ther the pretences, than real motives, of thofe frequent councils, to
and from which the contentious prelates were continually riding poll,
that they might bring every thing to their own will and pleafure
And to lupport themfelves by dependants and bribery, the clergy in
any credit at court undertook the protection of feme officer in the
army, under the colour o f which juftice was publickly fold, and all
corruption encouraged.
In the wellern church Damafus and Urficinus carried their contells at
Rome for the epifcopal feat fo high, that they came to open violence and
murder, which Viventius the governour not being able to fupprefs, he
retired into the country, and left them to themfelves, till Damafus prevailed.
The he-
refies a-
mong the
Arabian
Chriftians
It isfaidthatonthisoccafion, in the church of Skininus, there
were no lefs than 137 found killed in one day. And no wonder they
were fo fond of thefe feats, when they became by that means enriched
by the prefents of matrons, and went abroad in their chariots and
fedans in great Hate, fealling fumptuoully even beyond the luxury of
princes, quite contrary to the way of living of the country prelates,
who alone feemed to have fome temperance and modelly left1,
Thefe diffenfions were greatly owing to the emperors, and particularly
to Conftantius, who confounding the pure and Ample Chrijiian
religion with anile fuperftitions, and perplexing it with intricate quef-
tions, inftead of reconciling different opinions, excited many difputes;
which he fomented as they proceeded, with infinite altercations*.
This grew worfe in the time of Juftinian, who not to be behind
the bilhops o f the fifth and fixth centuries in zeal, thought it no crime
to condemn to death a man of a different perfuafion from his own
This corruption of dodtrine and morals in the princes and clergy,
was neceffarily followed by a general depravity of the people thofe
of all conditions making it their foie bufinefs to get money by any
means, and then to fquander it away when they had got it, in luxury
and debauchery6. -- • v , ’ : -•' ■
But, to be more particular as to the nation we are now writing
of, Arabia was- of old famous for herefies 7; which might be in fome
meafure attributed to the liberty and independency of the tribes.
I Some of the Chriftians of that nation believed-the foul died with the
1 Ammian Marcellin,]. 21. V. etiam Eufeb. Hift. Ecclef. 1. 8. c. 1. Sozom. 1. 1. c. 14, Sec. Hilar
& Sulpic. Sever, in Hift. Sacr. p. 112, &c. 1 Ammian. Marcellin. life: 27. 3 Idem, 1. 21.
4 Procopiin Anecd. p. 60. 5 See an inftance of the wickedriefs of the Cbriftian army even
•khen they weraunder the terror of the Saracens, in Ockley's Hift. of the Sarac. V. I. p. 239, 6 V.
Boulaiavin. Vie de Mahom. ubi % . 7 V. Sozomen. Hift. Ecclef. 1. 1. c. 16, 17-. Sulpic. Sever,
ubifupra. t . body,
body, and was to be raifed again with it at the laft day ’ : thefe Origin
is faid to have convinced *. Among the Arabs it was that the
herefies of Ebion, Beryllus, and the Nazaraans 3, and alfo that of the
Collyridians were broached, or at lead; propagated ; the latter introduced
the Virgin Mary for G od, or worlhipped her as fuch, offering her a
fort of twilled cake called collyris, whence the fedt had its name4.
This notion o f the divinity of the Virgin Mary was alfo believed
by fome at the council of Nice, who faid there were two gods befides
■ the Father, viz. Chrifi and the Virgin Mary, and were thence named
Mariamites Others imagined her to be exempt from humanity, and
deified; which goes but little beyond the Popijh fuperftition in calling
her the complement o f the Trinity, as i f it were imperfedl without
her. This foolilh imagination is juftly condemned in the Koran 6 as
idolatrous, and gave a handle to Mohammed to attack the Trinity itfelf.
Other fedts there were of many denominations within the borders
of Arabia, which took refuge there from the proferiptions o f the imperial
edidts; feveral of whofe notions Mohammed incorporated with
his religion, as may be obferved hereafter.
Tho’ the Jews were an inconfiderable and defpifed people in other The Jews
parts of the world, yet in Arabia, whither many of them fled from SnjSf*
the dpftrudtion of Jerufalem, they grew very powerful, feveral tribes ™
and princes embracing their religion ; which made Mohammed at firft
.Chew great regard to them, adopting many of their opinions, doctrines,
and cuftoms ; thereby to draw them, i f poffible, into his in-
tereft. But that people, agreeably to their wonted obftinacy, were
fo far from being his profelytes, that they were fome o f the bitterell
enemies he had, waging continual war with him, fo that their reduction
coll him infinite trouble and danger, and at laft his life. This
averfion of theirs created at length as great a one in him to them,
fo that he ufed them for the latter part o f his life, much worfe than
he did the Chriftians, and frequently exclaims againft them in his Koran ;
his followers to this day obferve the fame difference between them and
the Chriftians, treating the former as the moll abjedt and contemptible
people on earth.
It has been obferved by a great politician 7, that it is impoffible a The weak
perfon fhould make himfelf a prince, and found a Hate without op-condition
portunities. I f the diftradted ftate of religion favoured the defigns of ^wand"
Mohammed on that fide, the weaknefs of the Roman and Perjian mo- eerfian
1 $ aa f e b Ecclef' 1 6' c- 33- * Hem, ibid. c. 37. 3 Epiphan. de Hætefl. J. 1. Hser. emp,res-
+°-„. „ Idem’ lbid- 9 3- Hæref- 75> 79- 1 Elmacin. Eutych. « Cap. 7 Machiav
elli, Print c. 6. p. 19. -
f 2 narchies