Nation and not permitted to have any commerce among them But it has afforded me much more matter of grief that there should be such and so great Animosity nmong the Western Christians that as things stand there is no Counsell or help to be afforded for the ease and restitution of the Eastern Church or for the suppression of those Barbarous Idolaters The HEADS of the several CHAPTERS in the following HISTORY Book I. Of the Nature of the Country and Inhabitants THe Proem contains the Chief Writers of the Habessine Affairs which the Author follows or contradicts where he takes an occasion to give an account of Gregory the Habessinian whom Ernestus Duke of Saxony sent for to his Court at Gota together with the Argument and Method of the whole Treatise Chap. I. Of the various Names of the Habessines and the Original of the Nation from Arabia the Happy Chap. II. Of the true Situation and Bounds of Habessinia and the Kingdoms and Regions bordering on every side upon it Chap. III. Of the Division of Habessinia into several Kingdoms and Regions and what is at this day under the Dominions of the Negus Chap. IV. Of the vulgar Chorographical Table of the Country and the Authors new one with the Authors advice in reference to a Universal Geographical Alphabet Chap. V. Of the temper and nature of the Air and Soyl of the three not four Seasons of the Year the stupendious Winds and other Meteors Chap. VI. Of the high Mountains of Habessinia and their Rocks of a most Miraculous Form their advantages and conveniencie more especially of the Rocks of Amhara Geshen and Ambasel Chap. VII Of their Metals and Minerals more especially their Salt and Stibium Chap. VIII Of the Rivers of Habessinia more especially Nile its Fountains and Course that Niger is a Channel of Nile whether the Course of the River may be altered or turned another way to prevent its overflowing of Aegypt as also of the Lake Tzana Chap. IX Of the Fertility of the Soyl in general double and threefold Harvest Of the Vegitables and Plants Of the Psylli proving their Art of relieving the Poyson'd to be artificial not natural Chap. X. Of the Fourfooted Beasts the Bull Elephants the Unicorn c. Chap. XI Of Amphibious Creatures the River Horse the Water-Lizard and the Torpedo Chap. XII Of Birds the Casawaw and Pipi their tame Geese and Feeders Chap. XIII Of Serpents and Insects the Boa Salamander Hydra Chersydra Locusts and Ants. Chap. XIV Of the Nature and Disposition of the Inhabitants of the Jews and other Nations in Ethiopia Chap. XV. Of the Languages us'd in Ethiopia the Amharic and Gallanic Dialects Chap. XVI Of the bordering Nations more especially of the Gallans and the manners and customs of the Kingdom of Zender and their King who resembles an Ape Book II. Of their Political Government Chap. I. Of the Kings of the Habessines and their various Titles Names and Atchievments both true and fictitious Of the Name of Presbyter John the Stile of their Letters The Queens and the Titles of the Princes and Princesses of the Blood Chap. II. Of the Catalogues of the ancient Kings of the Habessines for the most part Fictitious Of the Royal Families their Antiquity and first of the Ethnic Family Chap. III. Of the Salomonean Family descended from Menihelec Son to Solomon by the Queen of Sheba whose Parentage and Place of Nativity where she Rul'd is discours'd Chap. IV. Of Menihelec the Son of Makeda and his Posterity Of Candace Of Abreha and Atsbeha brothers and of Caleb who Subverted the Kingdom of the Homerites Chap. V. Of the Zagean Family and the Kings that sprung from that Line more especially of Lalibala Chap. VI. Of the Restauration of the Salomonian Family and the Succession from thence David and Claudius c. in whose Reign the Jesuits first entred Habessinia Chap. VII Of the Kings of this Centurie till the present time Of the Counterfeit Jacob and the Impostor Tzaga-Christos in France A genealogical Table of the Habessinian Kings Chap. VIII Of the Royal Succession and Imprisonment of all the Kings Sons but the Eldest in the Rock Geshen Chap. IX Of the Kings Prerogative in Civils and Spirituals Chap. X. Of the Puissance of the Kings of Habessinia and how the Power of the Gallans might be Ecclips'd as also of the Royal Revenues Chap. XI Of the Royal City of Axuma and the Inauguration of their Kings Chap. XII Of the Kings Court his Table and manner of Feeding the Custom of receiving Embassadours and of the Grand Court Employments Chap. XIII Of the Royal Camp which may be compar'd to a Royal City Chap. XIV Of the Militarie Discipline of the Habessines Chap. XV. Of the Wars of the former Century more especially the Fatal Adelan War and how they were relieved by the Portugals Chap. XVI Of their Leagues and Embassies to the Portugheses and the Pope and the King of Portugal's reciprocal Embassies to them Chap. XVII Of the Viceroys Governours and Rulers of Provinces and their various Titles Chap. XVIII Of the Tributaries to the King of Ethiopia and the manner of presenting Petitions and Complements to the King Chap. XIX Of their Courts of Judicature and Law Proceedings their Appeals and Punishments Book III. Chap. I. Of the Ancient Religion of the Habessines and Tzagazaab's idle Confession of Faith their Judaic Rites their Circumcision abstinence from Swines Flesh and observing the Sabbath c. Chap. II. Of the Conversion of the Habessines to the Christian Faith Cedrenus and Callistus Confuted Chap. III. Of the advancement of Christianity by the assistance of Nine Holy Men. Of the Portentous Miracles of their Saints Their rigid Monastical Life of Tecla Haimanot and Eustathius and the Orders and Institutions of their Monks Chap. IV. Of the Holy Book among the Habessines the Translation of the Scripture into their Language their Division of the Bible Their Councils and Epitomie of the Habessine Religion the Book of Enoch and their Magical Prayers Chap. V. Of the present Religion of the Habessines and the Errours imputed to them by the Fathers what they Believe concerning the Trinity the Communion Transubstantiation Purgatory the Immortality of the Soul Angels c. Chap. VI. Of the Modern Rites and Ceremonies of the Ethiopic Church Chap. VII Of their Ecclesiastical Government Chap. VIII Of the separation of the Habessines from the Greek Church Chap. IX Of their first Quarrels with the Jesuits Chap. X. Of Susneus's Submission to the Pope and the Tumults and Rebellions that arose thereupon Chap. XI Of the Arrival of a Patriarch from Rome and the Progress of the Roman Religion during the Reign of Susneus Chap. XII Of the decrease of the Jesuits Power and their fall the Restoration of the Alexandrian Religion and the causes of so great an Alteration Chap. XIII Of the Expulsion of the Patriarch Chap. XIV What happen'd after the Expulsion Book IV. Of their private Affairs Chap. I. Of the Ethiopian
A NEW HISTORY OF ETHIOPIA BEING A Full and Accurate DESCRIPTION OF The Kingdom of Abessinia Vulgarly though Erroneously called the EMPIRE of PRESTER JOHN IN FOUR BOOKS Wherein are Contained I. An Account of the Nature Quality and Condition of the Country and Inhabitants their Mountains Metals and Minerals their Rivers particularly of the source of the Nile and Niger their Birds Beasts amphibious Animals as the River Horse and Crocodile Serpents c. II. Their Political Government the Genealogy and Succession of their Kings a description of their Court and Camp their Power and Military Discipline their Courts of Justice c. III. Their Ecclesiastical Affairs their Conversion to the Christian Religion and the Propagation thereof their Sacred Writings their Sacraments Rites Ceremonies and Church Discipline the decrease of the Romish Religion their Contentions with the Jesuits their Separation from the Greek Church c. IV. Their private Oeconomy their Books and Learning their common Names their Dyet Marriages and Polygamies their Mechanick Arts and Trades their Burials their Merchandize and Commerce c. Illustrated with Copper Plates By the Learned Job Ludolphus Author of the Ethiopic Lexicon Made English by J. P. Gent. LONDON Printed for Samuel Smith Bookseller at the Prince's Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1682. J. LUDOLPHUS TO THE Courteous Reader AT length I present you with my Ethiopic Historie long-promis'd long expected by my friends Nor will this delay be wonder'd at by those that consider how I am ty'd to public duty and employment utterly dissonant from these sort of Studies Beside which there were many other Reasons For I had collected indeed the Body of the matter from the Writings and Discourses of Gregory the Habessinian but the Circumstances of time and place and the names of persons were yet wanting So that there was Timber and Bricks for the Building but only Lime and Cement was wanting Moreover after so many Fables had been Printed upon this subject I thought it would not be so prudently done to utter more novelty upon the credit of one single person lest a new truth might be lookt upon as a new Tale. At length having got into my hands Balthazer Tellez from whom as well to supply what I wanted as also to confirm what might seem to be doubtfull yet then likewise I wanted Leisure Which when the most Serene Saxo-Gotan Dukes had indulg'd me I Translated my family to Frankfort upon the Main to the end that I might have the benefit of several famous Libraries in that Noble City and the opportunity of a Learned Conversation and by that means accomplish my intended work which by Gods Assistance I did in six weeks After this when all was ready for the Press there still wanted what was necessary to forward the Publishing of this work A proper Amanuensis to transcribe the whole matter and to attend upon the Correction of the Impression which my occasions would not permit me to do and then in the next place such Forraign Characters as this work requir'd which Impediments were also at last remov'd For there was a certain Young Gentleman recommended to me eminent for his Learning and integritie by name John Henry Majus a Student in Theology and the Oriental Tongues Who being well skill'd in the Hebrew Language and the Dialect of the Rabbins by my help easily made himself Master of the Ethiopic and so fitted himself for the imployment I design'd Him He therefore by my directions made the heads of the Chapters the Sections the Index and Translated the Ethiopic into Latin assisted the work and put it forward taking upon him the whole Correction of it For which reason I can recommend his deserts the more justly to all good and learned Men. The Printing part was undertaken by Balthasar Christopher Wustius as well for that he was well known among Forainers as because he had a Printing House furnished with all sorts of Letters for Foraign Languages He also caused the Ethiopic and Amharic Characters to be engrav'd in Copper by the famous John Adolphus Schmide and afterwards to be cast for farther use But these could not be brought to perfection so soon as the Compositers requir'd and therefore there was a necessitie of mixing some old and less elegant with the new and neater Characters As to the Work it self I have said enough in the Proem No man understandeth the warts and defects better than my self Therfore I resolv'd to deferr the Publishing till newer and fuller relations return'd out of Ethiopia or that I might receive them from the bordering Regions as being furnished for that purpose with very great and most generous Recommendations till I had brought my design to a full and elaborate perfection But many Illustrious men and my most honour'd friends interceded with me telling me That never any thing came forth perfect at first in all its parts And that therefore this History was no longer to be conceal'd from the Christian and Learned World which it concerned to know these things For that if any thing should fall out hereafter worthy of remark it might be put into an Appendix or added to a new Edition Which makes me hope for pardon from the more Candid Reader if his desire or expectation be not satisfied in all particulars For I relate not altogether things beheld with my own eyes but what I have either read my self or heard from others yet congruous to Truth and well cohering between themselves If I have not reach'd the sence of my Authors I will amend upon admonition or else return my thanks and satisfaction to the admonisher That I should please all men a thing which never mortal yet attained none in prudence can exact from me nor dare I hope to have done it However I propose to my self to injure no man but every where to study moderation So they who take offence ought to be offended with my Authors not with me There are some perhaps who believe I might have spoken more in matter of Religion others that I have said too much certainly I had rather I could have omitted all so ungratefull to me are the Altercations of Christians among themselves in matters of Religion chiefly where the Decisions tend to Force and Arms. For they who think mutual Love and Charity is only due to men of their own sect certainly wander much from the scope of Christian perfection according to the precepts of Christ and his Apostles I have not aim'd at my own advantage nor my own increase of Reputation hard to be acquir'd now the world is so fertile in soaring Genius's I have only endeavoured to be in some measure profitable to the Commonwealth of Christianity and Learning out of a peculiar kindness to that for ought we know most ancient Nation of the Habessines I confess I have frequently bewail'd their misfortune for this that the enmitie ran so high between them and the Portuguesses that for their sakes all the other Europeans are suspected to that
