The ideas of penance and indulgences contributed to the Reformation through the bringer of the Reformation, Martin Luther. Martin Luther was a key player in the reformation as he turned his back on the Catholic church and developed his own doctrine with much support. He found little peace in penance and indulgences and struggled with God, which led him to break away from Catholic ideas and develop his own understanding of the faith. Luther believed that salvation came only from faith and trust in Christ and not from the Church. He stated that the Church has no authority to forgive people's sins and that the Pope has no authority over purgatory. Luther wrote 95 theses attacking the Church for selling indulgences because he considered it a corrupt practice and irrelevant to divine forgiveness. He believed that the sale of indulgences increased sin and provided false guarantees that prevented people from knowing God. Luther's criticism of indulgences led to a decline in the sale of indulgences.3 The support given to Luther around his doctrine and ideas led to the split from the Catholic Church which led to the Reformation. John Calvin, another reformer whose views broke away from the Catholic church and contributed to the reformation, considered penance unnecessary as he believed that all sins were useless.,