Main players

   When the protest movement got going, it came to be called the Protestant Reformation. The main players were:

John Wyclif - He translated the gospel into English at the end of the 14th century. He introduced the idea that God is Sovereign and everyone must bow to Him - even the Pope.

John Hus - He translated the Bible into czech and encouraged everyone to read the Bible for themselves. He was ex communicated from the church and burned as a heretic.

Martin Luther - He started out as a monk and found in Romans that the just shall live by faith.

In 1515 Luther posted his 95 theses. Léon X condemned his ideas and burned his writings. Luther was ex communicated, but the idea of Reform spread throughout Germany.

Ulrich Zwingli worked in Switerland.  He was more interested in Predestination, than justification by faith.

Martin Bucer was in Strasbourg, France. He found a compromise between the Swiss and the German Lutherans. 

John Calvin studied in paris and then went into Law. In 1536 , he formed the doctrine of predestination, believing that if God knows all and controls all, then He calls men to Himself.

Calvin took charge of the Reformation and directed from Geneva. Many French refugees and persecuted protestants came to study with him.