among the Europeans for her Letters sent to Emanuel the First King of Portugal of which we shall hereafter speak more at large David at the beginning of his Reign very prosperous in his Undertakings for he had won several Victories from the Adelans after his Grandmothers Decease as if he had now the Curb in his teeth giving himself up to Luxury and the love of Women was very Unfortunate toward the end of his days For being driven out of all his Kingdoms and Territories he was forc'd to betake himself with some few Soldiers to the Rock Damo where he dy'd in the Forty sixth year of his Age. In this the more unhappy that during his Reign the Nation of the Gallans the Scourge of Habessinia made their first Incursions out of Bali He had four Sons of whom the first Victor dy'd before the Father of the other three we shall have occasion to speak in due place He was very well vers'd in Holy Writ and in the three first Councils as may be understood by his Discourses with Alvarez Claudius by his other Name call'd Atznaff-Saghed the Son of David came to a Kingdom miserably shatter'd and over-burthen'd with Calamity and lurking in the utmost Confines of his Dominions there attended some miraculous assistance from Heaven which soon after answer'd his Expectation John the Second King of Portugal sending him Succour under the Conduct of that most Valiant and Noble Portuguese Christopher Gamas who with a small Band of Four hundred Portuguese Foot Soldiers overthrew vast Armies of the Barbarians and laid the Foundations of regaining the Habessinian Empire Claudius was a man of a most Princely Port. For besides the outward Grace of his Person he was endu'd with many Virtues of the Mind which made him judg'd by all worthy of the Royal Dignity The Fathers of the Society applauded him for a most Prudent Prince though otherwise not so well pleased with him because he had not shew'd that Affection to the Roman See as they requir'd though he did not prohibit the Divine Worship of the Latin Church nor hinder'd the Roman Priests from the free Exercise of their Religion He was also Learned and well instructed in Ecclesiastical Antiquity So that as Tellezius witnesses his Teachers seem'd illiterate in comparison of their Scholar For in Disputes with the Fathers of the Society he himself for the most part would argue with so much vehemence that sometimes he put them hard to it to make him an Answer And when he observ'd that the Habessines were blam'd for retaining certain Judaic Rights contrary to the Christian Laws he put into Writing a succinct Confession of Faith by which he clear'd all Objections and excus'd himself and his Subjects That Confession we formerly (f) In England Anno 1667. It is also added to our Ethiopic Lexicon and Grammar set forth and shall publish again in our Commentary So that the Fathers of the Society could object nothing but Schism against so great and famous a Monarch He reign'd Eighteen years and some Months with great toil and trouble by reason of his continual Wars with the Adelans who mindful of the overthrows they had receiv'd frequently attempted Revenge The King stout of hand and indefatigable never refus'd Battel till at last in the Month of March 1559. fighting against Nurus the Captain of the Adelans his Army being vanquish'd guarded only with Eighteen Portugueses and Combating more furiously than warily he fell by an Immature but not unrevenged Death He left no Children behind him whence it came to pass that the Right of Succession being very ambiguous in Ethiopia the Contention was long dubious between his Brother Menas and Tascar the Natural Son of Jacob the second Brother deceased For this claim'd the Kingdom in right of his Father while he liv'd the Elder Brother the other alledg'd himself to be the nearer in Blood than he who was Illegitimate The Controversie being decided by the Sword Tascar was taken in the Battel and thrown headlong down a Rock Menas otherwise (g) Erroneous here some Historians ignorant that the word signifies a Gem call him Adam Adamas-Saghed having obtain'd the Kingdom by Arms being of a Cruel Disposition degenerated altogether from the Lenity Sincerity and Piety of the Habessines as if he had learnt the savageness of the Tvrks and Arabians among whom he had been long a Captive For he hated the Portugueses as minding their own Affairs and forbid the use of the Roman Religion not suffering any of the Habessines to go into the Latin Churches He also revok'd the Liberty which his Predecessor Claudius had granted to the Wives and Families of the Portugueses to frequent the Roman Chappels which caus'd many to wish again for the Clemency of Claudius with which they were not contented however before He despis'd the Romish Bishop Andrew Oviedo who in the Reign of Claudius was sent to make way for the new Patriarch and for some Months kept him in Prison Nor was he much more kind to his own Subjects For which reason out of an aversion to his Proceedings they revolted from him in several Parts Among the rest Isaac Bahrnagassus a man in great Power and skill'd in Military Discipline calling the Turks to his Assistance upon the Twentieth of April 1562. overcame the King in Battel and slew him to the great detriment of Habessinia For ever since that time the Turks have been Masters of the Coast of the Red Sea He left three Sons Sarza-Denghel Lesanax and Tazcar Of which the last dy'd without Children Sarza-Denghel taking the Government upon him call'd himself Malac-Saghed and was Inaugurated after the ancient manner at Axuma His Fortune was equal to his Vertues for he was stout of Hand and wise in Counsel And first he drave the Turks who were Masters of Dobarva the Metropolis of the Maritime Province out of Tigra He would also have driven them out of the Port of Arkiko and the Isle of Matzua had he not been recall'd to defend his Upland Dominions from the Incursions of the Galans These People by the Rapines and Plunder of five and twenty years while the Habessines were busied in so many other Wars increased to that power that now they over-ran Habessinia not with scattering Troops but with compleat Armies So that all the time of his Reign though otherwise prosperous in War he was forc'd to struggle with them However he subdu'd Enarea and caus'd the Prince thereof to turn Christian For he carefully observ'd the Christian Religion according to the Constitutions of the Church of Alexandria The Latin Rites he left indifferent And for the Fathers of the Society he often commended their Conversation of Life and their Studies but despised their Doctrine saying That their Manners and not their Doctrine was to be imitated Certainly Manners and Doctrine do not always accord And therefore sometimes the Doctrine is to be approv'd where the Manners are not Correspondent and sometimes the Manners are to be imitated
was equally Venerable as are most of the Princes of the Royal Blood of Habessinia in the most flourishing years of pleasing Youth and through his Experience of Adversity and Prosperity worthy of the high degree to which he had arriv'd and which was more than all mild and ready to Forgive For among all the crow'd of so many Enemies he never punish'd any as by Law he might have done but without any disgrace suffer'd them to continue in their several Offices and in the same degrees of Honour even the Queen her self so mild and gentle even to a fault is the Disposition of those Kings saith Tellezius Moreover he behav'd himself with an undaunted Courage in all sorts of Danger For he had hardly grasp'd the Helm of Government in his hands when the Gallans understanding the Divisions at Court fell into Habessinia with three Armies and overthrew the Governor of Gojam who presum'd to fight against the King's Command whereupon the King arriving soon after leading an Army tir'd by a long March with a greater Courage than Force he assail'd the Enemy who pufft up with Victory bore down the Habessines with so much Violence that the Captains finding their Battalions recoil perswaded the King to betake himself to an early flight When he disdaining the motion as arguing Effeminacy leapt from his Horse and advancing with his Sword and Buckler cry'd out Here will I die you if you please may flye perhaps you may escape the fury of the Gallans but never the Infamy of deserting your King The Habessines mov'd with such a Speech and the Countenance of their Prince cast themselves into a Globe and with a Prodigious fury like Men prepar'd to dye broke in among the Gallans and constrain'd them to give back which the Fugitives perceiving presently return'd and renewing the Fight gain'd a glorious Victory with such a Slaughter of the Enemy that a greater had not been made among them at any other time The King believing that the Advantages of such a Victory were not to be let slip did not indulge himself to be as soon overcome with Banquets and Luxury under pretence of Refreshment but with a swift March led his Army over Mountains and Rocks against the other Body of the Enemy which with the same success he put to Flight The third Army not daring to withstand the force of the Habessine retreated into the Fastnesses of their Country Of these Four hundred thought themselves secure with their Prey in a steep and almost inaccessible Mountain But the Habessines now contemning their Enemies already terrify'd with the Slaughter of their own People couragiously drave them from their Holds and slew them every Mothers Son About the same time Peter Pays a Jesuit arriving in Habessinia at the Request of the King went to Court and so oblig'd him with several Discourses concerning Matters as well Ecclesiastical as Civil that at first privately then publickly he embrac'd the Latin Religion which he testify'd by Letters as well to the Pope as to the King of Spain then Philip the Third and preferr'd the Portugueses before his own Habessinians But this same Kindness of his to Strangers and a Foreign Religion begat him the Hatred of his People and caus'd his own Destruction For the Nobility of the Kingdom took it in great disdain to see their Ancient Religion chang'd and that the Patriarch of Alexandria should be deserted And they were the more enflam'd out of their Envy to the Portugals and the Rancour which they bore to Laeca-Marjam the King 's principal Friend Therefore they Conspire against him among themselves The Head of