, ▁the ▁average ▁person ▁had ▁difficulty ▁adjust ing ▁to ▁this ▁new ▁world view , ▁and ▁only ▁the ▁most ▁dev out ▁bel ie vers ▁or ▁" rel ig ious ▁genius es " ▁within ▁Protest ant ism , ▁such ▁as ▁Martin ▁Luther , ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁make ▁this ▁adjust ment , ▁according ▁to ▁We ber . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁such ▁ass ur ances ▁from ▁religious ▁authority , ▁We ber ▁argued ▁that ▁Protest ants ▁began ▁to ▁look ▁for ▁other ▁" sign s " ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁saved . ▁Cal vin ▁and ▁his ▁follow ers ▁taught ▁a ▁doctrine ▁of ▁double ▁pred est ination , ▁in ▁which ▁from ▁the ▁beginning ▁God ▁chose ▁some ▁people ▁for ▁salv ation ▁and ▁others ▁for ▁dam n ation . ▁The ▁in ability ▁to ▁influence ▁one ' s ▁own ▁salv ation ▁presented ▁a ▁very ▁difficult ▁problem ▁for ▁Cal vin ' s ▁follow ers . ▁It ▁became ▁an ▁absolute ▁duty ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁one ▁was ▁chosen ▁for ▁salv ation , ▁and ▁to ▁disp el ▁any ▁doubt ▁about ▁that : ▁lack ▁of ▁self - conf idence ▁was ▁evidence ▁of ▁ins u fficient ▁faith ▁and ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁dam n ation . ▁So , ▁self - conf idence ▁took ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁priest ly ▁ass urance ▁of ▁God ' s ▁grace . ▁ ▁World ly ▁success ▁became ▁one ▁measure ▁of ▁that ▁self - conf idence . ▁Luther ▁made ▁an ▁early ▁end ors ement ▁of ▁Europe ' s ▁emer ging ▁divisions . ▁We ber ▁ident ifies ▁the ▁applic ability ▁of ▁Luther ' s ▁conclus ions ,