I've read the (auto)biography of Martin Luther. It was my read that he was MOST sincere in his endeavors to right the wrongs he saw.
I also believe that he was a GOOD man, from start to finish.
When I was in Germany I saw where he worked and the "famous" ink spot where he threw his ink pot at the Devil.
I also DON'T think that he MEANT to create what he created, PROTESTANTISM, which now, I believe has some 30,000-40,000 different denominations. THAT he could NOT have foreseen. He only PROTESTED what he believed NEEDED protesting.
I grew up in and LCMS church that had strict practices most Catholics would not do. Did we fast twice a year? Well, only if you wanted to, but if you wanted to it had better be more than twice a year.
I have seen a great many Catholics use the sacrament of confession as a revolving door for their favorite sin. Yes I know that isn't the way it should work, but there attitude is “So what!” Where I came from (and honestly where I go now) you will get called out if you are in public sin. I still remember a family friend getting spoken to in front of the elders because of adultery.
My point wasn't that all Lutheran's do this, but saying it is easy tells me you have little idea of what happens in the more orthodox synods. Growing up the Catholics in eastern Nebraska joked that we were to strict!
As for Luther wanting to end up with a divided church, no he did not. It pained him. But once politics got involved, it was going to happen. The princes did not like the Pope, and Pope did not like the Emperor.