the Faction was one Saslac born of mean Parentage but of great fame for his Experience in War and for that reason proud He was exil'd by Jacob but recall'd by Za-Denghel and made Governor of Dembea consequently ungrateful and out of an inbred Stubborness frowardly disdaining Obedience Ras-Athanasius was drawn into this Society a famous Captain and a Man of great Conduct and being first in Dignity frown'd to see that he was but Second in the King's Favour and therefore he proves a Traitor to a most excellent King as one that had forgot who set the Crown upon his Head But the Cause of Religion was the main pretence the most prevalent to put the Minds of People into disorder for they were not ignorant what Preparations were making at Court for the introducing of the Latin Religion Frequent Complaints were therefore divulg'd abroad That the King was Revolted from the Church of Alexandria the Common Mother Church and that there was nothing intended by his frequent Discourses and familiarity with the Jesuits but the Abrogation of the Institutions of their Ancestors and the Introduction of new Ceremonies and Foreign Priests into the Kingdom That the Portugals would come in and establish their Religion by force of Arms and when they had done that would endeavour also to take the Kingdom from them That it behov'd them to succour their Distressed Countrey and that such a King was not to be endur'd who had first deserted the True Worship of God These things were easily inculcated into those that were of the same mind before But there was nothing which alienated so much the minds of the People as that the Portugueses had been heard to say That the Reduction so they call'd the Conversion of Ethiopia was but vainly attempted if it could not be upheld by force of Arms. The King having detected the Conspiracy calls the Portugueses together confiding in them as Foreigners and Men of the Latin Religion then marching with all speed toward Gojam he was deserted by the way first by Ras-Athanasius whom tho he suspected he durst not apprehend then by Jonael one of his Principal Captains Their example many others following forsake the King The King seeing himself left with a slender Guard applying himself to Peter Pays spoke these words This therefore befalls me because I am desirous to shew them the way of Truth and to set free the Weak from the Oppression of the more Powerful Thereupon Peter and the Commander of the Portugueses John Gabriel advis'd him to Protract the War till the heat of the Rebels fury waxed cool that his Friends with his Innocent Subjects would repair to his Assistance that the rest would in time come to themselves and repent their folly That Sedition was like a Torrent violent at first but that it abated by degrees But the King impatient of delay look'd upon Protraction as a Diminution of his Honour and being too full of Courage and in his boyling Youth resolv'd to try the Fortune of War that rarely accompanies rashness before the Rebels should encrease their Numbers So he Marches with a small Army of scarce Twelve thousand Men thinking to fall upon them e're they were aware of his coming This over-hastiness had but ill success For most of his Adversaries were Men experienc'd in War who did not follow their business negligently and besides they were as
The next is Drubbing if the Crime be not Capital The punishment of the Nobility is Exilement into the Zanic Lake or into their high and steep Rocks which are in a manner like Ilands from whence however they frequently escape by reason that the People are easily corrupted by Bribery Homicides are deliver'd up to the next of (l) A Custome still us'd in Persia as you may read in Tavernier and Olearius Kin to the Party murder'd at whose free will it is to pardon the Malefactors sell them to forraign Merchants or put them to what death they please If the Homicide escape unknown the Inhabitants of the place and all the Neighbourhood are oblig'd to pay a Fine by which means many Murthers are either prevented or discover'd Most certainly the Law of Like for Like was always and still is accompted the most just and plainest among several Nations Hence that of Moses An Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth But because there is not the same use of all members among men some men according to their various Callings having more use of one Member than another some being better able to lose their Hands than their Leggs others theâ—r Leggs than their Hands therefore among the Civiliz'd Nations this Law grew out of custome And it seems unjust to surrender the Offender to the Malice and Fury of the Offended Party when they may have unbyass'd Judges to give Sentence without Favour or Affection The End of the Second Book OF THE Ecclesiastical Affairs OF THE ABISSINES BOOK III. CHAP. I. Of the ancient Religion of the Abissines and their Judaic Rites The Ecclesiastical History of the Abissines corrupt and why The first Relation of Matthew the Armenian false Tzagazaabus's Confession as little to be credited Those of the Fathers and Tellezius more certain Ecclesiastical History commended The Tradition of some concerning the Original of the Judaic Rites Circumcision us'd by many How it differs from the Judaic No piece of holy Worship among the Habessines Females circumcis'd Why the Abissines abstain from Swines Flesh The Various Customs of Nations concerning Meats The Sabboth observ'd in the Primitive Church Different from the Lords Day and how Whether lawful to marry a Brothers Wife They abstain from the shrunck sinew What to be thought of Candaces Eunuch Menihelec's Posterity revolted from the true Religion Claudius disclaims the Judaic Religion NOw we proceed to the Ecclesiastical History of the Habessinians then which there is not any other more corrupt For whatever we find scatter'd in our Relations were neither collected out of the Books which are publickly authentic in Habessinia nor taken from the report of any persons there skill'd in the Ecclesiastical Affairs of that Country but partly ill related through the Rashness of the Writers themselves partly by the same persons or others ill understood through their ignorance of the Ethiopic Language The first Relation concerning the Religion of the Habessines was set forth by Damianus a Goez a noble Lusitanian from the Report of Matthew the Armenian First Ethiopic Embassador to Emanuel King of Portugal which Narrative of his (a) In a little Treatise often quoted Of the Embassie of the Great Emperor of the Indians contains many things ambiguous many other things altogether false Insomuch that Tzagazaabus the second Habessinian Embassador plainly tax'd the Author of it (b) For thus he sayes in his Confession of Faith Matthew in regard he was an Armenian could not so perspicuously understand our affairs especially those that related to our Faith And therefore he reported many things to King Emanuel which are not in use among Vs Which he did not out of desire to tell an untruth because he was a good man but because he knew little concerning our Religion But in my opinion that good man Matthew spake many things which he knew much better for his ignorance Tho he himself in the Confession of his Faith which the same (c) Extant in the 2. Tom. of Spain illustrated p. 1302. Goez set forth did not much excel him either for truth or probability for which reason Tellezius not undeservedly reprehends him Certainly Gregory was very much offended with him And when he heard his following Doctrines 1. That Jesus Christ was the Son of the Father and the beginning of himself in the same manner that the Holy Ghost was the Spirit of himself and proceeded from the Father and the Son 2. That he descended into Hell where was the Soul of Adam and Christ himself which Soul of Adam Christ received from the Virgin Mary and toward the latter end of the Book That Christ descended into Hell for the Soul of Adam and not for his own 3. That the Souls of men piously deceas'd are not crucify'd in Purgatory upon the Sabaoth and Lords Day 4. That by the Decree and Commandment of Queen Maqueda the Women were also to be Circumcis'd as having a certain glandulous piece of Flesh not unfit to receive the Impression and mark of Circumcision I say when Tellezius heard these things and many other of the same mixture in no small heat and Passion he cry'd out That they were Fictions Dreams nay meer Lyes frequently repeating these words If he said this he was a Beast of the Field Yet out of these Books most of those Stories have flow'd which our Writers have made public concerning the Religion of the Abessines But the Fathers of the Society having bin conversant so long in Ethiopia and view'd the Habessine Books after several Disputations and Discourses with them have bin able to afford us more Truth whose Acts and Writings being free for the perusal of Tellezius we shall cull the choicest of his accurate Relations and what he has reported more ambiguous or more partially out of his dislike of the Alexandrian Religion we shall correct out of their own Writings or from the Discourses of Gregory himself Certainly to Christians no History can be more pleasant than that of Ecclesiastical affairs especially if we look back to the Primitive Church For whom would it not ravish into a high admiration of the wonderful Providence of God as well in founding as preserving his Church when he shall consider that it grew up and increas'd not by the Propagation of Arms or human Arts but by the Oppression of Heathenish persecution To whom can it be unpleasing to consider with a Pious Contemplation the undaunted Courage of the Martyrs the Constancy of her Doctors the Sincerity of the Christian People the Purity of the Faith the Strife of Good Works the Patience of the Weak the plainness of the Rites and Ceremonies Which when they once began to be alter'd with the reverence to the Church be it spoken then also enter'd in Pride instead of Modesty Ambition instead of Charity together with Faction and Contention As if our leisure and our Quiet were therefore granted us by Heaven to consume that time in making Scrutinies into all the misteries of
whom To which the Book of Axuma agrees The Reasons of doubting and deciding Frumentius how call'd His Encomium Cedrenus and Nicephorus refuted IT is the Common Fame among the Europeans That the Conversion of the Habessines to the Christian Faith was begun by that Ethiopic Eunuch Acts 8.27 And perhaps the Habessines themselves believing it to be for their Honour were the authors of the Story confiding in the Credit of the Book of Axuma where the same history is set down as in the Acts of the Apostles and without any other Circumstances by which it may seem this story had not its first original among them but was transcrib'd Neither was Tzagazaabus better inform'd as appears by his Confession of Faith Nevertheless it seems very strange that King David should either assert or give his assent to Alvarez asserting the same thing whereas the Credit as well of the Ethiopic as Greek History absolutely tells us the contrary Some endeavour a Reconciliation of this difference as if the first dawnings of Christianity tho but very dark and obscure began at that time first to glimmer But then this should have bin demonstrated by solid Reasons relating not onely to the Ethiopic Nation in general but to the Habessinians in particular Whereas the Testimonies which we shall cite by and by do not speak of the Conversion of those that were half Christians before but either of the Jews or Heathens For we have already shew'd that Candaces was never Queen of the Habessines Neither is her Proper Name Lacasa which we find in the Vulgar Catalogues to be found in Tellezius For Hhendaqe or Hindaqe is a quite different word from Candace from whence others casting away the Aspirate derive the name Judith others as if they would correct the Error have strain'd it to Judith Nor was the name of Candace ever known to the Habessines tho familiar to the Inhabitants of Meroe Others refer the Conversion of the Habessines not to Candace's Eunuch but to the times of the Apostles and particularly ascribe it to St. Bartholmew others to St. Matthew or because there is no such thing to be found in his life to St. Matthias Of all which Fancies the Habessines knew nothing who hearing such Whimseys from our Countreymen not without reason answer'd That perhaps those things were to be understood of the Lower Ethiopia that lyes between Abassia and Egypt However we can never find out what the Success of those Apostles Preaching was what Kings or People withstood that Conversion what Pastors what Ceremonies what Books they made use of what form of Discipline or what was the Doctrine of that time Concerning all which things in regard there is so deep a silence we cannot acknowledg any such beginnings of the Christian Religion in Habessinia However this is certain That both the Habessine Grecian and Latin Writers Especially Ruffinus and his followers agree with one consent That the Conversion of the Ethiopian happen'd in the time of St. Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria under Constantine the Great about the Year of Christ 330. or not long after and that in this manner One Meropius a Merchant of Tyre Ruffinus calls him a Philosopher intending for India put into Harbour upon the Coast of Ethiopia in the Red Sea which at that time was also call'd the Indian Sea There dying or as Ruffinus will have it slain by the Barbarians he left two Young men Frumentius and Adesius Fremonatum and Sydracum the Habessines call them who being taken and brought to the King became highly favour'd and caress'd by reason of their Ingenuity and Industry and at length being made free of the Country were preferr'd by the King to keep his Books and Papers The King dying they remain'd in the same Imployment under the Queen Regent till the Young King came of age All this while they entertain'd the Christian Merchants that Traffick'd into those Parts with all kindness and did them all the good offices Imaginable and made themselves so remarkable for their Vertue and their Integrity among those Nations that the Christian Religion was highly esteem'd by all Which foundation being laid Frumentius took a Journey to St. Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria and was by Him for his great parts and Constancy in the Faith created the first Bishop of Ethiopia Thereupon returning into Ethiopia he initiated the Inhabitants in the Christian Religion by Baptisme then he ordain'd Presbyters and Deacons built Churches and so introduc'd the Christian Religion into Ethiopia Agreeable to this are those Relations which the Ethiopians have in their Book of Axuma onely that there is this addition to the Story of the Conversion made by Candace that these Tyrian Young men admir'd that the Ethiopians should believe in Christ and adore the Holy Trinity and that the Women wore Crosses upon their heads seeing that the Gospel had bin preach'd among them by none of the Apostles We wonder much more that Ethiopia should be converted in the time of the Apostles and yet have no Bishop no Baptism no Priests nor Deacons and that all these things should be first settled in the time of St. Athanasius Besides no man can be easily perswaded that such a beginning should remain so long time without a farther progress and that the Ethiopians themselves or the Bishops of the Neighbouring Christians should be so neglectful as not to lend their helping hands to the advancement of such fair Beginnings Especially at such a time when the Christians over the whole Roman Empire chiefly in Egypt suffer'd a most dreadful Persecution under Dioclesian How came it to pass that they did not seek for refuge in this Kingdom out of the reach of their Enemies where they were sure of Sanctuary and Protection from a Prince of their own Religion Could all the Ecclesiastical Histories and the Annals of the Patriarch of Alexandria have forgotten a Prince the first in all the World that had receiv'd the light of the Gospel Were there no Martyrs whose memories the Habessines are so sollicitous to preserve No War no Seditions upon the change of Religion but so great an Alteration without any noise To assert a thing of so much moment and yet to bring no Circumstances no particular Events and Casualties seems very discrepant from the Truth of History It is sufficient that the Ethiopians agree with us in the principal matters For whether Meropius dy'd or were slain whether Frumentius and Edesius were call'd Fremonatus and Sydrac signifies little Yet in that Place Ruffinus was strangely deceiv'd For he seems with others to have meant India properly so call'd when he neither knew the Bounds or Situation of it where he sayes That the Hithermost India adjoyns to Ethiopia Between which and Parthia he places the farthermost India So that he makes the farthermost India nearest to Ethiopia and Parthia more remote This was the reason that Baronius believ'd there were two Frumentius's and that one was a Preacher of the Gospel at Axuma whereas it was
this Encomium Peace be to Michael Aragawi nam'd Wisdom his Life his Death true Prudence fam'd With him was God the Holy Three in One. To all those Saints an everlasting Crown Who by their Prayers true Concord did enjoy That they might Arwe's Kingdom quite destroy By Arwè which signifies a Serpent he either means in general the Kingdom of Satan which was destroy'd by the propagation of Christianity or in particular the Ethiopic Gentilism For as we have already said the most ancient Ethiopians worship'd a Serpent as their supream Deitie to which the Poet seems to allude There are to be seen to this day the Cells wherein those holy Men sequester'd themselves by the names of Beta Pantaleon the Domicil of St. Pantaleon in Tigra where his Sepulcher also remains Of whom the Poet thus Peace to Pantaleon's Bones who study'd here In th'inner Cell next to his Sepulcher Who by the aid of Heavens most pretious Word Speech to the dead miraculously restor'd Who by his Prayers and his Soul-saving Voice Made the afflicted Widow soon rejoyce Her Sins were dead but he unlock'd the grave And freed those Souls which Death did late enslave He also makes mention of the Nine Saints in his Hymn to Likanos Peace be to Likanos who of the Nine Makes one who did their Lives to God resign With lasting wreaths would they my Temples crown How should I then set forth their high renown Like lighted Lamps his fingers burn'd in prayer His Hand was pierc'd when he the Staff did bear Besides these there are several other great Doctors among them who have highly merited for propagating the Christian Religion as also many Martyrs frequently celebrated by the Ethiopians and Coptices in their Religious Panegyricks But as to their Saints they relate of them several Miracles more than Extraordinary as the removing Mountains appeasing the rage of most Tempestuous Seas raising the Dead causing Water to spring from smitten Rocks and walking over Rivers which are reported for common Miracles among them so that if the Truth of the Ethiopic Church were to be grounded upon such Wonders there could be no purer Religion in the World For tho we have a St. Martin that gave a piece of his Cloak to one in necessity they have among 'em a Saint that parted with his whole Garment to relieve the distressed There are among them not onely several Stories of persons that have walk'd upon the Asp and the Basilisk and trampled upon the Dragon and the Lyon but also those who have rode upon those Beasts as upon Horses and Mules Never were the Ascetae more austere There are some who have liv'd for whole days together upon three little Dates others upon no more than one poor little dry Bisket But there is not one more renowned for Sanctity among them then Gabra-Menfes-Keddus or the Servant of the Holy Ghost in honour of whom they keep a Holyday every month Next to him is Tecla-Haimanot or the Plant of Faith who restor'd the Monastical way of Living in Ethiopia about the Year of Christ 600. Whom the Ethiopic Poet extolls in a most singular manner All hail to thy Navity great Saint It was at first thy Mothers great Complaint That she should barren dye till th' Angels Voice Declar'd thy Birth and made her Son rejoyce Then Tecla-Haimanot Thou didst appear Like to the Sun that rules the Day and Year Thy Glory fill'd the Earth from end to end And to the Heavens thy Luster did ascend This Austere way of Living was first practiz'd in Thebais a Desert of Egypt whither many Pious men had retir'd themselves from the Persecution of the Heathen that through abstinence and temperance they might be more intent upon the Duty of Prayer Among the rest St. Antonie as it were the Captain of the Hermites prescrib'd certain Lawes to be observ'd by the Professors of this sort of severity for which reason next to Paul he was look'd upon as its first Institutor The Affairs of the Church being settl'd many Anchorites in imitation of him voluntarily chose a solitary way of Living for that reason call'd Monachi Monks or People that liv'd alone by themselves Some meerly out of a Pious and godly end some out of an opinion of merit some out of vain-glory and a desire of worldly fame because they found that austerity of life as being a thing hard to be undergone was vulgarly much admir'd and highly applauded Many also did not think it sufficient to abstain from lawful enjoyments or to bridle and restrain the ordinary desires of Nature but voluntarily tormented themselves with new invented Tortures or macerated themselves with hunger and famine This Custome spread it self also into Ethiopia where some without any advantage to themselves or others invented several ways of afflicting their own Carcasses as for example To stand whole days together in cold water to gird their Loyns with a heavy Chain to feed onely upon Pot-herbs and Roots and that very sparingly too Nay which is hardly to be credited some there were who would thrust themselves into the clefts of Trees and so as those clos'd together again suffer'd themselves to be bury'd alive To Antonie succeeded Macarius after whom liv'd St. Pachom to whom in Ethiopia succeeded Aragawi the first Abbot or Ruler over Monks among the Abessinians His Successors were Abba Christos Bezana Abba Mesket Moa Abba Johanni Who left bequeath'd his Asqema that is the Badge of his Abbotship or his Monastical Habit to Tecla-Haimanot For the Tradition is among them That the Arch-Angel St. Michael brought that Habit to St. Antonie for which reason it was afterwards deliver'd from Successor to Successor as it were from one hand to another The Greek word it self is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schema Alphonsus the Patriarch compares it to a Scapulary The Life of this Saint is extant in Ethiopia written at large and stufft with several Miracles and render'd famous for several Apparitions and Pilgrimages Mention is also made of him in the Ethiopic Church Registers after this manner Remember Lord the Soul of thy Servant our Father Tecla-Haimanot and all his Companions This Tecla-Haimanot gave new Rules and Precepts to his Monks and order'd them to submit themselves to a Governour who is call'd Icegue and is always of highest authority and dignity next to the Abuna He either Visits his fellow Monks himself or sends some one in his stead to reform Errors and punish transgressions Before the Kingdom of Shewa was won by the Gallans he had his habitation in a place call'd Debra Libanos or the Mountain of Libanus which was afterwards translated into Bagemdra And hence it is that Tesfa-tzejon who set forth the Ethiopic New Testament in the Epilogue to St. Matthew thus speaks of himself and his fellow Monks We are all the Sons of our Father Tecla Haimanot of the Monastery of Mount Libanus The other Abbot or Governour of the Monks call'd Eustathius is no less famous than he nor is his Memory
