T h e A r t i o s H o m e C o m p a n i o n S e r i e s Unit 3: and the Reformation T e a c h e r O v e r v i e w To understand the motivation and purposes behind the Pilgrims journey to the New World, we must take some time to review the Reformation. The Reformation s effect on the founding of the New World and the founding of its future government was profound. What might seem like a simple review becomes essential to a full understanding of the founding of our country. Reading and Assignments Based on your student s age and ability, the reading in this unit may be read aloud to the student, and journaling and notebook pages may be completed orally. Likewise, other assignments can be done with an appropriate combination of independent and guided study. Door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg where Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses Key People John Wycliffe John Huss Leo X John Tetzel In this unit, students will: Complete two lessons in which they will learn about the beginning of the reformation and Martin Luther. Define vocabulary words. Read selected chapters from Robinson Crusoe. Complete literature assignments including writing a business letter. Complete grammar application activity on Nouns/Articles and Adjectives. Visit www.artioshcs.com for additional resources. Vocabulary Lesson 1: Lesson 2: indulgence bull incense excommunication Leading Ideas History is HIS Story. God s story of love, mercy, and redemption through Christ. He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Ephesians 1:9-10 Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 1
God s providential hand governs and times all events and provides for his Creation according to His plan and purposes. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. Acts 17:24-27 Godly leadership and servanthood are necessary for one to be a true reforming influence. Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:26-28 L i t e r a t u r e, C o m p o s i t i o n, a n d G r a m m a r Unit 3 - Assignments Literature Finish reading Robinson Crusoe. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe Literature for Units 1-4 Composition Now that you have gotten really good at writing friendly letters, we re going to move on to writing business letters. These kinds of letters are sent to companies, organizations, or professionals, and their purpose is to ask for information, give information, offer opinions, or persuade someone to act on our behalf. Many of these parts will look familiar to you; however, all of these pieces of information will start along the left-hand margin: Heading: The heading of the letter contains your street address, city, state, zip code, and date. Inside Address: This part of the business letter contains the first and last name of the person to whom you are writing, their street address, city, state, and zip code. Salutation: This is the greeting of your letter. It usually beings with Dear followed by the name of the person to whom you are writing, and it ends with a colon (:). You should use the formal version of this person s name, i.e. Mr. Smith/Mrs. Smith. Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 2
Body: This is the meat of your letter; here you make your request, share your information, or offer your ideas. In a business letter you do not use indentations to start a new paragraph; instead you skip a full space between paragraphs and then begin all paragraphs along the left-hand margin. Closing: Your closing is where you say good-bye. Sincerely yours, makes an excellent closing for a business letter. Signature: Here you sign your name. It is encouraged for you to use your formal name, i.e. Mrs. A. Person. You will find an example of a business letter in the Formats and Models section of the website. Now you should write a business letter. Imagine that you are the stranded Robinson Crusoe and you are writing to the owner of a fleet of ships, and you are imploring him to send a ship for your rescue. You will need to be persuasive in your argument if you want him to comply with your request, so think carefully about the reasons that you should give to try to win him over. You should also consider whether there is something of value that you might be able to offer him in return. You should create both the name and address of this fleet owner, as well as a creative address for yourself. Address an envelope using all of the elements that you have previously learned. Grammar Complete the Nouns/Articles and Adjectives Application Activity on the Artios Home Companion website. Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 3
L e s s o n O n e H i s t o r y O v e r v i e w a n d A s s i g n m e n t s The Beginning of the Reformation There were good and bad things about the Renaissance. It led to freedom, which was good. It also led to godlessness and lack of self-control. Those things were not good. Another movement began to grow with the Renaissance. This movement is now known as the Reformation. It began with a desire for truth. With the new discoveries on earth and in the heavens, people beliefs changed and this caused them to question the teachings of the church. Reading and Assignments Key People John Wycliffe John Huss Leo X John Tetzel Read the article: The Beginning of the Reformation, pages 5-6. Define each vocabulary word in the context of the reading and put the word and its definition in the vocabulary section of your notebook. After reading the article, summarize the story you read by either: Retelling it out loud to your teacher or parent. OR Completing an appropriate notebook page. Either way, be sure to include the answers to the discussion questions and an overview of key people, dates, and events in your summary. Be sure to visit www.artioshcs.com for additional resources. Vocabulary indulgence incense Discussion Questions 1. Who translated the Bible into English so that others besides the clergy could read the Scriptures? 2. What invention brought more knowledge to the common people? 3. What did people think that buying an indulgence did for them? 4. Who wrote a paper against indulgences and other teachings of the church? Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 4
Adapted from the book: The Story of Europe by H. E. Marshall The Beginning of the Reformation There were good and bad things about the Renaissance. It led to freedom, which was good. It also led to godlessness and lack of self-control. Those things were not good. Another movement began to grow with the Renaissance. This movement is now known as the Reformation. It began with a desire for truth. With the new discoveries on earth and in the heavens, people s beliefs changed; and this caused them to question the teachings of the Church. Early Reformers The Reformers had their leaders. John Wycliffe preached against the Church, and he translated the Bible into English so that others besides the clergy could read the Scripture. He was punished, but not silenced. When he died, the Lollards went on teaching his ideas. They were silenced by force. However, Wycliffe s teachings did not die. They spread through Europe. John Huss began to preach his teachings. He was burned at the stake. The Church and state persecuted his followers for fifteen years. Other movements against the Church were also crushed. They did not have the help of the printing press. The people could not support them as well. These movements left nothing behind. The Church s confidence grew with time. The Pope felt he had power over every country and king. He said his power was over government and spiritual things. He said kings could only rule if he allowed it. If the Pope did not like a king, he could get rid of him and give his lands to someone else. A sense of nationality grew in every country. Royal power grew too. Kings and people did not like the Pope telling them what to do. The papacy became less about God, and more about power. The Pope was more like a ruling prince and not a pastor. People were not happy with this. Kings did not like to send their gold to Rome. They saw it build up the Pope and Church as a political power instead of helping spread the Gospel. Many people wanted to break from the Pope. The printing press brought more knowledge to the people. Bibles were printed in their own languages, and men no longer wanted to be taught by the Church. They wanted to learn by themselves. The Reformation was both political and religious. At that time, the Church and state were united. It had been like that for a long time. Germany was controlled the most by the Pope because it was only a group of great and small states that barely held together. It was ready for revolt. Anger over the sale of indulgences sparked the start of the Reformation. The Sale of Indulgences An indulgence offered man a way to buy forgiveness for his sins. This was not a new idea. Penance was similar to indulgences Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 5
but involved good works. The idea was that one could perform special acts in exchange for forgiveness. But many people would rather buy forgiveness than work for it, and indulgences became popular. At first a person still had to repent before getting an indulgence, but this changed by the end of the fifteenth century. Anyone could buy one, according to the Church, and not have to repent. An indulgence seller was like a rich tax collector. He had a large group of attendants and was treated like a prince. The written bull of indulgence was carried on a cold or crimson velvet pillow. Priests carried incense, candles, and banners behind them. They said chants and sang. They rang bells. They marched to the church. The seller would spread the indulgences before the altar. It was like a table in the market. He said the gates of heaven were open, and he invited the people to buy them. When Leo X became Pope, he found himself very poor. He needed money for many things. He wanted to rebuild St. Peter s Church in Rome, so he decided to sell indulgences. A Dominican monk named John Tetzel sold them in Germany. He was not a good man. He sold the indulgences in church. He was like a cheap seller from the marketplace. He made improper jokes, and many people were shocked. Before that, they did not mind the custom of indulgences, but his actions made them rethink indulgences. was one of those people. Luther was the son of a poor farmer. He grew up very poor. His father still sent him to school at the University of Erfurt, the most famous school in Germany. Luther worked hard. He had a great future as a lawyer ahead of him, but he became a monk instead. He became a monk to fulfill a promise he d made to God. While he read Scripture, he began to think for himself on religious matters. What he read made him doubt what the Church had taught him. Many German rulers did not like the sale of indulgences. The Elector of Saxony told Tetzel not to enter his lands. Tetzel wanted that gold. He came as close to the border as he could. Many people came across the border to buy indulgences. This made Luther both sad and angry. He felt the people were cheated and used. He wrote a paper against indulgences and other teachings of the Church. He nailed it to the church door on November 1, 1517. He taught that by true sorrow and repentance only, not by payment of money, forgiveness of sins can be won. Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 6
L e s s o n T w o H i s t o r y O v e r v i e w a n d A s s i g n m e n t s, a German Monk, is often thought to be the individual that started the Reformation. With the nailing of his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Chapel, he brought to light teachings of the Church that he felt to be in error. Key People Reading and Assignments meeting Cardinal Cajetan Vocabulary bull excommunication Read the article:, pages 8-13. Define each vocabulary word in the context of the reading and put the word and its definition in the vocabulary section of your notebook. After reading the article, summarize the story you read by either: Retelling it out loud to your teacher or parent. OR Completing an appropriate notebook page. Either way, be sure to include the answers to the discussion questions and an overview of key people, dates, and events in your summary. Be sure to visit www.artioshcs.com for additional resources. Discussion Questions 1. What was the Church teaching about the forgiveness of sins at the time became a monk? 2. What was Luther s famous paper called? 3. What did he write in that paper that caused so much controversy? 4. Who was angry with Luther? 5. Who supported Luther? 6. What did the Council decide would be Luther s fate? 7. What work did Luther do with the Scriptures that helped it get in the hands of the German people? Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 7
