Early in the movement some of the most distinguished men, such as Erasmus, who had been among its first promoters, abandoned it.

They perceived that many of the Reformers entertained a bitter dislike of learning, and they were afraid of being brought under bigoted caprice.

The Protestant party, having thus established its existence by dissent and separation, must, in its turn, submit to the operation of the same principles.

A decomposition into many subordinate sects was inevitable.

And these, now that they had no longer any thing to fear from their great Italian adversary, commenced partisan warfares on each other.