Why Did Lutheranism Appeal To The Princes?
Martin Luther was a Saxon monk who had very set ideas against the Papacy. Quite simply, he rejected the authority of the pope and insisted the Bible was the sole truth to follow. He was a charismatic, powerful speaker and authored his publications of his sermons at first primarily to the universities and then the masses. His viewpoint realistically demonstrated the controlling and corrupt power of the Catholic Church such as selling indulgences for profit and no serious repentance as one example. His appeal was so strong, it didn’t take much for the people to agree there was mass corruption in the Church and they were fed up with the excessive fees thrust upon them. To reach as many people as he could with his message, he wrote his pamphlets and sermons in the local German dialect so that even the simplest could understand. He also put great emphasis on the fact the Church’s motivation towards the Germans was to exploit and use them rather than save them. Of course, the German princes realized at once by following Lutheranism they could have absolute power over their own people and territories.
The German princes who ruled territories in Northern Germany, used the controversial Lutheranism to their advantage by using it as a means of revolution against religion but also against the heavy handed political power of Rome and the Holy Roman Empire. In proving their power as Lutherans, the German princes wasted no time in shutting down the monasteries in their territories which brought them wealth and land.
Doing away with the constant power struggles with the Roman Catholic Church, the German princes appointed their own ministers in place of the existing bishops. This helped them politically. Without the Catholic Church in place, the princes had sole power over how the dues and taxes against the German people should be exacted.
Most unfortunately for the princes, Lutheranism also brought about a social rebellion against their aristocratic power. In his earlier sermons, Luther had stated nowhere in the Bible does it say the Papacy has authority. The people made it clear the aristocrats didn’t have power either and they wanted a fair justice system whereas they wouldn’t have the heavy feudal dues and rents keeping them poor. Mortified, Luther told them to read the New Testament of the Bible stating the Bible’s translation the people must follow the orders of the princes no matter how tough or impossible they were. No matter what, a good Christian follows the orders of the government. Luther had no choice but to give his full support to the princes against the peasant rebellion of 1525.
Now that they were Lutherans, and their ties to the Roman Catholic Church were severed, the princes used the taxes and dues charged against their people to their advantage. Simply put, more money for them. It was enthralling to have the power and riches the Church once had from their people.
Martin Luther firmly believed the pope was God’s caretaker over all of the people and he was not doing his job properly. Politics and greed ran heavily throughout the Roman Catholic Church. Luther preached that man must follow his Lord God only and not worship a pope who is human. He further stated a person who has committed a crime no matter how big or small must genuinely be repentant to clear your soul once you die. Simply paying the bishops wasn’t going to clear you with God. You had to be genuinely sorry. The Church felt they were the only body allowed to translate the Holy Bible. Luther encouraged every literate man, woman, and child to read the Bible for themselves and come to their own conclusions about what is right and wrong and follow the commandments.
In conclusion, Martin Luther had no idea how widespread his puritan philosophy would spread. Even the Roman Catholic Church didn’t take his sermons seriously until it was too late. By the time they decided to act upon it, his Lutheranism begun in Germany had spread to other countries as well. The once powerful Church was steeped in corruption by its administration. In the end, people had a choice of remaining a Catholic or relocating to an area where they practiced being a Lutheran or Protestant. People were more independent of their knowledge of the Bible and came to their own conclusions in their translations of the Holy Book. The money that used to go to the Church, the Lutherans could now use that money for their own territories.
