Answer:
I would say the best answer to the question: Aside from religious motivations, many free cities in the Holy Roman Empire found Lutheranism appealing because:___, would be, A: Town councils and guild masters could use reforms as a way to oppose local aristocrats and bishops.
Explanation:
It must be remembered that at the time Lutheranism began to spread in earnest, and take hold of many free city-states from the Holy Roman Empire, there was a generalized disagreeableness towards the Catholic Church not merely on religious grounds, but most importantly, on grounds of divided interests. This means, a lot of wealth, land, power, and social rank, had been derived exclusively towards Catholic bishops, monasteries and Catholic nobles, but most importantly towards the Pope. It also meant that cities were still tied to whatever decisions and considerations a bishop of a city might make, on different topics of city life. However, when Lutheranism spread, and most importantly, replaced Catholicism as the leading faith system, many town councils and guild masters, especially in the realms of what today is Germany, saw the opportunity ot be able to oppose Catholic aristocrats and bishops and institute their authority instead.
