Haisheng Mingdi

Chapter 746
"Give God what is God's, and Caesar what is Caesar's!"

Fengtian.

Facing the missionaries Tang Ruowang and Nan Huairen who had just returned from the south of Beijing, and Bi Fangji who had just returned from Macau, Zhu Yihai said something that surprised them.

Tang Ruowang is a German, a Catholic Jesuit missionary. He went to Macau in 48 Wanli, 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.

He assisted Xu Guangqi in the Chongzhen Dynasty to complete the "Chongzhen Almanac". After the Qing army entered the customs, he compressed the Chongzhen Almanac into "Western New Law Almanac" 103 volumes and dedicated it to Dorgon. The basis for the Qing court to compile the almanac every year, and was later appointed as the official of the Qintian Supervisor.

He is also good at casting cannons, compiled "Fire Attack", spread the knowledge of European artillery, and translated the German "Complete Book of Mining and Metallurgy".

In the past 30 years in China, Tang Ruowang not only became the official of the Qintian Supervisor, but also became the teacher of Emperor Shunzhi, becoming the emperor's tutor.

Under his influence, Catholicism developed rapidly in China, not only obtaining legal status, but also had as many as 15 believers by this time.

It's just that he didn't expect that Man Qing, who entered the customs, would be defeated in an instant like a flash in the pan.

Tang Ruowang and his disciple Nan Huairen did not move south with the Tartars. They felt that they should stay in the Central Plains to continue preaching. The Emperor Zhu Hongjia of the Ming Dynasty was ordered to make a northern tour. After arriving in Beijing, they went to see him immediately and presented almanacs. What's more, the crown prince is not very interested in them.

After a brief interview, they were not kept, but sent to Tokyo.

Arriving in Tokyo, it turned out that many people opposed and even attacked them, and even called them a cult.

Wang Fuzhi, a Hanlin scholar, directly wrote a letter, saying that Tang Ruowang and others had ulterior motives. He and Xu Guangqi compiled the "Chongzhen Almanac" and dedicated it to Emperor Lie, but later changed the name of the book and dedicated it to Dorgon. On the cover, it is written that according to the new law of the West, this is to use the Chinese calendar to expand the West, so that all countries in the world will know that China is following the West!
The prince of the East Palace, Xianma Dong Zhining, wrote a letter to Tang Ruowang and others to conspire to rebel, confuse the public with heresy, and the calendar is absurd.

Under such public sentiment, the emperor summoned Tang Ruowang, Nan Huairen, his master and apprentice, and his old friend Bi Fangji, who were famous missionaries in China.

As soon as they met, without waiting for their excuses, Zhu Yihai set the tone first.

Don't impose the Western approach on China.

It is even more impossible for the Ming Dynasty to allow the Church to override the imperial court, and the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is even more supreme.

Even his opening sentence is actually just borrowing an old Western saying. In fact, how could the emperor let God belong to God, and Caesar belong to Caesar? As long as it is on the territory of Ming Dynasty, everything must respect the emperor and the court.

The Emperor of Ming Dynasty is the Son of Heaven, how could Jesus be the Lord God?

Zhu Yihai was very dissatisfied with their translation of GOD into God and God. Catholics called Jesus God, and Protestants called God.

In the face of Bi Fangji and other old friends, Zhu Yihai said that the Catholic Jesuits could be allowed to continue teaching, but they had to follow the rules of the Ming Dynasty. First, they had to be localized, just like Christianity. He was denounced as a heresy because he had a different personality, and was later introduced into the Tang Dynasty.

When Persian missionaries went to the Tang Dynasty to preach, they took the road of localization, which was translated as Nestorianism. What bloomed was the flower of Chinese Buddhism, and what it bore was the fruit of Christianity.

Their Bibles were translated into Zunjing, and they even quoted a large number of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Chinese history books to explain their teachings, and added a lot of loyalty and filial piety to their classics.

The Shaotian Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty comprehensively rectified Buddhism and Taoism, and naturally they would not let go of other crescent religions and Catholicism.

Zhu Yihai did not adopt a simple prohibition policy, but formulated a reform plan for the more influential sects.

It's like the Jesuits are Catholic, and Zhu Yihai doesn't like the teachings they spread, so now he proposes to bring them under the jurisdiction of the monastic government.

Starting from their scriptures, Zhu Yihai asked the missionaries in China to come to Tokyo for unified registration, examination, ultimatum, and ultimatum to preach.

Then gather these missionaries and some court officials to concentrate on translating the scriptures, just like the Tang monk who returned from learning the scriptures and translated the scriptures in Chang'an.

Translating scriptures is not simply Sinicization, but localization like Nestorianism and Chinese Buddhism.It must be localized, and it must not be above the emperor and the court. From their classics, teachings, to church organizations, they must be localized, and they must be under the control of the court.

God, these names cannot be used, they must be changed to other names, and the Catholic Church in Ming Dynasty will not be controlled by the Holy See, and it will become its own school.

Zhu Yihai suggested that the Catholic Church should be renamed as the Catholic Church, and that the imperial court could set up a teaching department outside the monks and Taoists, and each province should also set up a teaching record department, etc., and the imperial court would appoint instructors to be responsible for the management of church affairs.

The localization of their Bibles is not a simple translation into Chinese, but a secondary creation of Sinicization like the Nestorian scriptures. It must conform to Chinese traditional thinking, especially respect the divine right of kings, and the emperor is the son of heaven. this core idea.

This god is not the god of the church, but the Confucian Haotian God, the heaven of nature, and the second is the God of Sheji.