Adapted from the book: Saints and Heroes Since the Middle Ages by George Hodges 1483-1546 A German named, who was a monk, nailed a paper on a church door. It was on October 31, 1517 in Wittenberg. The paper was written to teachers of the Church. It was about the teachings of the Church on indulgences. The writer wanted to discuss these things. He felt these things were wrong. He wanted to hear what wise men would say about it. The paper was a question. Every sin has an effect. The main effect is constant pain in hell. The grace of God gives a way out of that effect. God gave us Christ on the cross to take away this effect of sin. The Church taught how this works. Sin must be forgiven. A sinner must be truly sorry and want to change. The Church said he must tell his sin to a priest. The priest gave him a pardon. This pardon was from God. The priest gave the sinner a penance. A penance was a good work that would help to cancel out the sin of the person. That penance could be to go without food, help the poor and sick, or give away money. He could give money to the poor. He could go on a trip to a holy place. During the crusades, the sinner could join an army going to the Holy Land. Later the Church said a sinner could receive pardon if they paid for someone else to go for them. Then they were told they might get pardon by giving money for some other good reason. These were called indulgences. Indulgences caused mistakes and abuse. People thought they could buy forgiveness, and that they did not need to repent. They could escape hell by paying money. This would help them in this life and after death. They could even pay for others who died. The Church used this to get money to fund their projects. That was wrong. People paid to build churches and other buildings. They thought this saved their souls and the souls of their friends. Pope Leo X wanted to rebuild the Church at Rome, so he sold indulgences. It seemed right to do. Today it seems right to some to build a church by lottery. A lottery is the sale of tickets. A man named Tetzel was put in charge of getting money for the Pope. He was good at business. He was not good at religion. He was good with people. He knew how to talk to people. He took indulgences for the people to buy. He used indulgences to get money. He travelled about. Preparations were made for him, and he held great meetings with all the clergy. He preached about sin. He preached about hell. Now, he said, what have you done? All sins may be forgiven. Here is the Pope s promise. Here are letters. Here is the chance for a little money to save your souls and your friends souls. Maybe you have a father or mother. Perhaps you have children. They are gone into the other world. You may save them, too. Do you not hear your dead parents crying out, Have mercy on us. We are in sore pain. You can set us free! The sale of indulgences and other teachings of the church bothered Martin Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 8
Luther. He put his questions on a paper and nailed it to the church door in Wittenberg. Luther was an important man in the Church. He was the son of a miner. He paid his own way through school and college. He began to study law. In the middle of a thunderstorm, he decided to become a priest. He went to a monastery in Erfurt. He went through a hard time. He went without food. He went through pain. He prayed. He did this to save his soul. He was afraid of God. He was afraid he would go to hell. He found good advisers in the monastery. One good brother said, Martin, you are a fool. God is not angry with you. You are angry with God. Another good brother, Staupitz, was the head of the monastery. Luther cried to him, Oh, my sin, my sin, my sin! The brother replied, You have no real sin. You make a sin out of every little thing. He told Martin to trust in the mercy and love of God. God freely forgives any who have faith in Christ. He saw that Luther needed an active life. He needed to be busy. He needed to stop thinking about himself. He needed to help others. Staupitz was made dean of teachers at the University of Wittenberg. He brought Luther there to teach logic and ethics. Then he sent him to Rome. He wanted him to see some of the world. When he came back, Luther began to preach in the city church. He was told to teach the young monks in the monastery. Men came to be taught by him. The place was full. He was put in charge of eleven monasteries when he was thirty-one. He was busy. Staupitz wanted Luther to replace him as the director of biblical teaching. There was a new interest in Bible study, and Luther eagerly began his duties. He learned Greek and Hebrew. He read the newest books. He was the most popular preacher in town. He was the most popular teacher at the university. His fame began to go further. He had a practical mind. He was interested in teaching and conduct. He had a strong, free will, and his own way of talking. He was able to find fault with the way people thought about the saints. They did not try to be like them. They prayed for the saints to help them. We honor them, said Luther, and call on them when we have a pain in our legs or our head, or when our pockets are empty. This was the man who posted that paper on his church door. The paper asked teachers to look into the matter of indulgences. Luther s paper was called his 95 Theses. It made all Europe start talking. People were ready for change. It was springtime of history, and the long winter was over. Brooks were running, grass was growing green, and buds appeared on trees. Columbus was able to go west across the Atlantic. The invention of gun powder put a gun in man s hand. Printing gave books to everyone. The plain man with the gun could fight the knight. The plain man with the book could learn. It was a day of new freedoms. Teachers and leaders did not trust Luther s questions. Both the church and the state were afraid of them. But, the common people welcomed them. The questions were written in German and, In fourteen days, says Luther, they ran through all Germany. The whole world did not like indulgences. The paper also spoke of other wrongs in religion. Here was a leader to help the people. Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 9
