A Chinese Jesuit catechism : Giulio Aleni's four character classic 四字經文 / Anthony E. Clark.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Chapter1: Introduction -- Chapter 2: Translation of Wang Yinglin's Sanzijing 三字經 (Three Character Classic) -- 3: Chapter Translation of Giulio Aleni's Sizijingwen 四字經文 (Four Character Classic) -- Giulio Aleni's Oeuvre -- Bibliography -- Index.

"This book is the first scholarly study of the famous Jesuit Chinese children's primer, the Four Character Classic, written by Giulio Aleni (1582-1649) while living in Fujian, China. This book also includes masterful translations of both Wang Yinglin's (1551-1602) hallowed Confucian Three Character Classic and Aleni's Chinese catechism that was published during the Qing (1644-1911). Clark's careful reading of the Four Character Classic provides new insights into an area of the Jesuit mission in early modern China that has so far been given little attention, the education of children. This book underscores how Aleni's published work functions as a good example of the Jesuit use of normative Chinese print culture to serve the catechetical exigencies of the Catholic mission in East Asia, particularly his meticulous imitation of Confucian children's primers to promote decidedly Christian content." --back cover

Local access dig.pdf. [Aleni-Clark-Four Character Classic.pdf]

Citation source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 101-103.
Jap-Sin I, 57
Jiaoyao jielüe 教要解略
By Wang Fengsu 王豐肅 (Alfonso Vagnone).
Two juan, one volume. Chinese bamboo paper. Third edition engraved by the Shenxiutang 慎修堂第三刻.

The cover bears a label with the title and a Latin inscription:
"Brevis | Declaratio Christianae doctrinae (Couplet) | Liber sinicus editus à Patribus | Soc^tis Jesu. | Pater, Ave, Decalogus, symbolum, | Deus trinus et unus, 7 sacramenta, opera | spiritualia, octo beatitudines, | 7 peccata capitalia, 7 virtutes capitales, | 3 virtutes capitales | 3 virtutes theologali, 4 cardinales, 4 | sensus, 3 potentia. | scriptus a laico [these three words are penciled out] Wong Fong sieou | Tempore Ricci [these two words are also penciled out]. Compendia ex eodem opere extant sub: Jap Sin I, 57a & Jap Sin I, 126."
At the back of folio 2 there is a label with the inscription: “Wong Fong sieou non è un laico, ma il P. Alfonso Vagnoni S.J. Non è vero che è del tempo del Ricci ma poco dopo (1615). P. D’Elia.”

Cf. Pfister, p. 91; Courant 6855.

JapSin I, 61
Jiaoyao jielüe 教要解略.
By Wang Fengsu 王豐肅 (Alfonso Vagnone).
Two juan, Chinese bamboo paper in two volumes (three + fifty-eight and thirty-three folios). Shenxiutang 慎修堂 third re-engraved edition.

The covers of both volumes bear a Latin inscription: “P. Alphonsi Vagnoni, S.J. | Doctrinae christianae explicatio | Tom. 1^o et 2^o.” At the back of folio 2 there is a red label with this Latin inscription: “P. Alphonsi Vanhoni | S.J. | Doctrinae Christia | nae explicatio | Tom. 1^o.”
There are two columns of European handwriting in folio 3 (before the preface): on the right side is, written vertically, the romanization of the first line of the preface and on the left is an explanation word by word in Latin. After folio 1 of the preface a sheet is attached with European handwriting in eight columns with Arabic numbers on each column. This is, written vertically, a romanization and explanation in Latin of the Our Father, found in folio 1 of the first volume. The original Chinese text of the Our Father is marked with Arabic numbers. Probably this copy was to be sent to Europe and the romanizations and translations were to satisfy the curiosity of their European readers.

JapSin I, 123
Jiaoyao jielüe 教要解略.
By Wang Fengsu 王豐肅 (Alfonso Vagnone).
Two juan, Chinese bamboo paper in two volumes. First volume, thirty-six folios; second volume, thirty-three folios. Re-engraved edition by the Jingjiaotang 景教堂 of Fujian.

There is no title page nor is there a preface of the author. The first folio of the first volume bears the inscription: 解略卷之上 (Jielüe, vol. I), 西海王豐肅述 (Narrated by Wang Fengsu of the West Sea), 閩景教堂重刻 (Re-engraved by the Jingjiaotang of Fujian).
The format is the same as that of Jap-Sin I, 57 and 61, except that in the middle of each folio the abbreviated title 解略 Jielüe is given. The quality of the paper is inferior to that of the other two editions.
There are only thirty-six folios in the first juan (so the folio numbers differ from those in the other two copies). The folios 1–11 are the same as in the other two editions. But there is no general summary of the Decalogue and no explanation of the Ten Commandments (cf. Jap-Sin I, 57). Before folio 1, however, the Decalogue from a Qinyitang 欽一堂 (Fujian) engraved edition has been inserted. Despite this, the first nine folios of this inserted text are missing: the zonggang 總綱 (general summary), the explanations of the first five Commandments and the first folio of the explanation of the sixth Commandment. Without any doubt, these nine folios have been torn out, as parts of the folios 4–9 are still left in the book. At the end of folio 14 there is an inscription: 天主十誡解略終 (End of the commentary on the Decalogue) and two columns in small characters, giving the author and the place of publication (Qinyitang of Fuzhou): 泰西王豐肅述 | 閩中欽一堂梓.
On the top margin of folio 10 there is a Latin inscription: “Catechismus antiquus. Incompletus ab initio.” At the side there is an inscription: “Vagnone, Alfonso spiegazione abbreviata della dottrina cristiana. Pfister I, 91.”
Actually these two volumes are complete in themselves. However, if we compare them with the original, we see that the general summary of the Decalogue and some of the explanations of the Commandments are missing. It is not the Jiaoyao jielüe in its integrity.
The second juan contains thirty-three folios and is the same as in the other two copies.
[Author’s Note: We have placed together the next two numbers, Jap-Sin I, 57a and 126, both editions of the Tianzhu jiaoyao.]
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 104-105.

