on, few marks of
superior piety appeared. Scarce a luminary of godliness existed, and it is
not common in any age for a great work of the Spirit of God to be
exhibited but under the conduct of some remarkable saint, pastor and
reformers. This whole period as well as the whole scene of the persecution
is very barren of such characters. Not but that many precious children of
God suffered in much patience and charity. But those who suffered with
very much of a different spirit, found no pastor to discountenance their
self-will and false zeal: a sure sign that the true spirit of martyrdom
was less pure than it had formerly been. Moreover the prevalence of
superstition on the one hand, and the decay of evangelical knowledge on
the other, are equally apparent. Christ crucified, justification purely by
faith, and the effectual influences of the Holy Ghost, ... were ideas at
least very faintly impressed at that day on Christian minds. It is vain to
expect Christian faith to abound without Christian doctrine. Moral and
philosophical and monastical instructions will not effect for men what is
expected from evangelical doctrine. And if the faith of Christ was so much
declined (and its decayed state ought to be dated from about the year 270)
we need not wonder that such scenes as Eusebius hints at without any
circumstantial detail took place in the Christian world."--_Century IV_, p.
31.

After searching history we find no objection in making use of the year 270
A.D. as the date of the _beginning of the dark noontime_. Milner says at
this time, "Scarcely a luminary of godliness existed. The great
luminaries, or lights, were eclipsed and darkness reigned. Some of our
contemporary writers have fixed upon this year as the date of the rise of
the beast power, which created this darkness." "The real papacy was set
up, not at the Nicene Council, A.D. 325, as some affirm; but we find vivid
traces of the very same beast authority as early as A.D. 270."--_Biblical
Trace of the Church._ In the city of Nice in Bithynia, A.D. 325, was held
what is called "The First General Council." There was present at this
council the Emperor Constantine, as the historian says, "Like an angel of
God exceeding all his attendants in size, gracefulness and strength, and
dazzling all eyes by the splendor of his dress, showing the greatest
humility, seated in a chair covered with gold." There were present at this
meeting three hundred and eighteen bishops, and a n