less esteem'd in their Sacred Registers while they cry Remember Lord our Father Eustathius with all his Children Of him the Ethiopic Poet thus sings Hail to thy pretious Mantle once the Boate Which with thy Burden on the Sea did floate Thy Pilgrimage a mighty Wonder shew'd Th'Obedient Ocean smooth and smiling slow'd And Rocks remov'd abandon'd ancient Rest To give free Passage where thy footsteps prest He also prescrib'd Laws to his followers but impos'd no Governour upon them neither are they very solicitous about that neglect pretending That Eustathius went into Armenia having nam'd no Successor and that therefore it is not lawful for them to appoint any one Every Abbot therefore is Supreme in his own Monastery and if any one dye another is chosen by the Suffrages of the rest of the Monks Habessinia is full of these sort of people to the great burthen of the Common-wealth to which they are no way profitable as being useless in the Field and free from Tribute However their Rules and Orders are very much different both from the Greeks and Latins For excepting their Sheemas and Crosses which they carry you can hardly distinguish them from the Laitie in regard they neither wear any Coat or Monastical Habit. Nor do they live in Monasteries but in some Village in scatter'd Cottages near to some Church or Temple They have certain Prayers of which they say such a number believing their Piety fully satisfy'd if they finish their Task which that they may make the more hast to accomplish they huddle over the Psalms of David with such a dextrous celerity that I who have heard 'em at Rome holding the same Copy in my hand could never follow them with my voice and hardly with my eyes Every one manures his own Ground and lives upon the product of his Labours of which they are also very liberal Otherwise they go and come every one without controul as they please themselves So that by no means their Farms can be call'd Cloysters nor they be said to be really Monks but onely unmarried Husbandmen and that onely while they preserve their Continency intire However they are branded with infamy if they forsake their Monastical way of living to marry Wives Nor are their Children capable of being admitted into the Clergy and it is taken for an affront to call any man the Son of a Monk Nevertheless they bear Civil Offices and are sometimes made Governors of Provinces as is apparent by the Example of Tzagazaabus who was a Monk as appears from Alvarez's Itinerary Of such as these the Question may be ask'd with St. Jerome If thou desirest to be accompted a Monk what doest thou do in the Cities what in the Camp or why dost thou undertake Civil Employments They could not choose but highly displease the Fathers of the Society which is the reason that they have always spoken of them with contempt on the other side the Monks have bin the main Obstacles of the Fathers Successes for which Reason Tellezius calls them Persecutors of the Catholic Faith Their Monasteries if we may so call their Villages are very numerous and dispierc'd over all Parts of the Kingdom and commonly go by the name of Daber a Mountain in the plural number Adebaruti Mountains as Dabra Bizen Dabra Hallelujah Dabra Damo Albamata and the like as being formerly built upon steep Hills Beside which they possess all the Ilands in the Tzanic Lake except Deka An Addition to the Third Chapter concerning their Nuns THat there are also Nuns in Ethiopia I gather from Tellezius But they are very ignorant and therefore the more obstinate in their devotion For proof of which the same Tellezius produces a very remarkable Story of one who by chance becoming blind was admonish'd by one of the Fathers to make Confession and embrace the Latin Religion unless she intended to go headlong to Hell To which the Nun made answer That she was willing to go thither of her own accord for that she found there was no Room for her in Heaven as being a person with whom God was displeas'd and had therefore depriv'd her of her sight without any cause of offence by her committed Upon which the Father press'd her the more urgently in hopes to deliver her from that more dangerous blindness of her Mind But finding her to continue obstinate after all his pains Since then said he thou refusest Heav'n get thee to Hell with all the Devils with Dathan and Abiram But I would not have thee take thy Religious Habit along with thee which is onely proper for those that desire the Joyes of Heaven And so saying he presently order'd her to put off her Nuns Vestments and to put on a sordid Vulgar Habit which wrought in her such a sadness and contrition that she soon after made her confession and reconcil'd her self to the Church of Rome CHAP. IV. Of the Sacred Books of the Habessines The Ethiopians together with the Christian Religion receiv'd the Holy Scripture according to the Version of the 70 Interpreters the New Testament from an Imperfect Copy and ill Printed The Old Testament divided into four parts The New Testament into as many The Revelation added as an Appendix To the New Testament are added the Constitutions and Canons of the Apostles as they call them divided into Eight parts Therefore they reckon several Sacred Books Three Oecumenical Councils A fair Manuscript of the Councils at Rome Books therein contain'd A Counterfeit Book of Enoch Magical Prayers Wherein Monstrous words seeming to be taken from the Jews The Form of the Jewish Anathematizing DIvine Worship is seldom found among any sort of Nations in the World to be without Books by which we apprehend from whence every particular kind of worship derives it self and by what means it got footing among the People for the words and the worship generally go together Which is the reason there are so many Hebrew and Greek words in all the Versions of the Bible and that we have so many Latin words in our Theologie The Habessines together with the Christian Religion receiv'd the holy Scripture And this Scripture was translated into that Idiom of the Ethiopic Language which was at that time more peculiar to the Inhabitants of Tigra from the Greek Version of the Seventy Interpreters according to a certain Copy us'd in the Church of Alexandria which the innumerable various Readings that are inserted into the English Polyglòtton Bibles from one of the same Copies plainly demonstrate with which the Ethiopic Translation perfectly agrees Especially in the 35 39 Chapter of Exodus which in other Copies are wonderfully mutilated Nor is it without reason that a Colonie as it were of the Alexandrian Church should follow the Sacred Copies of their Metropolis As for the Author and Time of the Translation I find nothing certainly deliver'd concerning either however it is most probable that it was begun at the time when the Habessines were (f) There is one who
the Church first of all to read the Names of the Holy Martyrs out of the Public Registers as being a Duty owing to the memory of the invincible Testimonies for Christ Which the following Ages strain'd another way as if they had need of our Intercession and others as if we could not be without their Intercession made it a presence to invoke the Holy Saints as if they were present and heard them To which we may add That the Ancient Christian Orators and Writers of Homilies making use of their Rhetorick by vertue of that Figure commonly call'd Prosopopocia bespoke the blessed Saints and introduc'd them as it were returning Answers from whence it is not improbable that Suspition might introduce the Custom of giving the same Adoration to them as to God himself and worshipping them with Temples Altars and other Divine Honours Which nevertheless the Habessines do not do for though they keep Holydaies in memory of their Saints they do not call them Bagnabat Solemnities but Tjabarat Remembrances They also invoke them tho they know not after what manner they may be able to hear them and beg their Intercessions also especially of the most Holy Virgin Mary to whom they bear such an affectionate Reverence that they think whatever the Church of Rome has invented to her Honour all too little and yet they erect no Statues to her memory for all that being contented only with her Pictures When they were in a rage against those of the Roman Religion and pursu'd 'em in their fury with Sticks and Stones they cry'd out Kill Kill whoever is not an Enemy of Marie let him take up a Stone to stone her Enemies to Death But more than this they many times invoke the Angels as having for that perhaps a more specious pretence because they have bin frequently said to appear to good Men and Women and hear their Prayers Of these the Ethiopians reckon no less than Nine Orders which they borrow from their Names and Epithites given them in Sacred Scripture Malaeket Angels particularly so call'd or by another Name Manofsat Spirits Bitean Malaeket Arch-Angels Agaezet Saltanot Manoberet Hujebat Maqinenet Qirubil Surafel Lords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magistracies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thrones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Princes Cherubims Seraphims Some there are who give them several other Sirnames as Bikanot Primores or Cheiftains and Arbabe or Arbab Asat as much as to say fierie Myriads Others there are who affirm That first of all there were Ten Orders of which the first whose Chieftain was Satanael together with his Associates revolted from God and that the Blessed hereafter shall succeed into their places which they assert to be the cause of the Devils inveterate hatred toward Man As to their forms of Catechizing Youth and Neophytes the following Accompt may afford very great Satisfaction as being written by Gregory with his own hand and all that he could then call to mind A Brief Accompt of the Heads of the Ethiopic Faith in which they usually instruct their Youth and Neophytes They are Extant more at large in Ethiopia but more succinctly as follows What God dost thou Worship The Father Son and Holy Ghost three Persons but one Deity Of these Three Persons which is the first which the last which the greatest which the least Their is no Person first or last no Person Superior or Inferior but all equal in all things How many Persons Three How many Gods One How many Deities One How many Kingdoms One How many Powers One How many Creators One How many Wills One Is God limited by time No For he is from all Eternity and shall endure to all Eternity Where is God Every where and in all things Is not the Father God Yes Is not the Son God Yes Is not the Holy Ghost God Yes Dost thou not therefore say there are Three Gods I do not say Three Gods but Three Persons and One only God Who begat the Son God the Father But the Holy Ghost proceeds from Father and takes from the Son Pray shew me some Similitude how Three Persons can be in one Deity The Sun tho he be but one in Substance yet in him are found three distinct Things Rotundity Light and Heat Thus we also believe that in one God there are three Persons the Father Son and Holy Ghost equal in all things Of those Three Persons which was born for our Redemption The second Person viz. The Son of God our Lord Jesus Christ How many Nativities had he Two Which were they His first Nativity was from the Father without Mother without time The second from the Virgin Mary our Lady without Father in time she always remaining a Virgin Is Jesus Christ our Lord a Man or is he truely God God and Man both in one Person without Separation and without Change without Confusion or Commixture In the same manner do the Habessines Believe and Teach all matters of Faith viz. Concerning the Baptism of Christ his Fasting his Passion his Death his Resurrection his Ascention into Heaven and sending of the Holy Ghost Moreover That he shall return in Glory to Judge the Quick and the Dead That he is present in the Holy Sacrament That the Dead shall rise at the last Day That the Just shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven but that Sinners shall be condemn'd to Hell They also believe the Catholic Church according to the Creed compil'd by the 318 Orthodox Fathers that met at the Council of Nice We shall not add more at present till more and those Publickly approv'd Books shall come to our hands that we may not imprudently attribute as some have done the Opinions of private persons to the whole Church CHAP. VI. Of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Ethiopic Church as also of the Habessine Temples Sacred Rites often an Occasion of Disturbance in the Church The Prudent Decree of the Apostles Paul's Condescension necessary Judaish Rites retain'd Many new Ceremonies invented by the Pope by the Alexandrian Metropolitan none The most ancient Ceremonies retain'd by the Abessines Their Churches dark like the Synagogues The Divisions of them and Quires The Nobility made Deacons The Bishops Lodgings Much honour'd They admit of Pictures They sign with the Cross Baptism of grown People Vndertakers why so call'd The Eucharist given to baptiz'd Infants Some frivolous forms of the Habessines constrain'd the Fathers to Rebaptize The Custom of Annual Bathing not effectual for Baptism The abuse of it The State of Ecclesiastical Affairs miserable in Habessinia The Reasons General Confession Absolution Before 25 years of Age they believe themselves Innocent Much Preaching Gregorie's Opinion of their Sermons They Read Homilies c. The Sacred Vessels for the Eucharist Why the Stone Consecrated by the Romans is call'd a Chest by the Habessinians A particular Discourse of the Author Leavened Bread The Wine distributed in a Spoon The defect of it supply'd The time and place for the Holy Supper
