I regretted
that I could not agree with him in the propriety of invading
Abyssinia with Bible extracts, as the natives attached as great
importance to their own particular form of Christianity, as any
other of the numerous sects that unhappily divide that beautiful
religion into schisms; any fresh dogma introduced by strangers
might destroy the union of the Abyssinian Church, and would be
not only a source of annoyance to the priesthood, but would most
probably influence them and the king against all Europeans.
The blacksmith assured me that the special mission upon which he
was employed was the conversion of the Abyssinian Jews. I
suggested that we had a few Jews in England, that might offer a
fair field for an experiment at home, before we commenced at so
distant a country as Abyssinia; but I could not persuade the
blacksmith, whose head was as hard as his anvil; he had fully
persuaded himself that the word of God (according to HIS OWN
translation of it) was the hammer with which, selon son metier,
he was to drive his views of the truth into the thick skulls of
the people. If he could twist iron, and hammer a ploughshare into
a sword, or reverse the form, why should he be unable to effect
a change in their opinions? It was perfectly useless to continue
the argument; but I prophesied trouble, as the king was already
discontented, and an influx of missionaries would not improve his
humour.
Pages:
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598