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st. john of damascus (676-749 - Cristo Raul

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THE GREEK CHURCH IN THE EIGHTH CENTURY. 47<br />

may be, even approved, as in its<br />

theologian tolerated, it<br />

way a shadow <strong>of</strong> that reality <strong>of</strong> which nothing in this<br />

world could be more than a shadow, was allowed to<br />

become for the multitude a palpable object <strong>of</strong> their<br />

devotions. It has been <strong>of</strong>ten alleged as a reason for<br />

the success <strong>of</strong> the Mahometan creed, as a ju<strong>st</strong>ifica<br />

tion <strong>of</strong> it in the providential government <strong>of</strong> the<br />

world, that it did, in fact, recall men from what was<br />

practically a worship <strong>of</strong> saints, and relics, and images,<br />

to the primal confession <strong>of</strong> One only God; that it<br />

bade men, while they were lo<strong>st</strong> in endless discussions<br />

about His nature and will, realise the fact that there<br />

was indeed a God over the world, and that His will<br />

mu<strong>st</strong> be obeyed. When once e<strong>st</strong>ablished, the Ma<br />

hometan faith has indeed shown a far more lifeless<br />

rigidity than ever the Byzantine Church did in its<br />

darke<strong>st</strong> days. But in the fir<strong>st</strong> vigour <strong>of</strong> its youth, the<br />

upholders <strong>of</strong> Islam had certainly this ground <strong>of</strong> van<br />

tage, and knew how to turn it to account. There<br />

is extant a letter <strong>of</strong> Leo the Isaurian 1 to the Caliph<br />

1<br />

The hi<strong>st</strong>ory <strong>of</strong> this letter, to which reference may be made<br />

hereafter, is an intere<strong>st</strong>ing one. I owe my fir<strong>st</strong> acquaintance<br />

with it to an article in &quot;La<br />

Belgique,&quot; by Felix Neve. An<br />

Armenian doctor <strong>of</strong> the eight century, named Ghevond,<br />

had left a hi<strong>st</strong>ory <strong>of</strong> his own times, beginning with the sub<br />

mission <strong>of</strong> Armenia to the Arabian yoke in 66 1, and ending<br />

with events <strong>of</strong> 770 or 771. In the course <strong>of</strong> it he embodies a<br />

letter <strong>of</strong> Omar II., written soon after his accession (in 717) to<br />

Leo, himself also newly seated on his throne, as well as the<br />

emperor s reply. Omar s letter is one <strong>of</strong> enquiry about the<br />

Chri<strong>st</strong>ian religion, with a <strong>st</strong>atement <strong>of</strong> his objections to it as<br />

hitherto presented to him. One <strong>of</strong> these runs as follows, in<br />

the French translation (Paris, 1856, p. 42) <strong>of</strong> the archimandrite

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