JapSin I, (38/42) 40/7a
Sidian shuo 祀典說.
By Zhang Xingyao 張星曜 of Hangzhou (Zhejiang).
Manuscript, folios 33–46. Chinese bamboo paper, one volume. 24 x 13.5 cm.

The cover bears the title and a Portuguese inscription: “Este he obra de un Letrado de Hoan cheu. A mandou o P. Intorcetta.”

Zhang Xingyao (zi 虎臣, hao Yinazi 依納子 [Ignatius]), was a native of Hangzhou and came from a scholar family. His father Zhang Fuyan 傅岩 (zi 殷甫, hao 伯雨) had been a disciple of Michael Yang Tingyun 楊廷筠. Zhang Xingyao was baptized about the year 1678 (Kangxi 17). In 1689 (Kangxi 28) he and his countryman Hong Ji 洪濟 published the Piwang 闢妄 of Xu Guangqi and appended to it a small treatise, written by them together, entitled Piwang lüeshuo tiaobo 闢妄略說條駁 (cf. Jap-Sin I, 132a).
Zhang also wrote the Tianjiao mingbian 天教明辯, the manuscript of which (in twenty volumes) is still to be found in the library of the Beitang in Beijing. The preface he wrote for this book is dated 1711 (Kangxi 51). The book was too voluminous and never came to see the light. Instead Zhang Xingyao made an abridgement in three parts, to which he gave the title Tian Ru tongyi kao 天儒同異考 (A study on the difference between Catholicism and Confucianism). The three parts are:

1. The Catholic religion is in harmony with Confucianism.
2. The Catholic religion adds something new to Confucianism.
3. The Catholic religion excels Confucianism.

The preface by the author is dated 1702. The introductory note (bianyan 弁言), however, was written in 1715, when Zhang Xingyao was 83 sui. So we know that Zhang was born in 1633 (Chongzhen 6).
Zhang Xingyao wrote another book, the Lidai tongjian jishi benmo bu houbian 歷代通鑑紀事本末補後編 in 50 juan. The manuscript is mentioned by Mo Youzhi 莫友芝 (1811–1871) in his catalogue Song-Yuan jiubenshu jingyanlu 宋元舊本書經眼錄. The Beitang library catalogue (no. 1946) gives an incomplete manuscript of this work in two volumes, containing only juan 1–7.
Cf. JWC 2:99–104.

Source: Albert Chan, SJ, Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 53-55.

JapSin I, (38/42) 41/3
Zhi Mu laoshi wen liangshou 致穆老師文兩首, fu ba yishou 附跋一首.
By Yan Mo 嚴謨.
Manuscript, six folios (Arabic numbers). Chinese bamboo paper, one volume. 24.3 x 14.3 cm.

An inscription on the top margin of the first folio reads: “Scriptus Ien Pauli.”

Herewith I present two essays and a postscript to Mu laoshi (i.e., José Monteiro) for his study, and I request that all the works, as found in the list of my writings, be copied and sent to Nie laoshi 聶老師 (Father Greslon) of Jiangxi province. I have been told that Father Greslon intends to write on this subject. He asked earlier for my writings, but because of the long distance I have never carried out his wishes.

1. On the temple of Confucius in Gucheng Xian 榖城縣, Xiangzhou 襄州 (Hubei), by Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修 (1007–1072).
2. An eight-legged essay (bagu wen 八股文) on the veneration of ancestors by Tang Laihe 湯來賀 (jinshi of 1640). This essay contains remarks by diverse scholars.

Yan Mo’s postscript seeks to prove that neither in the veneration of Confucius nor in that of the ancestors there is any superstition, nor is there anything that might show usurpation of God’s right as was suspected by some of the foreign missioners, who at the same time thought that what Chinese Christians told them was not reliable. Yan Mo therefore selected these two essays from pagan writers to satisfy his accusers.

Source: Albert Chan, SJ, Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 65-66.