The Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Reformation included various individuals who each had an impact throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Such figures included Machiavelli, Pope Leo Machiavelli wrote The Prince, a novel about political power and how a prince should use his authority. He dedicated his literary work to the Medici family, in particular to the Magnificent Lorenzo de Medici. Machiavelli wrote The Prince while in exile from Italy, which shows that he took advantage of the time which made him an effective writer. In Machiavelli's work he presents his beliefs about what an ideal prince should have as traits. Some qualities stated by Machiavelli are that man is imperfect, a prince must be prepared for any circumstance, and a prince must be respected. Pope Leo X was a controversial figure at the time for his decision to sell indulgences. This action caused various consequences including the Protestant Reformation. Using Machiavelli's theories, the statement "The Catholic Reformation was outwardly Machiavellian in its response to the Protestant Reformation while the actions of the Protestants were implicitly Machiavellian" is valid when considering Martin Luther, Henry VIII, and the Council of Trent. Martin Luther founded in 95 theses against the Catholic Church in reference to indulgences in October 1517. Lutheranism falls under the Protestant Reformation against the church, however, anyone who left the Catholic Church was known as a Protestant. The corruption of the Church began when priests had concubines and the papacy needed money. To give Christians confidence that their sins would be forgiven, the papacy began selling indulgences... middle of paper... aesthetics when it comes to the Catholic Church. Martin Luther knew that man was tainted by sin, but he is implicitly Machiavellian when Pope Leo Henry VIII was also implicitly Machiavellian as he earned the respect of Europe by breaking away from the papacy. This created fear among European countries as England was ruled by a single ruler. The Council of Trent was outwardly Machiavellian as it prepared for the Protestant Reformation and maintained its political advantage. By rewriting Church doctrine, the Council responded to Protestant criticism that led to the Vatican gaining more power in Europe. Overall, Machiavelli had a major impact on how government was viewed in the 16th and 17th centuries until today, where his concepts apply to modern government.