Christian Heresies of the
Sixteenth Century:

Protestant Reformation:
    Since Martin Luther in 1517. . Condemned by the Council of Trent, the longest in the history of the Church, 1545-1563. The Counter-Reform in the church was lead by the friars Jesuits, Franciscans, Carmelites, Dominicans...
    - The 5 Principles of the Protestant Reformation:
        1- The Pope has no authority.
        2- The Bible alone ("Sola Scripture"): The Holy Bible alone has the authority. The same Bible used before Luther
        3- Free interpretation of the Holy Bible.
        4- Salvation is by "grace alone", by "faith alone", in "Christ alone".
        5- The Priesthood of all Believers. Protestants
    - Catholic and Protestant "Similarities" many "misunderstandings", because the key terms are used in different senses.
           
Lutherans:
    1517- Martin Luther, an Augustinian priest in Germany. He retained the sacraments of baptism, penance and Holy Communion and great honor and affection to Virgin Mary. He held that in the Holy Communion the consecrated bread and wine are the Body and Blood of Christ ("consubstantiation", instead of the Catholic "transubstantiation"). He rejected purgatory, indulgences, invocation of the Saints, and prayers for the dead.
    Jesus Christ our Righteousness, Luther based the entire work of the Reformation on the reality of an imputed righteousness. Protestant Denominations

Zwinglians:
    Ulric Zwingli, 1484-1524, a parish priest in Glarus, Zurich, Switzerland, the second great reformer. Added to Luther that the Eucharist was only a memorial, a symbol, and the physical presence of Christ was a myth, and proposed that the government of the church should be placed in the hands of the congregation rather than under the control of the clergy... and for both ideas he had strong discussions with Luther... both agree that the church should be under the control of the civil government, a state-church. He denied the authority of the Pope, free-will, the Sacraments including Confession of sins, good works, purgatory.
    Some Branches from Zwingli:
        - Anabaptists
        - Brethren in Christ, German Switzerland.
        - Hutterine Brethren.
        - Mennonites, to Pennsylvania, in 1653.
        - German Baptists, Dunkards, to USA, 1723.
        - German Moravians, who became the "United Brethren Church", in 1735.
        - Separatists and Congregationalists, in England and Holland, came to America as the Pilgrim fathers on the "Mayflower" (repudiated the title of Anabaptists, as they did the "Baptists").
        - The Amish, to Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa.
       - The Baptists in USA (repudiated the title).Protestant Denominations

Anabaptists:
    1519 - Grebel (after Ulrich Zwingli).
    "Anabaptists", are many groups who adopted many of the beliefs of Zwingli, but later would fight him, and adopt many of the Calvin's theories.
    Nicholas Stork, a weaver, and Thomas Munzer, a Lutheran preacher and priest, made, at the time of the reformation, the first attacks on infant baptism, and thus launched the Anabaptist movement. The "born-again" experience, is one distinguishing mark. A complete separation of church and state to protect the liberty of the church. Anabaptists are of the "congregational" type, where each local church is autonomous... there is no Pope!... but now each congregation has its own self-named "Pope", not the successor of Peter, but more demanding. Protestant Denominations

Church of England:
    1534- Henry VIII, because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to remarry: With the "Act of Supremacy" in 1534, the King was declared the supreme head of the Church of England, with fullness of authority and jurisdiction. Bishops and priests still have their jobs but under the King of England. Protestant Denominations
     The "Episcopalians", founded by S. Seabury 1620 in the American colonies, is part of the Anglican Communion, regards the Archbishop of Canterbury as the "First among Equals"
    Some branches after Anglicanism:
    1- Puritans.
    2- Congregationalism. Separatists, Independents, Dissenters.
    3- Episcopalians.
    4- Baptists.
    5- Quakers.
    6- Shakers.
    7- Methodists.
    8- Unitarianism.
    9- Universalism.
    10- Modernism.

Calvinism:
    1536 - John Calvin, the third great leader of the Reformation. Born in France and worked in Geneva. Calvin held the doctrine of predestination. Bishops are out, only priests left (presbyters). Later on, the priests will be gone, with the Pentecostals, for example
    In 1536 he established a theocratic government in Geneva in which the religious and social and political affairs of the city were controlled by Calvin's new church. Geneva became a model of Puritan sobriety in which the lives of all citizens were closely policed and all offenses punished severely... all people were expected to live the life of a monk, with no alcohol, no dancing or singing, no fun..
     Calvin opened the way for more radical forms of Protestantism which exist today as worldwide churches: "Presbyterians" of Scotland, "Separatists" and "Puritans" of England, "Congregational", "Dutch Reformed Churches", The Huguenots in France... Protestant Denominations

Mennonites:
    Menno Simons, at Witmarsum in Friesland, Catholic priest. He became an Anabaptist 1536. Condemned infant baptism; the bearing of arms; the Sacraments; and held a doctrine of non-resistance to violence. Protestant Denominations

 Presbyterians:
    1560 - John Knox founded the Scotch Presbyterian Church, basically Calvinistic, and it is called "Presbyterian" because church policy centers around assemblies of presbyters or elders. However the governing board of the church, the synod or presbytery, is subject to the civil government. No more Bishops, only priests, presbyters. Protestant Denominations

Puritans:
    1570 - T. Cartwright. The "Puritans" or "Precisians", thought the Anglicans were too Catholic, and the Church should be "purified" of the old leaven of Catholicism, and reformed along Calvinist lines in severe simplicity, the ministers should be chosen by the people, and the office of the bishop abolished. Protestant Denominations

Congregationalism:
    1582 - R. Brown in Holland . They separated from the Church of England, and they were called Separatists, Dissenters, Independents, and Congregationalists, because they believe that each congregation should be independent, autonomous, a complete church in itself. They were Calvinists. Protestant Denominations
    Those American colonists who established the Plymouth Colony in 1620 were "Separatists", and were called Pilgrims. Those who came 9 years later and established the Massachusetts Colony were "Puritans".

Huguenots:
    The French Protestants. William Farel, a friend of Calvin. Basically Calvinists, held the doctrine of predestination; denied the supremacy of the Pope; free-will; good works; purgatory; the Sacraments and forgiveness of sin. Protestant Denominations

Reformed Dutch:
    1561 - Guido de Bres, a Dutch reformer of Brabant. Again, basically Calvinist. Saome Reformed churches were Lutherans, later Zwinglians and eventually became Calvinists. Protestant Denominations

Unitarians:
    Martin Cellarius, deny the divinity of Christ; accept or reject the Bible according to private judgment. Protestant Denominations

Socinians:
    1550- Laelius and Faustus Socinus. Laelius was a priest of Sienna and intimate friend of Calvin. They insisted on private judgment and the free use of reason; discarded mysteries, rejected authority, and some went so far as to reject all natural religion.  Luther tried to destroy the roofs of Catholicism; Calvin its wall; and the Socinus its foundation. Socinianism