IN a slender book, entitled The Jesuits in China, Mr.
Jenkins four, or 2 per cent. every month. It is easy to calculate the has reopened a very old and much-debated chapter of profit. The capital of 60,000 tads for every house, makes, for all missionary history,—a chapter, however, of great interest in taken together, the sum of 720,000 lire, and the income about so far as it illustrates both the strength and the weakness of is nothing in comparison with that which they draw from the the most successful missionary organisation that the world commerce in manufactures, wines, clocks, and other industries, has hitherto known. The Jesuit Society, among the many by which these Fathers amass enormous treasures, which render invasions that they have skilfully conducted into the land of them richer in the Indies than the King of Portugal." the heathen, have rarely attained so extraordinary a result in Probably there was some exaggeration in this description the face of heavy difficulties as that compassed by Father of their business ; still, it is evident that the material profits, Ricci and his successors in China. The Chinese, to-day and also the political influence of their position in China, had the moat exclusive, if not the most intolerant of all somewhat obscured their missionary zeal, and it is not sur- nations, not only tolerated the presence of the Jesuits, prising that they should have roused suspicions with regard to but even welcomed them for the sake of the new knowledge the laxity of their religious observances. It was even alleged that they brought with them, and admitted them to the against them that they openly worshipped at heathen shrines, innermost counsels of the Empire. It is difficult to conjecture reconciling the practice to their conscience by secretly carry- mg crosses in the wreaths of flowers that they presented before to what length the Jesuit propaganda of 1582.1602 might have been carried, had it not been for the unfortunate doctrinal the idols. Unluckily, the reformer who rose to put an end to this license was hardly qualified, except by his office, for the controversy which ultimately wrecked their enterprise. As it was, the position which had been gained with such a difficulty undertaking. The Bishop of Conon (Maigrot) know little of was lost, and the teaching of the missionaries was discredited either the Chinese language or religion, and was consequently before the Manchu invaders had made the Empire their own. but ill-fitted to determine what should be the bounds of com- The story of the controversy, which ended so disastrously for promise. His mandate was of so sweeping a character that, the Christian missions, is somewhat confused, owing to the had the Jesuits obeyed it, the whole system of their religious contradictory accounts left by partisans on both sides ; but teaching would have been necessarily destroyed. Not only the author of this book seems to have really succeeded in was the identity of the moral precepts of Christ and Con- giving a fair and impartial explanation of the main facts of fucius denied, but also the identity of the deity. The literati the tale, though he still leaves us in doubt as to which side who had been induced to consider the points of resemblance merits the most blame,—a question not easily solved, involving between the two religions, recoiled at once from this as it does the still more difficult one of the rival claims of new aspect of Christianity. As a supplement, or even conscience and expediency upon missionary policy. As the a purer and more simple form of their own faith, it latter is a problem which must often arise, even to-day, in the seemed to deserve their attention. As an antagonistic course of missionary enterprise, there may be something to creed, it was to them simply blasphemous. The Jesuits, be learnt from the object-lesson provided by a Jesuit mission who were thoroughly alive to the exact nature of their two centuries ago. position in China, simply refused to accept the mandate at There is no space within the limits of a review to give a all. An appeal for confirmation to Rome brought no assist- very detailed account of the internal troubles that wrecked ante to the Bishop for some time. The controversy of the the Chinese mission. Roughly speaking, they arose chiefly Chinese rites was fought almost as fiercely at the Court of Rome as in China itself, and it was not until eight years had from the too great latitude of action which the Jesuit Fathers allowed themselves with regard to the teaching of Christianity, passed that the Pope decided upon the mission of a Legate and the ignorant and ill-advised control which Rome sought who should have authority to settle the question definitely. to exercise over their conduct. The policy of the Jesuits was The Jesuits, whose opposition had so long delayed inter- sound enough in principle. Father Ricci and his immediate ference, had no influence in the choice of the Legate, and no successors threw themselves ardently into the study of the selection could have been more fatal to their cause than that Chinese language, science, and religion, and as they brought of Charles de Tournon, afterwards Cardinal and Martyr. to the task mathematical and general attainments which were The story of De Tournon's mission is very well told. The above the average, it was not long before they acquired a great tragedy of its result was enhanced by the saintly character of influence amongst the moat learned of the natives, and were the chief actor, and the fact that his Jesuit opponents had more even admitted to the confidence of the Emperor. They were than a measure of right upon their side. To quote our author themselves advanced to a high degree among the Chinese "Now when we weigh impartial and really historic documents in an even balance against the statements of the advocates of the literati at a time when learning was the surest passport to Cardinal, we cannot but feel that even Pereyre, and Griu]aldi (the Imperial favour. In the matter of religious teaching, they leading Jesuit fathers), had some reason for the violent resistance were at great pains to show that they had no intention of which they gave to the Papal intervention. They had been the destroying and discrediting the ancient religions which they founders and the architects of the greatest missionary work which the world till then had seen. By the most consummate prudence had come tio supplant. They professed to have found much in and skilful diplomacy, they had opened to the Western world an the teaching of Confucius that was almost identical with the Empire which had hitherto been closed against every explorer. doctrines of Christianity, and they evidently hoped by a The method they had adopted had succeeded beyond their most gradual process of elimination and substitution to convert one sanguine expectations. And now their life's work was to be Bud- * The Jesuits in China, y the Rev, Robert 0. Jenkins, M.A. London ; David Nutt. stepped moral rules. fact, by far the most brilliant success that they achieved ttrrarp Ouppirmtnt. was in the character of a trading company, and not as converters of the heathen. The author quotes a note which K S. "The Jesuits have three houses in Pekin. Each house has 0 0
