Abkai ejen-i unenggi jurgan [Tianzhu shiyi 天主實義. Manchu Jap-Sin I, 48].
Alt. title: Manwen Tianzhu shiyi 滿文天主實義

Manchu translation attributed to Li Kai 李鎧 (jinshi 1661), Academician of the Grand Secretariat (Neige xueshi 内閣學士) and Vice-Minister in the Ministry of Rites (Libu shilang 禮部侍朗). See ’Brevis relatio’, ARSI, Jap. Sin. I, 206, fol. 33r-v.
Full citation see: Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database).

Archivum Romanum Societatis Iesu (ARSI) edition. Ex Japonica-Sinica.
Digital copy in .tiff format, 4¾ CD-ROM
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, 48
Manwen Tianzhu shiyi (Abkai edchen i ounengai dchourg) 滿文天主實義
Manchu translation of Matteo Ricci’s Tianzhu shiyi (cf. JS I, 44-46). Two juan in two volumes. Chinese bamboo paper. [Note: Manchu transcription alternate: Abkai ejen-i unenggi jurgan, cf. N. Standaert, Handbook of Christianity in China, p. 630]

The title pages of both volumes bear the title in Chinese as well as in Manchu. The Latin inscription reads: “Vera Dei Essentia | Tartaricé a p. Matth. Ricci, S.J.”

Each half folio contains nine columns and in the middle of each folio there is the title, followed by the number of the folio. Juan 1 consists of eighty-four folios (including twelve folios of prefaces) and juan 2 of ninety folios. The top margin of the folios bears Manchu writing also.
Cf. Brevis Relatio (1700), Jap-Sin I, 206, folio 32b–33a:

Decimum sit Testimonium viri senii, non tam dignitate, quam inter Tartaros, et Sinas summâ eruditione insignis, nomine Li [i.e., Li Kai 李鎧]; qui per 30, et amplius annos ab Imperatore occupatus est in Palatio, modò in componendis libris, tum Tartaricis, tum Sinicis de multiplici argumento, atque in primis de iis, quae pertinent ad varias Religiones, seu Sectas, quae in hoc Imperio vigent: modo in vertendis scientiis Europaeis in alterutram linguam, quam utramque apprime callebat. Is etiam vertit jam pridem libros P. Mathei Ricii de Dei Existentiâ è linguâ Sinicâ in Tartaricam, et quosdam alios, qui modò magnâ utilitate impressi sunt.

Cf. Courant 6825 II (only juan 2); Stary, p.62 (Abkai ejen-i unenggi jurgan).
Source: Albert Chan, SJ, Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 72-77.

The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven (T'ien-chu shih-i) / [by Matteo Ricci] ; Translated with introduction and notes by D. Lancashire and P. Hu Kuo-chen 胡國楨.
Chinese-English edition edited by Edward Malatesta.
Also published: Taipei : Institut Ricci (physical state differs, xviii, 481, [71] p.).
Taipei ed. includes Ricci's Latin summary and Chinese appendix with related articles excerpted from Shenxue lunji 神學論集. Chinese and English on opposite pages, with summary in Latin.

"Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) pioneered the modern cultural and religious encounter between China and Europe. The present volume allows us to read for the first time in English a translation of Ricci’s most famous work of Christian apologetics."

Bibliography: p. 469-478. Includes index.
Title: Tianzhu shiyi 天主實義.

The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven (Tien-chu shih-i) / [By Matteo Ricci] ; Translated with introduction and notes by D. Lancashire and P. Hu Kuo-chen 胡國楨.
Chinese-English edition edited by Edward Malatesta.
Also published: Taipei : Institut Ricci (physical state differs, xviii, 481, [71] p.)
Taipei ed. includes Ricci's Latin summary and Chinese appendix with related articles excerpted from Shenxue lunji 神學論集.
Chinese and English on opposite pages, with summary in Latin.

"Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) pioneered the modern cultural and religious encounter between China and Europe. The present volume allows us to read for the first time in English a translation of Ricci’s most famous work of Christian apologetics."

Bibliography: p. 473-482. Includes index.
Dig.pdf. local access [Ricci-TrueMeaning.pdf]

Archivum Romanum Societatis Iesu (ARSI) edition. Ex. Japonica-Sinica
Digital copy in .tiff format, 4¾ 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, 44
Tianzhu shiyi 天主實義
By Li Madou 利瑪竇 (Matteo Ricci, 1552–1610).
Two juan in one volume. Published by the Yanyitang 燕貽堂 in Hangzhou 杭州 in 1607 (Wanli 35).

The cover bears the title (with the character quan 全 [complete]) and a Latin inscription: "Dei solida Ratio | Liber sinicus editus | à Patre Mathaeo Riccio Soc^tis Jesu."

There is a preface written by Li Zhizao 李之藻 in the Wanli period, without date. Another preface by Feng Yingjing 馮塋京 is dated 1601 (Wanli 29). An introduction was written by Ricci himself in 1603 (Wanli 31).
Both juan 1 and 2 bear the title in Chinese and the number of the juan. Then follows the inscription: 耶穌會中人利瑪竇述, 燕貽堂校梓 (Narrated by Li Madou of the Society of Jesus; edited by the Yenyitang).
The upper center of each folio bears the title, with the number of the juan and of the folio. Each half folio contains nine columns and twenty characters in each column. The format is clearly that of the Ming period.
Li Zhizao tells us that his friend Wang Mengpu 汪孟樸 (i.e., Wang Ruchun 汪汝淳, see Jap-Sin I, 45) had this book re-engraved in Hangzhou (cf. Jap-Sin I, 45) and showed great admiration for its style and thought. The Brevis Relatio (1654) of Martini also mentions the most elegant style (“elegantissimo stylo compositus”).

