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I passed the afternoon with Habeta Selasse. The principal subject of our conversation was baptism. He at once understood that the baptism of water could not be the regeneration of which Jesus Christ speaks in John iii.; nevertheless, he was astonished at the idea that the baptism of water is but a visible sign, without substance. After a short pause, he at length observed, "I must needs view it so; for the greater part of those who have been baptized with water are Christians only in name."-P. 120.

"When does regeneration begin in man?" Missionary: "To avoid all ambiguity, I ought first to say, that men too easily deceive themselves in believing that water-baptism is itself regeneration, either in whole or in part. It is only a visible sign of an invisible operation which must take place in the heart of every man who enters into the Church of Christ. Whether infants ought to be baptized, or only believing adults, is another question; but as a proof that the baptism of water is not evangelical regeneration, there are many persons baptized who are neither regenerated nor Christians." The Etchegua: "Eounate nao! (It is true!)" Several of the priests present appeared astonished at his answer. Missionary: "It appears then, by many accounts in the Bible, that regeneration commences at all seasons of life, with some sooner and with others later." The Etchegua: "How is regeneration wrought in man?" Missionary: "It appears that Jesus himself could not explain it in human language: how much less I, who am still so imperfect in your language? But, collecting the passages of Scripture which speak of it, this is how I believe it may be explained. It commences by a lively sense of that sinfulness and corruption into which the sinner is plunged by nature. This painful feeling humbles a man, and constrains him to ask for grace, as a criminal worthy of eternal death. In this state, the same Spirit which has unveiled to the man's eyes his spiritual misery, conducts him to the foot of the cross of Jesus, and gives him to understand that Christ was made sin' and 'a curse' for men sinful and accursed, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.' The believing sinner, seeing himself thus redeemed, saved by mere grace, begins to love his Saviour, because he first was loved and love for the Lord drives out of his heart love for the vanities of the world, and the fear of its menaces; so that the sinner becomes another man. He hates what he before loved, and loves what he hated: hence the source of those good works, which never fail to follow, as the effect of gratitude. Such is the feeble description that I am able to give you of Regeneration: but, as Jesus Christ says of the wind, (John iii.) that we know not whence it cometh and whither it goeth,' but we hear the sound thereof;' so every description is imperfect: nevertheless, in every case, he who is born of the Spirit knows that he is so, as we know that there is wind when we hear the sound of it."-Pp. 127—129.

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May 1, 1830-Much rain has fallen; I did not go out, and received no visit, except from Habeta Selasse, who passed some hours with me during the rain. Our principal conversation related to fasting. He comprehended, at length, that fasting may be useful when it is voluntary; when we are induced to fast from a lively feeling of our misery-a feeling so strong as to prevent us from taking pleasure in any thing of this world; and when it is accompanied with prayer to God for those things of which we feel the want for ourselves or for other men but that when fasting is made a meritorious work before God, in whatever degree, it is a sin; and that in this respect the fasts of Abyssinia are usually criminal before God.-This brought us to the great point of Justification by faith. The Abyssinians are far from being so much opposed to this doctrine as the Papists, the Greeks, &c. in theory; in practice, the heart of man always opposes the same resistance to it. Habeta Selasse said nothing which could be regarded as directly contrary to this doctrine; but, notwithstanding this, he is not yet clear upon it. He reverences St. Paul, and would not wish to contradict him: but, in spite of all the explanations which one may give, this saving doctrine is never received in its true sense, till the sinner has the experience of it in himself.-Pp. 148, 149.

Habeta Selasse: "Yet we do not receive what is contrary to the Word of God." Missionary: "I have already proved to you, that in the writings of men, especially since the fourth century, there are, in general, errors, particularly in your Oudasse Mariam of Ephraim. At present, I wish only to make use of one argument, to show you the cause of the temporal and spiritual misery of the country. Supposing even that there were nothing in the writings of the doctors of the Church directly opposed to the Word of God, you yourselves confess that they contain many things which are not in the Bible; and you have no proof that these novelties are divinely inspired. You are therefore, at the least, obliged to doubt; but doubt is the opposite of that faith by which we overcome the world. See, for example, Chrysostom, one of the best, and one whom I much respect: did you not confess, the other day, that there are to be found many traces of self-love, perhaps of pride, in his writings; not to mention his ideas, so opposite to the declarations of St. Paul, on Free-will.Pp. 157, 158.