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
Chief among the Oecunomical Patriarchs On the other side the Pope laying hold of the occasion endeavour'd to Re-establish the former Correspondence and Amity not taking any notice of their being Monothelites or Favourers of the condemn'd Dioscurus To this purpose Baronius has set forth an Epistle taken out of Roger's English Annals written by Alexander the Third with this Superscription To our most dear Son in Christ the Illustrious and Magnificent King of the Indians the most Holy of Priests Which Epistle he erroneously believes to have bin written to Prester John whose Dominions were then very large in Ethiopia For that when Baronius wrote the King of the Habessines was reputed and commonly taken for Prester John But when Alexander the Third liv'd the real Prester John was then reigning in Asia Neither is any thing to be gather'd out of that whole Epistle that has any Relation to Africa or Ethiopia or the King of the Habessines nor are the Consequences of that Letter known to Baronius Only upon that occasion he conjectures that the Church of St. Stephen with the Buildings behind St. Peter's Cathedral were thereupon assign'd to the Habessinians though he is not certain by whom that Assignation was made whether by Alexander or any other Succeeding Pope Therefore if the Epistle were real we rather think it was written to the Asiatic Prester John then to the King of the Ethiopians Others there are that believe there was an Abessinian Embassy to Clement the Fifth residing at Avignon Nor is there any doubt made of the Embassy which Zera-Jacob sent to Eugenius the Fourth in the year 1439. toward the Conclusion of the Council of Florence Gregory had known nothing of it had he not seen the Embassador and his Retinue painted at Rome and known his own Countrymen by their Habit. In the former Century Francis Alvarez Priest to the Portugal Ambassadors sent into Ethiopia brought Letters from David to Clement the Seventh which he delivered to the Pope in a public Assembly of the Cardinals Charles the Fifth being there also present promising Reverence and Obedience withal to the Holy See in the Name of the King of Ethiopia It was a thing very grateful to the Pope that at a time when so many Northern Nations had revolted from the Roman See so many Kingdoms of the East and South should voluntarily submit to his Jurisdiction For which reason neither Alvarez's Credentials nor the words of the Epistle were over-nicely examin'd nor any extraordinary Scrutiny made to what Church or what sort of Religion the King himself was enclin'd to the end that had it been needful he might have bin absolv'd from the guilt of Heresie before his Admission into the Bosom of the Church For as we shall afterwards declare the Habessines made quite another Interpretation of their King's Intention In the mean time a certain form of Friendship long remain'd For when John Bermudes came to Rome to crave Assistance from the Europeans in the behalf of David so often vanquish'd by the Adelans Paul the Third hearing that the said Bermudes was by Mark the Metropolitan nominated his Successor and invested with Holy Orders made no scruple to confirm him and to ratifie the Ordination of a Schismatical Prelate There were then residing certain Habessines very good Men who Printed the New Testament with their Liturgies in the Ethiopic Language whom the Pope did not only tolerate but assisted at his own Expences In recompence of which Kindnesses they extoll'd and applauded the Benevolence of the Romans the Munificence of the Chief Pontiff and his Spiritual Daughter Hyeronyma Farnesia and acknowledg'd the Pope as the Head and Supream over all the Orthodox Christians Pius the Fifth also in his Letters to Menas tho a professed Enemy to the Romans call'd him his most dear Son whether he were ignorant of his hatred to the Latins which was a wonder or whether he had hopes to reclaim him by flattering Titles which Godignus rather conjectures to be the Pope's true Intention For this reason some there were who believ'd the Habessines to be Catholicks in the highest perfection and subject to the See of Rome tho Tellez deservedly taxes and derides their Credulity Nevertheless a vain hope had possessed the Minds of many of the more Zealous sort that that vast Kingdom then look'd upon to be four times as big as really it was might in a short time with little difficulty be annexed to the Pontifical Jurisdiction Among the rest the Founder of the Society of Jesus Ignatius Loyola bent all his Study to bring it to pass and to that end he shew'd a most Ardent desire to go himself and win the honour of Converting Ethiopia Which tho Julius the Third would not grant him the liberty to do nevertheless he so far prevail'd with him that by the connivance of John the Third King of Portugal the Patriarchal Dignity was conferr'd upon John Nonius Barret one of his Companions contrary to the Institutions of his Society tho Bermudes were then in Ethiopia already dignify'd with the same Title With him was joyn'd Andrew Oviedo a Bishop that if Barret through Mortality should miscarry he might not want an immediate Successor They Embarking in several Ships sayl'd into India In the mean time Claudius was become Successor to David his Father whose affection they thought it first expedient to sound before the Patriarch should expose himself to Casualties and Indignities Jacobus Dias was therefore sent before together with Gonsales Rodriguez and Fulgentio Freyre Jesuits who toward the beginning of February setting Sail from Goâ and a Month after arriving at the Port of Arkiko were there curteously receiv'd by the President of the Maritime Province and within the space of two Months brought to the King Who understanding that the King of Portugal was about to send Priests and other Ecclesiastical Persons to teach him and his People a new Religion was very much perplex'd in his Mind and long in Suspence what answer to return for he neither thought it convenient to admit them neither was he willing to offend the King of Portugal However he ventur'd upon several Colloquies with the Envoys the sum of which manag'd for the most part by Gonsalez tended to this That the Pope of Rome was Christ's Vicar upon Earth and the Supream Head of all Christianity and therefore if the Habessines were desirous of Eternal Happiness they should once more return and joyn themselves to their Lawful Head for that Christ himself had from his own lips asserted that his Church was but one Fold and over that but one Shepheard c. On the other side the Habessines made answer That an Affair of so great Consequence was to be consider'd and consulted upon with the other Patriarchs for to abandon their ancient Rites and Ceremonies upon private admonition and receive new ones was a thing full of danger and offence At length the King told them That if those Persons whom the King of Portugal should send
would take the pains to come to Matzua he would order some Person to be there both to give them a befitting Reception and Conduct them to his Court. Besides all this the King was no less fearful least the Portugals as it had befallen several other Kings in India should make him their Tributary and under the pretence of Religion powre into his Country a great force of Soldiers Arm'd and furnish'd with Fire-Arms Especially remembring what great Exploits a small Number of Portugals had perform'd in his Kingdom but a few years before A Jealousie that not long after increas'd to that height that when King David had seriously negotiated with Roderigo Limez the Portugal Embassador about the Recovery and Fortification of Matzua and Suaqena and had also offer'd assistance of Forces Provision and Money afterwards the Business was not only no farther mention'd but also the Portuguese Aid so necessary and so much desir'd was utterly refus'd so that he chose rather to leave the Port of Arkiko with the Island adjoyning in the hands of the Turk then to give Admission to the Portugals So prevalent is the fear of Foreign Domination But now Claudius's answer being return'd into India strangely surpriz'd the Patriarch Barret and his Associates who imagin'd that all things would have bin smooth and easie according to their wishes Thereupon after long deliberation they came to this result Lest the Patriarchal Dignity should be hazarded with a Prince ill affected which would be to the Detriment of the Pontifical Authority and a contempt of the King of Portugal by whose recommendation and favour they were sent that the Patriarch should remain in India with Melchior Caymero Bishop of Nice and that Oviedo should go alone to the end he might take his measures by the Event of Oviedo 's Success Oviedo being thus dispatch'd away with Five more Associates was kindly receiv'd by Isaac at that time Bahrnagass or Governor of the Sea-Ports The Common People ignorant of their Errand nor altogether averse to the Romish Ceremonies receiv'd the Bishop and his Associates with great testimonies of Kindness even to the kissing their hands The Romanists laying hold upon the occasion resolv'd upon a Procession from their own to the Habessine Church and were by them beheld with mutual Charity without the least upbrading or reproach of the Novelty The King also entertain'd them with great kindness only he took it ill that they should talk to him of yielding obedience to the Roman Pontiff Nevertheless as he was a most Prudent Person and worthy the high Dignity he enjoy'd he always carry'd himself with so great Moderation toward the Bishop that he still left him with some hopes of Success In the mean time the Roman Religion was every where freely exercis'd and no man forbid who defir'd to embrace it But the Bishop not content with so much favour began to press the King more urgently That at length without more delay he would submit himself to the Roman Pontiff He reply'd That his Ancestors had in sacred things given their Obedience to none but the Successors of St. Mark nor did he see any cause why he should desire Innovation and disturb his People well contented with their Abuna But the Bishop still continuing his Importunity The King told him That since he was come to him from a Region so far distant upon so honest a Negotiation he would consult with his Friends and his Learned Men upon a Matter of so great Importance Oviedo understanding that the King did nothing but spin out delays and hearing withal that the King's Mother and all the Blood Royal together with the