in
the Christian world."--Century IV, Chap. I. (Parenthetical clause is
Milner's; italicizing, mine.) In addition to this quotation, and as if
to give emphasis, the historian places prominently in a side-head the
words, "_Decay of pure Christianity, A.D. 270_."

Measuring forward from A.D. 270 the alloted period of twelve hundred
and sixty years brings us to A.D. 1530, a year which marked the
beginning of Protestantism in its organized form. The first Protestant
creed, the Confession of Augsburg, was made that year.

The description of the papal power under the symbol of the ten-horned
beast of Revelation 13 and the little horn of Daniel 7 presents a
melancholy picture of world-events during the long period of twelve
hundred and sixty years ending with the sixteenth century reformation.

[Sidenote: Principle of parallelism]

Before proceeding to give in chronological order a description of
events following the reign of the beast, I wish to call attention to
an important plan followed in the Biblical presentation of prophetic
truth; namely, that the events are taken up by parallel series
covering the same period of time. But in addition to this point, we
observe the principle of _contrast_. When the history of political
events is described, we have in contrast therewith a description of
ecclesiastical events; and with the representation of a false church
or an apostate state of Christianity, we have in immediate contrast
the history of God's chosen people. Or perhaps the order is reversed,
but the principle remains the same. While, in the nature of things,
these distinct lines can not always be well represented symbolically
as occurring at the same time, they are presented in parallel series,
thus proving that they were to be fulfilled simultaneously.

In direct contrast with the power of apostate Christendom represented
by the papacy, which for certain reasons I have presented first, we
have in chapter 11 of the Revelation a brief history of God's true
people that existed during the papal reign. In this case, however, a
description of the apostasy and of the true church are presented in
the same series and in such a way as to give special emphasis to the
point of contrast as well as to prove their simultaneous fulfilment.
Thus we read: "And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and
the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the
altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is