So Martin Luther was a heretic and made up his own man-made religion.
The basics of the sacrament always have been in existence, as the following quotations reveal. Of special significance is their recognition that confession and absolution must be received by a sinner before he can receive Holy Communion, for “[w]hoever . . . eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:27).
The Didache
“Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. . . . On the Lord’s Day gather together, break bread, and give thanks, after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure” (Didache 4:14, 14:1 [A.D. 70]).
May you find the Truth.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God promises to forgive if confessed.
No need for a middleman.
No mention of retaining sins.
No mention of sacraments,
No mention of penance.
We confess.
God forgives.
It's that simple.
Catholicism has made getting and staying saved WAY too complicated.
God didn't.
Luther could be regarded by Catholics as a heretic in the same way the British see George Washington as a traitor. The Catholic church is a shakedown racket.