^^6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



the forms and times of the church of Rome ; circumcifion, po- 

 lygamy, and divorce were abrogated for ever ; and the many 

 queftions that thereupon arofe, and which were underilood 

 to belong to the civil judge, the patriarch called to his own 

 tribunal exclufively» 



All the tenets of the church of Alexandria, whether of 

 faith or difcipline, were rejedted ; and it was not known 

 how far the patriarch intended to fubjecft the civil jurifdic- 

 lion of the judges to the eccleliaftical power. Two Heps 

 that he took, the one immediately after the other, feemed 

 to give great reafon of fear upon this head. 



In order to underftand the firft of thefe cafes, it will be 

 neceflary to know, that it is a fundamental conilitution af 

 the monarchy of Ethiopia, that all lands belong to the king ; 

 and that there is no fuch thing as church-lands in thi^ 

 country. Thofe that the king has given for the maintenance 

 of churches or monalleries are rcfumed every day, at the 

 inftance of, and for the convenience of individuals, and new 

 ones granted in their Head fometimes of a greater value, 

 fometimes of a lefs. Nor have the prieils or monks any 

 property in thefe lands. A lay-officer, appointed by the 

 king, divides to each monk or prieft, his quota of the re- 

 venue, applying any overplus to other ufes, which is, we 

 may fuppofe, often putting it into his own pocket. 



There was a nobleman of great difl:in(5lion for his family 

 and rank at court, for his age, and the merit of his fervice ; 

 he had occupied fome of the lands belonging to a monk 

 who happened to be a Catholic. This man, had he been an 

 Alexandrian, could have had no recourfe to the Abuna his 



patri- 



