The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15
CHRISTIANITY IN China
Changes in the Views Of the Rulers
With Regard to 1t.
The PolOs and kub1n Khan In the
Thirteenth Century-The Jesuit Fa-
theirs i'm the Sixteenth and Seven
teenth-WOrk Undone by Dissen-
sions Among Christians.

In the year 1860 the father and the
brother of Marco Polo returned to Europe
from China after a long stay in the Orient.
They were merchants, but their advice
and counsel had been sought by the Grand
Khan OF Tartary in his capital city Of
Cambalue (Pekin).
Kubla Khan was grandson of the
fierce Jenghiz Khan and had elected to
remain in China as Emperor, while his
brothers, nephews and cousins divided the
vast territory that had been overrun by
the Tartar hordes between the Caspian
Sea and the Pacific, between the Arctic
Ocean and the Persian Gulf The Tartar
tribesmen had conquered people OF far
higher civilization than their own. The
Chinese of those days were masters of
many arts and OF much learning. The
problem Of Kubla Khan was to CONSOLE
date the huge empire Of which he was
master and 20 complete the conquest of
southern China.
Like a great statesman, as he was, he
saw the Importance of q State religion
and he had many conversations with the
Pclos in this regard. He heard what they
had to say of Christianity and approved it,
When they returned to Europe they were
the bearers of letter from the Khan to
the Pope OF Rome in which the Khan
begged the Pope to send to China, under
the guidance OF the Polos. some scores of
priests and missionaries and educated men.
1t was the Khan's intention to proclaim
Christianity State religion. and the
priests were to be its expounders. These
pioneers would soon have been followed
by others, and If this plan had been car
ried out, there is little doubt that Chris
tianity would have made its way through
out the empire and that China. with its
400, 600, COO Inhabitants would today be a
Christian country.
How the project failed Is well known.
The brothers Polo arrived at Acre in tie
year 1869. The Pope was Just dead and
there was an unusually long interregnum.
Only two Dominican priests could be found
to accompany them to China, and these two
were soon affrighted with the peri!s OF the
journey and turned back. Europe sent no !
and the Emperor had recourse |
to India. Buddhism, which had b,en in the |
field for twelve centuries, took the place |
that Christianity failed to occupy, and its |
1Old In China is today as strong as ever. |
Buddhism, ConfucianisIn, and Taoism, or
mixture of them. are the doctrines by
which all Chinese, high and low, live ard
lie.
Once more the Christian religion cha ned
strong foothold in China. In the year
575 Jesuit missionaries were sen. from
Rome TO Macao and Goa, and for hun
lred years their influence steadily grew,
During the reign of Louis XIV in France
hey had enormous power In China. The
Jbinese Emperor OF that day and his
ounselors at Pekin were deeply impressed
W the science and learning of the Jesuit
eaders. Under their direction the great
astronomical observatory at Pekin was
uilt-or rather the, observatory that they
INSTRUCTED was revival OF still older
Establishment due to the Tartar astrono-
ners Of Ulugh Beg's school Its beautiful
Instruments are on the city walls today.
The Jesuits found a way to reconcile
hat we call the Chinese worship OF ances-
DTS lit u.s. In fact. no worship. but SIM
ly profound reverence) with Christian
octrines. They were making many con-
erts. The highest officials of the court,
nd the Emperor himself, protected them.
'hoever will read the memoirs of the
me cannot fall to conclude that the
esuits were then on the way to evangelize
II China. The example of the court and
Pekin would have soon been followed
y the great provincial noblemen and
ties. II may fairly be said that China Y
as once more in the way of becoming O
hristian country.
The success Of the Jesuits in China
Used UP enemies for them in Rome, and
leir enemies obtained an edict from the
ope declaring that the federation of an
,stor worship was a grievous error. The G
ssensions of Jansenists anG Jesuits in d
rance helped to fame the flame OF discord. b
hinese politics was discussed at Port | C
oval as ore may see in the Memoirs of t
:. Simon. for instance. The Jesuits in @
hina we're recalled about 1920 and they i
ere replaced by other missionaries less ?
II more orthodox. Once more q
lie Empire Of China was lost to Chris t
anity.
The noble efforts Of our missionaries In o
cent times are well known to US all. i
heir success has not been great, meas
ed by the standard Of numbers, though I
eir progress has been steady, and es- p
'cially in late years very wisely directed
he present situation wipes away, as with v
sponge. the whole result. Everything
ust be begun anew. Only the memory Of
Ist endeayors remains.-New York Sun.
The Death Record. D