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I think its important to note that St. Jerome translated the Bible into latin around 400 ad. Before that everything was Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. The early church had what we call the Old Testament They also would have accounts of the Gospels and maybe even some of Pauls letters passed on. Its important to note, That EVEN if teachings were passed on orally, those teachings still fall under the authority of scripture. In other words, if a pastor or elder at a church or synangogue would teach something, and then later a letter of Paul arrives teaching something different, well its obvious Pauls letter would trump whatever oral teaching there was.

This was the problem Luther had and the start of the reformation. Luther didn't simply decide he didn't like the Catholic church, he saw discrepancies between what the church was teaching and what was in the Bible.

Now you can try to villify Luther if you want, but its hard to objectively argue facts. Luther saw a discrepancy and voiced it. The Catholic church didn't like it and ordered him to recant. He refused, under expulsion and threat of death.

Next, when the printing press came about, the Catholic chuch feared it because of the loss of absolute control of the people. Now the people could read for themselves, and not rely on the priests. It also exposed the teachings that weren't congruant with the Bible.

Luther saw a discrepancy and voiced it. The Catholic church didn't like it and ordered him to recant. He refused, under expulsion and threat of death.

I wouldn't even begin to attempt to vilify Martin Luther. He does this on his own. It was Martin Luther who tossed out the seven books considered canonical since the beginning of Church history. He also rejected the epistle to the Hebrews and the book of Revelation. He also called the epistle of James "an epistle of straw" because James 2:14–26 conflicted with his personal theology on good works. He also added the word (in his German translation) only in Romans 3:20 and Romans 4:15, and he inserted the word alone in Romans 3:28.

What does Scripture say about adding words?

"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book." (Revelation 22:18)

Oops, that is from the Book of Revelation which was rejected by Martin Luther.