with Crosses Censors and Holy-water and that with a pace so swift that it is a difficult matter to follow them The Body is for some time set down by the Grave during the reading of a certain Paragraph out of St. John's Gospel after which the Body being found and sprinkl'd with Holy Water is not let down but thrown into the Sepulcher King Claudius being desirous to Solemnize the Exequies of Christopher Gomez upon the Anniversary Day that he had lost his Life for the Recovery of Abassia summon'd together all the Priests Canons Monks and all the Neighbouring Poor People and to the first being about Six hundred he gave a Royal Funeral Supper to the last being about Six thousand he distributed a large and noble Alms. They on the other side recited the whole Psalter quite thorough and made the Sky ring with innumerable Allelujahs a Ceremony that serves alike as well upon sad as joyful Occasions Thus when Marcus the Eldest Son of Susneus was Buried they sounded forth Marcus is Dead Hallelujah Marcus is Dead Hallelujah And this they repeated so often and so loud that the Fathers but newly then arriv'd in Ethiopia were astonish'd to hear such an unwonted cry not being able to tell whether the Ethiopians rejoyc'd or lamented So strangely are all Nations delighted with their own Customs CHAP. VII Of the Constitution and Form of Ecclesiastical Government in Ethiopia as also of the Priviledges of the Clergy The Clergy enjoy no immunity Their Head or Abuna created by the Metropolitan of Alexandria His Place in Councils The present State of the Alexandrian Church deplorable The Clergy ignorant the Patriarch Illiterate The Habessine Metropolitans ordain the Clergy only No Bishops nor Arch-Bishops The Icegue governs the Monks They acknowledge but four Oecumenical Patriarchs The Catalogue of Metropolitans incertain They do not reck'n these sent by the Pope After Mendez one call'd the Cophtit His Successors The Orders of Deacon Presbyter and Sub-Presbyter The Clergy Marry but not twice WE have already declar'd That the Supream Power in Ecclesiastical Affairs is invested in the King Therefore all Ecclesiastical Causes except only in very slight Matters are all determin'd by the King's Judges Neither do the Clergy or Monks enjoy any sort of Ecclesiastical Immunity or Priviledge of Exemption Nor does the Canon Siquis suadente diabolo hujus Sacrilegii reatum incurrerit quod in Clericum vel Monachum violentas manus injecerit c. help them at all but that upon offences committed they are punish'd as Lay Persons by the Secular Judges And many times they are sensible of the rough and violent hands of wicked Men without any fear of Excommunication But as to what concerns the Law of Order or the Diocesan Law those things are left to the Clergy Their Chief Head is call'd Papas or Metropolitan Tho the Title or Sirname of Abuna that is to say Our Father be more frequently given him He by ancient Custom at the King's desire is Consecrated to that Dignity by the Patriarch of Alexandria and sent out of Egypt into Ethiopia For they do not think it fitting for the Patriarch to nominate any one out of their own Nation tho never so skilful in their Language Laws and Customs It being provided by those Nicene Canons extant in the Arabic Language That the Ethiopians shall not Elect or Create a Patriarch but that their chief Chief Prelate shall be under the Jurisdiction of Him that resides at Alexandria And a little after That if the Council be held in Greece and the Prelate of Ethiopia be present he shall have the seventh place next the Prelate of Seleucia For they are very obstinate in maintaining their old Customs tho it happen to be one of their greatest Misfortunes The State and Condition of the Alexandrian Church being quite different now from what it was formerly that is to say altogether miserable and deplorable For both the Patriarch and his Clergy are a poor sort of contemptible and rustic People and void of all common Endowments They are as it were the Servants and Slaves of the Turks whose continual vexations so terrifie them from undertaking Ecclesiastical Employment that many times they receive their Ordination by constraint and with Tears in their Eyes which requires nothing more from them than to read Arabic For the Coptic or ancient Egyptian Language as it was spoken in the times of the Grecian Kings and as Athanasius Kirker has given a view of it to the Europeans is now almost buried in Oblivion Their Churches are either all destroy'd or very near to Ruin the Turks not suffering them either to Rebuild or Repair