Principles of the two Parties.――Ferdinand’s Appeal to the Pope. ――The Celibacy of the Clergy.――Maximilian.――His Protection of the Protestants.――The Reformation in France.――Jeanne d’Albret, Queen of Navarre.――Proposed Marriage of Henry of Navarre and Marguerite of France.――Perfidy of Catharine de Medici.――The Nuptials.――The Massacre of St. Bartholomew.――Details of its Horrors.――Indignation of Protestant Europe.――Death of Charles IX. CHAPTER XXIV. THE CHURCH IN MODERN TIMES. Character of Henry III.――Assassination of the Duke of Guise. ――Cruel Edicts of Louis XIV.――Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. ――Sufferings of Protestants.――Important Question.――Thomas Chalmers.――Experiment at St. John.――His Labors and Death. ――Jonathan Edwards.――His Resolutions.――His Marriage.――His Trials. ――His Death.――John Wesley.――His Conversion.――George Whitefield. ――First Methodist Conference.――Death of Wesley.――Robert Hall. ――His Character and Death.――William Paley.――His Works and Death. ――The Sabbath.――Power of the Gospel.――Socrates.――Scene on the Prairie.――The Bible. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, AND MAPS. PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR. LIKENESS OF JESUS. THE LAST SUPPER. VISION OF THE CROSS (CONSTANTINE). REFORMERS OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. EMINENT CLERGY OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. MAP OF PALESTINE. MAP OF TRAVELS OF ST. PAUL. Illustration: (‡ Decoration) HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY. CHAPTER I. THE BIRTH, CHILDHOOD, AND EARLY MINISTRY, OF JESUS. The Roman Empire.――Moral Influence of Jesus.――John.――The Annunciation.――The Birth of Jesus.――Visit of the Magi.――Wrath of Herod.――Flight to Egypt.――Return to Nazareth.――Jesus in the Temple.――John the Baptist.――The Temptation.――The First Disciples. ――The First Miracle.――Visit to Jerusalem.――Nicodemus.――The Woman of Samaria.――Healing of the Nobleman’s Son.――Visit to Capernaum. ――Peter and Andrew called.――James and John called.――The Demoniac healed.――Tour through Galilee. NO one now takes much interest in the history of the world before the coming of Christ. The old dynasties of Babylon, Media, Assyria, are but dim spectres lost in the remoteness of the long-forgotten past. Though the Christian lingers with solemn pleasure over the faintly-revealed scenes of patriarchal life, still he feels but little personal interest in the gorgeous empires which rise and disappear before him in those remote times, in spectral vision, like the genii of an Arabian tale.