15 March 1517. Pope “The Huckster” Leo X “hawks” and “peddles” Christ...the rainmaker & money-maker indulgence, sparking the Reformation.
The Indulgence "Gravy-train" and “Rainmaker” that sparked the revolution—and the partial overthrow of the anti-Gospeller’s exclusive hegemony in the West. The Reformation went to Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, even Poland, Hungary, parts of northern Italy, England, Ireland and Scotland.
It also reminds us of the religious hucksters selling religious wares in our time—the name is “Legion,” for there are many. Think TBN or DayStar TV.
Before enlarging on Pope “the Huckster” Leo X and his Legion, including the celeb-hucksters of our time, Paul summarizes the same movement in his own time.
2 Corinthians 2:17
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
17 For we are not as many, which make [a]merchandise of the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Corinthians 2:17 We do not handle it craftily and covetously, or less sincerely than we ought: and he useth a metaphor which is taken from hucksters, which used to play the false harlots with whatsoever cometh into their hands.
Or, for those who read Greek: οὐ γάρ ἐσμεν ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐξ εἰλικρινείας, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐκ θεοῦ κατέναντι θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν.
Or, for Luther's view of the matter. Martin Luther's thoughts on the notorious indulgences in the 50th, 51st, and 86th of his 95 Theses:
50. "Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence preachers, he would rather that the basilica of St. Peter were burned to ashes than built up with the skin, flesh, and bones of his sheep."
51. "Christians are to be taught that the pope would and should wish to give of his own money, even though he had to sell the basilica of St. Peter, to many of those from whom certain hawkers of indulgences cajole money."
86. "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is today greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build this one basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?''
But back on point about Pope “The Huckster” Leo X. The story is told often, but not often-enough. Here’s the website that offers one good take.
http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1501-1600/infamous-indulgence-led-to-reformation-11629920.html
“Warlike Pope Julius II died in 1513, and his successor, Giovanni de' Medici, took the name Pope Leo X. If Julius loved to fight, Leo preferred amusement. His self-indulgence destroyed the unity of the western church when he bartered sin for money in the most infamous indulgence of church history.
“From birth Leo had been earmarked for the church. At the age of seven he was made a monk. By thirteen he was a cardinal. In between, the boy had been abbot. He became pope before turning forty.
“His tastes were costly. He was only too happy to spend lavishly on himself and voluptuous entertainment. Humanists with few morals swarmed at a papal court where wit mattered more than witness. Plays and shows, ballets and games abounded. No chance for a hunt was turned down. The papal treasury funded preeminent artists such as Raphael. Julius left a full treasury. Leo drained it in eight short years.
“St. Peter's basilica was being rebuilt, but there was no money. Leo decided to solve the problem in time-honored fashion. On this day March 15, 1517 he declared that anyone who contributed to the cathedral would be granted an indulgence. Although in theory an indulgence was only a remission of penalties meted out in this world by the church, in practice it was hawked as if it covered the actual guilt of sins and could release souls from Purgatory. The gist of the indulgence was as follows:
“`...[I] absolve you ...from all thy sins, transgressions, and excesses, how enormous soever they be...and remit to you all punishment which you deserve in purgatory on their account and I restore you...to the innocence and purity which you possessed at baptism; so that when you die the gates of punishment shall be shut... and if you shall not die at present, this grace shall remain in full force when you are at the point of death.’
“Sent to preach the indulgence in Germany was a Dominican named Tetzel. Tetzel got above himself in his promises, implying that the indulgence even covered the future sins which the buyer was now harboring in his heart. Frederick the Wise refused to allow the indulgence to be preached in his territory of Saxony, mostly because he was reluctant to allow Saxon coin to leave his financially-depleted realm. Tetzel came as near the border of Saxony as he could. Folk from Wittenberg crossed over and bought the prized papers.
“Afterwards a few doubted the efficacy of the writs. They solicited the opinion to a middle aged monk named Martin Luther. Luther refused to confirm their value. Instead, in an accepted tradition, he posted theses for debate on the door of Wittenberg castle church where a large crowd was expected. The sequel is well known. From those ninety-five theses the Reformation was born when Leo refused to see a problem with the disgraceful sales.
“Bibliography:
1. Bainton, Roland H. Here I Stand. New York: Mentor, 1950.
2. Begni, Ernesto. Vatican; Its history--its treasures. New York: Letters and Arts, 1914.
3. Brusher, J. Popes Through the Ages. Princeton, New Jersey: Van Nostrand, 1964.
4. Durant, Will. The Reformation. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1957.
5. Eerdman's Handbook to the History of Christianity. Editor Tim Dowley. Berkhamsted, Herts, England: Lion Publishing, 1977.
6. "Indulgences" and "Leo X." New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1954.
7. "Indulgences" and "Leo X." The Oxford encyclopedia of the Reformation. Editor in chief Hans J. Hillerbrand. New York : Oxford University Press, 1996.
8. Kent, W. H. "Indugences." The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.
9. "Leo X." The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Edited by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone. Oxford, 1997.
10. Loffler, Klemens. "Leo X." The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.
11. Mee, Charles L., jr. White Robe, Black Robe. New York, Putnam, 1972.
12. Montor, Artaud de. The Lives and Times of the Popes. New York: The Catholic publication society of America, 1910 - 11.
