et sacerdotum officio ...
privata prorsus ecclesia omni sacro ministerio." Alvar, "Ind.
Lum.," secs. 14, 18--"Templa Christi a sacrificio desolata, et
loca sancta ab ethnicis exstirpata."

[3] Eul., "Doc. Mart.," sec. 16--"Eremitatem ecclesiarum,
compeditionem sacerdotum ... et quod non est nobis in hoc
tempore sacrificium nec holocaustum nee oblatio." Cp. Ep. ad
Wilies, sec. 10.

[4] Alvar, "Ind. Lum.," sec. 14.

Not content with imprisoning the fanatics, the party of order forced
them to swear that they would not snatch at the martyr's palm by
speaking evil of the Prophet.[1] Those who disobeyed were threatened
with unheard-of penalties, with loss of limbs, and merciless
scourgings.[2] This last statement must be taken with reservation, at
least if put into the mouth of the Christian party under Reccafredus.
It is extremely unlikely that Christian bishops and priests should have
had recourse to such treatment of their coreligionists: yet they had a
spiritual weapon ready to their hands, and they were not slow to use it.
They anathematised[3] those who aided and abetted the zealots; and
Eulogius himself seems to have narrowly escaped their sentence of
excommunication.[4]

[1] _Ibid._, sec. 15--"Ne ad martyrii surgerent palmam,
iuramentum extorsimus ... et maledictum ne maledictionibus
impeterent, evangelio et cruce educta, vi iurare improbiter
fecimus."

[2] _Ibid._, cp. Alvar, "Life of Eulog.," iv. sec. 12--"Duris
tormentis agitati, commoti sunt."

[3] Eulog., "Mem. Sanct." i. sec. 28--"Ne ceteri ad huiusmodi
palaestram discurrant schedulis anathematum per loca varia
damnari iubentur." Alvar, "Ind. Lum.," sec. 31--"Plerosque
patres anathematizantes talia patientes."

[4] Eulog., "Mem. Sanct.," iii. c. iv. sec. 5.

This action against the zealots was in all probability taken, if not at
the instigation of the Moslem authorities, yet in close concert with
them. Eulogius[1] attributes all the evils which had befallen the
Church, such as the imprisonment of bishops, priests, abbots, and
deacons, to the wrath of the King; and Alvar distinctly states that the
King was urged, even bribed, to take measures against the Christians.[2]
It is not likely that the King required much persuading. Mohammed at
least seems to have been thoroughly frightened by the continued
agitation against Mohammedanism. He naturally suspected some political
plot at