I had a long conversation with Alaca Waca, on the justification of a sinner before God. Like others with whom I have already spoken on this subject, he is not so much opposed to the doctrine of Justification by faith as the priests and other sects; but his views are not clear. The passage of St. James, chap. ii. confounds him. I explained it to him, and cited several passages from St. Paul. He said that I was right; but I plainly saw that it was no power of mine that could bring him to the light.-P. 162.

Immediately on my return home, the house was filled with people; among others were two priests, who from time to time put several questions, sometimes for further explanations, and sometimes to turn the conversation on the ceremonies of the Church. I spoke to them concerning the necessity of Regeneration, at an age when a man is capable of believing, after having heard the Word of God-against the general opinion of the country, that the baptism of water is Regeneration itself-concerning the operations of the Holy Spirit in the heart of man-of the nature of saving faith-of the necessity of knowing the Word of God, as the sole rule of our faith and practice-of Predestination, &c. On this last point the priests made only this single remark: "God knew from all eternity what would be the works of believers; for this reason, He elected them, before the creation of the world, to be saved." This led me to speak of the sin there is in attributing the least merit to the works of man. This observation confounds Abyssinians as well as Europeans, and they make the same objections.-Pp. 164, 165.

There are many other instances of the same kind, but the above will sufficiently illustrate our foregoing remarks. Why did not Mr. Gobat, instead of rudely separating the sacraments from graces, and introducing a kind of scepticism upon the most sacred points, which evidently shocked his auditors, endeavour rather to enforce the necessity of proving our own souls, in order to discover whether the sacraments have been efficacious to us, and teach, not that the sacred ordinances of the Church are vain, but that a necessity lies upon us of receiving that new heart and right spirit, without which it is vain to assert that we are united to Christ's holy body. We assure Mr. Gobat, that although there are many faithful ministers who do not coincide with him in his views of baptismal regeneration and predestination, there are few who do not urge their flocks to implore "the grace of a true conversion." There are many errors of various kinds professed by Abyssinian Christians evidently not of universal belief, since they are, in some instances,

opposed to each other), such as the undue reverence of saints and of the Virgin Mary, the reception of mere apocryphal books, confounding our Lord's natures, and the operations of the Holy Spirit with respect to him, which Mr. Gobat combated most ingeniously and successfully, and to the discussion of which we wish he had confined himself.

We gladly present our readers with a specimen of our author's theological acumen :—

I passed some hours very agreeably at the house of the Etchegua; and I feel convinced that it was the Lord that unloosed my tongue to reply to all his questions. He commenced by asking me what we thought of one or of two natures in Christ. I took a piece of bread, and said to him, "What do you think of this piece of bread? do you attribute to it one nature, or two?" The Etchegua: "I only attribute one." Missionary: "Yet there is the nature of teff and the nature of water, which, for all they are united together, may be regarded as distinct, and are even capable of being separated. This is a feeble image of the divine and human natures united in the person of Christ. In your language, the expression 'two natures' (baher), which you confound with the equally indefinite word (acâle) 'person,' is not perhaps suitable to Jesus Christ; because it would give the idea of two separate beings. In like manner, the expression one nature' is not suitable in our language; because it would give the idea of a monstrous confusion in the person of Christ." The Etchegua: "I conceive that it is the confusion of languages which has produced the confusion in the Church in this respect." Missionary: "6 Do you believe Jesus Christ to be perfect God and perfect man?" The Etchegua: "Yes, with all my heart!" Missionary: "Well, we are brothers in this respect, although we express ourselves differently. As for us, we believe we ought not to anathematize any but those who love not our Lord Jesus Christ." The Etchegua (turning toward the numerous attendants): "Eounate nao! Eounate nao! (It is the truth! It is the truth!)"-To me: "How is Jesus Christ our brother? Is it according to the flesh, or according to the Spirit?" Missionary: "There are passages in the Bible which are not very clear on this subject; but there are some which show clearly that he is called our brother according to the flesh; viz. He was made like unto his brethren in all things,' except sin: and elsewhere, it is said, that he is, according to the flesh,' of the seed of David, a son of Adam our father according to the flesh. In other passages, it can only be according to the Spirit; for example, 'Tell my brethren that I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." The Etchegua: "I have often been perplexed on this point; but now it appears to me that I understand it. But how does a man become the brother of Jesus Christ according to the Spirit?" Missionary: "By regeneration, which is called the being born of God, of the Spirit, from on high,' &c." The Etchegua: "By the way, independently of the work of the Holy Spirit, who is it that visibly began the work of regeneration under the New Covenant?-is it Jesus Christ himself, or the Apostles?" Missionary: "Read the nineteenth chapter of St. Matthew." All the chapter was read; and on coming to this passage, "You, who have followed me in the regeneration," &c. the Etchegua, striking his breast, said, "It is clear as day!" All the rest looked at each other, without saying any thing. They must have disputes on this point, which I have not yet been made acquainted with. Pp. 125-127.