The book consists of eleven folios. The number of the folio is given in Chinese in the middle of each folio.

Cf. Stary, p. 63 (Abkai ejen-i enduringge tacihiyan-i oyonggo gisun); see also Stary, pp. 42–43 (no. 41). For transcription and translation of this text, see John Mish, “A Catholic Catechism in Manchu,” Monumenta Serica 17 (1958), pp. 361–372.
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, p. 174.

Michele Ruggieri's Tianzhu shilu (the True Record of the Lord of Heaven, 1584) / edited and translated by Daniel Canaris ; with contributions by Wang Huiyu, Wang Yuan and Wang Qi.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction / Daniel Canaris -- The life of Michele Ruggieri / Wang Huiyu and Daniel Canaris -- Critical Edition of the True Record of the Lord of Heaven /The Newly Revised True Record of the Lord of Heaven from Western India -- Vera et brevis divinarum rerum expositio/True and Brief Exposition of Divine Things -- Appendix : True Record of the Holy Religion of the Lord of Heaven.

"The True Record of the Lord of Heaven (Tianzhu shilu, 1584) by the Jesuit missionary Michele Ruggieri was the first Chinese-language work ever published by a European. Despite being published only a few years after Ruggieri started learning Chinese, it evinced sophisticated strategies to accommodate Christianity to the Chinese context and was a pioneering work in Sino-Western exchange. This book features a critical edition of the Chinese and Latin texts, which are both translated into English for the first time. An introduction, biography, and rich annotations are provided to situate this text in its cultural and intellectual context"--  Provided by publisher.

Text in English, Chinese, and Latin.

Local access dig.pdf. [Canaris-Ruggieri Tianzhu shilu.pdf]

The cover bears the title with a Latin inscription: “Christianae legis mysteria praecipua necessaria, a p. Lud. Buglio, S.J.”

Cf. Pfister, p. 241; Courant 6922–6925; Couplet, p. 16; JWC 2:81–87.
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, p. 138.

"Summary of the Christian doctrine for non-Christians". Full bibliographic citation see: Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database).

"Joseph Zhu Yupu (Yupo) ... prepared Shengjiao yuanliu, a report of Rui de Figueiredo (1594-1642) on catechesation in Kaifeng in 1636"--Cf. Standaert, Handbook of Christianity in China, p. 438.
"Catechisms virtually always contained a list of the seven sacraments (baptism, confirmation, confession, eucharist and communion, marriage, priesthood, and extreme unction), sometimes followed by short explanations. note 37: An exception is Shengjiao yuanliu (1636), a catechism in colloquial language dictated by Rui (Rodrigo) de Figueiredo, SJ, to a catechist, which contains detailed information on the sacraments and on related daily practices (as prescribed by the missionaries). See BNF Chinois 6882-6883 and ARSI Jap.Sin. I, 142; the part on the seven sacraments covers seven juan (in all, 79 folios)--Cf. Handbook of Christianity in China, p. 624.

Jap-Sin I, 142
Shengjiao yuanliu 聖教源流.
By Zhu Yupu朱毓朴.
Originally in four volumes, but now bound in only two. The volumes are not in the right order. Chinese bamboo paper.
No date or place of publication.

The cover bears the title of the book in ink together with the author’s name: 朱毓朴若瑟撰 (Written by Joseph Zhu Yupu). The Latin inscription reads: "Xim kiao yuen lieu | S^ae Legis ortus & progressus | Auctore videtur ex familia Chu Io po. Nomen Joseph | Videtur Catechismus."

We are travellers in this world. Let us, therefore, look for a clean room in our lodging place. When we die, we are going home. Let us, therefore, look for a wide and plain road. Let us not sow thorny bushes along our ways. Let us furnish our rooms with the lute and sword and be vigilant against the seven [capital] sins. At all times we should be wary of our three enemies. Never should we be confused between the truth and falsehood, true happiness and apparent happiness. The four principles that we have laid down should serve as the fare that we need for our journey home and the miscellaneous subdivisions as rent for our living quarters. Keep to your reason and suppress your [inordinate] desires that you may be saved from the gate of hell. Follow the source [of happiness], that you may find the path to Heaven. Behold, this is the postscript with the scanty words that I wish to convey to my like minded friends.

Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 186-189.

