Nothing now could have prevented the immediate destruction of Luther and his adherents, had not the attention of Europe been drawn aside from theological dis putes to subjects of political discussion and debate. Luther was therefore suffer ed, without any great interference, to proceed in the work in which he had en gaged. By voluntarily offering to submit his opinions to the decisions of reason and revelation, and by making common cause with the friends of freedom and literature, his success exceeded even the most sanguine expectations of his warm est friends. In what manner Luther con ducted himself after he had succeeded in establishing a new system of religious faith and discipline, and v, hat were the peculiarities of his creed, the reader will have observed in the articles LvTaE BANS, and PROTESTANTS. See also RO MAN CATHOLICS.
From Germany, by the writings of Lu ther, and from Switzerland, by the zeal and perseverance of Zuinglius, the work of reform proceeded to spread itself over Denmark, Sweden, Geneva, Holland, Eng land, and Scotland. In France, Spain, and Italy, the reformation made compara tively but little progress. The same also is to be observed of Poland and Russia. The names of the principal reformers are the following, and we are induced to enu merate them that by consulting the vari ous biographical accounts that have, from time to time, been published of them, our readers may enter more minutely into this very important branch of modern history : Luther, Erasmus, and Melancthon ; Cal vin, Zuinglius, and Oecolampadins Bol linger, Beza, and Martyr. In England,
Henry VIII. Edward VI. Ridley, Latimer, Cranmer, and Queen Elizabeth. In Scotland, the reformation was forward ed by the zeal and industry of Kook. These are the names of some of those men to whom the religious world is at this time indebted for that freedom of thought, and many of those Christian privileges, with which it is so eminently favoured.
That in every instance the motives of the reformers were pure, we do not con tend ; nor are we disposed to conceal the fact, that many of them possessed a spi rit of intolerance inconsistent with the principles of entire liberty. The priestly audacity of Luther, the time-serving po licy of the learned Erasmus, the censura ble timidity of Melancthon, and, above all, the fiery spirit and persecuting zeal of Calvin, which condemned to the flames one of the best men of his age. M. Serve tus, who had presumed to express his doubts concerning the Trinity, are so many blots in the history of the reforma tion, which Christians of our own time would do well carefully to avoid. Fur a brief; but elegant, account of the causes and progress of the reformation by Lu ther, the reader may consult the invalua ble work of Mr. Roscoe, entitled The Life and Pontificate of Leo the Tenth ; vols. iii. and iv. He should also peruse Bur net's History of the Reformation, and Dr. Robertson's history of Charles the Fifth,