AP European History

Reformation Timeline

II. The Reformation Period (1516 - 1558)

1516
Erasmus publishes his edition of Greek-Latin New Testament, Novum Instrumentum; this translation powerfully
demonstrated the corruption of the Latin Vulgate's text; Erasmus promotes the translation of the Bible into vernacular
tongues for reading by the plowboy and the "simplest woman"
Pope Julius II convenes the Lateran Council to undertake reforms in abuses of Church in Rome
Sir Thomas More writes Utopia

1517
Tetzel hired by Albert of Mainz to sell indulgences
Martin Luther posts 95 theses in protest against saleable indulgences

1518
Luther appears before Cardinal Cajetan at Augsburg, but refuses to recant; in December, Frederick the Wise protects
Luther from being handed over to Rome.
The Spanish begin to carry out their conquest of Mexico

1519
Luther questions papal infallibility in a debate
Zwingli begins New Testament sermons; Swiss reformation is born
Cortes enters Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan
Charles V (of Spain) succeeds Maximilian as Holy Roman Emperor

1520
Papal bull "Exsurge Domine" gives Luther 60 days to recant or be excommunicated; writes 3 seminal documents: To
the Christian Nobility, On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, and The Freedom of a Christian; burns papal bull and
canon law
Suleiman I (the Magnificent) becomes sultan of the Ottoman Empire (Turks)

1521
Luther is Excommunicated by the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem; at Diet of Worms in April, he refuses to
recant writings, and edict (in May) condemns him as heretic and outlaw; he is "kidnapped" and hidden at Wartburg
Castle; begins translating the New Testament into German. Religious unrest in Wittenberg: private masses abolished,
Karlstadt serves Communion in both elements, religious statues destroyed
Pope titles Henry VIII "Defender of the Faith" for attacking Luther's views of the sacraments
Lutheran books appear in England
"Zwickau prophets," early Anabaptists, arrive in Wittenberg
Pope Leo X dies, succeeded by Hadrian VI
The Turks capture Belgrade
First Protestant communion is celebrated at Wittenburg
Diet of Worms; Luther refuses to recant; gets backing of German princes; begins German translation of Bible
William Tyndale begins teaching at Little Sodbury; disputes with local clergy and is arraigned on charges of heresy

1522
Anabaptist movement begins in Germany
Luther introduces German liturgy in Wittenburg

1524
Tyndale seeks patronage of Bishop Tunstall and is rebuffed; then, assisted by Monmouth, he travels to Germany and
registers at the University of Wittenburg

1524
Peasant Wars breaks out in southern Germany
Diet of Nuremberg fails to enforce Edict of Worms condemning Luther

1525
In Cologne, Tyndale prepares to print an English New Testament; but he is discovered and escapes with only a few
printed portions. Anabaptist movement begins in Zürich, spreads to Germany; First Zürich disputation with those
opposed to infant baptism; First believer's baptism in Zürich; Denck banished from Nuremberg for views on Lord's
Supper; First Anabaptist congregation of 35 converts established in Zollikon; First imprisonment of Anabaptists occurs
in Zürich; they escape
Luther marries Katherine von Bora
Charles V defeats Francis I; Elector Frederick the Wise dies; France makes pact with Suleiman I

1526
Tyndale completes the printing of New Testament (in Worms); (It is the first printing of the New Testament in English
and the first English translation of the scriptures from the Biblical Greek); smuggled copies of his New Testaments are
soon being circulated throughout England.
Cardinal Wolsey presides at a massive burning of "Lutheran" books
Reformation spreads to Sweden and Denmark

1527
The German and Spanish Imperial troops of Charles V sack Rome
Luther pens "A Mighty Fortress"; writes against Zwingli's views on the Lord's Supper
First Protestant university (Marburg) founded

1527-1530
English agents seek to capture Tyndale on the Continent; he keeps moving and continues to translate and write

1528
Reformation established in Bern
Swabian League authorizes military division of 400 horsemen to scout for Anabaptists.
Thomas Bilney, respected Cambridge preacher and "Lutheran sympathizer," is dragged from his pulpit and imprisoned

1529
Tyndale publishes Obedience of a Christian Man; Sir Thomas More begins writing against Tyndale and Luther
(Dialogue)
Henry VIII dismisses Lord Chancellor Thomas Wolsey for failing to obtain the Pope's consent to his divorce from
Catherine of Aragon; Sir Thomas More appointed Lord Chancellor; Henry VIII summons the "Reformation Parliament"
and begins to cut the ties with the Church of Rome
Diet of Speyer-Luther's followers name Protestants (first use of the term)
Luther and Zwingli attend Marburg Colloquy, but no agreement reached on the Lord's Supper
Tyrolean Anabaptists flea homeland for Moravia
Diet of Speyer restores death penalty for rebaptizing
Turks lay siege to Vienna

1530
Tyndale's translation of the the first five books of the Old Testament appears in England (printed in Worms); he also
publishes Practice of Prelates. Hoffman baptizes 300 Anabaptists in Emden and sends lay preachers to Netherlands
Luther, as outlaw, cannot attend the Diet of Augsburg, held in attempt to end religious division in the empire;
Melanchthon presents Augsburg Confession, a statement of Lutheran beliefs.
Protestants form Schmalkaldic League against Emperor Charles V

1531
Zwingli angles for French support for the Reformation by allowing Swiss mercenaries to be hired
Dressed in battle armor, Zwingli joins the forces on October 11 and is killed in battle

1532
English clergy submit to Henry VIII
Calvin starts Protestant movement in France; publishes his first work-a commentary on Seneca's De Clementia.
Diet of Regensburg and Peace of Nuremberg guarantee religious toleration in face of Turkish threat