"Catechisms, but also prayer books, sometimes contain the text of the formal interrogation of the catechumen which took place just before the sacrament was administered, apparently to be used by catechists who (like everyone) were allowed and obliged to baptise people in articulo mortis. For instance, Jacques Motel 穆迪我, S.J., gives in his Shengxi guiyi 聖洗規儀 (1689) instructions of how to administer baptism.”--Cf. Standaert, Handbook of Christianity in China, v.1, p. 624.

[The following description pertains to ARSI ed., which varies slightly]
Jesuit Archives JapSin I, 99
Shengxi guiyi 聖洗規儀
By Mu Diwo 穆迪我 (Jacques Motel, 1616–1692).
Two juan. Chinese bamboo paper in one volume. Published by the Catholic Church of Yingdu 郢都 (Wuchang, Hunan) in 1689 (Kangxi 28).

The cover bears the title of the book with a Latin inscription: "Instructio ad baptis | mi susceptionem | a p. Jac. Motel | SJ."

Cover illustration: Bibliothèque nationale de France. Courant 7023
明末清初耶穌會思想文獻匯編 = An expository collection of the Christian philosophical works between the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty in China ; 第23冊.

Local access dig.pdf. in folder: [Andrew Chung Series].

Cover: "Young Lady Dressed as a Farm Woman," a woodcut from the series One-hundred Pictures of Scholarly Ladies 仕女百圖 by Wu Jiayou 吳嘉猷 (d. 1893).
Federico Masini et al: Necrology of Prof. Giuliano Bertuccioli 伯佐良教授. -- Jonathan Chaves: Gathering Tea for God. -- Claudia von Collani: Portrait of an Emperor: Joachim Bouvet’s Picture of the Kangxi Emperor of 1697. -- Adrian Dudink: Tianzhu jiaoyao, the Catechism (1605) Published by M. Ricci. -- New publications. -- Letter to the Editor: Adrian Hsia.

Prof. Chaves article includes text, translation, and commentary of Shengjiao caichage 聖教採茶歌 “Tea-Gatherers’ Songs of the Holy Teaching (i.e., Holy Church)”, a set of 13 Christian poems (twelve months plus intercalary month 閏月) from the collection Shengjiao shici gefu 聖教詩詞歌賦, “Poems and Songs of the Holy Teaching” constituting Ms. Chin.d.51 in the Bodleian Library, Oxford.

Sinp'yŏn Ch'ŏnju sillok Lat'inŏbon Chunggugŏbon yŏkchu  신편 천주 실록 라틴어본 중국어본 역주 /  Michele Ruggieri chiŭm ; Kwak Mun-sŏk, Kim Sŏk-chu, Sŏ Wŏn-mo, Ch'oe Chŏng-yŏn pŏnyŏk mit chuhae. 지음 ; 곽 문석, 김 석주, 서 원모, 최 정연 번역 및 주해

Includes bibliographical references (pages 51-52) and index.
Includes original text [photoreproduction] in Chinese and Latin with Korean translation.

명말청초 예수회 동서교류문헌 중 최초의 서학서이며 최초의 중국어본 교리교육서인 미켈레 루제리의 <신편천주실록>과 라틴어 저본인 Vera et Brevis Divinarum Rerum Expositio을 세계 최초로 완역 주해한 것이다.

발간에 즈음하여
역주자 서문
일러두기

제1부 작품 해제
미켈레 루제리의 신편천주실록

제2부 미켈레 루제리의 신편천주실록 번역
천주실록 이끄는 말
제1장 한 분의 천주가 진실로 계시다
제2장 천주의 본성
제3장 세상 사람들이 천주를 경솔하게 인식함을 풀이하다
제4장 천주가 천지와 사람과 사물을 창조하시다
제5장 천사와 아담
제6장 사람의 혼이 불멸하며 짐승과 크게 다름을 논하다
제7장 혼이 네 곳으로 돌아감을 풀이하다
제8장 예로부터 지금까지 천주는 다만 세 차례에 걸쳐 세 가지 규계를 내리셨다
제9장 천주가 인간에게 세 번째 규계를 주셨다
제10장 세 번째로 사람에게 주신 규계의 내용을 풀이하다
제11장 사람은 천주가 실제로 하신 일을 믿어야 함을 풀이하다
제12장 천주 십계
제13장 첫 번째 비문을 풀이하다
제14장 천주의 두 번째 비문에 있는 일곱 가지 조항의 내용을 풀이하다
제15장 승도의 성심과 수행이 하늘로 오르는 정도임을 풀이하다
제16장 맑은 물로 이전에 지은 죄를 제거함을 풀이하다

라틴어 찾아보기
중국어 찾아보기

제3부 미켈레 루제리의 신편천주실록 중국어 원문
ARSI, Jap.Sin. I, 190 원문
ARSI, Jap.Sin. I, 189 표제지 

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.

The cover bears the title and a Latin inscription: “Mysteriorum fidei | compendium | a p. Simone D’Acu | nha, S.J.”

Full bibliographical entry for this text , see: Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database).

Citation source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 90-99.
Jap-Sin I, 57a
Tianzhu jiaoyao 天主教要.
By an anonymous author.
One juan (thirty-three folios). Chinese bamboo paper in one volume. No date or place of publication.

