"Render to God what is God's, and to Caesar what is Caesar's!"
Fengtian.
Facing the missionaries Tang Ruowang and Nan Huairen who had just returned from Beijing, as well as Bi Fanji who had returned from Macau, Zhu Yihai said something that surprised them.
Tang Ruowang was a German and a Catholic Jesuit missionary. He came to Macau in the 48th year of Wanli Dynasty and later went to Beijing. With the support of Xu Guangqi and others, he sought legal status for Catholicism in the Chongzhen Dynasty and went through the Ming and Qing dynasties.
During the Chongzhen Dynasty, he assisted Xu Guangqi to complete the "Chongzhen Almanac". After the Qing army entered the customs, he compressed the Chongzhen Almanac into 103 volumes of the "New Western Calendar" and dedicated it to Dorgon. The Qing government named the Constitutional Calendar and issued it to the world.
The Qing court compiled the almanac every year, and was later appointed as the Qintian Supervisor.
He was also good at forging cannons, writing "Fire Attack", spreading knowledge about European artillery, and translating the German "Encyclopedia of Mining and Metallurgy".
In nearly thirty years in China, Tang Ruowang not only became the Western Superintendent of the Qin Tian Jian, but also became the teacher of Emperor Shunzhi, becoming the emperor's teacher.
Under his influence, Catholicism developed rapidly in China. Not only did it obtain legal status, but by this time, it had as many as 150,000 believers.
But he didn't expect that the Manchus who entered the Pass would be defeated in the blink of an eye, like a flash in the pan.
Tang Ruowang and his disciple Nan Huairen did not move south with the Tatars. They felt that they should stay in the Central Plains and continue preaching. Zhu Hongjia, the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, was ordered to tour the north. After arriving in Beijing, they went to see him immediately and presented almanacs, etc. to their surprise.
The thing is that the Crown Prince is not very interested in them.
After a brief interview, they were sent to Tokyo without leaving them behind.
When I arrived in Tokyo, I found that many people opposed and even attacked them, even calling them a cult.
Wang Fuzhi, a Hanlin scholar, wrote directly, saying that Tang Ruowang and others had ulterior motives. They compiled the "Chongzhen Almanac" with Xu Guangqi and others and dedicated it to the martyred emperor. However, they later renamed the book and dedicated it to Dorgon. The book was finally named Shixianli when it was still among the
The cover says "According to the New Law of the West". This is to use the Chinese calendar to expand the Western world, so that all countries in the world will know that China is following the Western Zhengshuo!
Prince Xian Ma of the Eastern Palace, Dong Zhining, wrote to Shen Tang Ruowang and others who were secretly plotting to rebel. Their heresies confused the public and the calendar was absurd.
In response to this public sentiment, the emperor summoned Tang Ruowang, Nan Huairen, his master and apprentice, and his old friend Bi Fangji and other famous missionaries in China.
When they met, Zhu Yihai set the tone first without waiting for them to explain.
Don't impose Western practices on China.
It was even more impossible for the Ming Dynasty to allow the church to override the imperial court, and the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was even more supreme.
Even his opening sentence is actually just borrowing an old Western saying. In fact, how can the emperor give God's things to God and Caesar's things to Caesar? As long as everything is on the territory of the Ming Dynasty, everything must be respected by the emperor and the court.
The Ming Emperor was the Son of Heaven, so how could Jesus be God?
Zhu Yihai was very dissatisfied with their translation of GOD as God. Catholics called Jesus God and Protestants called God. Western missionaries to China translated the word into Chinese bit by bit and directly used the word God. Zhu Yihai was very dissatisfied.
In consideration of his old friends such as Bi Francis, Zhu Yihai said that the Catholic Jesuits could be allowed to continue the religion, but they had to follow the rules of the Ming Dynasty. The first step was to localize, just like the Nestorians of Christianity, because they advocated that Christ has two
They were denounced as heretics because of their different personalities, and were later introduced to the Tang Dynasty.
