General Reference The seventh century saw the rise of Mohammedanism when Mohammed made Mecca the center of his new cult. Believing that a new religious era had been established in 622, the year Mohammed fled for his life from Mecca, his followers carried on a militant crusade from country to country throughout the Near East. Their steady progress against all opposition resulted in the loss to the empire of Syria, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa, and Spain.
The Coptic descendants of the old Egyptians set up a patriarch of their own at Alexandria. He also became the recognized head of the Abyssinian church. Most of the Armenians withdrew from fellowship with the Orthodox and organized their own hierarchy.
Since Apollinaris’ doctrine marred the perfection of his humanity, it was condemned at the Council of Constantinople in 381. This same Council asserted the divinity of the Holy Spirit. From that time the Athanasian doctrine of the Trinity has held the orthodox position in Christianity.
Synods were held at Carthage at which an anti-Roman position was ratified. But the Roman influence was the stronger, and in the end, Augustine fixed the position of the Catholic Church by affirming that once a person was baptized they could be readmitted regardless of their sin by the simple laying on of hands.