Excerpt from Dictionary of Christian Churches and Sects From the Earliest Ages of Christianity

Sinian Church. The latter was received by the Abyssinian people with derision. The authority, which the pope claimed of pardoning their sins especially, became the subject of their scorn. Another rebellion, quenched at last by a bloody victory, ensued. The emperor's troops Slew eight thousand of his peasantry, who willingly forfeited their lives rather than abandon their religion. But still the stedfast, independent Spirit of Abyssinia was not vanquished. The empress herself addressed a passionate remonstrance to her Infatuated lord imploring him, as he feared God and valued his own reputation, to forbear this merciless destruction of his subjects. The Alexandrians re monstrated. Yousee, Sir, how many dead bodies lie before you. Are they Mahomedans and heathens? N o, sir, they are Chris tians to a man your own subjects men endeared to us by the strongest ties of relationship and blood. Sire, the very heathens and Mahomedans blush at our cruelties and brand us with the name of murderers and apostates. F orbear, we entreat you, to persevere in a contest which must terminate in the overthrow of your religion and yourself. In Short, the emperor was subdued by the firmness of his people. On the 20th of June, 1632, the Roman patriarch, accompanied by the Jesuits, waited upon him and obtained an audience. He made a passionate appeal to the feelings of the sovereign and conjured him in conclusion, either to support the Church or to behead himself and 'his comrades on the spot. He made answer that he had done everything in his power for the catholic faith, that he had now scarcely left to him either subjects or a kingdom, and that he could do no more. A proclamation was issued permitting the Abyssinians to return to the religion of their fathers; It is impossible to describe the raptures with which it was received everywhere. The old Alexandrian party immediately followed up their triumph; they obtained another proclamation, in which every subject of the empire was commanded to return to the ancient faith. The Jesuit mission was at an end and with it the hopes and prospects of the Church of Rome. The Roman patriarch abandoned Abyssinia in 1633.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.