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.
I advised him to stick to his trade, which would obtain
for him far more respect than preaching. He replied, that "the
word of God must be preached in all countries; that the Apostle
Paul had encountered dangers and difficulties, but, nevertheless,
he preached to, and converted the heathen," &c.
Whenever I have met an exceedingly ignorant missionary, he has
invariably compared himself to the Apostle Paul. In half an hour
I found, that I was conversing with St. Paul in the person of the
blacksmith. Whether this excellent apostle is among the captives
in Abyssinia at the present moment, I do not know; but, if so,
their memory of the Bible will be continally refreshed by
quotations, which fly from the tongue of the smith like sparks
from his anvil. His companion was very ill, and incapable of
moving. I went to see the poor fellow upon several occasions, and
found him suffering from dysentery and diseased liver. These
excellent but misguided people had a first-rate medicine chest,
filled with useful drugs and deadly poisons, that had been
provided for them cheaply, by the agent for their society at
Cairo, who had purchased the stock in trade of a defunct doctor.
This had been given to the missionaries, together with the
caution that many of the bottles were not labelled, and that some
contained poison. Thus provided with a medicine chest that they
did not comprehend, and with a number of Bibles printed in the
Tigre language which they did not understand, they were prepared
to convert the Jews, who could not read. The Bibles were to be
distributed as the word of God, like "seed thrown upon the
wayside;" and the medicines, I trust, were to be kept locked up
in the chest, as their distribution might have been fatal to the
poor Jews. These worthy and well-meaning missionaries were
prepared to operate mentally and physically upon the Abyssinians,
to open their minds as well as their bowels; but as their own
(not their minds) were out of order, I was obliged to assist them
by an examination of their medicine-chest, which they had
regarded with such dread and suspicion that, although dangerously
ill, they had not dared to attempt a dose. This medicine-chest
accompanied them like a pet dog suspected of hydrophobia, which
they did not like to part with, and were yet afraid to touch. I
labelled the poisons, and weighed out some doses, that in a few
days considerably relieved them; at the same time I advised the
missionaries to move to a healthier locality, and to avoid the
putrid water.
On the day following our arrival, I paid a visit to the Sheik of
Gallabat--Jemma.
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