1843.] and the Abyssinian Church. 701 



disgraceful idolatry from the confined understanding of the bigotted 

 son of Shoa. 



Like the Jews, the Abyssinians, although objecting to sculpture, orna- 

 ment their churches with paintings, and kiss and pay the miserable 

 daub every religious respect. The vow is offered as of old to the tem- 

 ple of Jerusalem, and oil and frankincense, shields and spears, cloths 

 and money, are offered according to the worldly substance of the pious 

 and superstitious donor. 



The sweet singer of Israel danced and jumped before the Lord, and 

 a vile caricature imitation remains the chief point of Abyssinian 

 worship. Capering and beating the ground with their feet, whilst 

 stretching their crutches towards each other with frantic gesticulations, 

 the performers rather resemble lunatics than holy priests, and the 

 clash of the timbrel, the sound of the drum, and the howling of harsh 

 voices, complete a most strange form of devotion. 



Like the Jews, the Abyssinians invariably commence the service with 

 the Trisagion, and the morning lesson is performed with the same 

 careless and irreverent demeanor for which the Hebrews were latterly 

 blamed. The lessons are taken partly from the Scriptures, and partly 

 from the miracles of the Holy Virgin, and of Tekla Haimanot, the life of 

 St. George, and other foolish and fabulous works ; but all are in the 

 ancient Ethiopian language, which to the congregation is a dead letter; 

 and the sole edification of a visit to the church is comprised in the kiss 

 that is imprinted on the portal. 



Pride, hypocrisy, and contempt of other nations are strangely at 

 variance with the absurd imitations of customs and manners, which the 

 Abyssinians have adopted from all. The Jews also hated the Heathen 

 bitterly, styling them " dogs," and rejected of God : whilst notwith- 

 standing their contempt and pride of holiness, they willingly received many 

 of their superstitious practices. The Abyssinian will not eat with the 

 Galla or the Mahomedan, lest he should thereby participate in the delusion 

 of his creed ; and the church and the church-yard are equally closed 

 against all who commit this deadly sin. But the order of separation 

 was applicable so long only as the knowledge of the one true God was 

 restricted to a single nation ; and the prominent principle of Christianity, 

 that the light of the true faith should shine before all men, and be no 

 longer concealed under a bushel, is here neither understood nor regarded. 