The Patriarch if he can but only read and write and understand the Scripture after an ordinary manner is thought sufficiently worthy of St. Mark 's Chair Hence it may be easily conjectur'd what sort of Persons are sent into Ethiopia for the Government of so many Churches In the time of the Fathers of the Society there was sent such a sad Tool into Habessinia to be the Abuna that being rejected for his Simplicity he was forc'd to Grind Corn for his living To whom another Succeeding not much better gifted gave occasion to the Courtiers to jest and cry We have a Miller still Now as these Patriarchs know very little so they do as little only in set forms of Words they ordain Under-Clercs just as wise and learned as themselves For this reason the Fathers of the Society little regarded the Ordinations of the Abuna but when any of the Abessine Priests came over to them they ordain'd them again after the Roman manner not without the great resentment and indignation of the rest In none of their Kingdoms or Provinces have they any Bishops or Arch-Bishops So that unless the Icegue with the assistance of his Monks had taken some care of the Church all thought of Religion had fallen to the ground long e're this This Abuna is by some tho improperly call'd Patriarch his truer Title being that of Bik Papas or Bik Papaste Prince or Master of the Metropolitans of whom they acknowledge only Four to be of equal Power and Dignity among themselves Among these they reckon the Roman Patriarch to be the First and call him Bik Papaste Zaromeja or the Roman Patriarch For they have no higher Title to give to any one who may be thought Superior to a Patriarch The first Metropolitan of Habessinia was Frumentius the Ethiopic Apostle From him to Simeon who dy'd with Elius in defence of the Alexandrian Religion they reck'n in order Ninety five Metropolitans We have not yet seen the Catalogue but in the Ethiopic Register they are Number'd up in this Order Abuna Abba Matthew Abba Salama Abba Jacob. Abba Bartholomew Abba Michael Abba Isaac Abba John Abba Mark who was Metropolitan in the Time of David Abba Joseph In the Reign of Claudius was receiv'd into the Kingdom with great Pomp without any regard had to John Bermudes whom the Pope had
reason by Argument you can never subdue the Will Eighthly That the Devil had put it into the Heads of several Catholicks to make a corresponding Agreement between the Catholick and the Alexandrinian Religion asserting all to be Christians as well Alexandrians as Romans That all believe in Christ That Christ saves all That there is little Difference between both Religions That both have Conveniencies and Inconveniencies their Truths and their Errors but that the Wheat was to be separated from the Cockle Ninthly That the Ecclesiastical Censures seem'd very heavy to the Habessines especially when they heard the Patriarch name Dathan and Abiram in the Excommunication CHAP. XIII Of the Expulsion of the Patriarch and the Exilement of the Fathers of the Society The Alexandrians quarrel with the Fathers who are accurs'd Their Churches taken from them Susneus Dyes Ras-Seelax renouncing the Alexandrian Religion is Overthrown and Banish'd Others put to Death The Fathers Dispossessed of their Goods Sent to Fremona The Patriarch by Letters Demands of the King the Causes of his Banishment and a New Dispute The King's Answer The Fathers depart for Fremona Afterwards quite thrown out of the Kingdom AFter the Publication of the King's Edict the Alexandrians being now absolute Victors endeavour'd with all their industry to be quit with the Fathers and expel them quite out of Habessinia To which purpose they omitted no occasion of daily quarrel and contention First accusing the Patriarch for endeavouring by Seditious Sermons to stir up the People to Sedition and to turn them from the Alexandrian Religion for that he had openly exhorted his Hearers to Constancy But understanding that Basilides was displeas'd and gave out threatning words they thought it requisite to act more moderately Soon after the Fathers Churches were taken from them believing that would be a means to put a stop to the Roman Worship And first they were constrain'd to quit their Cathedral at Gorgora a stately Structure after the European manner At their departure they carry'd with them all their Sacred Furniture brake all the Sculpture and spoil'd the Pictures that they might not leave them to be the sport of their Adversaries doing that themselves which they thought the Habessines would do And this Example they follow'd in all other places from whence they were expell'd In the mid'st of these Transactions Susnèus's Distemper increasing and more and more augmented by his continual anguish of Mind he ended this Life the 16th day of Decemb. 