Discusses: Congregazione della Madre di Dio (Tianzhu shengmuhui 天主聖母會) -- Congregazione degli Angeli Custodi (Hushou Tianshenhui 護守天神會) -- Congregazione di S. Francisco Javier (Sheng Fangjige Shawulüehui 聖方濟各沙勿略會) -- Congregazione della Passione di N.S. Gesù Cristo (Yesu ku hui 耶穌苦會) -- Congregazione della Annunziata (Shengmu lingbaohui 聖母領報會)
Includes Latin text of 12 Aug. 1776 letter from Mgr. Gottfried Xavier von Laimbeckhoven in Nanjing to the Propaganda in Changshu on the suppression of the Jesuits (p.151).

Jap-Sin II, 169.1
Renhui huigui 仁會會規
Three folios.

After the introduction (three paragraphs) there follow nineteen rules. This Renhui 仁會 most probably refers to the Confraternitas Misericordiae, an institution of charity founded in Portugal at the beginning of the sixteenth century. Cf. Documenta Indica, vol. 6 (Rome, 1960), p. 98, footnote 12: “Institutio notissima lusitana, a regina D. Eleonora et Michaele Contreras († 1505) fundata, in qua omnia officia caritatis erga pauperes, infirmos, orphanos etc. exercebantur, difusa per totam quoque Orientem lusitanum.” See also João Ameal, Dona Leonor, Princesa perfectissima (Porto, 1968).

Concerning the institution of the Confraternity in the Orient we have:

1. A letter from Francisco de Pina, S.J., to Fr. Jaime Lainéz, then General of the Society of Jesus, dated 11 December 1563, which mentions the existence of a house of Misericordia. “Há tambem aquy, hua casa da Misericordia.” This shows that by 1563 the Confraternity already existed in India. Cf. also Josef Wicki, “Die Bruderschaft ‘Misericordia’ in Portugiesisch Indien” in: Das Laien-apostolat in der Missionen (1961).
2. The Introductio, p. 724, quotes the annual letter of Luis Fróis written on 2 January 1584: “Anno 1583 oppidi Nagasakiensis incolae japonici ad fidem conversi Confraternitatem Misericordiae instituerent atque sua pecunia Ecclesiam Misericordiae sub invocatione BMV construxerunt.”

In the introduction of the Renhui huigui the members are exhorted to have special devotion to the Blessed Virgin; in performing their spiritual duties they must imitate the kindness of the Blessed Mother. They must try not to utter empty words, rather they should carry out their resolutions with great earnestness. It is interesting to note that the introduction pays attention to the way in which prayers should be recited in public: the chanting of prayers should be in harmony without one going ahead and the other behind; if the left side says the antiphon, let the right side say the responsory and vice versa. They must not mix their language with local dialects.

Cf. Courant 7348: Jen-hoei yo so hsing thiao mu 仁會約所行條目, Règlement d’une Confrérie de charité. There is a preface by Wang Zheng 王徵 written in 1634. Could this have been the first institution of the confraternity in China? Source: Albert Chan, Chinese books and documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp.457-458.

"Statutes of the Association of the Annunciation to Mary, established in 1694 at the Jesuit church in Beijing (see the introduction, fols. 1a-1b3): twelve general rules (fols. 1b4-6b); eight rules for earning a plain indulgence, granted by Gregory XIII in 1584 (fols. 7a-9a); ten rules for the entrance rite (fols. 10a-12a2)"
"At the beginning (on a separate and unnumbered folio) there is a prayer to Mary ’Sanctissima’ (三第西瑪) when entering the association, and at the end (fol. 12a5-6) the prayer ’Domine non sum dignus’ (cf. Brunner, ’L’euchologe de la mission de Chine’ (1964)*, pp. 117-118, note 428)."
"The present Rules are meant for men (for the president and vice-president there are special rules). Women can also enter the association and practice certain rules at home, as they are not allowed to enter the church (fol. 6b, rule 12)."-- Cf. Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database).
See also newer edition: Tianmu lingbaohui guicheng 聖母領報會規程. [ZKW 92605B] by Laimbeckhoven.
This edition [7413] online at Gallica.
Local access dig.pdf. [Shengmu lingbaohui gui.pdf]

In: Xujiahui cangshulou Ming-Qing Tianzhujiao wenxian xubian 徐家匯藏書樓明清天主教文獻續編, v.13.
Full citation see: Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database).

New edition (1778) based on Shengmu lingbaohui gui 聖母領報會規 (1694, anon., see José Soares 蘇霖, S.J.,1656-1736)) entitled Shengmu lingbaohui guicheng 聖母領報會規程, by Mgr. Von Laimbeckhoven--Cf. Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database).
Statutes of the Association of the Annunciation to Mary, established in 1694 at the Jesuit church in Beijing