The upper centre of each folio bears the title with the number of the folio below. There are six columns in each half folio. The main text has eleven characters in each column and the commentaries nine characters in double lines in each column.
The text of the Yaoli liuduan 要理六端 (The six essential articles of the Christian doctrine), found on folios 10–11, is given in small characters and double lines in each column. The first column of each article consists of twenty-four characters and the remaining columns of the same article have twenty-two characters. Annotations are divided into double lines.
Hsü Tsung-tse (Xu Zongze 1949, pp. 161–162) asserts this book to have been the work of several Jesuits with the approval of Fu Fanji (Francisco Furtado), then Vice-Provincial of the Jesuits in China. This was probably taken from Pfister: "T’ien tchou kiao yao, Doctrine d’Église catholique, 1 vol. Composé sous son (i.e., Furtado) vice provincialat, sans nom d’auteur" (p. 153, no. 6). It does not, however, deal only with doctrine of the Catholic Church, but includes prayers also. One might as well call it a manual, since by nature it is a devotional work compiled for the daily use of the faithful.
The edition of the Tianzhu jiaoyao which is kept by the Roman Jesuit Archive does not correspond quite exactly with the editions described by Hsü Tsung-tse. Comparison of the contents shows that, e.g., the Yaoli liuduan and the Jiang ling[xi] shengshui wenda 將領[洗]聖水問答 (ff. 26–29, a dialogue for preparation for Baptism) do not appear in the edition described by Hsü. On the other hand, the Shengmu meiguijing shiwuduan 聖母玫瑰經十五端, found in the edition described by Hsü, is not found in the Roman Jesuit Archives edition. One must bear in mind that this type of book was often published to suit local practices and therefore need not always to be the same. We may refer the reader to Jap-Sin I, 126 and to Courant 7372–7375 and 7447–7449 for a few examples of this kind.

Citation source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 70-71.
Jap-Sin I, 43a
Tianzhu shengjiao qimeng 天主聖教啟蒙 By Luo Ruwang 羅儒望 (João da Rocha, 1565–1623).
Sixty-nine folios (Arabic numbers: 3–71). Chinese bamboo paper, one volume. No date or place of publication.

A cutting in Latin on the cover reads: “Hic catechismus non cum Imaginibus Passionis Dominicae fuit impressus jam ante annum 1600.”

The translation is based on the famous Cartilha of the Portuguese Jesuit Marco Jorge (1524–1571), which booklet was written in 1561 for the instruction of the young rural people and published in 1566. It was widely used throughout Portugal and the Portuguese colonies and won the title of "the golden book."
The translation was adapted for use of the Chinese especially for beginners; hence the name qimeng 啟蒙 (instruction of the young). The booklet is in the form of a dialogue, in colloquial style and clearly explained. The Chinese text was probably revised by Yang Tingyun 楊廷筠.
During the early years of the Catholic Church in China there was hardly any catechism for the instruction of the catechumens and to compose one was by no means an easy task. Above all, it was necessary to tackle the problem of the terminology used in a catechism. Da Rocha used transliteration for many of the new terms. Seemingly he was aware that a free translation might lead to misunderstanding on part of the catechumens. The transliteration was based on Portuguese, e.g., cristão 基利斯當, padre 罷德肋 (now 神父), filho 費略 (now 聖子), Spiritu Santo 斯彼利多三多 (now 聖神). On folio 64 the word alma is translated as 亞尼瑪 (the Latin anima) with a note calling it "linghun 靈魂" (as nowadays), the only time this term was used throughout the book. The word graça is translated as 額辣濟亞 (sometimes also translated "shengchong 聖寵," a term we use today). In the section on the four precepts of the church (folio 33v et seq.) we read:

The Pope orders us to put [these precepts] into practice gradually, that they may lead us to holiness and to the practice of virtue. As the Gospel is not widely spread and as the neophytes are still not solid in their faith, it is not necessary to oblige them [to observe these precepts] with severity. And so, if they find them difficult to keep, they are not held to have committed sins. If they are able to keep them, they will obtain great merit, but if they cannot keep them, they are not to be blamed. However, they are probably to know that such are the precepts. (folio 47)

Cf. Ribadeneira et Philippus Alegambe, Bibliotheca Scriptorum Societatis Jesu (Roma, 1676) p. 498; Bartoli, p. 780; Sommervogel 6:1931; Colombel 1:264; Margiotti, pp. 277–278; Couplet, p. 8; D’Elia, Le origini dell’arte cristiana cinese (1583–1640) (Roma, 1939), pp. 67–77; BR, p. XXVIII; TV 1:207; FR 1:384; DMB 2:1145.

Jap-Sin I, 173.3
Tianzhu shengjiao rumen wenda 天主聖教入門問答.
By Shi Ruohan 施若翰 (Juan García, 1606–1665).
Revised by Su Fangji 蘇方積 (Francisco Díez, 1606–1646).
Two juan. Bamboo paper in one volume, European style. No date or place of publication.

