The following may be considered as a summary of the Catholic faith, as it relates to the second person in the Heavenly Trinity, at the perii)d to which our observa tions refer. It is a version of the Nicene creed, as it appears in the Epistle of Eusebius to the Cxsareans, &c.
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things, visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten ; be gotten of the Father, that is, of the substance of the Fa ther. God of God, Light of Light, true. God of true God ; begotten, not made; consubstantial with the Fa ther, by whom all things were made, both things in heaven and things on earth : who, for us men, and for our salvation, came down, and was incarnate, and be came man, suffered and rose again the third day, and ascended into the heavens, and comes to judge the quick and the dead : and in the Holy Ghost. And the Catholic and Apostolical church cloth anathematize those persons, who say, that there was a time when the Son of God was not; that lie was not before he was born; that he was made of nothing, or of another substance or being, or that he is created, changeable, or convertible." •f the Arian controversy succeeded the Pelagian, in which St Augustine distinguished himself; but as the heresy of Pelagius is nearly allied to that of Arminius, we shall afterwards have occasion to treat of it, in giving our account of the Synod of Dort.
Our attention must now be directed to another quar ter. About the commencement of the seventh cen tury, a new religion began to spread itself in Arabia; and Christianity received a blow, nearly fatal, from the doctrines and the conquests of Mahomet. In whatever light we view the prophet of Mecca, we cannot hesitate to pronounce him an extraordinary man. Without that learning which is to be derived from books, he was far from being ignorant ; of great natural acuteness, he employed that talent in distinguishing between human characters, and in ascertaining the motives by which they are influenced or formed; and prudent and dextrous, he rarely let slip an opportunity of increasing his know ledge, or establishing his reputation. While yet in the service of Cadijah, a rich widow, whom he afterwards married, he travelled into Egypt, Syria, and Palestine; comparing the manners of the people, noting their ge nius, and marking the defects or the excellencies of the governments under which they lived. Though origi nally poor, he was born of an illustrious race. His per son was beautiful, his forehead large and liberal, and his eye comprehensive and keen ; his judgment was clear, his conduct decisive; his wit easy and social, his elocution fluent, and he spoke the purest of all the dia lects which then prevailed in Arabia.
In the depths of solitary retirement, and in the cave. of Hera, about three miles from Mecca, the impostor of the East appears to have conceived the first idea of his prophetical mission. His visions were many, and his intercourse with heaven is said to have been fre quent and beatific. For a while, he confined his exer tions and his teaching to his own family and kindred. Success, however, soon emboldened him to take a more ample range, and to display himself upon a wider field. Being constrained to fly from Mecca, in order to avoid the rage of his enemies, the citizens of Medina, who had already heard of his name and his pretensions, received him with open arms. Here he erected his standard, and declared his commission ; with consummate art, he touched the predominating feelings of his countrymen, and filled their imaginations with the prospect of rich es and glory. The effect exceeded his utmost wishes.
Multitudes from every quarter enlisted themselves un der his banners, anxious and zealous to propagate the faith, and longing to share the possessions of those who should call in question the authority of their leader. The fanaticism of the prophet now became more furi ous, and his artifice more profound ; and his plans be ing at length mature, he proclaimed to the whole world the great dogma of Islamism, " That there is one true God, and that Alabomet is his prophet." The system adopted by Mahomct was eminently cal culated to ensure success. His mode of proselytism, though not extremely novel, was remarkable for its ef ficacy. Whoever refused to acknowledge his mission, was instantly put to death. It was with a naked sword in his hand, and with uplifted arm, that this military apostle preached the Koran. A logic so powerful was not easily resisted. After completing the conquest of Arabia, the leader the faithful burst like a torrent into the Roman territories, and soon convinced the Christians, that whatever they might think of his argu ments or his eloquence, his sword was not to be des pised. Christianity, indeed, was now very different from what it once had been. The pure worship, the zealous attachment, and the magnanimous devotion of the early times, had in a great measure disappeared ; and the church, torn with dissensions, enfeebled and listless, became an easy prey to its ferocious invaders. The means by which the disciples of Mahomet were re tained and secured, were not less effectual than his de cisive way of propagating the faith. The rewards of Islamism were neither remote not. spiritual ; neither dis tant in the period of enjoyment, nor at all unintelligible to the sense. • A fifth part being reserved for pious and charitable purposes, the spoil of the conquered nations was divided in equal portions among the soldiers. The true and faithful servant of the prophet was permitted to indulge in all sensual gratifications; he was allowed a plurality of wives, and he was assured that in the paradise of the blessed above, to which of course he was admitted, he should be attended by females (houries) of resplendent beauty, whose sole employment it should be to execute his commands, or minister to his pleasures. And it was declared to him, that his capacity for en joyment would be enlarged and perfected, according•to his means of gratification. The effect of all this upon a gross and voluptuous people, may easily be conceived. This, however, is not the whole matter. While by one part of the system, the love of pleasure was stimulated and gratified, by another part ol• it the fear of death and of danger was completely destroyed. The prophet of Mecca taught the doctrine of unbroken and immove able fatality. The world, he said, stood secure by the unalterable appointment of him who created it. The lot of man was fixed; no courage or dexterity could change it. To our destiny we must come. Why should we distress ourselves about future clangers, when these dangers cannot be prevented ? Why should we harass ourselves with the fear of death ? No concern of ours can stop the progress of dissolution. The fate of the world is not to be reversed ; the glory of the prophet and of his followers is decreed ; victory is on our side, and our names are enrolled in the records of the bles sed.