1843.] and the Abyssinian Church. 689 



and fires are lighted around the person of the candidate. His loins are 

 bound about with the leathern girdle of St. John, and the prayer and 

 the requiem for the dead rise pealing from the circle. The Glaswa, a 

 narrow strip of black cloth adorned with colored crosses, is then placed 

 on the shaven crown and shrouded from view by the enveloping shawl, 

 and the Archbishop, clad in his robes of state, having repeated the con- 

 cluding prayer and blessing, signs with his own hand the emblem of 

 faith over the various parts of the body. 



But Abyssinia possesses no idea of the more salutary doctrines of 

 Christianity. Polluted faith is here reflected in the mirror of her deprav- 

 ed manners ; and long, severe fastings constitute the essence of her dege- 

 nerate religion. The idol worship of saints has made rapid progress in 

 the land, and the ignorance of her clergy is only to be equalled by the 

 impurity of the lay classes. Their belief in Christianity, if that term 

 can be applied, is strange, childish and inconsistent ; and bigoted to the 

 faith of their ancestors, they abhor and despise all who refuse to sign 

 this, their absurd confession. 



" That God created all religions in the world and that each is perfect 

 of its kind except that of the Shankala, but that separate places are 

 prepared for each creed in Heaven. 



" That the Alexandrian faith is the only true belief. 



" That faith together with Baptism, are sufficient for justification, 

 but that God demands alms and fasting, as amends for sin committed 

 prior to the performance of the baptismal rite. 



" That unchristened children are not saved. 



" That the Baptism of water is the true regeneration. 



" That invocation ought to be made to the saints, because sinning 

 mortals are unworthy to appear in the presence of God, and because if 

 the saints be well loved, they will listen to all prayer. 



" That all sins are forgiven from the moment that the kiss of the 

 pilgrim is imprinted on the stones of Jerusalem, and that kissing the 

 hand of a priest, purines the body from all sin. 



" That sins must be confessed to the priest, saints invoked, and full 

 faith reposed in charms and amulets, more especially if written in an 

 unknown tongue. 



" That prayers for the dead are necessary, and absolution indispensa- 

 ble ; but that the souls of the departed do not immediately enter upon 



4 x 



