Can you tell me what Martin Luther had to do with King Henry the 8th? Was he retained to write the King James Bible or something? /s
Didn’t Henry VIII threaten to kill Martin Luther? I know he was not a fan. The way some people think they were in cahoots with each other is a riot!
In 1521 Henry the 8th published a book attacking Luther and his ideas. He referred to Luther as "a venomous serpent, a pernicious plague". For this Pope Leo X awarded Henry the title "Fidei defensor" defender of the faith.
Much later, during the time of Henry's marriage problems, Henry the 8th's spiritual adviser was Thomas Cranmer, whom he appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
Thomas Cranmer had been previously appointed ambassador to the court of Holy Roman Emperor Charles the 5th. During his travels in Europe Cranmer came in contact the the reformers, who might be called the Lutheran reformers.
Upon return to England Cranmer brought back the ideas of Luther's reforms. Subsequently Henry the 8th received these ideas favorably.
With Henry's encouragement, Cranmer wrote the famous Book of Common Prayer which incorporates the Lutheran Augsberg Confession as the basis for the Anglican 39 Articles of Faith. To this day, these 39 articles can be found in the prayer books located in every pew of every Anglican (and Episcopal Church). They are the Anglican confession of belief.
A close reading of the Articles not only reveals its Lutheran roots but also a strong Calvinist influence too.
Henry, a theologian in his own right, had been aware and conversant with Luther's ideas. Certainly his spirtual advisor Thomas Cranmer would have counseled him on this very matter.
And those attacking Luther as a flawed man is hardly an argument. We are all flawed. As Paul reminded us in Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one."