The indulgences were sold in the name of the Pope. He had allowed it. Tetzel had said the Pope could not do wrong. The Pope, said Tetzel, cannot do wrong in those things of faith needed for salvation. He added, They who speak against the Pope are guilty of blasphemy. The Pope was against Luther. At first he thought the theses were not important. A drunk German wrote them, he said, When he is sober, he will think straight. The more he heard about it, the less he liked it. He called Luther to Rome. He wanted to put him on trial. Luther was protected by his prince. He refused to go. The Pope sent Mititz to talk to Luther. He told Luther to keep quiet. He told Luther to change his mind, and the Pope would make him a bishop, archbishop, or cardinal. The Pope sent Eck to talk to Luther. He told Luther that his ideas were wrong, and that they were like those that caused John Hus to be burned at the stake. Luther pleaded to the Pope. Then he asked for a general council of the Church. The question of indulgences became unimportant. Now, the real question turned to the power of the Pope. Was he the representative of Christ on earth? Was his word the truth? Was his will the law? Luther said he would think for himself. He would make up his own mind. He would say what he believed to be right. He would not be controlled by the Pope or the Church. He would go by the Bible and his own thoughts. There are two old and worldwide beliefs in religion. There is the fixture with its services, sacraments, customs and traditions. They are carried out in the Old Testament by priests. They are overseen in the New Testament by Scribes and Pharisees. On the other side there is the individual person in relation to God. He was taught in the Old Testament by prophets, in the New Testament by apostles. One side said, It is written. They see the importance of law and power, and desire to keep the old ways. The other side said, It seems good to the Holy Ghost and to us. They speak of the voice of God speaking in their own hearts. They are ready to change their understanding of the truth. They are willing to change with the needs of men. One group is careful; the other looks to grow. They are both right. They are never both right at the same time at times. The careful ones fight on God s side. They see the other side attacking what is old and true. That side causes disorder. The ones looking to grow are also right about certain things. They fight on the side of God against the careful ones. The old is wrong, they feel. It keeps out the light. It fights against information. During Luther s time, the ones looking to grow were right. He was their leader. Things became tense very fast. The Pope gave out a bull of excommunication against Luther in 1520. The word bull is from the Latin bulla. It means the leaden seal that is put on important papers. It came to mean the papers themselves. Excommunication meant to turn away the person. It turned that person away from Holy Communion. It also turned him away from his neighbors. No one could trade or talk with him. To be effective, people had to believe the Pope had power to give and enforce the bull. They had to believe he was doing what God wanted. If this was not believed, the bull was worth nothing. Many teachers and students met together and burned it. Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 10
Luther was supported by nobles, lawyers, priests and people. He was allowed to defend himself before the emperor. He went before state and city officials. Then a council met at Worms. Luther went there even though he knew it was dangerous. He knew that he might be killed on the way. He knew he might be burned alive like Hus had been. He said, I will go, though as many devils aim at me as there are tiles on the roofs of the houses. [1] He stood before the spokesmen and rulers of Church and state. Books he had written sat on the table. They asked if he wrote them. He said they were indeed his books. They asked if he was ready to stand by all he had written. He said some were full of sermons. Nobody had any problems with those. Some were arguments with different people. He had maybe called them harder names than needed. He did not claim to be a saint. Some were against the Pope. He was ready to stand by these. He would not remove a word. He was willing to change his mind if he could be shown he was wrong from the Bible. You ask a simple reply, he said, and I will give it. Unless shown by Scripture or clear reason, I cannot and will not revoke anything. It is not safe or right to act against what one believes. God help me. Amen. Luther was condemned. His books were to be burned. Nobody was allowed to read them. He was taken to the emperor. He was to be put in prison. He was under the ban of both state and Church. He was declared an outlaw. This went on all the rest of Luther s life. But it had no more effect than the Pope s bull. Even the laws of civil courts depended on the will of the people. Luther lived all his days protected by the people. At the time, it seemed wise to remove him from his enemies. He was returning from Worms to Wittenberg one night when he was met on a lonely road by armed horsemen. The people with him ran away. He was taken by secret paths