Therefore, if the teachings of Catholicism need to be changed, they must be changed under this large system, especially in China at this time, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism are integrated into one, and Haotian God has a higher status, and even the three religions are respected together.

Now this Catholicism has to do the same, to respect God Haotian and the Son of Heaven.

In the future, Catholic missionaries must obtain the approval of the imperial court and issue ultimatums. They also need to obtain the approval of the imperial court when they build churches. The monks and Taoists appointed by the imperial court are responsible for the specific management.

You even have to pay taxes.

Zhu Yihai also proposed that monks and Taoist missionaries are not allowed to marry and have children, not to have private property, and not to eat meat.

Catholicism has a hierarchy system with clear hierarchy, centralized power, and level-by-level management, that is, the so-called hierarchy. After Christ became the state religion of the Roman Empire, it was completed with reference to the imperial official hierarchy system. Its main body is composed of bishops, priests, and deacons. , the consecration must be performed by the bishop, and the Pope of the Holy See is the supreme leader.

Of course Zhu Yihai would not allow this kind of thing to happen. Could it be that the church and teaching posts of Daming were still conferred by the Holy See and intervened in their management?

Isn't this interference in internal affairs?

No matter what you teach, when you arrive in China, you have to localize and accept the management of the imperial court. Missionaries have to take exams to obtain certificates. Churches have bishops who must be selected and appointed by the imperial court. Supervision and management.

The Holy See has no right to dictate.

Even their important events, such as mass, must be localized...

Tang Ruowang, Bi Fangji and others were dumbfounded, completely unable to imagine what would happen after the reform.

Zhu Yihai didn't care about these things. When the court enacted a new law, once it was officially promulgated, the church would have to implement it. Violators would be deported from the country, and punished with crimes such as illegal preaching and heresy, jailed or even exiled, or executed.

Christianity is the state religion of Rome and has many believers in Europe. In the [-]th century, Martin Luther and others launched a mighty religious reform. Christianity also began to divide. Many people in northern Europe began to oppose Roman Catholicism.

Religious struggles, like political struggles, never stop.After the reformation, some Christians wanted to restore the decline, so they began to go to the uncultivated Eastern world, wanting to expand their religious influence,

The Society of Jesus was established in Paris during this period, approved by Pope Paul III, with Loyola as its president. Loyola was a Spanish nobleman who founded the Roman Academy and the German Academy. He had rich experience in religious activities and knowledge of doctrine. unique opinion.

He disapproved of some stereotypes and customs of the Roman Church, opposed behaviors such as penance and fasting, and advocated that believers should join the society and engage in affairs in various fields of economy and politics. He also believed in conquering the world as a governor and advocated overseas missionary work.

Matteo Ricci, Tang Ruowang, and Bi Fangjiao were all Jesuit missionaries. They came to China, learned Chinese, adopted Chinese names, wore Chinese costumes, translated Western books, and actively participated in politics. emperor.

But for Zhu Yihai, they crossed the line.

If you are Catholic, you have to go back to the past, you have to practice piously and asceticly, and you have to fast.

Other affairs are not their concern, let alone serve as the vanguard of Christianity conquering the world.

Zhu Yihai asked them to study fast hard, and when they have free time, they can study teachings, translate western astronomy and geography, and other western knowledge. As for other things, they should not participate indiscriminately.

He intends to establish a scripture translation academy in Tokyo, gather some famous missionaries, and let them translate western scientific works, literature and art, so that Ming scholars can learn from them.

In the future, Christians in China must also worship the heavens and ancestors and worship the king.

The same is true for the clergy of the church. They not only have to go to the countryside to worship the heavens and worship their ancestors, but also to be loyal to the emperor and the court. They have to pay taxes to the court and perform military service.

If you can abide by these, you can naturally preach.

In addition, the emperor also stipulated that believers who believed in Buddhism, Catholicism, and Crescent religion had to pay religious taxes to the imperial court, one tithe, which was an additional tax and also paid for their beliefs.

This tax is put into the special treasury of the national treasury, which is dedicated to military reserves.

Believe in freedom, but if you believe in a religion other than Confucianism, you must register and pay tithes. If you do not register or pay taxes, it is a crime of illegal organization, etc., and you must be severely punished.

"Your Majesty, this is a prejudice against us, and it is inappropriate."

Zhu Yihai smiled disdainfully at Tang Ruowang, who was nearly 30 years old, "You have been in China for nearly [-] years, and I see that you were an official in the Chongzhen Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty, and then you turned around and presented the almanac to the Manchus. Loyal man.

Tell me this here? "

"In the whole world, is it the land of the king, and the guests of the land are the ministers of the king."

"What's more, there are no two days in this day, and there are no two monarchs in the country. I have not banned the church and expelled you, which is already very polite.

If you are not happy, 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 denomination shall be above the country or above the law, and neither shall you. "

The calendar book that Tang Ruowang edited was pretty good. Zhu Yihai planned to arrange someone to refine it with them and continue to use it. He even planned to continue to hire Tang Ruowang Nan Huairen as a non-staff researcher of Qin Tianjian.

But Tang Ruowang would no longer be used as the supervisor of Qintian, nor would he be given an official position, and it would be even less likely that he would be the emperor's teacher.

This foreign old man can go to the Imperial College to be a visiting professor and teach Western courses, but if he wants to participate in court politics, there is no way.

"Think about it for yourself. I'll give you three days to think about it. Starting next month, the church will be completely cleaned up."

(End of this chapter)