There is a Latin inscription on the cover: "Thien Chu Sem | Kiao ge muen uen | ta. | Interrogationes & | reflexiones pro catechumenibus. Auctore Xi Jo han, de Congregatione de propanganda (chuanjiaohui 傳教會: 'ordo Praedicatorum' instead of 'congregatio de Propaganda Fide') & Su Fan çì."

Archivum Historicm Societatis Iesu (ARSI) edition. Ex. Japonica-Sinica.
Digital copy in .tiff format, 4 ¾ CDROM & PDF.
CD-ROM contents: Tianzhu shiyi 天主實義 [JapSin I-44] -- Manwen Tianzhu shiyi 滿文天主實義 (Abkai ejen-i unenggi jurgan) [JapSin I-48a-b] -- Jiaoyou lun 交友論 [JapSin I-49] -- Jiren shipian 畸人十篇 [JapSin I-52] -- Tianxue shiyi 天學實義 [JapSin I-53a] -- Tianzhu Shengjiao shilu 天主聖教實錄 [JapSin I-54] -- Tianzhu shilu 天主實錄 [JapSin I-189] -- Tianzhu shilu 天主實錄 [JapSin I-190]

JapSin I, 54
Tianzhu shengjiao shilu 天主聖教實錄.
By Luo Mingjian 羅明堅 (Michele Ruggieri).
One juan, one volume. Chinese bamboo paper. No place or date of publication. Ming edition.

The cover bears the title in Chinese and a Latin inscription: “Compendium legis divinae a P. Michael Ruggiero, S.J.” There is a note by D’Elia: “Questa è la 2^a edizione del Catechismo del Ruggieri (NN. 189, 190) uscita coll’ imprimatur del Furtado verso 1640, dopo censure dei PP. Emmanuel Dias, Gaspard Ferreira e Giovanni Monteiro. D’Elia. 23.9.1937.”

The main text consists of thirty-seven folios. The first folio gives again the title in Chinese and the name of the author. Each half folio contains nine columns, with nineteen characters in each column. The upper middle of each folio gives the title of the book and the number of each folio is given under the title.
This edition of the Tianzhu shilu was published, when Francisco Furtado was Vice Provincial of the mission in China (1635–1641 and 1646–1647) and revised by the three Jesuits whose names we have recorded above. It was then nearly sixty years since the Jesuits had come to China. By this time Ruggieri’s book was no longer in circulation (cf. Jap-Sin I, 189). It was only natural that the new edition should be adapted to the needs of the time. The designation “a monk of India” for the author of the book is no longer to be seen in this edition. Instead the term yuanxi 遠西 (Extreme West) and Yesuhui houxue 耶穌會後學 (member of the Society of Jesus) is used. Since the publication of Matteo Ricci’s Chinese World Map, the Chinese had begun to know something about Europe, and Ricci called himself a European in his book Jiaoyou lun 交友論 (cf. Jap-Sin I, 49 and 53.2). The word seng 僧 (Buddhist monk), which appeared in the first edition of the Tianzhu shilu, was then replaced by the word jian 堅 (the last character of Ruggieri’s Chinese name, i.e., I or me). The last phrase of the first chapter of the original edition, which reads: 一位之天主, was changed to 一尊之天主, in order to avoid misunderstanding on the doctrine of the Holy Trinity (三位一禮). Likewise in the first line of chapter two 一位天主, the word 位 was dropped and so afterwards wherever the same phrase occurred. Also, terms used in the first edition were changed considerably. Thus: 天人 (angel) was changed into 天神, 魂靈 (soul) became 靈魂, 咽咈諾 (hell) became 地獄; 布革多略 (purgatory), however, was given the free translation: 古今善人煉罪者之居 (the habitation where the just, ancient or recent, make satisfaction for their sins). Furthermore, the original edition did not try to give much explanation of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity; the new edition develops the doctrine more fully. Even the word si 寺 (monastery) was felt to be too Buddhist and it was changed to Tianzhutang 天主堂 (a Catholic church).

This new edition is divided into sixteen chapters, as was the original edition. The divisions, however, are not quite the same; e.g. the seventh chapter of the original edition (解釋魂歸四處) is placed in the eighth chapter and the wording reads: 解釋魂歸五所. The seventh chapter of the new edition adds a new item, namely: 天主聖性章 (chapter on the Divine nature of God). In short, the new edition makes so many changes that the original book is greatly improved. The book has the qualities of a modern catechism.

Cf. Courant 6815: “Véritable exposé de la religion chrétienne. Par le P. Michaele Ruggieri, Jésuite (1543–1607; nom chinois Lo Ming kien, Fou tchhou), avec introduction de l’auteur (1584) et autorisation du P. Furtado.”
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 97-99.

Full bibliographic information see: Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database).
Online at ARSI Chinese Books.
Local access dig. pdf. See ARSI Jap-Sin I-IV folder [Jap-Sin I-54.pdf]

" ... Other catechisms were adapted to Chinese types of writing, like Aleni's Tianzhu shengjiao sizi jingwen 天主聖教四字經文 (1642), which imitated the Sizi jing 四字經 (Four Character Classic) used in children's education." Cf. Standaert, Handbook of Christianity in China, vol. 1, p. 611.

