Final answer:
Martin Luther was associated with the collection of money through indulgences, a practice he opposed, leading to the publication of his Ninety-five Theses and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Martin Luther arrived at Wittenberg, the townspeople likely believed he was "coming for a collection" because the sale of indulgences, a common practice of the Catholic Church at the time, involved collecting money in exchange for a reduction of penance or time in purgatory. Luther, however, was vehemently opposed to this practice. He viewed indulgences as a corruption of the true Christian doctrine of repentance and faith. Moreover, Luther was troubled by the Church's use of indulgences to fund the lavish construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Luther's objections were famously encapsulated in his Ninety-five Theses, which criticized the Church's practice of selling indulgences and called for a return to biblical teachings on repentance and grace. Despite initially aiming to reform the Church rather than divide it, Luther's theses and subsequent actions ultimately led to his excommunication and the start of the Protestant Reformation.