Since Pope Leo X was hard pressed for funds needed to complete St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, he entered into an agreement with Archbishop Albert of Brandenburg, Germany, that would help with the project. He accepted from Albert the sum of 10,000 ducats in return for the archbishopric of Mainz. That Albert might pay back the sum to the financial house of Fugger, from whom he borrowed it, the pope granted him the privilege of dispensing an indulgence in his territories for a period of eight years. Half of the money received would go to the pope and the other half to the house of Fugger as repayment on the loan.

Emphasis on Scriptures

The more carefully Luther studied the Scriptures the more he found things in them that were in conflict with the Catholic church. The Scriptural statement, for example, that a man is declared righteous or justified by faith made a deep impression on him. (Rom. 3:28) He could not reconcile it with the teaching of the church that a person can gain religious merit by venerating certain relics.

In his famous debate with the Catholic theologian Johann Eck, Luther stressed his respect for the Scriptures as a guiding authority by saying: “A simple layman armed with Scripture is to be believed above a pope or a council without it.”

When he discovered that no mention of purgatory occurs in the Scriptures, he ceased to maintain that doctrine. But he did retain the unscriptural doctrine of hell as being a place of eternal torment for immortal souls.

When Luther appeared before Emperor Charles V and the Diet at Worms, Germany, which was an assembly of princes and representatives from the free cities, no argument was presented to prove his views unscriptural. There was actually no discussion, but only a demand that he recant. In his reply he again appealed to the Scriptures as supreme authority by saying: “Since then Your Majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason​—I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—​my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.”

Baptism

Luther indicated a preference for baptism by immersion, because that is what is indicated by the Greek word for it. He said: “I could wish that the baptized should be totally immersed, according to the meaning of the word and the signification of the mystery.”

However, Luther also said about immersion that he did not think it is necessary. Thus he indicated that his thinking was influenced by the Catholic practice of sprinkling.

Luther failed to perceive from the teachings of the Scriptures that Christians are to be neutral in the political affairs of the world and that they are not to participate in warfare.

Despite these and other scriptures on these points, as well as the historical record showing that the early Christians did not engage in military warfare, Luther did not disapprove of the use of the sword. He viewed a person who abstained from military service as worthy of a death sentence. When the peasants revolted, he urged the civil authorities to “stab, kill and strangle” them. Is that what Jesus Christ would have done?

Manifesting the same intolerant and violent spirit of the Catholic church, Luther and his followers approved the use of the sword against the peaceful Anabaptists because they held religious viewpoints different from theirs.