through woods to the castle of Wartburg. He was with friends. They had done this to bring him to a safe hiding-place. He lived there for almost a year. The world wondered what had happened to him. They knew he was alive. He continued to write letters and other papers. One time the Archbishop of Mayence started to sell indulgences again. When he received a letter from Luther, he changed his plans. Luther translated the New Testament from Greek to German while he was in Wartburg. Later, with the help of others, he translated the Old Testament. He finished the whole work in 1534. This became the Bible of the German people. It helped to develop the German language. Before then, the language was spoken in different ways. After this it was spoken and written in the same style that Luther had used to translate the Bible. The Bible was brought into the hands of all the people. The prophets and apostles spoke to them in their own speech. Outside of Wartburg and apart from Luther, other important things were happening. The Reformation was becoming a general movement. When Luther returned, he found a lot he didn t like. Other men rose up against power. Like Luther, they declared their individual and independent beliefs. They were as ready to disagree with Luther as Luther had been Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 11
ready to disagree with Rome. These Protestants were divided among each other. Luther had wanted to make few changes in religion. He felt that he and others were still in the ancient church. They had only put the Pope, bishops, and false beliefs out. They meant for the life and worship and ministry to continue as before. But others went on and on about making changes. The difference between the old and the new became very great. They destroyed images and closed monasteries. They threw out old customs, brought in new services, and taught things that had never been heard before. Luther was opposed to these radicals. He was also against a great group of learned men called Humanists. These were led by Erasmus. They were trying to base truth on reason. They wanted men to think freely. They relied on the good sense and good will of men. Luther disagreed with freedom of the will. He replaced the power of the Church with the power of the Bible. His idea was that men were not to reason about religion. They were to take it as they found it in the Scriptures. He lost the support of many scholars. At the same time that Luther rebelled against the Pope and the bishops, men rebelled against their bosses and masters. The Peasants War was a war between the poor and the rich. The poor went about with clubs and torches. They destroyed property and lives. Luther s enemies said this was the result of Luther s teaching. Luther was as strong against men who claimed their right to live as they wished as he was against those who claimed their right to think as they wished. He urged the princes to punish the peasants. He had his limits, like other people. He had led the people for a time, but he would not lead them further. Others took up the work. Luther taught two things well. He taught salvation by faith, and he taught the goodness of the common life. Before Luther, men were taught salvation by grace. But at that time, grace was considered a blessing given by God through the Church. It was given by priests in the sacraments. That meant the Church, priests, and sacraments were considered necessary for men to be saved. It made the Church a supreme power. Luther taught that salvation is by grace through faith. Faith is where we understand the love and forgiveness of God. It joins us with God. It gives the believer peace and joy and assurance of salvation. It is independent. It is between a person and God, without the need of priests. This set men free from the false requirements of the Church. They could do without it, Luther said. This idea made every man a priest to himself. It put away the difference between the clergy and other people. It made men see the goodness of all life. God is our Father. He made the world for us to enjoy. The Christian is not to turn his back to it. He is to enter into it freely and gladly. He is to carry on his business, have his family and friends, and behave himself naturally according to Scripture. This was a new teaching in a world where a good holy life was seen as separate from the common concerns and enjoyments of life. It looks like a great thing, said Luther, when a monk rejects everything and goes into hiding. He lives a life of fasts, prayers and so on. On the other hand, it looks like a small thing when a maid cooks and cleans and does housework. But because God s Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 12
command is there, even such a small work must be praised as a service of God. It is better than the holiness of all monks and nuns. There God s command is fulfilled that one should honor father and mother and help in the care of the home. Luther married. His wife made him a comfortable and happy home. He ate three good meals a day. He slept in a bed that was made up every morning instead of once a year as when he lived alone. His friends came around him. He wrote his sermons and books. He prepared speeches that he gave in the University of Wittenberg. He planted a garden and dug a well. His wife could not get him to keep his study in order. Books and papers were always in a pile on his desk. He was always busy. He directed a hundred projects. He answered a hundred thousand questions. He counseled the new Protestants. Luther died in Eisleben where he was born. He was buried in Wittenberg, where he had lived most of his life. He was a great-hearted man, frank, full of courage and strength, often angry, often merry, loving God and friends, and hating evil. He had the qualities of a soldier and a pioneer. He is remembered as the man who broke the power of the Medieval Church. 1. Ranke: History of the Reformation, vol. i. p. 533 (Mrs. Austin s translation). Source: http://www.bartleby.com/100/pages/page956.html. Unit 3: and the Reformation - Page 13