396 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



the Alexandrians were to have every indulgence that could 

 be wifhed by them, without violating the purity of the Ca- 

 tholic faith ; that, therefore, he had no difficulty of allow- 

 ing the people of Lafta to live in the faith of their anceftors 

 without alteration, as they had never embraced any other ; 

 but as for thofe that had fwom to perfift in the Catholic 

 faith, and had received the communion in that church, by 

 no means, without a grievous fm, could it be granted to 

 them to renounce that faith in which they had deliberately 

 fworn to live and die." 



The king, upon this anfwer, which he underftood well,, 

 and expected, only replied, " What is to be done ? I have no 

 longer th« power of government in my own kingdom ;"— 

 and immediately ordered a herald to make the following 

 proclamation :■ — 



" Hear us ! hear us ! hear us ! Firll of all we gave you^ 

 the Roman Catholic faith, as thinking it a good one ; but 

 many people have died fighting againft it, as Julius, Ga* 

 briel, Tecla Georgis, Scrca Chriftos, and, laftly, thefe rude 

 peafants of Lafta. Now, therefore, we reftore to you the 

 faith of your anceftors ; let your own priefts fay their mafs 

 in th^ir own churches ; let the people have their own altars 

 for the facrament, and their own liturgy, and be happy. 

 As for myfelf, I am now old and worn out with war and in* 

 iirmities, and no longer capable of governing ; I name my 

 fon Facilidas to reign in my place." 



Thus, in one day, fell the whole fabric of the Roman Ca- 

 thoUc faith, and hierarchy of the church of Rome, in Abyffi- 

 eia; fit:ft regularly eftablifhed, as I muft always think, by Pe- 



tei? 