virtually a trade of interest (wn comment* neural()) to the value of
50,000 or 60,000 tads. Every tact equals at least four 'ire of THE FIRST JESUIT MISSIONS IN CHINA.* French money. The interest given in China is ordinarily thirty
for a hundred. The Jesuits pretend that they only tako twenty- 180,000 lire for the support of twelve poor clergy. But this profit
was the identity of the moral precepts of Christ and Con- giving a fair and impartial explanation of the main facts of fucius denied, but also the identity of the deity. The literati the tale, though he still leaves us in doubt as to which side who had been induced to consider the points of resemblance merits the most blame,—a question not easily solved, involving between the two religions, recoiled at once from this as it does the still more difficult one of the rival claims of new aspect of Christianity. As a supplement, or even conscience and expediency upon missionary policy. As the a purer and more simple form of their own faith, it latter is a problem which must often arise, even to-day, in the seemed to deserve their attention. As an antagonistic course of missionary enterprise, there may be something to creed, it was to them simply blasphemous. The Jesuits, be learnt from the object-lesson provided by a Jesuit mission who were thoroughly alive to the exact nature of their two centuries ago. position in China, simply refused to accept the mandate at There is no space within the limits of a review to give a all. An appeal for confirmation to Rome brought no assist- very detailed account of the internal troubles that wrecked ante to the Bishop for some time. The controversy of the the Chinese mission. Roughly speaking, they arose chiefly Chinese rites was fought almost as fiercely at the Court of Rome as in China itself, and it was not until eight years had from the too great latitude of action which the Jesuit Fathers allowed themselves with regard to the teaching of Christianity, passed that the Pope decided upon the mission of a Legate and the ignorant and ill-advised control which Rome sought who should have authority to settle the question definitely. to exercise over their conduct. The policy of the Jesuits was The Jesuits, whose opposition had so long delayed inter- sound enough in principle. Father Ricci and his immediate ference, had no influence in the choice of the Legate, and no successors threw themselves ardently into the study of the selection could have been more fatal to their cause than that Chinese language, science, and religion, and as they brought of Charles de Tournon, afterwards Cardinal and Martyr. to the task mathematical and general attainments which were The story of De Tournon's mission is very well told. The above the average, it was not long before they acquired a great tragedy of its result was enhanced by the saintly character of influence amongst the moat learned of the natives, and were the chief actor, and the fact that his Jesuit opponents had more even admitted to the confidence of the Emperor. They were than a measure of right upon their side. To quote our author themselves advanced to a high degree among the Chinese "Now when we weigh impartial and really historic documents in an even balance against the statements of the advocates of the literati at a time when learning was the surest passport to Cardinal, we cannot but feel that even Pereyre, and Griu]aldi (the Imperial favour. In the matter of religious teaching, they leading Jesuit fathers), had some reason for the violent resistance were at great pains to show that they had no intention of which they gave to the Papal intervention. They had been the destroying and discrediting the ancient religions which they founders and the architects of the greatest missionary work which the world till then had seen. By the most consummate prudence had come tio supplant. They professed to have found much in and skilful diplomacy, they had opened to the Western world an the teaching of Confucius that was almost identical with the Empire which had hitherto been closed against every explorer. doctrines of Christianity, and they evidently hoped by a The method they had adopted had succeeded beyond their most gradual process of elimination and substitution to convert one sanguine expectations. And now their life's work was to be Bud- creed into the other, just in the same way as they might have denly broken down and destroyed They had triumphed over all their adversaries in China, and had outlived their cruel introduced a more advanced and exact mathematical science persecutions, and now they were to surrender all their conquests into the mathematical knowledge which China already and all their vantage ground at the bidding of a tribunal sitting possessed. The Franciscan missionaries had already given thousands of miles from the scene of their labours, and absolutely proof of the hopelessness of a purely destructive policy, and ignorant of the country and people for whom it was legislating." when it was first started, the success of this more diplomatic The struggle between the Legate and the missionary fathers and cautious system was almost startling. Unfortunately, ruined all further hopes of establishing Christianity, upon the spirit of Xavier, who inspired the work, and the personal any footing at all, among the Chinese. No doubt the Jesuits influence of Ricci, who initiated it, was lacking amongst the had sometimes overstepped the limits of compromise in their successors who carried it on. The latter were no less learned compliance with Chinese customs. It was not always easy and held in no less honour, but their heads were turned by to distinguish between civil and religious rites, and many worldly prosperity, and the chief aim of the mission, the that were accepted by the Jesuits as coming within the first advance of Christianity, was relegated to a second place. In category, may have more rightly belonged to the second. The question still remains as to how far the Jesuits over-
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