His gentle temperament, not without a touch of timidity, made him abhor the tumult and trust to the voice of persuasion.

In failing to secure the support of the humanists Protestantism lost heavily, and especially abandoned its chance to become the party of progress.

Luther himself was not only disappointed in the disaffection of Erasmus, but was sincerely rebelled by his rationalism.

A man who could have the least doubt about a doctrine was to him "an Arian, an atheist, and a skeptic." He went so far as to say that the great Dutch scholar's primary object in publishing the Greek New Testament was to make readers doubtful about the text, and that the chief end of his _Colloquies_ was to mock all piety.

Erasmus, whose services to letters were the most distinguished and whose ideal of Christianity was the loveliest, has suffered far too much in being judged by his relation to the Reformation.