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Protestant (Four Family ‘sub’ groups) – A term used to describe those Christians who sought to “reform” the Roman Catholic church. Contrary to popular misnomer, the word did not arise as a result of “protesting” the Pope or the Roman Catholic church. Rather, the etymology of “Protestant” is tied to a group of German princes, civic centers, and authorities all of whom voiced their dissent from the Diet of Speyer which was decidedly against Luther reforms.
The term Protestant has since come to be known as a term for “anti papist” groups and although in the early days it mostly referred to German and Swiss reformers (Lutheran and Reformed Churches) it has today come to represent all denominations besides the Roman Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox denominations.
Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic monk in the Augustinian order, is credited with sparking the Great Reformation when he nailed his 95 theses to the door in Wittenberg. He was quickly joined by Ulrich Zwingli of Zurich Switzerland and then John Calvin of Geneva Switzerland. These men were bold reformers who sought to move away from the extravagance and unbiblical practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
Europe had grown tired of the oppression they had suffered at the hands of the Roman Catholic “Great Inquisition” and the overstepping authority of a supposedly “infallible” Pope. The Kings of the world beheld the laughable situation of 3, yes THREE, sitting infallible Popes at the same time, all because cowering Cardinals refused to properly depose the ones they didn’t like. The monarchs had seen enough of a controlling “infallible” church and were ready to institute “state” churches in their domains.
This was the world into which Luther, Zwingli and Calvin were cast and the time when they began their reforming work. Europe was politically ready for a reformation which provided the tinder for the spark of Luther.
However, it was the work of early reforming groups which planted the seeds of reform and blazed the trail for the reformers in Germany, Switzerland and later England. These early groups attempted to break free from the stranglehold of the Catholic Church but because the rulers in their respective areas were still under the thumb of the Pope in Rome, these early reformers suffered horrendous persecutions at the hands of the Roman Catholics
The Waldensians were founded by Peter Waldo and were perhaps the earliest of all true reformers. Waldo decried the lavish lifestyle of monks and priests amidst the squalor of the common people. He petitioned for the Scriptures to be translated from Latin (educated tongue) to French – the language of the common people. He also believed in preaching in the common language as well.
The Roman Catholic church for some strange reason believed that all masses should only be “said” in Latin – a language which most common people could not understand. Waldo also believed in personal evangelism. His efforts would earn him infamous hatred and notoriety that would dog his followers, the Waldensians, for centuries BEYOND the great reformation! The Waldensians are perhaps the most persecuted Christian denomination in Church history, mostly due to their challenge of the Roman Catholic Pope’s authority.
The Albigensians formed in the 12th century in a very close region to the Waldensians in Southern France called Occitania. The Languedoc contained prosperous cities, rich farmland, and politically weak local rulers which made it the perfect region for control by Rome, however, the Albigensians (from Albi, France) despised the greed and corruption of the Catholic clergy like all of the pre-reformation groups during this time.
They also rejected many Catholic doctrines, including the sacraments (like Zwingli Swiss Reformers and Bible-believing Christians, they believed them to be symbols and not efficacious for salvation), purgatory (a completely fictitious doctrine of a ‘temporary hell’ for believers after they die – this was used to extort a fortune from Catholic church-goers then and now), and the Catholic Church and Pope’s authority (both of which were politically self-appointed by Leo I – the first one called “Pope”).
These disagreements resulted in a horrific massacre of Albigensian Christians at Beziers, France. The Roman Catholics accused the Albigensians of multiple heresies like dualism (some Cathar groups in Northern Italy were indeed dualist) child-sacrifice abortion (completely fabricated by Catholic historical revisionists) and Manichean Gnosticism (again no evidence of this outside of Catholic sources).
Pope Innocent III considered the slaughter of 60,000 Albigensian men, women and children by Crusaders at Beziers to be the single greatest achievement of his reign as Pope. Catholics today will tell you the slaughter was not only “justified” because of the “Albigensian heresy” but that the slaughter didn’t go far enough. This unrepentant Roman Catholic attitude is simply not Christian in any way, shape or form. Click here to learn more about the Albigensians
The Lollards were the followers of John Wycliffe of Yorkshire, England. Wycliffe, like the Albigensians and Waldensians before him believed in the Biblical command from God for all believers to preach the Gospel to the common man, in salvation apart from works in the Catholic Church and getting the Bible translated into the language of the common man which he did with the first English translation of the Holy Scriptures which is still in existence today. His followers, the Lollards were, unsurprisingly, hated by the Roman Catholics and horrifically persecuted in England and all but wiped out at the hands of Catholics in England. The Roman Catholic church would eventually dig up John Wycliffe’s bones, burn them and dump the ashes into a river.
Moravians or Unity of the Brethren – began by secret small study groups formed by John Hus, the Czech pre-reformer – originally called “Hussites”, they closely mirrored the reform teachings of John Wycliffe who died prior to Hus’ martyrdom at the hands of the Roman Catholic faith. Half of the “Hussites” or “Unity of the Brethren” fled the persecution of Czechoslovakia to join the Moravians – both groups are still in existence today. Click here to learn more about John Hus and the Moravian Church
The Huguenots formed in 1530 as a version of the Reformed Church in France which was the home of the staunchly-violent “Holy Roman” `Catholics (persecuted/murdered thousands of Waldensians etc). This reformed movement in France followed German Lutheran reforms and the Swiss Reformed Calvinists. Like Calvin, the Huguenots taught a priesthood of believers without intervention of clergy, but rather faith alone (like Luther) and believed in “Sola Scriptura” (the Bible alone as the supreme authority in spiritual matters.
Like the Albigensians and Waldensians before them, the Huguenots grew in numbers and influence which drew the ire, once again, of the Roman Catholics who feared the loss of control in yet another major European power. In 1662, Francois, Duc de Guise, a staunch Catholic, attacked unarmed Huguenots in worship killing over a hundred people at once and the Roman Catholics, yet again, would shed the blood of another reformer group which threatened its power and control in the area. The Huguenots formed an army to fight for their right to exist just like the Waldensians and Hussites but they would face persecution at the hands of the Catholics for centuries until the remaining Huguenots would merge with other reforming groups. Click here to learn more about the French Huguenots.
No one receives eternal life and eternal presence with God (from Whom all good things come – James 1:17), by belonging to the right church, denomination, world religion, or by having a particular world view. Rather only those who trust in the Lord Jesus (preached by the Apostles in the Bible) for their own sin. We will not trust in a Savior for sins that we either don’t believe we have or that we think aren’t deserving of hell. But the Bible says that ALL have sin and the wages of that sin is eternal separation from God (death). The good news is that the Bible says that you can know that YOU have eternal life. Click the button below to see if you are genuinely saved from your sins according to the Bible: