not attempted to give an adequate description of that long reign of
superstition and error preceding the reformation of the sixteenth
century. Such is the particular province of ecclesiastical historians.
I have simply confined the discussion to certain features essential to
our present purpose.

One point of importance I have endeavored to impress, namely, that
the papal hierarchy, with all its attendant evils, corruption,
superstition, and spiritual despotism, was the logical successor of
the Ante-Nicene church; that the ripened fruits of papalism were the
direct results of the seeds of error planted in the second and third
centuries. In view of this fact, one is led to inquire why true
Christianity was not permanently buried in oblivion beyond the
possibility of resurrection, how any reformation could be possible.

If Christianity were nothing more than a human religion, its
reformation at such a period of decline and corruption would appear
impossible. But Christianity was of divine origin. No matter how
deeply it was buried under the rubbish of human tradition and
superstition, no matter how grossly it was perverted and misunderstood
by men, it still retained within itself the vital spark of divine
life, the living principle of reformation.

[Sidenote: First cause of reformation]

The secret of this reformatory power was Jesus Christ himself, the
great ever-living head of the church. Notwithstanding the decline
of faith and morals among those professing Christ, the wonderful
character of Jesus still stood out with remarkable clearness and
power in the records of the New Testament and could not but exert a