History of the Sabbath and First Day of the Week - John N. Andrews

to the Roman pontiff. In Central Africa, from the
first part of the Christian era -- possibly from the
time of the conversion of the Ethiopian officer of
great authority (Acts 8:26-40) but very certainly as
early as A.D. 330[73] -- have existed the churches
of Abyssinia and Ethiopia. About the time of the
accession of the Roman Bishop to supremacy, they
were lost sight of by the nations of Europe.
"Encompassed on all sides," says Gibbon, by the
enemies of their religion, the Ethiopians slept near
a thousand years, forgetful of the world, by whom
they were forgotten."[74] In the latter part of the
fifteenth century, they were again brought to the
knowledge of the world by the discovery of
Portuguese navigators. Undoubtedly they have
been greatly affected by the dense darkness of
pagan and Mahometan errors with which they are
encompassed; and in many respects they have lost
the pure and spiritual religion of our divine
Redeemer. A modern traveler says of them: "They
have divers errors and many ancient truths."
Michael Geddes says of them:--
"The Abyssinians do hold the Scriptures to be
736