1632. The King being Dead the Fathers Adversaries set upon Ras-Seelax in the first place as the Principal Favourer and Protector of the Roman Religion and first of all they promise him all his former Dignities all his Possessions and Goods upon Condition he would return to the Alexandrian Religion Upon his refusal they bring him bound in Chains before the King and pronounce him guilty of Death But the King declaring that he would not pollute his hands with the Blood of his Uncle commanded him to be carry'd to a certain remote Place near to Samenar and sequester'd his Goods And as he was great so was he attended in his fall by several others as Atzai-Tino Secretary of State and the King's Historiographer Walata Georgissa the Queens Cousin In short whoever had favour'd the Fathers were all sent into Exile and some put to Death perhaps because they had bin more bitter in their Expressions than others against the Alexandrian Religion For some had call'd it a Religion for Dogs After all this the Enemies of the Fathers still insisted That nothing was yet done so long as the Patriarch and the Fathers were suffer'd to abide within the Confines of the Kingdom Neither would the Lastaneers be quiet till they heard the Fathers were all thrown out of Ethiopia but would look upon all things transacted for the re-establishment of the Alexandrian Religion as fictitious Stories There needed not many words to press him that was already willing First of all therefore their Goods and Possessions were taken from them then all their Arms especially their Musquets and Fire-Arms But before that they were sent to Fremona where as we have already declar'd Oviedo the Patriarch resided for some time But before their Departure the Patriarch wrote a certain Letter to the King to this Effect I did not adventure to come into Habessinia with my Companions of my own accord but by the Command of the Roman Pontiff and the King of Portugal at the request of your Father where having taken the King's Oath of Obedience I officiated the Office of Patriarch in the Name of the Roman Pontiff and the King of Portugal Now because you Command me to depart my humble request is that your Majesty would set down the Causes of my Exilement in Writing subscrib'd with your own and the hands of some of your Counsellors and Peers that all the World may know whether I am compell'd to suffer for my Life and Conversation or for the sake of my Doctrine I granted the Ceremonies desired by your Father except the Communion under both Kinds which only the Pope himself can dispute with The same also I again offer so that you and your Subjects will yield Obedience to the Church of Rome as the head of all other Churches My last request is That as the Matter was Debated at first so it may be referr'd to another Dispute by which means the Truth of the whole affair will more manifestly appear To this Writing the King thus reply'd Whatever was done by me before was done by the Command of my Father whom I was in Duty bound to Obey so that I was forc'd to wage War under his Conduct both with Kindred and Subjects But after the last Battel of Wainadega the Learned and Unlearned Clergy and Layety Civil and Military young and old all sorts of Persons made their Addresses to my Father Crying out How long shall we be perplexed and wearied with unprofitable things How long shall we encounter Brethren and Kindred cutting off the right hand with the left How long shall we thrust our Swords into our own Bowels Especially since we learn nothing from the Roman Religion but what we knew before For what the Romans call the two Natures in Christ his Divinity and his Humanity that we knew from the beginning to this time For we all believe that our Lord Christ is perfect God and perfect Man perfect God in his Divinity and perfect Man in his Humanity But in regard those Natures are not separated nor divided for neither of them subsist of its self but both of them conjoyn'd the one with the other therefore we do not say that they are two things For one is made two yet so as the Natures are not mix'd in their Subsistence This Controversie therefore among us is of little moment neither was it for this that there has bin so much Bloodshed among us but chiefly because the Blood was deny'd to the Layety whereas Christ has said in his Gospel Unless
