Author: Brancati, Francesco 潘國光, 1607–1671

Shengjiao sigui 聖教四規. [Jap-Sin I, 106-106a]
Date2002
Publish_locationTaibei Shi 臺北市
PublisherTaipei Ricci Institute 利氏學社
CollectionRicci Institute Library
Edition
LanguageChinese 中文
Record_typeBook
SeriesChinese Christian texts from the Roman Archives of the Society of Jesus ; v. 5, Yesuhui Luoma dang'anguan Ming-Qing Tianzhujiao wenxian 耶穌會羅馬檔案館明清天主教文獻 ; 第5冊
ShelfHallway Cases
Call NumberBX1665.A2 Y47 2002 v. 5
Descriptionv. 5, pp. 257-300 ; 22 cm.
NoteShengjiao sigui 聖教四規 / [Pan Guoguang zhu 潘國光著].

JapSin I, 106
Shengjiao sigui 聖教四規.
By Pan Guoguang 潘國光 (Francesco Brancati, 1607–1671).
One juan. Chinese bamboo paper in one volume. No date or place of publication.

The cover bears the title of the book with a Latin inscription: “De praeceptis | Ecclesiae | a p. Franc. Brancati, S.J.”
The frontispiece bears the emblem of the Society of Jesus. The verso of this folio, at the left center, gives the names of the censors: Bi Jia 畢嘉 (Giandomenico Gabiani) and Lu Riman 魯日滿 (François de Rougemont). Permission for publication was given by Guo Najue 郭納爵 (Inácio da Costa, 1603–1666).
There is a preface (two folios) by Xu Erjue 徐爾覺 (zi 炤齊, grandson of Xu Guangqi) and a postscript (one folio) by Augustinus Qiu Yuezhi 丘曰知奧定 (cf. Jap-Sin I, [38/42] 40.3).

The main text consists of seventeen folios. The first folio bears the title and the name of the author. There are eight columns in each half folio, with nineteen characters in each column. The upper middle of each folio bears the title with the number of the folio marked below. The text explains the four precepts of the Church.
Cf. Pfister, p. 228, no. 3; Hsü 1949, p. 184; Courant 7217 7219, 7089 II; Couplet, p. 31.
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, p. 156.

JapSin I, 106a
Shengjiao sigui 聖教四規.
By Pan Guoguang 潘國光 (Francesco Brancati, 1607–1671).
This is a duplicate of Jap-Sin I, 106.
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, p. 157.

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SubjectCatholic Church--China--Doctrines--17th century--Sources Commandments of the Church Precepts of the Church--Chinese
Seriesfoo 325
Tianjie 天階. [ZKW 75514B]
Date2013
Publish_locationTaibei Shi 台北市
PublisherTaipei Ricci Institute 利氏學社
CollectionRicci Institute Library
Edition初版
LanguageChinese 中文
Record_typeBook (Text in Collection)
SeriesXujiahui cangshulou Ming-Qing Tianzhujiao wenxian xubian 徐家匯藏書樓明清天主教文獻續編
ShelfHallway Cases
Call NumberBX1665.A2 X845 2013 v.17
Descriptionpp. 495-518 ; 22.5 cm.
NoteTianjie 天階 / Pan Guoguang 潘國光.
Mss. Dated 1650?
N.B. For print edition see: ARSI & BnF eds.

In vol. 17 of: Xujiahui cangshulou Ming-Qing Tianzhujiao wenxian xubian 徐家匯藏書樓明清天主教文獻續編. -- 42. 天階 (潘國光 Francesco Brancati)

"..... a short meditation or pious thought for 30 occasions or moments during the day, from the early morning to the late evening (see ’table of contents’). "The author teaches how during all daily activities, even the most simple ones, one can elevate one’s soul to God, while observing the infinite perfections of God in material objects and thanking him for his blessings and accepting the hardships of life with resignation. The style of this text is simple and the thoughts are pious" (Pfister, in translation). The text opens (f. 1a3) with referring to an admonition expressed by Jesus: 吾主耶穌在世訓十二宗徒曰 爾當恆求天主而無倦 (cf. Luke 18:1, “And he spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint”)" --Cf. Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database).

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SubjectChristian life--China--Catholic authors--17th-18th centuries--Sources Prayer--Treatises, Chinese--17th century--Jesuit authors Conduct of life--China--Catholic authors--17th century Meditation--Catholic Church Prayer books Prayer--Catholic Church Spiritual life--Catholic Church--China--17th century--Sources
Seriesfoo 170
Tianjie 天階. [Jap-Sin I, 107, BnF Chinois 6964]
Date1650
Publish_location---
Publisher---
CollectionRicci Institute Library
Edition
LanguageChinese 中文
Record_typeDigital text [pdf]
Series
ShelfDigital Archives
Call NumberBX2350.2.B83
Description1 juan ; n.d.
NoteTianjie 天階 / 潘國光.
Print edition. Mss. reproduced in Xujiahui cangshulou Ming-Qing Tianzhujiao wenxian xubian 徐家匯藏書樓明清天主教文獻續編, vol. 17, pp. 495-518.

Note: The surmise (below) that this text is an adaptation of Bellarmine's De ascensione mentis in Deum per scalas creaturarum opusculum is incorrect. See: Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database)

JapSin I, 107
Tianjie 天階.
By Pan Guoguang 潘國光 (Francesco Brancati, 1607–1671).
One juan. Chinese bamboo paper in one volume. No date or place of publication.

