CHAPTER X.

Christianity when introduced into China-Ancient monument, bearing date 781-Inscription-Nestorians-Bishops or Patriarchs-Progress of Christianity-Emissaries from the Pope sent in 1246-Build a church-Monte Corvino translates a portion of the Scriptures into the Mongolian tongue-1565, many Jesuits in China-Ricci converts the Mandarin Seu and his daughter-Build churches at Nan-kin and Foo-chow-foo-Ricci received at the Court of Pekin-1611, Ricci dies at Pekin His character-Edict promulgated in 1627-Death of Seu -1645, Schaal commanded by the Emperor to correct the Calendar Schaal appointed tutor to the young Emperor, Kang-he-Assassinated in 1669-Verbeist taken into favour by Kang-he-Honors paid to him -1669, French Jesuits arrive in China-Epistle from Louis the Fourteenth to the Emperor Kang-he-1692, Edict of Toleration-Romish Church built at Pekin-Worship performed there in 1702 -De Tournon sent as Legate to China by Pope Clement in 1704—Religious differences among the various fraternities of Roman Catholics—1710, De Tournon made a Cardinal-His death-1715, Mezzabarba sent as Legate by the Pope-Missionary conduct in China-Ripa's account— 1721, the Emperor's resolve-1724, Edict of the Emperor Yung-ching -1732, Father Kagler appointed President of the Astronomical board -1736, Persecution commenced under Keen-lung- 1747, Bishop Sanz and others put to death-1784, Priests seized at Huk-wang— 1811, Chinese priest apprehended—Missionaries put to death-None allowed at the Court of Pekin-1820, Sir A. Ljungstedt's account of the number of Roman Catholics-Account given by L'Annales de la Foi -Bishoprics and Apostolic vicariates-Missionaries of the present day -Colonial chaplain-Bishop of Hong-Kong-Members of missionary societies in China-Edict issued in March 1846, granting privileges to the Roman Catholics-Secret societies of China-Local ordinance

INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY INTO CHINA. 187

Chinese document found at Macao-Their origin and progress up to this period-Our compredore-The tendency of the conduct of professing Christians, upon the Chinese, religiously and morally. FROM ancient records, it appears that Christianity was introduced into the Celestial Empire in the seventh century, about the year 635 of the Christian era, during the reign of Tait-sung, the second Emperor of the dynasty of Tang. Chinese records state, that many ambassadors came from foreign countries to the capital of China, Singan-foo, in the province of Shense, where the Emperor, Tait-sung, held his court; among them came a man named Alapun, who soon made himself conspicuous for his eminent virtues, and the doctrines which he promulgated. This strange man brought with him certain sacred writings, which he said contained the doctrines of a new religion, and entreated the Emperor to examine these documents with care. Tait-sung received the proffered gift from Alapun, examined with the utmost care the theoretical and practical precepts contained in the scriptures, or sacred writings of the new religion, conversed with Alapun upon the subject, and finally gave him permission to preach and promulgate the new religion, or CHRISTIANITY. At the commencement of the ensuing year, the following Imperial edict was issued.

"Truth hath not an unchanging name, nor are holy men confined to one unchanging form. In every place true doctrine has been given, and with reiterated instructions the crowd of the living have been blessed.

"From the distant regions of Ta-tsin,* the great and

* Literally, great purity; and the country here mentioned under the name of Ta-tsin, is supposed by most ancient and modern writers to be Arabia and Judea.

virtuous Alapun has brought the scriptures and the pictures, to offer them to our high court. If these writings be examined, they will be found excellent, pure, and profound; if its origin be considered, it produces that which is important; its phraseology is without superfluous words, as it holds the truth, but rejects that which is needless; it is beneficial in all affairs, and profitable to the people, and should therefore pervade the empire. Let the officers erect a temple for the religion of Ta-tsin in the capital, and appoint twenty-one officers for its oversight." What corroborates this, is the following extraordinary fact: in 1625, some Chinese workmen discovered, in the province of Shen-se, near Singan-foo, a monument inscribed with Chinese and Syrian characters, bearing the date of 731; the local mandarins had this monument removed to a pagoda, and all missionaries then in China had free access to this monument, as well as the Chinese. The missionaries describe this monument as a slab of marble, about nine feet and a half long, and nearly five wide; on one side is the Chinese inscription, in twenty-eight lines, there being in each column, or line, twenty-six characters. The Syrian inscription is on the right side, and contains seventeen characters; at the top of the monument are nine Chinese characters, which signify-"A tablet recording the introduction of the religion of the Ta-tsin country into China." The inscription on this tablet has been translated into Latin by Kircher, which was published at Amsterdam. Dalguie, the celebrated French antiquarian, also published a translation at Paris.

The Jesuits affirm that this monument is a proof of

ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE.

189

the existence of the Romish church in China at this period; some authors state that this assertion is absurd, as the Jesuits have not any records to corroborate or support the assertion, whilst others support the statement of the Jesuits; but this is a matter of little import now, whether it was or was not the doctrines of the Romish Church that were promulgated in the capital of China, Singan-foo, in the province of Shen-se, during the reign of the emperor Tait-sung, in the year 635. We must be convinced from records, that Christianity was introduced into China at this period, if not at an earlier date. The Reverend Mr. Medhurst states, and proves, that it is a wellauthenticated fact, that St. Thomas the Apostle visited India, and promulgated the doctrines of the Christian religion; we learn from Assemannus, that the apostle went to a kingdom east of India, preaching the gospel, and founded a church in the city of Cambala, which many suppose was Pekin, returning afterwards to Malabar. These statements are corroborated by the Nestorians, and ritual of the Chaldean Church, for in one of their services, when alluding to Saint Thomas, it is written, "by him the Persians, Hindoos, and CHINESE, were converted to the Christian faith."

These facts may prove interesting to a certain class of readers, and induce them to prosecute farther inquiry into these interesting statements, made by ancient and modern authors of celebrity. The antiquity of Christianity in India none can doubt, as it is proved by tradition and written records; Amro, in his account of sees which were subject to, and acknow

ledged the rule of, the Nestorian patriarch, places Sina, or China, after India: Ebedjesus affirms, that the seers were placed in rotation as each was founded; if this is a veracious statement, China must at a very early period have experienced the blessings of Christianity. No historians agree as to the founder, or period of foundation, of the metropolitan sees of Sina and Samarkand, some stating that it was Achæus, others Silas; the former was Archbishop of the Chaldeans at Seleucia, in the year 410, the latter was the elder bishop, or patriarch of the sect, in the year 506, Mosheim writes, "Nothing could exceed the zeal of the Nestorian Christians to spread the Christian doctrine in the east. They gained a firm footing in Persia about A.D. 520, and established a patriarch, or spiritual head of their sect, at Seleucia. Their doctrine spread with astonishing rapidity and success through all countries that lay beyond the limits of the Roman Empire."

There are extant authentic records, from which it appears that throughout all Persia, A GREAT PORTION OF CHINA, India, America, Syria, and other countries, there was a vast number of Nestorian churches, subject to the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Seleucia.

In Gieseler's "Ecclesiastical History," we read, "It was about the year 550 that some Persian monks conveyed silkworms from China." From all these statements, it would appear that the Nestorians carried on intercourse with China from a period antecedent to the year 635. After the death of the Emperor Tait-sung, his successor, Kaout-sung, also favoured