Description of Arabia and its inhabitants.—Birth, character, and doctrine of Mahomet. He preaches at Mecca.-Flies to Medina.-Propagates his reli- gion by the sword.—Voluntary or reluctant submission of the Arabs.-His death and successors.-The claims and fortunes of Ali and his descendants. The conquest of Persia, Syria, Egypt, Africa, and Spain, by the Arabs or Saracens.-Empire of the caliphs, or successors of Mahomet.-State of the THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. CHAPTER XLVII. Theological history of the doctrine of the Incarnation. The human and divine nature of Christ. -Enmity of the patriarchs of Alexandria and Constantinople.-St. Cyril and Nestorius.-Third general council of Ephesus.-Heresy of Eutyches.-Fourth general council of Chalcedon.Civil and ecclesiastical discord.-Intolerance of Justinian.-The Three Chapters.-The Monothelite controversy.-State of the Oriental sects.I. The Nestorians.-II. The Jacobites.-III. The Maronites.-IV. The Armenians.-V. The Copts and Abyssinians. CHAP. nation of AFTER the extinction of paganism, the Christians in peace and piety might have enjoyed their solitary XLVII. triumph. But the principle of discord was alive in The incartheir bosom, and they were more solicitous to explore Christ the nature, than to practise the laws, of their founder. I have already observed, that the disputes of the TRINITY were succeeded by those of the INCARNATION; VOL. VI. B |