Martin Luther tried to live as the church instructed but felt that he was was a sinner and that an angry God would punish him. Luther’s fears led him to think about God as a God of mercy. He came to believe that people could be saved only if they had faith in Christ. As a result, he questioned the idea that salvation could be won through good works. Luther’s ideas led to conflict with Catholic Church.
The conflict began in 1517 when the church officials were selling indulgences to finance St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. Luther disapproved and wrote out all his disputes with the Church in his Ninety-Five Theses. These theses were ideas that Luther wanted debate, such as selling of indulgences. The beliefs from the Ninety-Five Theses were a direct challenge to the Church’s authority. German princes who supported Luther signed a protest against those who disagreed with Luther’s ideas.
Protestant became the official name for Christians who broke with the Catholic Church during and after the 16th century. Protestants used the term Reformation to describe the movement of opposition to the Catholic Church. Printing also became an effective method for spreading Luther’s ideas. His translation would soon increase individual reading of the Bible
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As the situation became worse and civil unrest increased, Luther felt obligated to come out of hiding and he secretly returned to Wittenberg. He delivered several religious talks on the value of patience and freedom, condemning the previous violence and calling on the townspeople to put their faith in God to deliver reform. His return had immediate results in restoring order and acted as a conservative voice within the reform movement. He advocated moderation within the new movement’s practices, setting the basis for what by then had become the Protestant Reformation in