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Rh persecuted the heretics without scruple. Then, when the native population succeeded in driving him out or murdering him, they set up a Monophysite as his successor, who immediately ejected all Catholic bishops, recalled the Monophysites and persecuted Catholics. This state of things lasted almost till the Arab conquest. It is a succession of Catholics and Monophysites, having in turn the upper hand over the same body, rather than two communities side by side. Sometimes there were two Patriarchs at the same time; but neither in any way admitted the claim of the other. Generally there is one in possession of the Patriarchal palace and church and one deposed, who does not admit his deposition. So the situation lasts for about a century. It produces the result that the present Coptic and Orthodox Patriarchs of Alexandria, each claiming succession straight down from St. Mark, St. Athanasius, St. Cyril, must count representatives of the other faith among his own predecessors. The Orthodox counts Dioscor, the Copt Proterius, as (from their respective points of view) unworthy predecessors of their correct selves. During this long time of confusion, however, the two faiths were gradually forming two groups (an enormous Monophysite group, a tiny Orthodox group of Greek functionaries); so that eventually each kept its own line of Patriarchs, each became a separate body. Then different rites and different liturgical languages accentuated the separation. It would have saved much trouble, and incidentally much murdering, burning and mutual persecution, if that state of things had been admitted from the beginning, if the Government of Constantinople had frankly acknowledged two religions in Egypt, had let each have its own Patriarch and hierarchy. But this is a modern idea of toleration which we must not expect in the Byzantine state. Nor would it have satisfied the Monophysites: for in those days heretics were by no means content to be allowed their own religion; they always hoped to capture the whole body of Christians to their view, just as Catholics always hoped to stamp out the heresy altogether. Let us again note, as a last general point, that all through this trouble, ever since Dioscor and his Robber-Synod (449), the Monophysites in Egypt were the overwhelming majority; they had practically all the native population. Chalcedonianism was the religion of