In his Della Entrata Ricci says that this book is necessary for missioners, in particular for newcomers to China who were often asked about diverse subjects which it was not always possible to discuss orally, especially when the Chinese visitors, after hearing the replies, wished to have a book on the problems (FR 2:299–301). D’Elia gives a list of the scholars with whom Ricci held dialogues which are recorded in the Tianzhu shiyi (FR 2:300, n. 1).

With regard to the editions, the Vatican Library has two copies dated 1603 (Wanli 31): R.G. Oriente III, 223 (11–12) and III, 247 (1–2); the Biblioteca Casanatense in Rome has a copy dated 1603 (m. 2136 GI1). Fang Hao quotes Henri Bernard who claimed that the Tianzhu shiyi was printed in 1584 in Zhaoqing 肇慶 (Guangdong) with the title Xinbian Xitianzhuguo Tianzhu shilu 新編西天竺國天主實錄 and that this title was later changed to Tianxue shiyi 天學實義. Seemingly someone had confused it with the catechism by Ruggieri which was published in the year 1584 with this title.

Pfister, on the other hand, says that Ricci’s book was first published in 1595 in Nanchang 南昌 (Jiangxi). He also says that the Tianxue shiyi was first published in Beijing in the year 1601. These statements do not seem quite correct. According to D’Elia the Tianxue shiyi was started by Ricci in 1595 at the request of Alessandro Valignano. By 16 December 1596 the latter had announced that Ricci was writing another Catechism (i.e., besides that of Ruggieri’s Tianzhu shilu), which “will be far more suitable and better arranged than that which was brought to Rome by Father Miguel Rugerio.” The book, however, was not published until 1603 (cf. FR, vol. I, No. 493; Fang Hao 1969, 2:1602). Between 1603 and 1608 there were four editions. The Guangdong edition of 1605 was made for Japan. When Li Zhizao compiled the Tianxue chuhan 天學初函 in 1629 (Chongzhen 2), this work of Ricci was included in the collection. The fourth edition of the Yanyitang bears no date. For later editions, see Fang Hao 1969, 2:1602.
Cf. Courant 6820, 6821, 6822–6823, 6825 I, 6826 and 6827 (all Yenyitang editions).
Source: Albert Chan, SJ, Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 72-77.

Full text citation see Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database.
Local access only: [TZSYJapSin_I-44.pdf]

JapSin I, 45
Tianzhu shiyi 天主實義.
By Li Madou 李瑪竇 (Matteo Ricci).
Two juan in two volumes. Chinese bamboo paper. Published in 1607 (Wanli 35) in Hangzhou 杭州 by the Yanyitang 燕貽堂. In the present copy folio 18 is missing and folio 48 is misplaced.

The cover bears a Latin inscription: “P. Mathaei Riccii S.J. | de vero Deo | tomo 1–2.” Inside the cover the same inscription is written on a red label. The first volume includes a sheet containing the romanization of the first three lines of folio 1 and in the second volume there are four romanized lines together with the meaning of each word (reproduced in FR, vol. 2, after p. 292, tavola XVIII). D’Elia attributes the handwriting to Ricci: “Mandato dal Ricci | all Acquaviva il 26. luglio 1605 | o il 22 ag. 1608 | e da lui stesso annotato. (traduzione e romanizzazione delle 3 prime linee del 1^o volume e delle 4 prime linee del 2^o volume. Tacchi I, 359. 26. 9. 34. P. D’Elia, S.J.”
[Author’s note: Comparing the handwriting of this romanization with specimens of Ricci’s preserved in the Jesuit Archives, D’Elia’s identification becomes questionable.]

Citation source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 74-75.

Editor's preface – Introduction: The life of Matteo ricci – History of the composition and publication of The true meaning of the Lord of Heaven -- The present English translation – Ricci’s viewpoint and the contents of the work – A detailed outline of The true meaning of the Lord of Heaven -- The terminology – Reactions to Ricci’s work – A contemporary evaluation -- The true meaning of the Lord of Heaven : the Chinese text, English translation, and notes -- Appendix : Ricci's Latin summary of The true meaning of the Lord of Heaven.

"For two thousand years explorers, merchants, missionaries, and diplomats have been building bridges between China and the West. In the late sixteenth century, Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit, initiated a more direct encounter between Chinese culture and Western Christianity, which has continued ever since. One of Ricci's most famous works, The true meaning of the Lord of heaven, was written in Chinese in form of a dialogue. In it, Ricci attempted to introduce Chinese literati to some of the fundamental ideas of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Based upon conversations Ricci had with Chinese scholars, this work allows us to get a sense of how he explained to his Chinese friends Western views about the purpose of life, human nature, and the existence of God. This revised bilingual edition of the first translation of Ricci's text into English (St. Louis: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1985) helps us, by means of a substantial introduction and footnotes, to situate Ricci's dialogue in its religious and cultural context.."-- Back cover.

Local access dig.pdf. [Ricci-Meynard-True Meaning.pdf]