This morning, Habeta Selasse and an old priest came in, and interrupted a conversation on medicine, in which I was engaged with Tecla Selasse, grandson of King Tecla Haimanot. Habeta Selasse said to me: "Tell me plainly, once for all, what is your belief on the point which is the principal subject of our disputes? When it is said that Jesus Christ was anointed of the Holy Spirit, what

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does that mean?" Missionary: "We can only know, on this subject, what the Word of God teaches us. But it seems to me, by the passage in St. Luke iv. 18, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,' &c., that that only refers to the mission of Jesus as Christ, anointed to be Prophet, Priest, and King. He has sent me to preach the gospel to the poor; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord-there is the Prophet: To heal the broken-hearted; to preach recovering of sight to the blind-there is the Priest: To proclaim liberty to the captives; and to set at liberty them that are bruised '-there is the King. The Copts say that Jesus anointed himself, and that he had no nced of the assistance of the Holy Spirit: this is directly contrary to the Word of God, Acts x. 38. The people of Tigré say, that the anointing of Jesus Christ means only that the Holy Spirit wrought the union of divinity with humanity in the person of Christ; but that does away with the typical sense of the anointing of prophets, priests, and kings, under the Old Covenant; and yet the prophetic Spirit calls Jesus Christ a Prophet, Deuteronomy xviii. 15; a Priest, Psalm cx. 4; and a King, Psalm ii. 6, xlv. 1, &c. My belief, then, founded on all these passages, is, that 'God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power,' Jesus of Nazareth (the Man); in order that, as Man, he might perfectly perform the work of our salvation; as a Prophet, to instruct us in the ways of God; as a Priest, to heal our spiritual diseases (Isaiah liii. 5), or to reconcile us to God; and as a King, to deliver us from the bondage of sin, and from all our enemies." Habeta Selasse: "That is precisely our belief: this is why, from this present time, we entirely separate from the Copts, and why we do not at all agree with the people of Tigré and Gojam. We believe that the union of the divinity with the humanity in the womb of the Virgin Mary is entirely explained by these words: "The Word was made flesh.' Missionary: "Very well; but you are wrong in calling the anointing of Jesus Christ a third birth." Habeta Šelasse: "If it is as man that Jesus Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit, he was anointed like his brethren, like us. Now the indwelling or operation of the Holy Spirit in us is called a birth' in the third chapter of St. John." Missionary: "Here you fall into a very great error: for, as it respects us, we are fallen from our original, and are by nature children of the devil. The Holy Spirit works in us in order to make us pass 'from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God,' to change us, to renew us (Titus iii. 5); and it is this renewing, or this change, which the Holy Spirit produces in us, which is called in the Gospel a new birth; because by it we become children of God. But Jesus Christ was the Son of God by nature; he had no need of becoming so by a renewing. Do you not plainly see, that when you call the anointing of Jesus Christ a birth, you insinuate that he was a sinner?" Habeta Selasse and the Priest: "You are right and we are wrong on this point." We afterward conversed on the New Birth,-a doctrine exceedingly darkened by the idea that the new birth is necessarily joined with the baptism of water.-Pp. 169-171.