The cover bears the title in handwriting and a Latin inscription: “Caeli scala, sive piae | mentis elevationes | a. p. Franc. Brancati, S.J.”
Folio 1 gives the title and the name of the author. There are eight columns in each half folio. On the upper middle of the folio the title is given together with the number of the folio. The booklet contains ten folios.
According to Sommervogel (t. II, col. 81) this booklet is probably a translation from one of the works of St. Robert Bellarmine. It has for its purpose the lifting up of the hearts of the faithful to God in their daily lives.
Cf. Pfister, pp. 228–229, no. 5; Hsü 1949, p. 89; Courant 6964–6967 (Élévation de l’âme vers Dieu); Couplet, p. 31 (Ascensio mentis in Deum ex creaturis).

Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, p. 157.

"Important are the spiritual books that present themselves as guides, compasses, or roads for avoiding evil and proceeding towards heaven: Tianjie 天階 (1650, Brancati)..." Cf. Standaert, Handbook of Christianity in China, v. 1, p. 630.

Cf. Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database).
Local access dig.pdf. [Brancati-Tianjie.pdf]
Online at Gallica.

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SubjectChristian life--China--Catholic authors--17th-18th centuries--Sources Conduct of life--China--Catholic authors--17th century Prayers Spiritual life--Catholic Church Prayer groups--Catholic Church Prayer--Catholic Church
Tianshen huike 天神會課. [Jap-Sin I, 105]
Date1662
Publish_locationSongjiang 松江
PublisherJingyitang 敬一堂
CollectionARSI
Edition
LanguageChinese 中文
Record_typeBook
Series
ShelfARSI
Call NumberNOT HELD. FOR DESCRIPTION ONLY
Description1 juan ; n.d.
NoteJapSin I, 105
Tianshen huike 天神會課.
By Pan Guoguang 潘國光 (Francesco Brancati, 1607–1671).
One juan. White Chinese paper in one volume.

Pfister translates the title as “Leçons pour la congrégation des Anges” (p. 229, no. 6) and explains (p. 227) that Brancati had established a number of congregations in Shanghai and that “celle des Saints Anges, pour les enfants” was one of these. The style of this catechism for children is simple and clear. The questions and answers are well arranged.
The following are the contents: the six necessary things one ought to know in order to enter the church; the nature of God; the human soul and body; an explanation of the sign of the cross; an explanation of the Lord’s prayer; an explanation of the Hail Mary; an explanation of the Apostles’ creed; the Ten Commandments; the precepts of the church; explanations of the seven sacraments, of the eight Beatitudes and of the four last things.

There is no date or place of publication in our copy, but Pfister supplies the information that it was published first in Shanghai in 1662, and we think that the publication was made by the Jingyitang 敬一堂 of Songjiang 松江, founded by Brancati in 1641 (cf. Jap-Sin I, 102).

Cf. Hsü 1949, p. 476; Courant 6946–6959, 6960 天神規課. For another edition, see Jap-Sin II, 170.

Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 155-156.

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SubjectTheology, Doctrinal--China--Miscellanea Catholic Church--China--Apologetic works Catechisms, Chinese--17th century Catholic Church--China--Catechisms
Tianzhu Shijie quanlun shengji 天主十誡勸論聖蹟. [Jap-Sin I, 163]
Daten.d.
Publish_location[China]
Publisher---
CollectionARSI
Edition
LanguageChinese 中文
Record_typeBook (stitch-bound 線裝本)
Series
ShelfARSI
Call NumberNOT HELD. DESCRIPTION ONLY
Description10 juan in 1 v.
NoteFull textual citation see: Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database).

JapSin I, 163
Tianzhu Shijie quanlun Shengji 天主十誡勸論聖蹟.
By Pan Guoguang 潘國光 (Francesco Brancati, 1607–1671, zi 用觀).
Ten juan. Chinese bamboo paper in one volume. No date or place of publication.

The title page and the preface by Xu Zuanzeng 許纘曾 are missing.
There is a table of contents (nine folios) and a general introduction. The whole book consists of eighty-eight folios. At the bottom of each folio an Arabic number is given in pencil. The middle of each folio gives the title of the book: 十誡勸論聖蹟, together with the number of the juan and the number of the folio. There are eight columns in each half folio with twenty characters in each column. There is a postscript (two folios) by Qiu Yuezhi 丘曰知 (cf. Jap-Sin I, [38/42] 40.3 and Jap-Sin I, 106).
This book is an explanation of the Ten Commandments, each juan treating one of them, and it illustrates the explanation by way of example.
The postscript tells that for a number of years missioners had been consulted about the book and corrections had been made of its doctrinal contents. At the same time Chinese scholars of various provinces had helped in polishing the style so that it might suit the taste of the Chinese public. The last part of the same postscript gives an account on the final shaping of this book. After a number of alterations it was felt the book lacked unity. Qiu Yuezhi and a colleague of his, Xu Baogong 徐寶弓, were asked to revise it, basing their revisions on the original manuscript. It was decided to make the text as clear as possible. We are told that the revision took about ten days.
The preface of Xu Zuanzeng, missing in our copy, has fortunately been reproduced by Hsü Tsung-tse (1949, p. 183). For his biography, see above (Jap-Sin I, 89).

Cf. Courant 7220.
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, p. 213.

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SubjectTen Commandments