all Occasions of new Disturbances Some there were that openly resisted and would not permit any Priest under Roman Ordination to officiate in their Churches nay some of them they kill'd out-right As for the Countrey People tho they were passively Obedient to the King's Commands yet they lik'd their own old way best Among the rest there was one who having receiv'd the Cuff of Confirmation as their manner is and being ask'd by his Neighbour how he did Never worse said He than I have bin since I receiv'd the Patriarch's Box o' th' ear More than all this there was a Seminary set up for the Education as well of the Habessine as Portuguese Children for the Encouragement of whom and to invite others they caus'd some of the young Lads to Act a Comedy after the European manner But when they brought in Devils upon the Stage as the Scene requir'd some of the ignorant People believing them real Hobgoblins were so terrify'd that they flung out of the School crying out Wajelan Wajelan Sajetanet ametzea O Dear O Dear they have brought us Devils But the ensuing Tragedies more terrify'd the wiser sort For Tecla-George another of the King's Sons in Law for his Wives sake at difference with his Father having drawn into the same Conspiracy with him two Noblemen Gebra-Marjam and John Acayo revolted openly and by a Cryer solemnly proclaim'd That he renounc'd the Roman Worship and would Protect the Alexandrian by force of Arms. And that the world might believe he was in Earnest he caus'd all the Crucifixes Rosaries and other Ornaments of Popish Superstition to be burnt in a publick fire and to the end there might be no hopes of Reconciliation left for the Expectation of Confederates he took his Chaplain Abba Jacob who officiated after the Roman manner and after he had dispoyl'd him of his Stole and Hood put him to Death The King could not brook so great an Indignity and therefore sent Kebax Viceroy of Tigra with an Army against him who us'd such extraordinary Diligence that he soon surpriz'd the secure and unprovided Rebel overthrew his Army and took him and his Sister Adera Prisoners who because they had so furiously and contemptuously acted against the Roman Religion were both hang'd upon a high Tree Nor could all the Intercessions of the Queen nor of all the Noble Ladies could prevail tho they pleaded hard the disgrace done to their Sex and that it was never before known in Ethiopia that a Noblewoman was Hang'd especially being call'd by the King to behold so sad and infamous a Spectacle For they did not pity her because they thought her Innocent but for the Ignominy of her Punishment After this follow'd several other Accidents which as they brought a very great Odium upon the Patriarch and the Fathers so were they reckn'd to be the Causes of the general aversness of the People to the Roman Religion The Patriarch that he might exercise all his Authority in one single Act and shew the full extent of his Power having taken a pett against the Captain of the King's Guards for some frivolous Business that nothing belong'd to his Jurisdiction publickly in the Church in the presence of the whole Court thunders out an Anathema against him and sent him Post to the Devil It seems he had taken Possession of certain Farms which the Monks lay'd claim to and refus'd to restore them notwithstanding all the Admonitions of the Patriarch The Nobleman tho a Soldier hearing such a most Dreadful Excommunication by vertue whereof he was sent packing to Hell laden with all the Curses of Dathan and Abiram like one Thunder-strook fell into a Sound and lay for Dead But the Storm did not continue long For presently the King stept in to his relief by whose interposition and the Mediation of several of the Nobility he was re-admitted into the state of Grace However it was an Act which the Nobility took most heinously to heart among whom there were some that frown'd and chaf'd out of meer Indignation to see that their Church should be brought to such a degree of Servitude that a Foreign Priest should take upon him with so much Arrogance to Excommunicate and Bequeath to Eternal Damnation one of the Chief Counsellors of their Kingdom an Ancient and Famous Personage for the sake of a Litigious Farm which the King might take when he pleas'd from the Monks themselves if they were the Owners This Flame was fed by the addition of more fuel For the Icegue or Chief Abbot of the Monks being at that time lately Deceas'd who as we have already said is the next in Dignity and Authority to the Abuna he was Buried in a certain Church consecrated after the Roman manner tho he had bin