Jap-Sin I, 174.5
Tianzhu shengjiao sizi jingwen 天主聖教四字經文.
By Ai Rulüe 艾儒略 (Giulio Aleni, 1582–1649).
One juan. Bamboo paper in one volume. Printed in 1663 (Kangxi 2) by the Qinyitang 欽一堂 in Jiangxi province.

This volume contains two other texts:
1. Dumen jiantang beiji 都門建堂碑記 (A monument erected on the occasion of the building of the new church in the capital)
By Tang Ruowang 湯若望 (Johann Adam Schall von Bell). Three folios.

2. Tianxue jingyan 天主警言 (Catholic epigrams).
By an anonymous author. One folio.

The cover bears a Latin inscription: "Compendium doctrinae | christianae versu | explicatum | a p. Giulio Aleni | S.J."

As for the Dumen jiantang beiji, the name Dumen refers to the Xuanwu Gate 宣武門, one of the gates of the Imperial City. It was situated in the south of the Forbidden City where the Calendar Bureau was. The building was formerly the Shoushan Academy 首善書院. Through the effort of Xu Guangqi it was transformed in 1629 (Chongzhen 2) into the Calendar Bureau or Liju 李局. The Jesuits had their residence there. In recognition of Adam Schall’s work on the new calendar (then known as the Shixian li 時憲曆), the Shunzhi emperor granted him a large piece of land beside the Calendar Bureau, where Schall built a magnificent church in Western style in 1650. We are told that donations came from the empress dowager, nobles, officials and the gentry.
The monument with an inscription written by Schall was erected in 1650 (Shunzhi 7). See Jap-Sin IV, 2. Cf. Pfister, p. 170, 182; Yang 1949, pp. 249–255; Huang Pailu 黃伯祿, Zhengjiao fengbao 正教奉褒 (Shanghai, 1903), folio 25.
The Tianxue jingyan consists of eight epigrams, the author of which is unknown to us. They deal with the four favors and with the last four things:

凡人造物之恩不可忘 (One must not forget the graces given to us by the Creator);
降生之恩不可忘 (One must not forget the favor of the Incarnation);
受難之恩不可忘 (One must not forget the favor of the [sacred] Passion);
赦罪之恩不可忘 (One must not forget the favor of one’s sins being remitted);
死後之來免不得 (One must remember that death will come);
審判之嚴免不得 (One must remember the severity of judgement);
地獄之苦受不得 (One must remember the excruciating pains of hell);
天堂之福比不得 (One must remember that there is nothing to compare with the blessings of heaven).

Cf. Pfister, p. 134, no. 17; Hsü 1949, p. 169; Courant 6888 I–IV; Couplet, p. 17.
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 239-240.

JapSin I, 110
Tianzhu shengjiao yueyan 天主聖教約言.
By Su Ruwang 蘇如望 (João Soeiro, 1566–1607).
One juan. Chinese bamboo paper in one volume. No date or place of publication.

The cover bears the title and a Latin inscription: “Compendium | Doctrinae christianae | Liber sinicus editus a Patre | Joanne Soerius Soc^tis Jesu.”

Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, p. 159.

See also: Standaert, Handbook of Christianity in China, v. 1, p. 264, 615.

The Latin inscription on the frontispiece reads: “Catechismus R.P. Michaelis Rogery.” The Latin catalogue gives: “ed. maior 1585, and classifies it as: rariss [ima].”

190 2r 天竺國僧明堅書
189 The characters 明堅 are absent
190 4r 明堅輯，天主篇第一
189 Both 明堅 and 第一 are absent
190 5r, line 7 且如乾坤之內
189 如此 instead of 且如
190 6r, line 5 章第三
189 These three characters are missing
190 9r, line 6 惡悲
189 The first character is written as 慈
190 23v, line 3 亞當達誡
189 違 instead of 達
190 29v, line 6 以代世人贖罪
189 以普世人除罪
190 38v, line 3 解釋淨首除穢
189 解釋淨水除前罪

The comparison of these two editions shows that 190 reads better than 189; even the quality of the paper and the style of binding is better than in 189. From these indications we conclude that 190 is a new edition. However, in the correspondences of contemporary missioners we have found no trace of this new edition. Can it have been published some time after 1584 or before 1640? (Compare the remarks of Wieger and D’Elia in Jap-Sin I, 189, which we have cited above).
Cf. Vatican Library, Borgia Cinese 324.1 (duplicate of this edition).

Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 96-97.

明末清初耶穌會思想文獻匯編 = An expository collection of the Christian philosophical works between the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty in China ; 第1冊.

Local access dig.pdf. in folder: [Andrew Chung Series].

Jap-Sin I, 124
Tianzhu zhengjiao yuezheng 天主正教約徵.
By Li Leisi 利類思 (Lodovico Buglio).
One juan. Chinese bamboo paper in one volume. No date or place of publication.

The cover bears the title and a Latin inscription: “Compendiosa demons | tratio christianae | Religionis. Auct. P. Al. Buglio, S.J.”

