The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-06-27
Religion and Character Of the
Abyssinians.

The greater part of the inhabitants of Abys-
sinia are Christians of the Coptic sect; they hold
many OF the teneis Of the Roman Catholic faith,
such rs priestly absolution, fasts, worship of
saints, conyentualsm, etc. They also follow
many M~ahomedan practices, such rs circumcision,
ceremonial uneleanness, abstaining from meat
prohibited by the law Of Moses, etc., and in their
laws and customs Jewish Institutions are often
traeeable. Many of their names betray also u
Jewish, or ut all events Biblical origin, such rs
Debra Tabor, Mount Tabor,) Debra Libranos
Mount LebanOn,) Antiokla, etc. Their christ
ianity has degenerated into little more than form,
and they are described as Priest-ridden and super
stitiOus to the last degree. The head of the
church is n Bishop Of =. Abuna." who is conse-
Grated by the Patriarch Of Alexandria, and by
Much weight is attached to this ceremony, as
may be gathered from the fact that the RIOS of
Tigre IN 1910 thought il worth while to 90 TO
great expense to send n mission to Alexandria TO
have an Abuna appointed, in the hopes that he
would be n puppet in his hands, and give him the
supreme command. The present Abuna is out of
favor with Theodorus for the alleged cause that
he impaired to the missionaries his doubts of the
authenticity of the descent of Theodore's mother
from the Queen of Shcba. That the authority,
however, of the Abuna is still recognized seems
probable, from the fact that it is stated in n re-
cent letter from the captives that if the rebel
Gobazye were to take Magdala, and get himself
crowned by the Abuna, he would be recognized
as Emperor by the Abyssinians.
OF the religious character of the people Mr..
Button says: christian liberty is entirely I'M
known. as the people are bound down to unmean-
ing forms and ceremonies and the observance of
fasts which extend over two-thirdJ of the year.
Their calendar is crammed full OF saints, and the
days of the year by no means suffice for them all,
50 that they must have morning celebrations and
evening celebrations. One cannot wonder at this
when their latitudinarism leads them to commen-
crate Balaam and bis ass, Pontius PLATE and his
wife, and such like doubtful saints. In addition
TO the heroes Of the Bible and apocryphal books
they have many local saints who have at various
times astonished Abyssinia by their miracles and
prodigies. Apart from such traditional -cxcres-
cences, the Abyssinians are orthodox in their be-
lief, the grand truths of our religion being receiv-
ed alike by them as by US, but, being void of that
charity which ediieth, their knowledge has only
tended to puff them up, and tie intolerance with
which they look upon tleir MahOmedan and jew
ish neighbors is even greater than that of those
people themselves towards Christians. What
renders their pride more offensive is that the Ma
homedans and jews are in every way their supe-
riors, Possessing, with an equal amount Of intel
ligence, far greater mechanical genius ard supe-
riOr habits of industry. All the manufacturers
of cotton cloth are Moslcms; all the builders and
artisans are Jews. But pride is not their only
fault; they are de~ccItful, lying and insincere;
their breasts are seldom stirred by generosity to-
wards others, OF in gratitude for benefits receiv-
ed, and. added to all, they arc inhospitable."
DIR; Gobat. the present Bishop of Jerusalem,
Describes them as very immortal and licentious,
priest-ridden and bigotcd, but bospitable TO trav-
clcrs and with no cruelty in their dispositions.
The religion of the Abyssinians tends to in
crease their isolation from the Mahomcdan tribes
who occupy the low lands by which Abyssinia is
surrOunded-thc ShOhos ON the north. the Bale
and Hanram Arabs on the west, the Danakils,
Tantals, Asubo Gallas and Wollo Callas ON the
east and south.-AIyxsiniaR Correspondence ".
Y. Herald.