an obstinate Zealot for the Alexandrian Religion Thereupon the Patriarch after he had soundly reprov'd the Rector of the Church Pronounc'd the Church profan'd by the Burial of a Heretic and therefore that Mass could not be said in it The Rector dreading the fatal stroak of the same dismal Dathan and Abiram Thunderbolt that lay'd the Great Commander sprawling without expecting any new Command causes the Carkass to be digg'd up again and thrown by This the Habessines heavily exclaim'd against crying out That the Franks exercised more cruel Severities upon them then their most exasperated Enemies ever practis'd among them to deprive their Dead of decent Burial now they might all see what the Living were to expect Tellez adds That a certain old Woman was cast into Prison upon Suspition of being a Witch but was presently set at liberty because it gave distaste For that the most Learned of the Habessines are of Opinion That there are now no more Magicians or Witches in the World and therefore that the Woman was unjustly wrong'd who was thrown into Prison by the Command of the Patriarch Thus the Minds of the People being generally incens'd the King himself began to look upon these acts of separate Jurisdiction in the Patriarch as Diminutions of his Prerogative the ancient Metropolitans never daring to attempt such things and consequently to alienate his Affections both from him and from the Fathers so that at length he gave ear to their Adversaries Who to bring down and curb the Excessive Power of the Patriarch which seem'd so intolerable to them more especially because they found him still inexorable in Matrimonial Causes prohibited by Divine and canon-Canon-Law but chiefly in cases of Polygamy and Divorce they began their Addresses to him for those things which they knew he could not deny without bringing great mischief upon himself First That they might have liberty to say Mass after the ancient Ethiopian manner for that the Patriarch might mend the ancient forms where Necessity requir'd without abrogating the whole That the People hearing their ancient Services would be the more quiet in regard they would not so much mind the difference between the New and the Ancient form of Worship The Patriarch gave way to their
no other answer than this How can this be done I am now no more Lord of my own Kingdom So they were forc'd to depart as they came Presently the Drums beat the Trumpets sounded and Proclamation was made by the Voice of the Cryer O yez O yez In the first place we propounded to ye the Roman Religion esteeming it the best But an innumerable multitude of Men have perish'd through dislike of it with Aelius Cabriel Tecla-George Sertzac and lastly with the Rustick Lastaneers And therefore we grant you the free Exercise of the Religion of your Ancestors It shall be lawful for you henceforward to frequent your own Churches make use of your own Eucharistic Arks and to read the Liturgies after the old Custom So farewell and Rejoyce It is a thing almost impossible to be believ'd with what an Universal Joy this Edict was receiv'd among the People The whole Camp as if they had had some great Deliverance from the Enemy rang with Shouts and Acclamations The Monks and Clergy who had felt the greatest weight of the Fathers Hatred lifted up their Thankful voices to Heaven The promiscuous Multitude of Men and Women danc'd and caper'd The Soldiers wish'd all happiness to their Commanders They brake to pieces their own and the Rosaries of all they met and some they burnt Crying out that it was sufficient for them to believe That Christ was true God and true Man without the unnecessary Disputes concerning the two Natures From thenceforward the old Ceremonies were made use of in the Communion Grapestone Liquor instead of Wine And the Holy Name of Jesus forbidden to be so frequent in their Mouths after the Roman manner and some that did not observe this Caution they ran through with their Lances Some few days after a general Circumcision was appointed not minding the pain of such a piece of Vanity so they might not be thought to have neglected any thing of their ancient Rites in favour of the Fathers Some there were also that us'd the ancient manner of washing themselves upon the Festival of the Epiphany believing themselves thereby purify'd from the guilt of having admitted the Roman Religion Others ran about Singing for joy that Ethiopia was deliver'd from the Western Lyons Chanting forth the following Lines At length the Sheep of Ethiopia free'd From the Bold Lyons of the West Securely in their Pastures