This is a simple catechism, very similar to the other two books by the same author, namely the Shengjiao jianyao 聖教簡要 (Jap-Sin I, 87) and the Zhujiao yaoji 主教要紀 (Jap-Sin I, 88). The author concludes his booklet with the following remark: “Catholicism was introduced into China more than ninety years ago and there have been accusations by local government officials against the Christians. Great has been the number of men who sincerely sought the truth and by following a virtuous life obtained perfection. There have been others who at first led superstitious lives but were then converted to the truth. Again, there have been those who had been avaricious, lascivious, proud and lazy, but completely transformed their manner of living as soon as they had been Christians and became men of great virtue. All these are good proofs, and the facts are seen and heard by all. Nevertheless, there are ignorant people, who, though they became Christians, because of lack of understanding attained what appears superficial. Furthermore, they vacillated and failed to persevere to the end. For this one cannot blame the Catholic Church, rather, these people were not whole-hearted in giving up their old vices in order to embrace the truth. This is just what Confucius said, that he admitted people’s approach to him without committing himself to what they might do, when they had gone away.”
According to Pfister (p. 241, no. 10) both this book and the Xifang yaoji 西方要紀 (Jap-Sin II, 158) were presented to the Kangxi emperor, and they must have been published around 1669 in Beijing.

Cf. Hsü 1949, p. 175; Courant 1885 II, 6912, 6915 II, 6916 I.
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 171-172.

Local access dig.pdf. [Buglio-Tianzhu zhengjiao yuezheg.pdf]

JapSin I, 111a
Xingling shuo 性靈說.
By an anonymous author.
One juan. Chinese bamboo paper in one volume. No date or place of publication.

This booklet (five folios) is found after the Tuiyan zhengdao lun. It does not give the name of its author. Hsü Tsung-tse (1949, p. 207) attributes it to Lodovico Buglio. Courant (6915 I) translates the title as “Traité de l’âme” and has Buglio as its author. Pfister makes no mention of this treatise in Buglio’s biography. The format is the same as that of the Tuiyan zhengdao lun (Jap-Sin I, 111). It begins by saying:

I have discussed in great details the origin of man and the means that will help him to attain his end. But, unless one knows what is the soul, one’s knowledge (of God) is still incomplete.

When God created man he gave him a conscience . . . . What he should know is his origin and what he should do is to attain his end. If he can do this, he is said to have done his duty.

N.B. Chan catalog title ends at lu 錄 and omits bianlan 便覽. Leiden OCLC and CCT record omit the character lu 錄. The cover is badly worn as to obscure a character, but the border doesn't appear to allow space for this. The running title on the first page indicates full title to be Xinkan gewu qiongli lu bianlan 新刊格物窮理錄便覽.

Jap-Sin I, 171
Xinkan gewu qiongli lu 新刊格物窮理錄 or Símbolo de la Fe.
By Duomashi 哆媽氏 (Tomás Mayor).
Manila (Binondoc), 1607. In bad condition.

The Latin catalogue gives: “Symbolum Fidei a Thoma Major O. Pr.”

This is another catechism written in Chinese by a Dominican. It was published in Manila in 1607. The author was a Spanish Dominican born in Jativa (Valencia) at the end of the sixteenth century. He was one of the founders of the Dominican mission in the Philippines. For some time he worked among the Chinese in Manila. According to Diego Aduarte (see preceding number), Mayor was a great minister to the Chinese and was well versed in their language. Around 1612 the bishop of Macao, Juan de la Piedad, when in Manila, asked several of the missioners who knew the Chinese language to help in the Chinese mission; Mayor was one of the men assigned. Owing to the strong opposition of the Jesuits in China they were not able to make their way to the interior and eventually Mayor returned to Spain. Besides the Símbolo de la Fe he wrote another book in Chinese with the title: De Rosario Deiparii Virginis.

There is a preface at the beginning of the book in which the author states that after a hard voyage of three years he had at last arrived in Luzon. He had been with the Chinese and had come to know something of their language. He loved them and tried to learn their customs. He then recalls how he and the other Dominican priests always tried to render them services. At length, after consulting his fellow priests, he wrote this book for them so that they might learn about the true God and his teaching.

Since this book was published only one year after the Memorial de la vida christiana (cf. Jap-Sin I, 170), and since it was written for the same Sangleys, the terms and the expressions used are very close to those in the previous book. Besides the term Liaoshi 僚氏 for God, the terms Tianzhu 天主, Tianshen 天神 and Tianren 天人 are also used.

The Chinese style of the book is rather clumsy and often hard to understand; in juan A, folio 74a, for instance, the Blessed Trinity is explained as follows:

予今再告汝等此俺本頭僚氏，實乃三別孫耶，第一名曰僚氏父；第二名曰僚氏子；第三名曰僚氏 挨氏卑尼廚山道。。。。為其僚氏實有三別孫耶，但僚氏則一而已, and the crucifixion: 咱本頭西士奇尼實道既被人鐙死在居律 [cruz] 上 . . . .

