Secular leaders watched with concern as religious dissent, brought about by the Reformation, spread throughout Europe. The reformation began in Germany, in 1517, when Martin Luther published his ninety-five thesis, in which he questioned the legitimacy of indulgences and challenged the sacraments, confession, and penance, as well as the authority of the Pope. The reformation movement forever destroyed the religious unity of the west and brought bout many religious sects, including the Lutherans, a religious sect formed around the theology of Martin Luther. As these mutually hostile sects grew the secular rulers relied on warfare to handle the religious crisis. Charles V, a devout Catholic, deployed his armies against the Lutheran forces and