cue them to rebellion, as being lawful, the fword o f the-
Power cuts them off, without any blame falling up.
°n their religion, becaufe thefe things were done in contradiXion
to what their priefts, from the fcripture, Ihould
have taught them were truly the tenets o f that very rein-
gion. 7
i r a S f Itef hv n0W. interpofed: What do you think, Tenfa
Chriftos, f f Yagoube is not a prieft, Ihould he not be one ?
Madam, fays;he, I have one queftion more to inquire o f him
and that ihall be all, nor would I aik it i f he was not going
away to-morrow. It is an unfair one, then faid I, but out w ith
direXiann0t 5 Crin í 6 °Plni0n ° f gO0d men> by anfwering
ireXly a queftion which you put to me out o f curiofity.
feems then fays he, you are not a frank, but you think
your own rehgion a better one than theirs ; you are not o f
our religion, however, for you fay we are nearer the Catholics
than you ; now what objeXion have you to our religion
and what is your opinion o f it
As far as I am informed, faid I, I think w ell o f it ; it is the-
an a em Greek church, under St Athanafius, fucceffor to
St Mark, in the chatr o f Alexandria. This being the cafe
you cannot have a better, as you have the religion neareft
to that o f the apoftles, and, as I have before faid, no religion
teaches a man evil, much lefs can your religion give you
fuch inftruXion, i f you have not corrupted i t ; and i f you
have it is no longer the religion o f St Athanafius, or the
Apoilles, therefore liable to error. And now, Tenfa Chriftos
let me aik you twoqueftions ; you are in no fear o f anfwe“ ’
mg, neither are you in danger, though not about to leave
the country, Does your religion permit you to marry o le
3- filler,
fifter, to divorce her, and marry the other, and then, keep.-
ing the aunt, to marry the niece likewife ? Does St Athanafius
teach you to marry one, two, or three wives, and divorce
them as often as you pleafe to m arry others, and
then go back to the former again ? No, replied he. Then
as you do this daily, anfwered I, you certainly are not liv-
m g in this one mftance according to tile religion o f St Athanafius.
Now I aik you. I f any . prieft, truly a Chriftian,
from our parts; {not a Frank, but agreeing in every thing
elfe with you), was to preach- againft this, and fome ftich
ike praXices, frequently ufed in Abyffmia, could this prieft
ive amongft you, or how would you treat him? Stone him
to death, fays.Ayto A ylo, who was fitting b y ; ftone him to
death like a frank; or a J e fu it; he ihould not live a week.
Yagoube is hard upon me, continued Tenfa Chriftos, turn-
in g to the Iteghe, but I am forry to lay with truth, I fear they
never would abandon the fleih-pots o f Egypt, their ancient
inheritance ; for the teaching o f any prieft, however perfeX
his rehgion might be, or pure his life, or however corrupt
their manners. Then Tenfa Chriftos, faid I, do not be over fure
but that ihedding the blood o f thofe Franks as you Call them,
may be criminal in the fight o f God. As their religion has
fo far ferved them, as to prevent the praXice o f fome horrid
crimes, that are common here, yours hath not yet had
that effeX upon you ; i f you do not want precept, perhaps
you may want example, thefe Franks are very capable o f
mewing you this laft, and your own religion inftruXs you
to imitate them. .
A ll this time there was not the fmalleft noife in the
room, m which above a hundred people were prefent; but,
as I wiflied this co n v e n t io n to go no further, and was
L -1 s afraid1