1533
Thomas Cranmer appointed Archbishop of Canterbury; (This effectively ends clerical celibacy among Anglicans, as
Cranmer is twice-married)
Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine is declared void; Anne Boleyn crowned Queen.
Calvin and Nicolas Cop flee Paris. At about this time Calvin undergoes a "sudden conversion."
Pizarro conquers Peru
Ivan "the Terrible" (age 3) ascends Russian throne

1534
Tyndale's revised New Testament is printed
Pope Paul III, the father of three illegitimate children, comes to power
Luther completes translation of Bible into German
Act of Supremacy Henry VIII establishes himself as Supreme Head of Church and Clergy of England
Ignatius Loyola founds Society of Jesus to spread Counter Reformation

1535
Thomas More and Cardinal Fisher beheaded for opposing Henry VIII
Anabaptist uprising at Münster put down, and Anabaptists executed
Charles V conquers Tunis and frees 20,000 Christian slaves; Emperor forms Catholic Defense League
France makes pact with Suleiman I

1536
Following a fifteen month imprisonment William Tyndale is strangled and burned at stake for heresy (6th October)
Luther agrees to Wittenberg Concord on the Lord's Supper, in an attempt to resolve differences with other reformers,
but the Zwinglians do not accept it
Denmark and Norway become Lutheran;
Erasmus dies
Calvin is persuaded by Farel to remain in Geneva; publishes the first edition of Institutes of the Christian Religion
Henry VIII dissolves 376 monasteries and nuneries

1538
Calvin and Farel are banished from Geneva. Calvin goes to Strasbourg as pastor to the French-speaking congregation.
Luther writes against the Jews in Against the Sabbatarians
1539
Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, at the bequest of the King Henry VIII commissions Myles Coverdale to
publish a large pulpit Bible. It became the first English Bible authorized for public use, distributed to every church and
chained to the pulpit. The Great Bible was approved by Henry VIII: "sent abroad among the people" to be read by all
and "set forth with the king's most gracious license". This Bible - mostly comprised of Tyndale's translation - was
known as the "Great Bible" due to its great size: a large pulpit folio measuring over 14 inches tall. It would seem that
William Tyndale's last prayer had been granted three years after his martyrdom. The Six Articles, against Lutheranism.
Hugh Latimer, bishop of Winchester, resigns in protest. Henry VIII is still occasionally burning Lutherans and hanging
Roman Catholics.
Henry VIII marries and divorces Anne of Cleves, executes the now-unpopular Thomas Cromwell, and marries Katherine
Howard.
Cardinal Sadeleto writes letter to Geneva. Calvin is asked to respond on behalf of Geneva.
Frankfurt Truce declared between Catholic and Protestant territories

1540
Pope recognizes order of Jesuits; will make them the chief agents of Counter Reformation
Conferences at Hagenau and Worms fail to reconcile Protestants and Catholics

1541
John Calvin establishes theocracy in Geneva
John Knox establishes Calvinist Reformation in Scotland
Henry VIII assumes titles of King of Ireland and Head of Irish Church
At Conference of Regensburg, Melanchthon and Bucer reach agreement with Catholics on most doctrines, but Luther
and Rome reject their work
Calvin writes a treatise on free will against the Roman Catholic theologian Albert Pighius

1543
Luther writes On the Jews and Their Lies
Copernicus writes that earth revolves around sun
Alliance between Henry and Charles V (Holy Roman Emperor) against Scotland and France

1544
Ferdinand I and Suleiman I agree to truce
Council of Trent, for reform of Catholic Church, opens
Cranmer instructed to write prayers and a litany (for the army) in English. He does this so well that he is asked to
make a prayer book in English, based on the service at Salisbury Cathedral

1545
Henry VIII's last speech to Parliament; He says Papist, Lutheran, Anabaptist are names devised by the devil to sunder
one man's heart from another
Luther writes Against the Papacy at Rome, an Institution of the Devil
Peace of Augsburg allows rulers to determine religion of their region

1546
Luther dies

1547
Henry VIII dies

1553
Edward VI dies; succeeded by Mary I ("Bloody Mary")
Servetus, Spanish theologian and physician executed in Geneva as a heretic

1554
Mary I marries Philip (later Philip II of Spain); Catholicism restored in England; Elizabeth is imprisoned. During Mary's
reign, about 300 Protestants are burned, including 5 bishops, 100 priests, 60 women. John Rogers, Tyndale's close
assistant (alias "Thomas Matthew"), is the first to burn. Protestants are forced into exile or hiding. An attempt by
Cardinal Pole (Mary's archbishop of Canterbury) to restore monasticism fizzles when, among 1500 surviving monks,
nuns, and friars, fewer than 100 are willing to return to celibacy.
In the 1550's the Church in Switzerland was very sympathetic to the reformer refugees and was one of only a few safe
havens for a desperate people. Many of them gathered in Geneva, led by Myles Coverdale and John Foxe as well as
Thomas Sampson and William Whittingham. Over 200 including 8 pastors and 2 bishops found refuge in John Knox's
congregation and there were many more English Protestants in exile elsewhere. There, with the protection of John
Calvin, the Church of Geneva determined to produce a Bible that would educate their families while they continued in
exile.

1555
Bishops Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley are burned at the stake as Cranmer watches; Later John Hooper and John
Bradford are also burned

1556
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, is forced to recant but later repudiates; He is burned at the stake

1557
Publication of Geneva New Testament
1558
Mary I dies; succeeded by Elizabeth I
Defeat of Spanish Armada

"Reformation Timeline." Master's Table. 9/20/2009. Web. 20 Sep 2009. <http://www.masters-

table.org/reformation/timeline.htm>.