell indulgences (dispensations for past or even future sins that promised to reduce or even eliminate one’s stay in purgatory). This was done to help finance Albrecht of Brandenburg’s purchase of one of the Electoral Archbishoprics in the Holy Roman Empire as well as to help pay for the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Thus, although Luther did not know it at the time, this indulgence sale had a direct influence on the politics of the German speaking territories and out money in the pockets of the Pope himself. All Luther knew, however, was that these indulgences clashed with his belief in salvation by grace through faith.
Therefore, on October 31, 1517, he posted his 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg. These were arguments against indulgences and for Luther’s own theology and called for a debate among the Dominicans about the issue. They were soon translated into German from the original Latin and were quickly distributed thanks to the newly invented printing press.
This sparked debate and controversy culminating in the Leipzig debate which pitted Luther and his associate Karlstadt against Johann Eck. Eck managed to force Luther to admit that he was, in essence a “Hussite” and shortly thereafter Eck convinced the Pope to issue a Papal Bull that gave Luther 60 days to recant or face excommunication. Luther did not recant and when more and more people began following him, the Pope issue an order to Charles V to deal with the problem. Charles called the “Diet of Worms” which was attended by all of the German princes and at which Luther was confronted by a representative of the Pope and again asked to recant. He again refused.
Although Charles V granted him safe passage to the meeting, he declared that Luther was an outlaw and forbade anyone to help him. Fearing for his safety, Frederick the Wise “kidnapped” Luther and hid him under the pseudonym “Knight George” at his hunting lodge. There, Luther wrote sermons and pamphlets, but more importantly, worked on a German translation of the Bible.
References
Washington State University
English Translation of 95 Theses
New Advent
