I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 304: Reformation (7)

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I, Archbishop Adolf von Nassau, will begin the Inquisition. Let the inquisitor loudly read the charges against this heretic."

The inquisitor recited the charges in a clear voice, so that everyone present could hear.

"The heretic Stefano Luther has defied the authority of the Holy See, denied purgatory, and claimed that indulgences are worthless scraps of paper. Are these charges true?"

"Yes," came the reply.

"If you regret your actions now, I will show leniency in accordance with the precedents of the Inquisition."

When one thinks of the medieval Inquisition, the image of innocent people being branded as heretics and burned at the stake often comes to mind.

In reality, inquisitors rarely held trials unless the heresy was clear. And if a heretic showed remorse, they often offered them clemency, claiming they had repented.

In the Toscana Empire, and even in the Holy Roman Empire, the inquisitors behaved in a similar manner.

Thus, Archbishop von Nassau also intended to show leniency if Stefano showed regret, just as he had mentioned.

"But the heretics are not I, but you!" Stefano declared. "Even if my body is burned to death, I will not bend my will."

Archbishop von Nassau gave the command to begin the trial.

"From now on, I will condemn this heretic. Stefano Luther, do you deny that Deus established His Church upon the rock?"

"The rock that Deus spoke of was His Gospel, not the corrupt and decayed pope and the filthy Church of Deus! Where in the Holy Scripture does Deus command priests to lust after women, get drunk, and indulge in wealth and luxury?"

For a moment, Archbishop von Nassau was speechless.

Both he and the other high-ranking clergy in the room were closer to corrupt politicians than they were to those who truly dedicated their lives to serving Deus.

"I too left my family and became a priest because I could not inherit a title."

"Deus commanded us to go out into the world with only a staff and a single robe to preach the Gospel. And the Apostles, who were direct disciples of Deus, showed us the example by living without indulging in any worldly wealth. But what about the Church today? Archbishop, I ask you: does the Church still hold to the ideals of the early days?"

When the Archbishop could not immediately rebut this, the audience leaned in to listen to Stefano’s argument.

While the complicated matters of faith were secondary...

The people of Vienna, both commoners and nobles, had long been exploited by the Church's greed, as the Church had seized immense amounts of money.

Stefano's criticism of this fact brought some relief to their hearts.

"Indeed, as the heretic says, the Church has become quite greedy for money."

"Answer the question, heretic! Why do you deny the authority of indulgences?"

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"Indulgences and purgatory are both lies that do not appear in the Scriptures."

"Though not written in the Scriptures, the Councils have acknowledged the authority of purgatory and indulgences."

Despite the corruption of the Church, it still claimed to be a religion that believed in and served Deus as the true God.

And from the Pope at the top to the lowly missionary at the bottom, all echoed the same mantra:

"Our faith is based on the Word of Deus."

Of course, the problem was that they interpreted the Word of Deus in a way that always favored them...

Still, Stefano’s assertion that the Word of Deus was the foundation of faith, rather than the decrees of the Councils, was, to anyone listening, clearly nonsense.

"Is the Council’s decision greater than the Word of Deus? It cannot be. The role of the Council is to discuss and resolve differences in the interpretation of Deus's Word, or difficulties in applying it to life. It is not to create doctrines that do not appear in the Scriptures."

"But those who gather at the Councils are all those who have inherited the authority of the Apostles..."

Stefano slammed his fist onto the lectern in front of him.

"Utter nonsense! Then let me ask you in return: do you live the life of the Apostles of the early Church?"

The question was so awkward for Archbishop von Nassau that he was left dumbfounded.

If he answered yes, it would mean that the Apostles were nothing but drunken, immoral men, and he himself would be accused of blasphemy and sent to an Inquisition trial.

If he answered no, he would prove that Stefano was right.

"We revere and follow the Apostles because their lives were sanctified by Deus, and they showed us the true example. But what about you, filthy and corrupt priests?"

"The Apostles' actions are indeed an example for us, but we possess the authority that Deus has granted to us..."

"Can you truly call yourselves priests when you are so focused on filling your own selfish desires under the name of Deus?"