It is interesting to note that the last character of each half folio is repeated on the top of the following folio, a common practice in European books of the old days but very rarely used in Chinese books published by Europeans in China or elsewhere. At the end of the book there is:

1. A preface by Francisco de Herrera, November 1606 (badly damaged in our copy).
2. A note by Friar Miguel de S. Jacinto, prior and provincial, Manila, May 1607).
3. Another writing by Francisco de Herrera, Manila, 24 January 1607.
4. Another preface (the paper is so damaged that the name of the author cannot be verified).
5. Permission given for the publication of this book by the dean and the archdean of Manila, February 1607.
6. Permission for publication given by Diego de Leon, parish priest of the city, Manila, 22 December 1606.
7. Permission given for the publication of this book by the President and the magistrates of the audiences and by the Royal chancellery of the Philippine Islands.
8. A letter in which the author dedicates his book to Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and our Glorificator. It says in part: “Open the eyes of this people who possess such acute minds. Move their hearts which are so near to you. Incline their wills to the things of your divine faith which we here proposed to them, so that knowing you for their true God and Lord, they may seek you only. Amen . . .”

From the Latin inscription in Jap-Sin I, 171.a we learn that this book was suspended by the Dominicans because of its many errors, and that eventually whatever copies had been allowed to circulate, were totally suppressed.
Cf. Fang Hao and Van der Loon (pp. 31–37), see preceding number (i.e. Jap-Sin I, 170).

Source: Albert Chan, Chinese books and documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome (2002), pp.229-230.

Reference: Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database)

Available online at ARSI Chinese books digitalized.
Local access dig.pdf. ARSI Jap-Sin I-IV folder {Jap-Sin I, 171]

Jap-Sin I, 174.6
Zhenxin zongdu 振心總牘
By Fei Qigui 費奇規 (Gaspar Ferreira, 1571–1649).
One juan. Bamboo paper in one volume. No date or place of publication.

The cover bears a label with the title and a Latin inscription: “Variae orationes ac | preces piae | a p. Roderico | Figueiredo, S.J.”

Moxiang guiju 默想規矩 ascribed to Andrea-Giovanni Lubelli (repr. 1676) "but only in a slightly different edition..." --Cf. the confusing footnote 41 (p. 625) in Handbook of Christianity in China.

Giulio Aleni 艾儒略, Tianzhu jiangsheng chuxiang jingjie 天主降生出象經解 (1637), JapSin I, 187. “Supplement” to Aleni’s Tianzhu jiangsheng yanxing jilüe 天主降生言行紀略 (1635). “This work of fifty-five pictures of Jesus’ life was based on Jerónimo Nadal’s (1507-1580) Evangelicae Historiae Imagines (Antwerp, 1593). which was often included in Nadal’s Adnotationes et Meditationes in Evangeliae (Antwerp, 1595), a meditative commentary on the Sunday readings by a famous companion of Ignatius of Loyola. Aleni’s work, however, is not a translation of Nadal’s commentary, but a Chinese adaptation of Vita Christi by Ludolphus de Saxonia (ca. 1300-1378).--Cf. Standaert, Handbook, p. 623.

“ .... this extensive sinicisation of da Rocha’s pictures .... contrast with the second collection of Christian woodblock prints: the 55 pictures - all based on Nadal - in Tianzhu jiangsheng chuxiang jingjie 天主降生出象經解 (Illustrated Explanation of the Lord of Heaven’s Incarnation), first published in 1637 in Jinjiang (Quanzhou) by ... Aleni. The difference in style and execution is quite marked: in Aleni’s xylographs the European linear perspective and the narrative combination of main and secondary scenes have been maintained, and sometimes even hatching is used to suggest volume. There are some interesting Chinese adaptations as regards form (e.g. in rendering rocks and vegetation) and content (in one case by adding a group of Chinese devotees), but as a whole these woodblock prints render the Western originals faithfully. It may well have been that this reflects the local situation, for the coastal region of Fujian had long been exposed to influence from abroad, and that may have enabled Aleni’s converts to appreciate these foreign pictures in an undigested form. Aleni’s work was reprinted several times and may have had a wide circulation.” --Cf. Handbook of Christianity in China, p. 813.

The cover bears the title written in ink and a Latin inscription: “Chu kiao mim chim, id est | demonstratio religionis christianae a p. Franc. Varo | Dominicano. Continet 8 tomos.”

Chapter 1. God.
Chapter 2. Heaven and hell.
Chapter 3. The human soul and the fake doctrine of transmigration.
Chapter 4. The Decalogue in general and the first commandment.
Chapter 5. The second, third, and fourth commandment.
Chapter 6. The fifth, sixth, and seventh commandment.
Chapter 7. The eighth, ninth, and tenth commandment.
Chapter 8. The capital sins and the gravity of mortal sin.

Francisco Varo was born in Sevilla, Spain. He joined the Dominicans in 1643 and was sent to the Philippines in 1646. After his ordination in Mexico in 1648 he returned to Manila. He studied Chinese with the intention of going to China. In 1649 he arrived in Fujian where he studied Mandarin and the Fujian dialect. He was reputed to have obtained good knowledge of the Chinese language. In 1669 he was exiled to Guangdong and was not able to return to his mission until 1675. On 27 January 1687, four days before his death, he was elected titular bishop of Lidinense and vicar apostolic of Yunnan, Guangdong, and Guangxi. He had written a number of works, among others a grammar of Chinese.

Cf. Diccionario de Historia Eclesiástica de España (Madrid, 1970), IV:2715; Encyclopaedia Sinica (Shanghai, 1917), p. 587; SF 2:397, n.4.
Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 164-165.