The immediate response was to condemn Martin Luther, then excommunicate him. Eventually, the abuses he complained about were acknowledged and the Catholic church convened the Council of Trent to reform its abusive practices and standardize its doctrines and rites.
Wars. The hung, stabbed, slashed, decapitated, burned, drowned, clubbed, and tortured them to death. I am not sure about the boiling in oil. Why do you think the Spanish unsuccessfully attacked England? It was Henry the 8Th new religion. The Spanish Inquisition also went after all non Catholics. Of course they did it in good Christain spirit! If you missed the show you can always vacation in Northern Ireland and wear orange on St .Patty's Day for a first hand experience!
There you have it - the melancholy evidence of Rome's steadily increasing departure from the simplicity of the Gospel, a departure so radical and far-reaching at the present time (1965) that it has produced a drastically anti-evangelical church. It is clear beyond possibility of doubt that the Roman Catholic religion as now practiced is the outgrowth of centuries of error. Human inventions have been substituted for Bible truth and practice. Intolerance and arrogance have replaced the love and kindness and tolerance that were the distinguishing qualities of the first century Christians, so that now in Roman Catholic countries Protestants and others who are sincere believers in Christ but who do not acknowledge the authority of the pope are subject to all kinds of restrictions and in some cases even forbidden to practice their religion. The distinctive attitude of the present day Roman Church was fixed largely by the Council of Trent (1545-1563), with its more than 100 anathemas or curses pronounced against all who then or in the future would dare to differ with its decisions.
How did the Catholic Church respond to the spread of Protestantism?