At this point, the balance of the room had completely shifted. Everyone's attention had ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) turned toward Stefano, who emphasized the importance of honesty and purity in the clergy, rather than the greed that had become pervasive among the Church leaders.

"Deus said that anyone who takes His name in vain will be cursed. Yet the Church uses Deus's name to spread the nonsensical doctrine of purgatory, terrifying the people and issuing indulgences to fill its coffers. Is it right to justify such things using the name of Deus?"

Archbishop von Nassau, unable to use the authority of the Councils anymore, realized the gravity of the situation.

If he invoked the name of the Councils now...

The Church, obsessed with money and blaspheming in its greed, would be exposed as a corrupt and vile institution.

"I stand here accused as a heretic, but I am neither ashamed nor afraid. If you want to kill me, go ahead. You may burn my body, but you cannot burn my soul."

It would be a dangerous move to support him openly, for that would surely mark them as heretics as well.

And yet, the atmosphere of the trial had completely shifted in Stefano's favor, as the idea of a purer form of the Church began to take root in the minds of those present.

Archbishop von Nassau, realizing this, declared in a voice filled with rage, "I declare, with great grief, that the heretic Stefano Luther shall be burned at the stake, and his soul shall suffer in hell for all eternity. Tomorrow, in the Plaza of Vienna, this heretic will be burned to bring justice."

The next day, preparations for Stefano Luther's burning at the stake were completed.

Archbishop von Nassau, praying to Deus with a fervent heart, asked:

"I ask you, heretic Stefano Luther, do you now regret your actions? If you do, I will reduce your sentence to beheading instead of burning, and I will grant you the sacrament of confession, so that your soul may enter heaven."

The Archbishop asked this question with the most earnest prayer he had ever offered in his life.

‘If that bastard does not admit to being a heretic, he will be dragged down from this place... Please, please, Deus, hear me.’

But Deus did not answer his prayer.

"It is not I who will fall into hell, but you. I only ask for a moment to pray, according to tradition."

"You, the heretic, do not deserve such luxury! Immediately carry out the burning at the stake!"

At the command, the pyre was set aflame.

Despite this, Stefano continued to speak his mind.

"Salvation cannot be bought by purchasing indulgences or confessing to a priest! It is only through faith, through belief in Deus, that salvation can be attained! The notion that if you do not pay, you will fall into purgatory and suffer is merely the words of the devil's agents, concocted to earn money!"

The fire on the pyre, which had been doused with oil, began to consume Stefano's feet.

However, Stefano did not show any fear or signs of pain.

The spectacle that those who had come to see the heretic burn at the stake expected was nowhere to be seen.

"Heretics always beg for their lives before they die."

"Could it be that this man is right and the Church is wrong?"

"All the Church does is extort money and threaten people with purgatory..."

As Stefano continued to proclaim the gospel he wished to speak, even as he faced death, the hearts of the people began to shift.

"The Church is greedy, stealing money from the people, threatening them with purgatory."

"Stefano is a true man of faith. He wouldn't misuse money or exploit anyone."

The crowd began to believe in Stefano's vision of what the Church should be, one of purity and service, rather than a self-serving institution.

The Archbishop realized that his time in the clergy might be coming to an end.

‘The Cardinal will likely fall with me.’

Suddenly, the heavens opened, and a torrential rain began to pour down.

For the citizens of the Holy Roman Empire, who had suffered from a long drought, this rain was a much-needed blessing.

"Long live Deus! The rain! The rain has come!"

The rain came down with such force that it extinguished the flames on the pyre.

Stefano, who had been prepared to face death, was caught off guard by the sudden rain.

But those present thought:

‘The Church is the evil one, and Stefano is the good man. Deus saved him.’

In this moment, a courageous citizen shouted loudly:

"Release Stefano! He is innocent!"

With the miraculous rain that had come to save him, the Archbishop and the Inquisition had no choice but to act.

It was clear that this was Deus's will, and no actions could be taken to counter it.

In the end, the mayor of Vienna gave an order:

"Treat Father Stefano with the utmost respect! We shall carefully reconsider whether he is right or wrong!"

It was too dangerous to simply let him go, but it was also impossible to kill him after the miracle had occurred.

And this news reached Fabio in the Toscana Empire first.