Nobility and greatest Doctors of the Nation were utterly averse to any Alterations wrote an Epistle to the King wherein he put him in Mind That his Father had acknowledg'd the Pope of Rome for the Vicar of Christ that several of his Learned men had besought him that Claudius had wrote to the King of Portugal and that his Father had Commanded that they should not desire an Abuna from any other place then from Rome and that He himself had publickly promis'd Obedience to thee See of Rome That if any doubt remain'd concerning any Articles of Faith he should bring those things to a Publick Dispute and hear the Arguments on both sides it being but just that the Party that was foil'd should acknowledge and follow what the other had maintain'd for Truth and that the King should well consider whose advice he took or what Persons he consulted in so important an Affair That the Ends and Interest of Parents or Kindred were not to be regarded That the love of Christ was to be preferr'd before the love of Relations who being busied in Teaching his own Doctrine in the Temple of Jerusalem would not make use of his most Holy Mothers advice by which he shew'd that in the Cause of God no Man is bound to Communicate his Intentions to his nearest Friends Whether the King made any Answer or what it was is not known But Gregory told me That the sence of the King's Commands and Letters was quite different from the Expositions of Alvarez Bermudes and others addicted to the Roman Religion made of them at Rome and that it could not be otherwise in regard that before the Reign of Susneus the Habessines had never known what that Obedience meant Hower the King that he might not seem to distrust the strength of his own Cause and the learning of his own Subjects permitted frequent Disputes not yet made Publick by the Fathers of the Society From this Tellez reports That the Habessine Doctors appear'd very ignorant and illiterate in all their Disputes as never having Study'd Logic Syllogisms nor Enthymemes nor having any knowledge of the Subtleties of Scholastic Divinity From whence the Reader may readily Judge of the Progress and Events of such Disputes Tellez goes on and says That Claudius â—â—ary of the illiterateness of his own People for the most part undertook the Discourse himself and gave Oviedo not a little Trouble Moreover he complains That the Habessines when they were worsted would never acknowledge it but always boasted of the Victory and so all those Disputes came to nothing It was therefore thought more convenient to betake themselves to writing Nor did the King decline the Combat but answer'd them with other Writings tho they have not as yet bin permitted to visit the European Regions Oviedo impatient of his ill Success and finding he could not bring the Ethiopic Prince to do as he would have had him resolv'd to a more severe but unseasonable course And therefore to testifie his Indignation he left the Court and publish'd a Writing Where in he branded the Habessines with several Heresies and exhorted his Portugueses to have a care of them Which did not a little offend Claudius For a mind free and subject to none when once it refuses the persuasion of Argument is the more exasperated by affront and reviling Nor can it be
himself to the Pope But in regard he durst not adventure to do it publickly he first conjur'd Peter not to reveal the Secret and then told him That he was Convinc'd by his Arguments that there was no other Universal Pastor and Vicar of Christ upon Earth beside the Pope of Rome That to deny it to him was to deny it to Christ that whoever did not follow his Example was not of the true Church and that therefore he had Decreed to request a Patriarch and Fathers from Rome to instruct his People Altho so sudden and so unexpected a Declaration of a King could not choose but infuse a joy unspeakable into the heart of Peter yet he contain'd himself only what his duty bound him to he could not but highly extol the Pious Intentions of the King Nor did the King delay The Secret with which he had trusted Peter under Oath he himself made Publick and presently set forth an Edict That no Person should any longer observe the Sabbath as a Holy day And indeed he was so forward that Peter was fain to check his Celerity and put a stop to his Career However Letters were written to Clement the VIII and Philip the Third King of Spain and Portugal and deliver'd to Peter's care for their safe and honourable conveyance In these Letters he offer'd his Friendship his Soldiers and his Workmen and withal requested some of the Fathers of the Society of Jesus to instruct his Subjects These things were not so privately carry'd but that they were discover'd by some of the chief Nobility of the Kingdom who were no way satisfy'd at these underminings of their ancient Religion wherefore they conspir'd against their Prince and flew him in Battel Zadenghel being slain all Peter's great Hopes vanish'd of a sudden not only through Zadenghel's fall but by reason of the Civil Wars that ensu'd between Jacob and Susneus contending for the Royal Diadem And so all Promotion of the Roman Religion surceas'd till Jacob being vanquish'd and kill'd in the Field Susneus became Lord of Habessinia Who again kindly receiv'd and entertain'd Peter together with his Companions and to all his Requests lent a most gracious Ear. The Ecclesiastical Affairs of Habessinia were then but in a Low Condition there not having bin any Peace in the Country for about Fourscore years so that perpetual Wars had almost extinguish'd the Studies of peaceful Arts nor were there enough to perform Religious Duties in their Churches but less to obviate the Encroachment of insinuating Errors and Abuses in Religion The Metropolitans Persons for the most part the most ignorant that could be imagin'd took no more Cognizance of the Churches which they were appointed to govern then if they had bin under Foreign Jurisdiction only they took up their time in the Ordination of all sorts without any due Examination Therefore the King and his Nobility observing the Diligence of the Fathers in instructing the Habessine Youth their Zeal in the Conversion of the People their Eloquence in Preaching unheard of before their Sanctity of living so necessary among Neophytes and Proselytes were possess'd with so much Admiration and Affection toward them that they could promise to themselves no other way for restoring their decay'd Ecclesiastical Worship but by their means Therefore Letters were sent to the Pope and the King of Spain to request their Friendship and the Assistance of the Portugueses Peter Pays enlarg'd upon the same Subject and added much more concerning the King's Affection to the Roman Religion Frequent Disputations also were appointed of which the chief Theme was concerning the two Natures in Christ which being easily demonstrable out of the Writings of the Habessines themselves gave the Fathers great Advantage over the Ethiopian Doctors The Chiefest of all the Nobility Ras-Seelaxus the King's Brother by the Mother's side publickly professed the Roman Religion and receiv'd the Eucharist openly according to the Roman Manner whose example many of the Great Commanders in the Army both Collonels and Captains follow'd especially seeing the King's favour so constant toward the Fathers of the Society At length the King himself having receiv'd the Answer of Paul the V. in a Letter dated the 31 of January 1623. Promis'd to yield him Obedience as Universal Pastor of the Church and that he would admit a Patriarch sent from Rome so that necessary Succors were sent him withal without which it was impossible to accomplish a business of so much Difficulty and Importance He also signified his Intentions to send an Embassador with Father Antonio Fernandez after another manner and in another Equipage then had yet bin usual To say truth the King publickly favour'd the Roman Religion without any opposition in regard that the Sword had cut off the greatest part of the stiffest and most obstinate Defenders of the Alexandrian Worship Only the Monks remain'd behind who were baffled still in all their Attempts of Dispute Therefore the King to the end he might make it manifest to his whole Kingdom that he had not rashly but upon Mature Deliberation and as it were overcome by the force of Truth given way to a new Religion appointed a Solemn Dispute where he enjoyn'd most of the Nobility of his Kingdom to be present The Subject of the Disputation was again the repeated Question concerning the two Natures in Christ as if that had bin the utmost limit of all their Controversies And no question it might be true what Tellez has written that the Habessines were vanquish'd upon the first onset For the reality of the thing supported by so many Authorities and Reasons afforded an easie Victory Nevertheless there was another Dispute appointed some few days after which prov'd no less successful than the former Wherefore the King as if the War had now bin at an end and that now Truth had merited her Triumph put forth an Edict that all Persons for the future should believe and hold That there were two Natures in Christ between themselves really distinct but united in one Divine Person This Edict was little regarded by one particular Monk more wilful and stubborn than truly zealous who being for his Contumacy brought before the King and speaking in his presence more irreverently than became him was severely Scourg'd for his sawciness Of the Pain and Anguish of which Chastisement tho the Monk was only sensible yet the fear of it kept others in awe who not understanding that he was punish'd for his malapertness thought he had bin so severely dealt with for denying the two Natures These things being spread abroad Simeon the Metropolitan at that time absent hastens to the King with his Complaints That unusual things had bin done without his knowledge and that Disputes about Religion had bin appointed in his absence The King well understanding how unable he was to grapple with the Fathers in Dispute made him answer That since he was come he would appoint the same Disputations to be heard over again To which Simeon had not a
word to say And thus a second Victory being won from the Primate of Ethiopia himself a more severe Edict concerning the two Natures was publish'd by the Cryer making it Death for any Person to deny the contrary By this so sharp a Decree as if it had bin the loud signal to Battel it is incredible to think how the minds of the People were incens'd As for the Controversie it self they did not think it of so high a Concernment as to engage divided Parties in Blood and Massacre about it In regard that all acknowledg'd both Divinity and Humanity in Christ so that the Question was only about a word But let the Question be what it would such a severe way of proceeding was never heard of before in Ethiopia as being altogether contradictory to the mildness of Christ and his Apostles and the Lenity of the Primitive times So then if Men were to be scourg'd and whipp'd because they could not apprehend two Natures in Christ what must they expect if other Questions should be started about Innovations of greater difficulty in the Doctrine and Ceremonies of the Fathers Exasperated with these fair pretences Simeon the Metropolitan together with several of the Nobility and among the rest Jamanaxus alias Emana Christos another of the King's Brothers by the Mothers side and lastly almost all the Interested Clergy and Monks met and held Consultations together to prevent the threatning Mischiefs and lastly combin'd to live and dye for the Defence of their ancient and settled Religion To this end Simeon under pretence of incumbent Duty which was to be watchful over the Preservation of the Constantinopolitan Religion fix'd an Excommunication Publickly upon the Dores of the great Church belonging to the Camp against all that embrac'd the Religion of the Franks or ventur'd to Dispute concerning it The King tho highly offended with this unexpected boldness of the