ABYSSINIAN

ABYSSINIAN, in ecclesiastical history, is used as the name of a sect, or heresy, in the Christian church, established in the empire of Abyssinia. The Abyssinians are a branch of the Copts or Jacobites; with whom they agree in admitting but one nature in Jesus Christ, and rejecting the council of Chalcedon: whence they are also called Eutychians, and stand opposed to the Melchites. They are only distinguished from the Copts, and other sects of Jacobites, by some peculiar national usages.—The Abyssinian sect or church is governed by a bishop or metropolitan styled Abuna, sent them by the Coptic patriarch of Alexandria residing at Cairo, who is the only person that ordains priests. The next dignity is that of Kosmos, or Hegumenos, who is a kind of arch-presbyter. They have canons also, and monks: the former of whom marry; the latter, at their admission, vow celibacy, but with a reservation: these, it is said, make a promise aloud, before their superior, to keep chastity; but add, in a low voice, as you keep it. The emperor has a kind of supremacy in ecclesiastical matters. He alone

Abyssinian alone takes cognisance of all ecclesiastical causes, except
Acacalotl some smaller ones referred to the judges; and confers
all benefices, except that of Abuna.—The Abyssinians
have at different times expressed an inclination to be
reconciled to the see of Rome; but rather out of
interest of state than any other motive. The emperor
David, or the queen regent on his behalf, wrote a
letter on this head to pope Clement VII. full of sub-
mission, and demanding a patriarch from Rome to
be instructed by: which being complied with, he
publicly abjured the doctrine of Eutychius and Dio-
corus in 1626, and allowed the supremacy of the pope.
Under the emperor Selan Seghed all was undone again;
the Romish missionaries settled there had their churches
taken from them, and their new converts banished or
put to death. The congregation de propaganda have
made several attempts to revive the mission, but to lit-
tle purpose.—The doctrines and ritual of this sectary
form a strange compound of Judaism, Christianity, and
superstitious. They practise circumcision; and are said
to extend the practice to the females as well as males:
They observe both Saturday and Sunday sabbaths:
they eat no meats prohibited by the law of Moses:
women are obliged to the legal purifications: and bro-
thers marry their brothers wives, &c. On the other
hand, they celebrate the epiphany with peculiar festi-
vity, in memory of Christ's baptism; when they plunge
and sport in ponds and rivers; which has occasioned
some to affirm that they were baptized anew every
year. Among the saints-days is one consecrated to Pi-
late and his wife; by reason Pilate washed his hands
before he pronounced sentence on Christ, and his wife
desired him to have nothing to do with the blood of
that just person. They have four lent: the great one
commences ten days earlier than ours, and is observed
with much severity, many abstaining therein even from
fish, because St Paul says there is one kind of flesh of
men, and another of fishes. They allow of divorce,
which is easily granted among them, and by the civil
judge; nor do their civil laws prohibit polygamy it-
self. They have at least as many miracles and legends
of saints as the Romish church; which proved no small
embarrassment to the Jesuit missionaries, to whom they
produced so many miracles, wrought by their saints,
in proof of their religion, and those so well circum-
stantiated and attested, that the Jesuits were obliged to
deny miracles to be any proof of a true religion; and
in proof hereof to allege the same arguments against
the Abyssinians, which Protestants in Europe allege
against Papists. They pray for the dead, and invoke
saints and angels; have so great a veneration for the
virgin, that they charged the Jesuits with not render-
ing her honour enough. Images in painting they ve-
nerate; but abhor all those in relief, except the cross.
They hold that the soul of man is not created; be-
cause, say they, God finished all his work on the sixth
day. They admit the apocryphal books, and the
canons of the apostles, as well as the apostolical con-
stitutions, for genuine. Their liturgy is given by Al-
varoz, and in English by Pagit.