When Persian missionaries came to the Tang Dynasty to preach, they followed the path of localization, which was translated as Nestorianism. They bloomed the flowers of Chinese Buddhism and bore the fruits of Christianity.
Their Bible was translated into Zun Jing, and they even quoted a large number of Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist and allusions from Chinese history books to explain the doctrine, and added a lot of thoughts of loyalty to the emperor and filial piety to their classics.
The Shaotian Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty comprehensively rectified Buddhism and Taoism, and naturally would not let go of other Crescent Sects, Catholics, etc.
Zhu Yihai did not adopt a simple prohibition policy, but formulated a reform plan for the more influential sects among them.
Just like the Jesuits are Catholic, Zhu Yihai doesn't like the doctrines they spread, so he now proposes to bring them under the jurisdiction of the Monk and Taoist Yamen.
Starting from their scriptures, Zhu Yihai required missionaries in China to come to Tokyo to conduct unified registration, take examinations, grant ultimatums, and hold ultimatums to preach.
Then these missionaries and some court officials were gathered together to carry out the translation work, just like the Tang monk who returned from studying scriptures and translated the scriptures in Chang'an.
The translation of the Bible is not simply Sinicization, but must be as localized as Nestorianism, and the same as Chinese Buddhism. It must be localized, and it must not be superior to the emperor and the court, from their classics, doctrines, to church organizations
, all must be localized and must be under the control of the imperial court.
God, these names cannot be used and must be replaced by other names. In the future, the Catholic Church in the Ming Dynasty cannot be controlled by the Holy See and must form its own sect.
Zhu Yihai suggested that the Catholic Church should be renamed Catholic, and that the imperial court could set up a Department of Teachings among monks and laymen, and that each province should also set up a Department of Teaching Records, etc. The imperial court could select instructors to be responsible for the management of church affairs.
Starting from the localization of their Bibles, it is not a simple translation into Chinese, but a secondary creation of Chinese versions like the Nestorian scriptures. It must be in line with traditional Chinese thought, especially the divine right of kings, who are the sons of heaven.
this core idea.
This god is not the god of the church, but the Haotian God of Confucianism, the sky of nature, followed by the God of Sheji.
Therefore, if the Catholic doctrine needs to be changed, it must be changed under this large system, especially in China at this time, the three religions of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism are integrated, and the God Haotian has a higher status, and even the three religions are respected together.
Now the Catholic Church must do the same, respecting God Haotian and the Son of Heaven.
In the future, Catholic missionaries must obtain imperial approval and be issued with ultimatums. They must also obtain imperial approval to build churches. Even their property does not belong to individuals. Instead, local churches have the right to use it, but the ownership belongs to the monks and Taoists.
The monks and Taoists appointed by the imperial court were responsible for the specific management.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! You even have to pay taxes.
Zhu Yihai also proposed that monks and Taoist missionaries are not allowed to get married and have children, have private property, or eat meat.
The Catholic Church’s hierarchical, centralized, and step-by-step ecclesiastical system, also known as the Hierarchy, was completed after Christ became the state religion of the Roman Empire and was completed with reference to the imperial official hierarchy. Its main body is composed of bishops, priests, and deacons.
, the ordination must be carried out by the bishop, and the pope of the Holy See is the supreme leader.
Of course Zhu Yihai would not allow this to happen. Does the church and clergy in the Ming Dynasty still need to be granted and managed by the Holy See?
Isn't this interference in internal affairs?
It doesn’t matter what religion you teach, it must be localized when you arrive in China and must accept the management of the imperial court. Missionaries must take exams and obtain ultimatums. Bishops in churches must be selected and appointed by the imperial court. Churches in various places must accept institutions at all levels according to provinces, counties, etc.
Supervision and management.
The Holy See has no right to dictate.
Even their important activities such as Mass must be localized...
Tang Ruowang, Bi Fangji and others were stunned when they heard this. They could not imagine what the situation would be like after the reform.
Zhu Yihai didn't care about this. When the court formulated a new law, once it was officially promulgated, the church would have to implement it. Violators would be expelled from the country, and in more severe cases, they would be charged with illegal preaching, cultism, etc., and be imprisoned or even exiled or executed.
