In this she was again overthrown The light of history and of science had been gradually spreading over Europe.

In the sixteenth century the prestige of Roman Christianity was greatly diminished by the intellectual reverses it had experienced, and also by its political and moral condition.

It was clearly seen by many pious men that Religion was not accountable for the false position in which she was found, but that the misfortune was directly traceable to the alliance she had of old contracted with Roman paganism.

The obvious remedy, therefore, was a return to primitive purity.

Thus arose the fourth conflict, known to us as the Reformation--the second or Northern Reformation.