IV. Continuous Ethiopian Witness for Thousand Years

Before continuing with the Reformation witnesses, let us now turn briefly from Britain and the Continent long enough to examine a highly significant independent line of testimony—first from African Ethiopia and then from the Malabar Coast on the southwestern tip of India. While these far-flung regions are only remotely related to the territory we have been surveying, they are highly significant, because they introduce a second paralleling line of witness for Conditionalism, which reaches back to the early centuries of the Christian Era.CFF2 103.2

This testimony is unique because it represents the perpetuation of the original Early Church Conditionalism in these remote regions, rather than the recovery of the primitive view—important as that is—as was the case with Luther and Tyndale and other European Reformers who once held, and then repudiated, the Roman dogma of the Innate Immortality of the soul, and its corollary concepts of the endless torment of the wicked, and of Purgatory. Because of its bearing on the case for Conditionalism, let us go back to the beginning of Christianity in Ethiopia.CFF2 103.3

1. FRUMENTIUS BECOMES BISHOP OF ABYSSINIA

FRUMENTIUS (c. 300-c. 360), recognized apostle of Christianity in the Abyssinian (or Ethiopian) Church, was born in Tyre. When still comparatively young, he and a companion went with his uncle, Meropius, a Greek philosopher of Tyre, to the coast of Abyssinia on a voyage of scientific discovery. Landing on the coast for water, they were captured and made slaves by the Abyssinians. Winning the confidence of the king, and in time set free, Frumentius became the private secretary and tutor of the young Prince Aizanes, and attained influence in state affairs. Carrying on successful missionary work, he developed a church of native converts and Christian merchants. Then, after the prince attained his majority, Frumentius returned to Alexandria to report to Bishop Athanasius, rehearsing the progress he had made in preparing the way for Christianity in Abyssinia.CFF2 104.1

About 326 Frumentius was consecrated by Athanasius as bishop of Axum (or Axuma), chief city of Abyssinia. He received the title Abuna (patriarch), which designation was henceforth assumed by the leaders of the Abyssinian Church. After his return to Ethiopia, Frumentius baptized the young king. And his continuing missionary labors were rewarded with extraordinary success. Like Athanasius, Frumentius was a strong opponent of Arianism. ^{2222) See Rufinus i. 9; Socrates i.19; Sozomen ii.24; Theodoret i.22; and Athanasius, “Defense Against the Arians,” 29-31.} And it was obviously he who taught the Conditionalist view concerning man to the Ethiopians, which teaching was still retained by many in the sixteenth century.CFF2 104.2

It should be added that after Athanasius was banished from Alexandria in 356, Emperor Constantius persecuted the followers of Athanasius, even into remote regions. Pursuant to this policy, Constantius even demanded that the princes of Ethiopia send Frumentius to Alexandria for examination as to his orthodoxy, and the regularity of his ordination. But the princes refused, and Frumentius continued his work and witness in Ethiopia until his death.CFF2 104.3

2. JESUIT MISSIONARIES DISCOVER DISSENTING BELIEF

When Portuguese Jesuit missionaries reached Ethiopia, in the latter part of the sixteenth century, they found many of these Ethiopian Christians still holding that the dead remain unconscious until the resurrection, as well as some who were still observing the ancient seventh-day Sabbath as a Christian institution. P. Pero Pais, S.J., in his Historia da Etiopia, reports subsequent disputations with the principal local scholars in the presence of Emperor Za Denguil, which took place in June, 1604. Pais specifically records that “they [the Ethiopians] deny purgatory,” with its characteristic involvements. And he reports that they answered the usual Catholic contentions by stating that they considered such arguments absurd and unsatisfying. ^{2323) P. Pero Pais, S.J., Historia da Etiopia, vol. 2, p. 54.}CFF2 105.1

Contending that the Ethiopians were holding three errors as regards souls, Pais said that the third error is their belief that the souls of the saints “are in the earthly Paradise, without enjoying the glory, and they are to wait there until the day of judgment, when they are going to unite with their bodies, and will enter into heaven together.” And concerning the wicked, he stated that they believe that the souls of such are not yet in Hell; and further, that “they are not to be tormented until they unite with their bodies.” This, asserted Jesuit Pais, was a general belief, which he, of course, labeled an “error” ^{2424) Ibid.} because it is in mortal conflict with Catholic dogma.CFF2 105.2

This Jesuit emissary then sought through public disputations and private talks to prove the Roman Catholic contention that immediately upon death the souls of the saints “enter into heaven and enjoy the glory that their works deserve.” And further, that “the souls of those that die in mortal sin go immediately to hell, where they are tormented.” Some Ethiopic listeners, he adds, accepted the Catholic teaching, while some “remain in their error,” as he termed it. And Pais expressly contradicted the contention of Fr. Luiz de Urreta to the effect that the Ethiopians do not hold such “errors.”CFF2 105.3

Still another Jesuit witness is P. Manuel de Almeida, who, in his Historia de Ethiopia a Alta, concurs in attesting the antiquity of the Ethiopic belief that “the souls of the wicked that die in mortal sin, do not go immediately to Hell,” but instead are detained “without suffering any torment until the day of judgment.” And, confirming the statement of Pais, he adds that “they did not believe in Purgatory” nor in “indulgences.” More important than this, “they believed that the wicked are not to be in hell eternally.” ^{2525) P. Manuel de Almeida, Historia de Ethiopia a Alta, lib. 6, pp. 129, 131.} This last point is highly significant, for it is distinctly the Conditionalist position, retained from early times. And in sustaining their view, Pais says, these Ethiopians quote Hebrews 11, that none of the saints enter into glory until the resurrection.CFF2 106.1

Such explicit attestations from the Jesuits of opposite belief, constitute convincing evidence of the retention in the heart of Africa in the early seventeenth century of the ancient Conditionalist belief on the nature of man. And we repeat: Theirs was not a revival and restoration of a primitive belief by those who had formerly held the contrary Catholic position. It was, instead, the retention of a belief held from early times, independent of the innovations that had come virtually to dominate the various European Christian bodies during the Middle Ages. Such a distinction and witness is indeed illuminative in our quest of the far-flung witnesses to Conditionalism.CFF2 106.2