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EARLY CHRISTIANITY

them. The wild professions and doctrines of Manes and Mazdak had found numbers to embrace them, and they were less rational even than those of Muhammed.

The Jews were, perhaps, least inclined to embrace the proposals of the impostor, yet his followers were allied to them by similarity of customs and traditions, and, when they were included amongst the number of those who were invited to repentance, many, believing Muhammed to be the promised Messiah, were induced to join him.[1]

  1. Anastasius, Hist. Eccl. p. 103; Theophanes, p. 276; Enustinus in Genealog. Mahom. p. 10; and Abbas Urspergensis in Chronico, p. 150, ap. Bayle, art. Moham. [CC]