race to Arabia by some women, and the name was
borrowed from the cake, which they offered to the goddess. This example,
that of Beryllus bishop of Bostra, (Euseb. Hist. Eccles. l. vi. c. 33,)
and several others, may excuse the reproach, Arabia haerese haersewn
ferax.]

[Footnote 76: The three gods in the Koran (c. 4, p. 81, c. 5, p. 92)
are obviously directed against our Catholic mystery: but the Arabic
commentators understand them of the Father, the Son, and the Virgin
Mary, an heretical Trinity, maintained, as it is said, by some
Barbarians at the Council of Nice, (Eutych. Annal. tom. i. p. 440.)
But the existence of the Marianites is denied by the candid Beausobre,
(Hist. de Manicheisme, tom. i. p. 532;) and he derives the mistake from
the word Roxah, the Holy Ghost, which in some Oriental tongues is of the
feminine gender, and is figuratively styled the mother of Christ in the
Gospel of the Nazarenes.]

[Footnote 77: This train of thought is philosophically exemplified in
the character of Abraham, who opposed in Chaldaea the first introduction
of idolatry, (Koran, c. 6, p. 106. D'Herbelot, Bibliot. Orient. p. 13.)]

[Footnote 78: See the Koran, particularly the second, (p. 30,) the
fifty-seventh, (p. 437,) the fifty-eighth (p. 441) chapters, which
proclaim the omnipotence of the Creator.]

[Footnote 79: The most orthodox creeds are translated by Pocock,
(Specimen, p. 274, 284-292,) Ockley, (Hist. of the Saracens, vol. ii.
p. lxxxii.--xcv.,) Reland, (de Religion. Moham. l. i. p. 7-13,) and
Chardin, (Voyages en Perse, tom. iv. p. 4-28.) The great truth, that
God is without similitude, is foolishly criticized by Maracci, (Alcoran,
tom. i. part iii. p. 87-94,) because he made man after his own image.]

The God of nature has written his existence on all his works, and his
law in the heart of man. To restore the knowledge of the one, and
the practice of the other, has been the real or pretended aim of
the prophets of every age: the liberality of Mahomet allowed to his
predecessors the same credit which he claimed for himself; and the chain
of inspiration was prolonged from the fall of Adam to the promulgation
of the Koran. [80] During that period, some rays of prophetic light
had been imparted to one hundred and twenty-four thousand of the elect,
discriminated by their respective measure of virtue and grace; three
hundred and thirteen apostles were sent with a special commission
to recall their country from idolatry