Amazon.com description: Product Description: Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1916. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER IV THE PROTESTANT REVOLT AND THE CATHOLIC REFORMATION THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AT THE OPENING OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY Four hundred years ago, practically all people who lived in central or western Europe called themselves "Christians" and Differences m common recognized allegiance to an ecclesiastical between body which was called the "Catholic Church." Religious This Catholic Church in 1500 differed from any Bodies in 1500 and present-day religious society in the following reThosem spects: (i) Every child was born into the Church as now he is born into the state; every person was expected to conform, at least outwardly, to the doctrines and practices of the Church; in other words the Catholic Church claimed a universal membership. (2) The Church was not supported by voluntary contributions as now, but by compulsory taxes; every person was compelled to assist in defraying the expenses of the official religion. (3) The state undertook to enforce obedience on the part of its subjects to the Church; a person attacking the authority of the Catholic Church would be liable to punishment by the state, and this held true in England and Germany as well as in Spain or Italy. Then, within fifty years, between 1520 and 1570, a large number of Catholic Christians, particularly in Germany, Seance of dinavia, Scotland, and England, and a smaller numProtestant- ber in the Low Countries and in France, broke off ism communion with the ancient Church and became known as Protestants. Before the year 1500 there were no Protestants; since the sixteenth century, the dominant Christianity of western and central Europe has been divided into two parts -- Catholic and Protestant. It is important that we should know something of the origin and significance of this division, because the Christian religion a...