In Honor of the Reformation... -10/4/09

Hapsburg dynasty Left rear: (1) Maximillian I. (1493-1519), he wears the same royal headress which can also be seen over the entrance of the Universidad of Salamanca, Spain, but stems from the early 16th century.; Wife of Maximillian I., (2) Mary of Burgundy (Fr. Comte); Their son, (3) Philip the Handsome (died 1506); Philip's marriage to (4) Joanna of Spain (3rd child of Ferdinand & Isabella of Spain) brought a son (front center) who became the Emperor (5) Emperor Charles V. of Spain (born 2/24/1500 - (reigned 1519-1556) - crowned king Tuesday, 10/23/1520 at Aix (southern France at ca. E5.4° & N43.5°))- died of gout by 1558 - He was never legally married, had 1 girl (Margaret) and 1 son (John Don)), of the so-called `Holy Roman Empire'.[Charles main palace was the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, his capital was in Toledo. His actual whereabouts at any given time are not easy to trace. At the end of his life, Charles lived in Yuste (Spain) a cloister town (W5.8°& N40.005°) Front row right: (6) Mistress of Charles V.(??) Charles V. became especially famous because of his connection with the Protestant Reformation in Central Europe, however, it is important to remember that it was not one person which caused the reformation but how God's guidance in the whole religious, political, and social situation ripened the world and Luther to contribute in rediscovering a divine truth. For the Biography of Charles V. see: http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/charles5.htm

Luther's Appearance at the Diet of Worms Born at Eisleben, Saxony, in 1483, Martin Luther was educated first at the University of Magdeburg, then at Erfurt.[10] When Staupitius opened the University at Wittenberg, Luther was hired to teach and preach there by the Elector Frederic, Duke of Saxony. Having set out to study the gospels and Psalms, Luther showed the difference between the Law and the Gospel confounding the teaching that men could earnsalvation by his own works with mere outward discipline. In 1516, Pope Leo X. succeeded Julius II and under pretense of war against the Turks began to sell indulgences. Archbishop Albert of Mainz then made a deal with Pope Leo that would divide the proceeds of the sale of these indulgences in German provinces, half for the pope and half for Albert. Indulgences could offer forgiveness for sins, changing of vows, and less time in purgatory.[15] Luther was horrified at this misuse of blessings and resolved to publicize these issues. He wanted to defend the position that the pope had no power to forgive sins and remarked that the logical conclusion of the doctrine of papal control over purgatory was that the pope would do for money what he refused to do for Christian love. The Dominican Friar Tetzel (1469-1519) made the sale of these indulgences into a public nuisancy and blasphemy causing even the poor to give their last quarters for worthless pieces of paper. In January 1519 the Emperor Maximilian died. With the vote of the Duke of Saxony Charles, King of Spain rather then Francis I. (1515-1547), the French King, was elected Emperor.[20] After the week long disputation with Eck at Augsburg, the cardinals burned the books of Luther, which caused the monk to do the same to the decrees of the pope on December 10, 1520. But the Emperor Charles had set a Diet for January 6th, 1521 at Worms. By March 6th the emperor sent letters to Luther to appear at Worms twenty one days after receiving them accompanied by Casper Sturm, the emperor's herald. Luther, accompanied by few friends, arrived in Worms Tuesday, April 16, 1521 after two weeks of traveling. To Be Continued...Click Here for Full Article