Jews was arrested; it totally ceased when Trinitarian
ideas were introduced. The cities of Syria and Egypt were full of Jews.
In Alexandria alone, at the time of its capture by Amrou, there were
forty thousand who paid tribute. Centuries of misfortune and persecution
had served only to confirm them in their monotheism, and to strengthen
that implacable hatred of idolatry which they had cherished ever
since the Babylonian captivity. Associated with the Nestorians, they
translated into Syriac many Greek and Latin philosophical works, which
were retranslated into Arabic. While the Nestorian was occupied with
the education of the children of the great Mohammedan families, the Jew
found his way into them in the character of a physician.

FATALISM OF THE ARABIANS. Under these influences the ferocious
fanaticism of the Saracens abated, their manners were polished, their
thoughts elevated. They overran the realms of Philosophy and Science
as quickly as they had overrun the provinces of the Roman Empire. They
abandoned the fallacies of vulgar Mohammedanism, accepting in their
stead scientific truth.

In a world devoted to idolatry, the sword of the Saracen had vindicated
the majesty of God. The doctrine of fatalism, inculcated by the Koran,
had powerfully contributed to that result. "No man can anticipate or
postpone his predetermined end. Death will overtake us even in lofty
towers. From the beginning God hath settled the place in which each man
shall die." In his figurative language the Arab said: "No man can by
flight escape his fate. The Destinies ride their horses by night....
Whether asleep in bed or in the storm of battle, the angel of death will
find thee." "I am convinced," said Ali, to whose wisdom we have already
referred--"I am convinced that the affairs of men go by divine decree,
and not by our administration." The Mussulmen are those who submissively
resign themselves to the will of God. They reconciled fate and free-will
by saying, "The outline is given us, we color the picture of life as we
will." They said that, if we would overcome the laws of Nature, we must
not resist, we must balance them against each other.

This dark doctrine prepared its devotees for the accomplishment of great
things--things such as the Saracens did accomplish. It converted despair
into resignation, and taught men to disdain hope. There was a proverb
among them that "Despair is a freeman, Hope is a slave."

But many of the incidents