Margarethe, the proud, impetuous daughter of a nobleman in Germany, wants no part in her father's plans to marry her off to Count von Schonstein's son, Eric, so that the two nobles can join forces against the "upstart" burghers. She would much rather stay at home with her beloved younger sister, Else, but Else will soon be leaving to spend the rest of her life in a convent. Unlike her gentle, pious sister, Margarethe is certain that God's only desire is to make her life miserable, especially now that she refuses to participate in the rites and ceremonies of the Church. When her brother, Fritz, brings her an "indulgence" from far-off J terbog, she doubts that even this can make her acceptable to an angry God. Then from her great-aunt, Margarethe hears of another religion, one almost forgotten, that taught that God loves the world, and she longs to know if this message is true. As the controversy surrounding the teachings of Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwinglius intensifies, she and her dear friend, Anna, along with Fritz and Eric, must decide what part they might play in the emerging Reformation.

When their tribe in Britain is conquered by the Romans, Bran and his young sister, Hilda, are taken to Rome and sold as slaves to a wealthy Roman household. Filled with anger, Bran grows to hate everyone except Hilda, even rejecting the kindness shown to him by an elderly slave named Anicetus. Meanwhile, Hilda hears stories of the Roman god, Saturn, and longs for the day when he will rule the world in a Golden Age where everyone, including slaves, will be happy and free. One day, Anicetus takes Hilda to hear a prisoner named Paul and she learns of another God, a God who made the heavens and the earth and who loves slaves. Soon Hilda and Bran must decide if they are willing to follow this new God and to live in obedience to His commands.

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

When Jules Marot arrives in St. Etienne, a small village in the French Alps, in the spring of 1666, he brings bad news for his brother's family about their young son, Jacques. These are difficult times for the Huguenots. Many of the Huguenot families have grown complacent, viewing their faith as a mere political arrangement. Meanwhile, the French government continues to place more and more restrictions on them. Their schools and churches are being torn down, and they are forbidden to gather for services. The Marot family watches in dismay as many families who were once fervent in the faith give in to the pressure to convert to the "king's religion." As the persecution intensifies, the whole Marot family, including their sons, Jacques and Franois, must learn to trust God more than ever before.

In the spring of A.D. 1510, young Claude Leclerc leaves his widowed mother and two sisters in southern France and travels to Paris to begin his training for the priesthood. The Church is very powerful but also very corrupt, and Claude is not sure what he believes about God. One day he learns the words to an old hymn and is drawn to the lines about "David's Royal Fountain" that will "purge every sin away." Claude yearns to find this fountain and receive its cleansing, and at last he dares to approach the famous Dr. Lefvre, a Doctor of Divinity at the renowned Sorbonne University. Claude's question puzzles the doctor but soon he sets aside his study of the saints and begins to study the Scriptures in earnest. As Dr. Lefvre grasps the wonderful truth of salvation by grace, he wants to share it with the young student, but Claude has mysteriously disappeared. Through the efforts of Dr. Lefvre, and his young associate, Guillaume Farel, many learn the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and great hope is born that a true Reformation is beginning in France that will spread to all the world.

Emperor Constantine has proclaimed Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, ushering in a new era for the Church. Quadratus, a young Christian soldier assigned to Constantine's bodyguard, watches as the Church is transformed from scattered groups of devoted believers to a fashionable means of political advancement. Arriving home for a visit, Quadratus finds that his younger sister, Placidia, is determined to become a nun in spite of her mother's opposition and refuses to leave her room. His older brother has left the family to become a desert hermit while his other sister lives in luxury and comfort, married to a recently-converted Christian. Meanwhile, the new freedom given to the Church is stirring up great anger among the pagan priests and the Jews. When a riot sweeps through the city, Quadratus tries valiantly to defend his home, but after it is over, he finds that Placidia has disappeared. Through the years that follow, Quadratus, Placidia and many others must struggle to remain faithful to the simple truth of the gospel in the confusing and challenging times in which they live.

By A.D. 594 the Christian church has become divided into many competing sects. At a Syrian market, two Christian women are sold as slaves to a young merchant named Mohammed who is searching for truth as well as riches. One of the slaves, Lollia, is eventually sold to the Lady Paulina and taken back to Rome, once the center of the world, but now fallen into disrepair and menaced constantly by the hostile Lombards just outside the walls. Inside the city, the starving people are completely dependent on Bishop Gregory for food. Paulina struggles with the new doctrine of purgatory taught by Gregory and her own sense of unworthiness before God. The other slave, Amina, travels with Mohammed's caravan back to Mecca. There she attempts to share Christ with those around her, including a blind girl named Aseeyah, who embraces the gospel and seeks to influence her tribe in the true worship of God. As the years pass, Mohammed declares himself to be the prophet of God and begins to convert people by persuasion or force. In Rome and Arabia, Lollia, Paulina, Amina and countless others fall into the bondage of man-made religions and must learn at last to find true freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.