Christianity is the state religion of Rome and has many believers in Europe. In the 16th century, Martin Luther and others launched a massive religious reform, and Christianity began to divide within itself. Many people in northern Europe began to oppose Roman Catholicism.
Religious struggles, like political struggles, never end. After the reform, some Christians wanted to reverse the decline, so they began to travel to the unexplored Eastern world in an attempt to expand their religious sphere of influence.
It was during this period that the Society of Jesus was founded in Paris, approved by Pope Paul III, with Loyola as president. Loyola was a Spanish nobleman who founded the Roman Academy and the German Academy. He had rich experience in religious activities and had a deep understanding of doctrine.
unique opinion.
He did not agree with some of the stereotypes of the Roman Church and opposed ascetic practices and other behaviors. He advocated that believers join the society and engage in various economic and political affairs. He also believed in conquering the world as a governor and advocated overseas missionary work.
Matteo Ricci, Tang Ruowang, Bi Fangjiao, etc. were all Jesuit missionaries. They came to China, learned Chinese, took Chinese names, wore Chinese clothes, translated Western books, and actively participated in politics. They soon entered the upper echelons and even influenced
emperor.
But for Zhu Yihai, they crossed the line.
If you want to be Catholic, you have to go back to the old ways, you have to practice piety and asceticism, and you have to fast.
Other matters are not their concern, and they cannot serve as the vanguard of Christianity's conquest of the world.
Zhu Yihai asked them to practice hard and fast. When they have free time, they can study religious doctrines, translate Western astronomy, geography and other Western studies. As for other things, they should not participate randomly.
He planned to establish a Translation Institute in Tokyo, gather some famous missionaries, and let them translate Western scientific works, literature and art, etc., so that the scholars of the Ming Dynasty could learn from them.
From now on, believers in China must also worship heaven, ancestors, and the king.
The same goes for church clergy. They must not only follow the local customs and worship heaven and ancestors, but also be loyal to the emperor and the court. They must pay taxes and serve the court. They are not allowed to get married, and they are not allowed to eat meat.
If you can abide by these, you can naturally preach.
In addition, the emperor also stipulated that believers who believe in Buddhism, Catholicism, Crescentism, etc. need to pay religious taxes, tithes, to the court. This is an additional tax and also pays for their faith.
This tax goes into the special treasury of the national treasury and is used exclusively for military expenditure reserves.
You are free to believe, but if you believe in a religion other than Confucianism, you must register and pay tithes. If you do not register and pay taxes, it will be an illegal organization crime, etc., and you must be severely punished.
"Your Majesty, this is prejudice against us. This is inappropriate."
Zhu Yihai smiled disdainfully at Tang Ruowang, who was nearly sixty years old, "You have been in China for nearly thirty years, and I see that you first served as an official in the Chongzhen Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty, and then later presented the almanac to the Manchu Tatars. It is not true.
What a loyal person.
Are you telling me this here?"
"Everyone in the world is the king's land, and the guests who lead the land are all the king's ministers."
"What's more, there are no two days in the sky and no two kings in the country. I have not banned the church and expelled you, which is already very polite.
If you are unhappy, you can leave now. I will not restrict you. But if you want to stay and preach, you must follow the rules set by me and the laws of the court.
No sect is above the country or the law, and the same goes for you."
The calendar book compiled by Tang Ruowang is quite good. Zhu Yihai plans to arrange for someone to refine it with them and continue to use it. He even plans to continue to appoint Tang Ruowang and Nan Huairen as a non-staff researcher at the Qintian Prison.
However, Tang Ruowang will no longer be used as the Emperor's Supervisor, nor will he be granted any official position, nor will he be the Emperor's Master again.
This old foreign man could go to the Imperial College to be a visiting professor and teach Western courses, but if he wanted to participate in court politics, there was no way.
"You can think about it yourself. I will give you three days to think about it. Starting next month, the church will be completely cleaned up and reorganized."