feed St. Mark and Cyril's Doctrine have o'recome The Folly's of the Church of Rome Rejoyce rejoyce Sing Hallelujahs all No more the Western Wolves Our Ethiopia shall enthrall And thus fell the whole Fabrick of the Roman Religion that had bin so long rearing with so much Labour and Expence and which had cost the Effusion of so much Blood to pull it down So vast and haughty Tow'rs that have bin long time Built if once you undermine the Foundation tumble in a moment Some there were who accus'd the Fathers of the Society as if they had ruin'd the fair Progress they had made by double Diligence and over-hasty Zeal For most of the Portugueses and many of the Habessines themselves that were well affected to the Roman Religion took it ill that things should be so suddainly chang'd which might have bin longer let alone without the least injury done to fundamental Faith For as tall Trees that have taken deep root are not easily Eradicated so inveterated Opinions which we have as it were suck't in with our Mother's Milk are not to be overcome but by length of time great Lenity and much Patience For Humane understanding if compell'd puts on Obstinacy as it were in revenge of injur'd Liberty Nor did some that were the Fathers great Friends make any Question that had they left some things indifferent which the Pope himself many times freely tolerates so it be acknowledg'd as the Act of his Benignity and Dispensation as the Computations of the holy Times the Communion under both Kinds and some other things which the Primitive Church without any Scandal tolerated and permitted as the Marriage of Priests the Fast of the fourth Holyday the Observation of the Sabbath and some other things which depended meerly upon Custom and not upon Divine Precept and had only minded in the mean time the Business of Conversion and Preaching they had gain'd not only the Habessines but the Pagans themselves and working by degrees had brought their design at length to perfection But they relying wholly upon the Favour and Successes of the King were presently for compelling the Habessines to conform of a suddain in all things to a strange and uncouth Innovation The Latin Tongue must be us'd in their Publick Sacred Worship and their daily Prayers the Angelical Salutation the Lord's Prayer and the Apostolic Creed must be said in Latin written in the Ethiopic Characters in which Eve Maria grazia Plena c. sounded strangely and odly to the Habessinian Pronunciation Which by degrees so alienated the Affections of the Habessinians from such a sort of aukward Devotion so that at length all the Wars Seditions Pests of Locusts Famine and all the Calamities that follow'd and the severe Penalties that were inflicted upon the Alexandrians were lay'd upon the Fathers which begat them Hatred instead of Reverence and Banishment in the room of Favour and Affection From what has bin said Men of Prudence will easily find the causes of so great a Mutation Nevertheless it will not be improper to add those other which Tellez has assign'd First he says That the strict Tyes and Laws of Matrimony according to the Catholic Faith were not so well brook'd by the Habessinians being allow'd by the Alexandrian Religion to Marry one or more and to Divorce as they saw good Secondly That besides Incontinency Avarice Ambition Envy Hatred had got a head among them especially against Ras-Seelax whose Power they could find no better way to pull down than by Persecuting the Fathers for whom he had so indear'd a Kindness Thirdly That many were possess'd of the Church Lands of which they were unwilling to make restitution Fourthly That the Secular Judges complain'd that the Patriarch summon'd all Matrimonial Causes to his Tribunal Fifthly That others were enrag'd to see Churches built with Lime and Stone for they call'd them Castles not Churches built by Ras-Seelax to the end he might make himself Master of Ethiopia Sixthly That the Monks were incens'd to see the Fathers only in Esteem and themselves formerly so highly reverenc'd afterwards contemn'd and slighted so that as the other grew great they should become nothing at all Seventhly That the Habessines always appeal'd to the Manners and Rites of their Ancestors not believing it to be just to condemn them of Error who had bin accompted Holy Men for so many Ages or to hear and follow Innovations neglecting the Laws and Customs of their Fore-fathers For through the vitiousness of Humane Malignity saith Quintilian Old things are always applauded Novelties held to be loathsome So that although you overcome the