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Ironic to your post, one thing that protected the Morningstar of the Reformation, John Wycliffe in the 14th century, from the inquisitors of his day was the fact that the catholic church was fractured with multiple popes. This included Pope Gregory XI, who himself was an Avignon pope. Basically, in Wycliffe's day the catholic church itself was splitting into different denominations, just a few centuries after it already split between east and west.

So the Protestants, whom you criticize for having denominations, got its start away from a catholic church who was already splitting into denominations itself.

...that every milkmaid thought she could interpret scripture for themselves

Let's be truthful with each other, FReeper to FReeper. Look at the Constitution. Was it meant to be read and interpreted by the political elites for us average citizens, or was it meant to be read by us average citizens? Clearly us small-government conservatives believe it was meant for the Americans themselves to read it and know our rights and our expectations of limited government. We believe if we trusted in the elites to do the "interpreting" then it leads to a larger and more oppressive government (which it has). Or as Lincoln put it in his Gettysburg Address: "...these dead shall not have died in vain-that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government of the people, by the people, for the people."

Is it, therefore, so hard for you to see the Protestant rationale for the average Joe Christian to put it on himself to read the Bible on his own and make sure he's being taught correctly by the church leaders? It's a very, very important feature in God's church. Or as Wycliffe put it almost 4 centuries before Lincoln: "This Bible is for the Government of the People, by the People, and for the People." (in his 1384 English translation)

Or as William Tyndale put it to the clergy in the 16th century who opposed translating the Bible to English so the average people could read it: "If God spare my life, ere many years pass, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow shall know more of the Scripture than thou dost."