The recent zeal against the errors of Apollinaris reduced the Catholics to a seeming agreement with the _double-nature_ of Cerinthus. But instead of a temporary and occasional alliance, they established, and Christians _still embrace_, the substantial, indissoluble, and everlasting _union of a perfect God with a perfect man_, of the second person of the Trinity with a reasonable soul and human flesh. In the beginning of the _fifth century_, the unity of the two natures was the prevailing doctrine of the church.[138:3] From that time, until a comparatively recent period, the cry was: "_May those who divide Christ[138:4] be divided with the sword; may they be hewn in pieces, may they be burned alive!_" These were actually the words of a _Christian_ synod.[139:1] Is it any wonder that after this came the _dark ages_? How appropriate is the name which has been applied to the centuries which followed! _Dark_ indeed they were. Now and then, however, a ray of light was seen, which gave evidence of the coming _morn_, whose glorious light we now enjoy. But what a grand light is yet to come from the noon-day sun, which must shed its glorious rays over the whole earth, ere it sets. FOOTNOTES: [111:1] Matthew, i. 18-25. [111:2] The Luke narrator tells the story in a different manner. His account is more like that recorded in the KORAN, which says that Gabriel appeared unto Mary in the shape of a perfect man, that Mary, upon seeing him, and seeming to understand his intentions, said: "If thou fearest God, thou wilt not approach me." Gabriel answering said: "Verily, I am the messenger of the Lord, and am sent to give thee a holy son." (Koran, ch. xix.) [112:1] Instead, however, of the benevolent Jesus, the "Prince of Peace"--as Christian writers make him out to be--the Jews were expecting a daring and irresistible warrior and conqueror, who, armed with greater power than Cæsar, was to come upon earth to rend the fetters in which their hapless nation had so long groaned, to avenge them upon their haughty oppressors, and to re-establish the kingdom of Judah. [112:2] Vol. v. p. 294. [112:3] Moor, in his "_Pantheon_," tells us that a learned Pandit once observed to him that the English were a new people, and had only the record of one Avatara, but the Hindoos were an ancient people, and had accounts of a great many. [112:4] This name has been spelled in many different ways, such as Krishna, Khrishna, Krishnu, Chrisna, Cristna, Christna, &c. We have followed Sir Wm. Jones's way of spelling it, and shall do so throughout. [113:1] See Asiatic Researches, vol. i. pp. 259-275. [113:2] Ibid. p. 260. We may say that, "In him dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Colossians, ii. 9.) [113:3] Allen's India, p. 397. [113:4] Indian Antiquities, vol. iii. p. 45. [113:5] Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 270. [113:6] Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, Devaki is called the "_Virgin Mother_," although she, as well as Mary, is said to have had other children.