This morning the Etchegua sent for me to breakfast with him. I found there but one priest, and another monk, both of whom appeared to be persons of authority. The Etchegua asked me, in order, all the questions which could be put on the anointing of Jesus Christ. He began by asking me, "What was Adam before the fall?" Missionary: "Adam was created to be a king, to rule over all the earth, or subject it to himself; a priest, to render to God a rational homage in the name of all nature; a prophet, to bring up his posterity in the knowledge and love of God." The Etchegua: “Adam was not introduced into Paradise till forty days after his creation, and Eve eighty days after her creation: this is why we baptize boys at the age of forty days, and girls at the age of eighty days. What do you say to it?" Missionary: "The Bible, which alone can inform us on this subject, speaks neither of forty nor of eighty days; therefore we know nothing about it. We baptize infants at the age of one day, or more, indifferently." The Etchegua: "This difference between us and you is of no consequence. By whom was Adam saved?" Missionary: "If he

was saved, it was by Jesus Christ; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved,' but the only name of Jesus." The Etchegua: "How were the Old-Testament saints saved, since Jesus Christ was not yet come into the world?" Missionary: "They were saved by faith in Christ, as well as ourselves: for it is written, that He was slain from the foundation of the world."" The Etchegua: "Why do men die? Is it on account of the sin of Adam, or is it through their own fault?" Missionary: "St. Paul says, that by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,' through him (Adam), for that all have sinned.' The death, therefore, of the soul in which we are born, and the death of the body, are the consequence of the sin of Adam; but Jesus Christ has redeemed, or delivered, all those who believe in him, from the death of the soul, and that of the body. We are delivered from the death of the soul by the regeneration which takes place on earth (John iii. 12); and from the death of the body by the resurrection of life at the last day; for it is by believing that we obtain the true life of body and soul, through his name." The Monk: "He is inore learned than Yohannes "—the Greek who was here last year. The Etchegua: "Yohannes knew only the New Testament; but this man knows all."-To me : "How does Jesus Christ deliver us from the power of the angel of death (the devil)?" Missionary: "St. Paul says, that by his death he has destroyed him who has the power of death, even the devil.' The Etchegua: "We are agreed on all the principal points. I have now found the Abuna that we want." He next asked me if there were monks in our country. Missionary: "No: there are many persons who do not marry; but they content themselves with saying, 'To-day I am not married; but as for to-morrow, God alone knows what will be suitable for me.'" The Etchegua: "The cap of St. Anthony and the cap of St. Macarius are not yet arrived in England; but are you not acquainted with the order of St. George?" Missionary: "We are acquainted with it; but we believe that the vow of celibacy is a sin, because it is based on man's own power to establish thereby that righteousness of his own which St. Paul condemns, and because it is nowhere recommended in the Word of God." The Etchegua: "This difference also is of no consequence." We then came to the confession of sins to priests, and to absolution; but because it is on this point that all the priests rest their tyrannical authority, and because we were not agreed, he would not understand me.-Pp. 202-205. This afternoon the Etchegua sent for me, to dine at his house with several priests and others, in all fifty or sixty persons. I had just dined; so that, while the others were at table, all very attentive, I had a long conversation with the Etchegua on the anointing of Jesus Christ: and on account of the people present, I made a kind of sermon, on the regeneration of sinful man by the operation of the Holy Spirit. When the dinner was over, the Etchegua commanded silence; and said to all, as a kind of approval of what I had just said, "Samuel gives us several new ideas. He says that Jesus Christ received the Holy Spirit as true Christians receive it; with this difference, that he received it without measure (John iii. 34); while we receive it in measure. This is what he calls ' anointing;' but he says that it ought not to be called 'a birth;' because the operation of the Holy Spirit in us consists in this, that it turns us from darkness to light, from sin to righteousness, and from the power of Satan to God.' Till we receive the Holy Spirit, we are children of the devil, dead in sin, &c. : now, when the Holy Spirit is given to us, it produces in us a new life, and regenerates us after the image of God which we had lost by sin; and all this is called a new birth' in the Gospel. But," said he, "Jesus Christ had no need of this great change. He had no need to become a child of God through grace, because he was such by nature. So, when it is said that he was anointed by the Holy Spirit, he was so, to be Prophet, Priest and King, Christ the Saviour. Samuel is always especially careful to say, that we ought not absolutely to receive any thing but the Bible as the rule of our faith and conduct. We never before had counsel like this." All the priests appeared to applaud his discourse,

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