Metropolitan durst not adventure to revenge himself However he Publish'd another Edict whereby Liberty was granted to every Person that so pleas'd to embrace and exercise the Fathers Religion already establish'd by fair Disputes and Arguments on their side Which so little terrify'd the undaunted Metropolitan that he thunder'd out his Anathema's against all that maintain'd two Natures in Christ. The Moderate Party bewail'd these Paper Skirmishes which they foresaw would break forth and end in Slaughter and Misery and that the King's Decrees would never be establish'd without the effusion of much Blood Sensible of these Fears several of the great Personages of the Kingdom together with the King's Mother Ite-Hamelmala most earnestly besought the King to desist from what he had begun and not to raise up implacable Seditions to the Ruin of himself and his Kingdom After which the Metropolitan with many Monks and Nuns came to the Camp and implor'd the King not to innovate any thing in Religion otherwise that they were prepar'd to lay down their lives for the Religion of their Ancestors At last the King referr'd the whole Business to another Colloquie which continu'd for Six days one after another but without any Success A clear Testimony that Controversies in Religion are not to be decided by Disputes After that all the Clergy throw themselves at the King's Feet and with Sighs and Tears beseech him Not to change a Religion so quietly Establish'd in Ethiopia for so many Ages by so many of their Emperors But nothing would prevail the King remain'd inexorable and immoveable so that the Petitioners departed full freighted with Exasperation and Rebellion Immediately all hopes of Concord and Agreement being lay'd aside the Sword was next unsheath'd whence follow'd those terrible Commotions and Bloody Wars that have almost ruin'd the most flourishing part of Ethiopia The Chief of the Conspirators were Jamanaxus Aelius the King's Son in Law Viceroy of Tigra the Eunuch Caflo and several others But to give the better Colour to their Rebellion and Design of Killing the King the Metropolitan caus'd a new and more severe Excommunication to be fix'd upon the Chief Church in the Camp by which all the partakers of the Latin Religion were Anathematiz'd In the mean time the Fathers of the Society relying upon the King's Favour hasten'd to get all things ready that might be of advantage to Establish their Doctrine To that end they translated Maldonatus upon the Four Evangelists Toletus upon St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans Ribera upon the Hebrews and some others into the Ethiopic Language which some esteem'd others by reason of the intermixture of Amharic words contemn'd as full of Barbarisms and Soloecisms But as for the Lord's Prayer and the Salutation of Mary being nothing but the Latin written in Ethiopic Characters they abhorr'd 'em as looking upon them to be nothing but Magic Spells On the other side the Alexandrians fell upon the Fathers with all the bitterest Invectives that might be those Paper Skirmishes being generally the fore-runners of more Bloody disputes In pursuance of which Aelius by an Edict Commands all the Franks to depart out of Tigra and the Alexandrians to follow him by which means having muster'd up a compleat Army he openly Rebels Simeon Curses the Franks but loads Aelius with his Blessings upon which he no doubt relying resolv'd to fight his Father in Law then upon his March against him with a strong Force notwithstanding all the Perswasions of his Wife to the contrary Fierce therefore and in the heat of his young Blood and over-confident of his own Faction not staying so much as to take his Breakfast but as it were Drunk with Fury and Rage only with a small Troop about him he leaps his Horse into his Father's Camp asking Where the King was and so what between the astonishment of some and the wonder of others what the Matter should be he rode up without any hurt to the King's Pavilion where at length the Alarum being taken he was soon surrounded Ston'd and Stabb'd to Death and so dearly paid for his rashness The Captain thus Slain the Soldiers betake themselves to their heels Simeon between the Fugitives and the Pursuers stood alone by himself like a man stupifyed whether not at first observ'd or neglected as a Clergy-man but at length being known he was Slain among the Crowd Both their Heads were sent about the Kingdom and expos'd as a Public Spectacle The Eunuch Caflo had his Head struck off Jamanaxus was pardon'd Thus the Kindred of Kings for the most part escape the Punishment of those Rebellions to which they themselves have given Life and Encouragement The King who was never fearful now more emboldened by his Victory now questions other Heads of Religion and soon after by Public Edict prohibits the Observation of the Sabbath as Judaical and Repugnant to Christianity In answer to this Edict some Person without a Name had written contemptuously of the Roman Religion reflecting severely upon the Fathers of the Society whom he call'd the Kindred of Pilate as being a Roman and withal sharply menacing
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-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
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
That being most graciously and kindly entertain'd by the King he dy'd in Habessinia Others that being honourably dismiss'd by the King he was murder'd by certain Arabian Thieves As for the Patriarch after a long Captivity and very bad Usage from the Turks he was at length set at Liberty after he had pay'd for himself and his Companions a Ransom of 4000 German Dolars and so at length got safe to Goa Where tho he were advis'd to go himself into Portugual and give an accompt of the afflicted State of Ethiopia he thought it the better way to send Jeronymo Lobo with order to desire the Aid of a sufficient Military Power to restore him to his lost See Thereupon the diligent Jesuit not only went into Portugal but also to Mantua to Philip the Fourth and from thence to Rome But all his Negotiations prov'd ineffectual whether it were that they did not think it at that instant so Apostolical a way to propagate the Gospel by force of Arms or whether it were that they did not like the Charge of an Expedition from whence they could hope for little good there being no considerable Party in the Kingdom to give them footing and the encouragement of Assistance For the King watchful over all casualties put all to Death that favour'd the Roman Fathers Which occasion'd the Ruin of many of the Nobility among the rest Tecla-Selax and several Priests that had taken Roman Orders and all the Fathers except Bernard Nogueyra whom the Patriarch had created his Vicar For tho the Patriarch attempted afterwards to send several other Fathers yet all their Endeavours were in vain so that for a long time he could learn no News concerning the State of Ecclesiastical Affairs in Habessinia For the King fearing lest the Portugueses should invade his Dominions in revenge of the Fathers had brib'd the Turkish Basha's of Suaqena and Matzua willing enough to that of themselves not to admit entrance to any of the Franks The News of which coming to Rome the Minds of men were variously affected The greatest part were sorry that all their fair hopes of retaining Ethiopia in Pontifical Obedience were quite cut off Others blam'd the Fathers of the Society that through their Arrogance and Imprudence in managing the Temper and Disposition of the Habessines they had ruin'd both themselves and the Roman Religion whereas they ought to have made it their Business to have acted chiefly and in the first place for the Majesty and Authority of the Pope over the Universal Church and willingly to have suffer'd all Miseries and Martyrdoms rather than have quitted their Station Tellez involves these particulars in a general Relation saying That several Malevolent Reports were spread about in Rome and some there were who gave out That the Fathers out of meer detestation of their Persons and hatred of the whole Nation of Portugal were ejected out of Habessinia and that if other Preachers were sent the Habessines would willingly embrace both them and their Doctrine Which was a thing to be done with much less Expence and more probable to come to effect than Lobo's Project of sending an Army Therefore the Congregation for propagating the Faith took another Course and sent Six Capuchin Fryers all Frenchmen with Letters of Recommendation and safe Conduct from the Emperor of the Turks himself with Orders to try what they could do in Habessinia Two of these going by Sea landed at Magadoso seated upon the Eastern Coast of Africa but before they could get many Leagues up into the Countrey they were knock't o' the head by the Cafers Two of them got as far as the Confines of Habessinia but being discover'd they were presently Commanded either to return back or make Profession of the Alexandrian Religion and upon their refusal to do either were presently ston'd to Death Of which when the other two that stay'd at Matzua had notice they rather chose to return home again than suffer Martyrdom to no purpose Book 3. Chap. 14. P 369 Three Capuchins beheaded in the yeare 1648 by the Comand of Basilides King of the Habessines 1 The Citie and Iland of Suaqin 2. The red Sea 3. The Turkish Basha Gouernour of the Iland 4. F. Felix de S. Severino 5. F. Antonio de Patra Pagana 6. F. Joseph Tortulano from the Italian Originall At length also Bernard Nogueira was apprehended the last of all the Fathers and fairly Hang'd As for the Patriarch Mendez he liv'd in India till the year 1656. Where in the 22d of his Exile and the 77th of his Age he dy'd upon the 29 day of January He was endu'd with most accomplish'd gifts both of Body and Mind very Tall and of a firm Constitution of Body well read both in the Greek and Latin and every way fitted for his Employment Neither had he wanted Prudence had not the King's Favour and Success which oftentimes intoxicate the Wisest of Men transported him out of the way to act with that violence and severity where gentleness and caution were so requisite By which means instead of gaining he was forc'd to suffer the shameful detriment of that Authority which he had too far extended Others as Gregory told me excus'd him for that upon his arrival he found things so far driven on by the Missionaries that he could not with Honour recede from what they had done Since the Death of the Patriarch we have had no certain Relations out of Habessinia In the year 1652. a new Metropolitan was sent into Ethiopia who had bin seen by many Europeans in Egypt and was succeeded afterwards by several others as we have gather'd from certain Relation From whence we may infer That the report of Tellez was a thing fram'd out of Envy as if the King of the Habessines had sent his Ambassadors into Arabia to desire thence Mahometan Doctors with an intention to embrace Turcism which no man can think probable from what has bin already related For how is it likely that he who could not Protect the splendid Religion of the Romish Church and the specious Doctrines of the Fathers because they were thought by the Habessines to be repugnant to Scripture and the Decrees of the Primitive Church should be able to admit of the Vanity and Absurdity of Mahumetism the Original and Progress of which is so well known to the Habessines already A Religion that did not prevail by suffering and well-doing like the Christian Religion but by force of Arms was obtruded upon Barbarous and Discording Nations The Clergy and Monks so wedded to their Alexandrian Religion would no more endure it than they did the superstition of Susneus So that should the King and his Peers be so vain as to attempt a thing so detestable to his People he could not expect but to be more vigorously and generally oppos'd than ever his Father was But lastly the King's Letters of the last Date to the Governor of Batavia beginning with a Christian Preface sufficiently demonstrate that he was