The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-09

Nagast r., La fact, the rule Of the CoptiS
Church n 10 - broad - That Church in
its application t 10 sccspted ~ the funda,
mental law, because the Coptio Church
Ia accepted 40 the true Church, whereof
the Emperor accounts himself the Official
head in Adv The law 10 not written
either In the Amhario or the GheEs, which
latter is the ecclesiastical language Of tbs
semblss Arabic. which 10 tho living language
OF the Coptio Church. Because Il 70 the living
language Of that Church the ofncaA version
of the Aby ssinian o exists only IN Arabic,
We are told, however, hat from the Arabic
an Italian translation has bean made roe
Gently. The Fetha Nagast bad no oomPlets
existence In Writing until the middle OF the
thirteenth century. Tn Arabian author
single work the scattered fragments Of tbs
law whereof only one similar collection
had been before put together. Tbs matt-
rails for the collection are said by The author
to have been taken from the Old and New
ings. the canons OF the First Councils. ana
canons attributed TO st. Hippoyta Va
observe that the Ably ssinian canon Includes
in the Old Testament the Book OF Tobias,
the Wisdom OF Jesus, son Of Sirach. and
in the New Testament only Matthew,
Mark. Luke, John, the Acts OF the Apostles
the Book OF Paul and the Book OF John the
| Evangelist.
Inc Il DtnA NAk1stf hJeck ~ uAVb4Uu W
two parts, the fnt of which contains th3
ecclesiastical law and the second the civil
| law. some OF the extracts made by Dir.
| Skinner shed Light upon the habits OF
thought Of the Ethiopian people; Fof
charity. and it Is the art Of compassion
made with mans proper substance. to
give to those who have need, without tho
desire Of reciprocity. Giving Is q loan
made to God and equally g transaction
---A.s~ - nAryanaDA with Gnd y In
food, nothing 10 prohibited by the Abys-
| sinian law, except that which IL inter-
dicted in the Book Of Acts and in the canonsI
which say: 1T has pleased the Holy Spiris
burden heavier than this, that you cease
TO eat naturally, that is to say, you avoid
absorbing the body and blood Of that which
il sacrificed 10 idols. or Fragments OF thai
which animals have eaten II, how ever
any one thinks that something In impure.
that shall be impure for him alone, since
everything in itself is pure: IF some one
doubts that this or that be bad, let him nos
eat OF the meat or drink OF the wine, or do
anything which may scandalize our brothers,
for whosoever eats and doubts is doomed
| for he has not done this thing with faith,
and all that il not done in faith IL Sin. =
As to the apparel which may be worm, tho
canons forbid the wearing Of costumes
with ornaments, collars and embroideries on
the part OF the clergy" They also say that
ministers in the sanctuary should wear
white costumes, and that the women should
not tab the costumes OF the men, or the
men those OF the women. Men may not
wear rings, nor women clothing embroid-
cred with gold. which giveth rise to pride
As TO the habitation, the canons declare that
il should be limited to that which Ia strictly
necessary and be in accordance with the
evangelical law, which Is the law OF per-
lection for those who repudiate passing
things and who seek staple things.
Marriage il held up In the Abyssinian
law as necessary in order to obey the script
Ural Injunction 20 increase and multiply.
The marriage Of young widows Is advised
on the authority of the Epistle TO Timothy,
as a means OF preventing the Enemy from
finding a lodging place in their hearts.
In practice the Abyssinian marriage exists
under three forms: First, the civil mar
rage, without dover on either side, which
amounts to something like free love. be-
cause 1t Is followed by frequent divorces.
the formalities OF which are easy and I'M
important; secondly, the civil marriage
by contract, which takes place before a
respectively by the two contracting parties
il specified in his presence. and q partition
in the event OF future divorce il agreed
upon, the agreement being generally to
divide the aggregate property equally.
The most solemn marriage ceremony 10
the indissoluble union. This is practised
habitually among very great persons or
! those who. convinced Of the fidelity OF their
spouses, desire to place themselves in hsr-
mony with the precepts OF the Church.
The laws regarding slavery and en-
franchisement arc drawn from the Book
OF Kings. For example: The freeing
Of slaves is An act of conscience, a thing
imposed upon wise persons, since all men
should acknowledge liberty, because at
the creation man was born free" Homi-
cides are classed under two heads, as being
either involuntary or voluntary. Involun-
tary homicides do not merit death. This
Abyssinian courts hold, in accordance
with the Fetba Nagast, that the drunken
man has lost his reason voluntarily, while
the insane and IDIOTS have lost theirs in
voluntarily. Hence in case Of homicids
the punishment should differ in the two
cases, Death is the penalty visited upon
wilful murder. The measures respecting
robbery are some what Draconisn. but they
have the advantage Of being very effective.
Theft is 30 uncommon III Ethiopia as TO be
practically unknown. The law il executed
literally whenever cases Of robbery occur.
Commissioner Skinner saw several muir
lated persons during his visit and asoe-
tanned that they had paid the penalty estat-
lished for theft.
The author OF this book visited several
Abyssinian churches in town and country
and found them all substantially ahkr,
with matched roofs by Greek
CROSSES. Sometimes ostrich Eggs were
suspended from the tips OF the cross. \
corridor runs completely around the in
yin hAA hCl WOlbAlpDCIb u .
The altar is within the central portion u
the building. There are usually a number
OF crude pictures within representing ths
Virgin and Saint Michael and George, for
whom the Abyssinians have a special ven-
Grafton. On one occasion Mr.. Skinner
passed a rural church during a morning
celebration OF worship and stopped -
look on. He tells us that a boy outside
was pounding a drum. and within four
other drums were being pounded, no al
tempt at unison being made. Half a dozen
melancholy clerks leaned on stats that
looked. like clutches and ratified what
seemed TO be ~castanets. In the midst ~
the din a venerable celebrant chanted
with frequent responses from his assistan's.
The voices of all were keyed high and tho
responses ended in the falsetto wall char
acteristic Of Abyssinisn vocal cforte.
He cannot say hat the service was to him
in any way impressive. but he bears Wit.
ness that the many worshippers were Ger
tainly respectful and devout. He adds
What il admirable about the Ethiopian
religion is that IL is genuine" II seems
that the liturgy Of the A%byssinian Church
10 celebrated in the GhAze language, which
none but the priests understand. Con