13. Various encyclopedia articles."
The Indulgence "Gravy-train" and “Rainmaker” that sparked the revolution—and the partial overthrow of the anti-Gospeller’s exclusive hegemony in the West. The Reformation went to Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, even Poland, Hungary, parts of northern Italy, England, Ireland and Scotland.
It also reminds us of the religious hucksters selling religious wares in our time—the name is “Legion,” for there are many. Think TBN or DayStar TV.
Before enlarging on Pope “the Huckster” Leo X and his Legion, including the celeb-hucksters of our time, Paul summarizes the same movement in his own time.
2 Corinthians 2:17
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
17 For we are not as many, which make [a]merchandise of the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Corinthians 2:17 We do not handle it craftily and covetously, or less sincerely than we ought: and he useth a metaphor which is taken from hucksters, which used to play the false harlots with whatsoever cometh into their hands.
Or, for those who read Greek: οὐ γάρ ἐσμεν ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐξ εἰλικρινείας, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐκ θεοῦ κατέναντι θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν.
Or, for Luther's view of the matter. Martin Luther's thoughts on the notorious indulgences in the 50th, 51st, and 86th of his 95 Theses:
50. "Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence preachers, he would rather that the basilica of St. Peter were burned to ashes than built up with the skin, flesh, and bones of his sheep."
51. "Christians are to be taught that the pope would and should wish to give of his own money, even though he had to sell the basilica of St. Peter, to many of those from whom certain hawkers of indulgences cajole money."
86. "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is today greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build this one basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?''
But back on point about Pope “The Huckster” Leo X. The story is told often, but not often-enough. Here’s the website that offers one good take.
http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1501-1600/infamous-indulgence-led-to-reformation-11629920.html
“Warlike Pope Julius II died in 1513, and his successor, Giovanni de' Medici, took the name Pope Leo X. If Julius loved to fight, Leo preferred amusement. His self-indulgence destroyed the unity of the western church when he bartered sin for money in the most infamous indulgence of church history.
“From birth Leo had been earmarked for the church. At the age of seven he was made a monk. By thirteen he was a cardinal. In between, the boy had been abbot. He became pope before turning forty.
“His tastes were costly. He was only too happy to spend lavishly on himself and voluptuous entertainment. Humanists with few morals swarmed at a papal court where wit mattered more than witness. Plays and shows, ballets and games abounded. No chance for a hunt was turned down. The papal treasury funded preeminent artists such as Raphael. Julius left a full treasury. Leo drained it in eight short years.
“St. Peter's basilica was being rebuilt, but there was no money. Leo decided to solve the problem in time-honored fashion. On this day March 15, 1517 he declared that anyone who contributed to the cathedral would be granted an indulgence. Although in theory an indulgence was only a remission of penalties meted out in this world by the church, in practice it was hawked as if it covered the actual guilt of sins and could release souls from Purgatory. The gist of the indulgence was as follows:
“`...[I] absolve you ...from all thy sins, transgressions, and excesses, how enormous soever they be...and remit to you all punishment which you deserve in purgatory on their account and I restore you...to the innocence and purity which you possessed at baptism; so that when you die the gates of punishment shall be shut... and if you shall not die at present, this grace shall remain in full force when you are at the point of death.’
“Sent to preach the indulgence in Germany was a Dominican named Tetzel. Tetzel got above himself in his promises, implying that the indulgence even covered the future sins which the buyer was now harboring in his heart. Frederick the Wise refused to allow the indulgence to be preached in his territory of Saxony, mostly because he was reluctant to allow Saxon coin to leave his financially-depleted realm. Tetzel came as near the border of Saxony as he could. Folk from Wittenberg crossed over and bought the prized papers.
“Afterwards a few doubted the efficacy of the writs. They solicited the opinion to a middle aged monk named Martin Luther. Luther refused to confirm their value. Instead, in an accepted tradition, he posted theses for debate on the door of Wittenberg castle church where a large crowd was expected. The sequel is well known. From those ninety-five theses the Reformation was born when Leo refused to see a problem with the disgraceful sales.
“Bibliography:
1. Bainton, Roland H. Here I Stand. New York: Mentor, 1950.
2. Begni, Ernesto. Vatican; Its history--its treasures. New York: Letters and Arts, 1914.
3. Brusher, J. Popes Through the Ages. Princeton, New Jersey: Van Nostrand, 1964.
4. Durant, Will. The Reformation. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1957.
5. Eerdman's Handbook to the History of Christianity. Editor Tim Dowley. Berkhamsted, Herts, England: Lion Publishing, 1977.
6. "Indulgences" and "Leo X." New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1954.
7. "Indulgences" and "Leo X." The Oxford encyclopedia of the Reformation. Editor in chief Hans J. Hillerbrand. New York : Oxford University Press, 1996.
8. Kent, W. H. "Indugences." The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.
9. "Leo X." The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Edited by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone. Oxford, 1997.
10. Loffler, Klemens. "Leo X." The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.
11. Mee, Charles L., jr. White Robe, Black Robe. New York, Putnam, 1972.
12. Montor, Artaud de. The Lives and Times of the Popes. New York: The Catholic publication society of America, 1910 - 11.
13. Various encyclopedia articles."
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