Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

The contents of this meeting were kept secret by most of the high-ranking monks.

However, Qian Qianyi's subsequent actions inevitably revealed his true intentions.

He demanded that Buddhism revise its scriptures, citing reasons such as de-Sinicization and de-extremization.

The same requirements were made for religions such as Taoism and Nestorianism, which on the surface appeared to treat them all equally.

However, it is clear to anyone with discernment that the local Taoism was secondary; Qian Qianyi's primary goal was to rectify Nestorianism.

He made various demands regarding the Bible translation being organized by the Nestorian Church, and requested that the Court of Imperial Sacrifices send people to participate.

The missionaries in the capital were filled with anxiety, fearing that this would be another missionary incident.

Johann Adam Schall von Bell and others sought an audience with Xu Guangqi, asking him to provide them with protection.

Clearly, missionaries who had experienced the Nanjing Massacre were very sensitive to this. They feared being expelled from the Ming Dynasty and having their churches seized by Buddhism and Taoism.

Xu Guangqi reassured them, saying:

"That won't happen."

"His Majesty today advocates science, and Western learning is one of the sources of science."

"As long as you can bring Western learning, His Majesty will not expel you."

"You know about the Foreign Sciences Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, right?"

“Those who are capable should apply for academician status, which is equivalent to the status of a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

"At the very least, you should become researchers so that His Majesty can see your abilities."

This was his proposed solution, arguing that given the current emperor's pragmatic nature, it was impossible for him to expel all the missionaries.

However, the purpose of these missionaries in spreading Western learning was solely for missionary work. They did not come to the Ming Dynasty with good intentions to spread knowledge.

Johann Adam Schall von Bell was still uneasy and asked Xu Guangqi:
"While most missionaries in China were well-versed in Western learning, some were also full-time clergy."

"If they can't get the status of academicians or become researchers, are they going to be expelled?"

Xu Guangqi fell silent, because in the emperor's eyes, these people were mostly useless since they could not provide Western learning.

If they continue to spread the doctrines of barbarians, they may indeed be expelled.

So he addressed the group of missionaries:
"The best way now is actually to accept His Majesty's investiture and obtain the status of a true god."

“Once you become a true god, the clergy and the church will be protected, and you won’t have to worry about your temples being seized by Buddhism or Taoism.”

"You should all think carefully about the matter of the conferment of the title upon the Celestial Venerable Dousi, otherwise this matter will not be easy to resolve."

The crux of the matter is this: those who are unwilling to accept the investiture are first and foremost loyal to Christ as the representative of the Pope in Rome.

The emperor, of course, demands that everyone be loyal to him, and this is the most fundamental contradiction.

Johann Adam Schall von Bell and others could only remain silent on this matter, because they could not accept that the deity they believed in was appointed by the Ming emperor.

However, if one publicly opposes it, one will certainly be expelled.

Therefore, they can only continue their usual attitude and drag it out until Long Huamin returns.

Xu Guangqi was a believer, but on this point he agreed with the emperor.

They believed that any religion spreading in the Ming Dynasty must first and foremost be loyal to the emperor.

Otherwise, if trouble arises, even a Grand Secretary like him cannot bear the consequences.

After making his request to Johann Adam Schall von Bell and others, he further suggested:
“His Majesty has canonized Lizi as a saint, and I will request His Majesty to include him in the pantheon.”

"In this way, Lizi can be legally worshipped, and his church can be preserved."

This is one solution, but according to the requirements of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, all temples that enshrine righteous gods must not enshrine foreign gods.

Otherwise, it would still not be considered a legitimate temple and could be contested.

Johann Adam Schall von Bell said:

"Lizi is now enshrined in the Hall of Saints in the church."

"Should we build a separate church for him, without worshipping the Deity of Thoth?"

Xu Guangqi frowned and said:

"This is the only way for now; only in this way can we ensure that some churches are not taken over."

"Another option is for you to go to my territory. If an accident occurs, you can take refuge there temporarily."

This is indeed a solution. As a lord, Xu Guangqi had considerable autonomy in his own territory.

As long as he does not expel the Nestorian Church, the imperial court will not require him to expel it unless the Nestorian Church is designated as a heretical sect.

He even planned to establish a vassal state after retiring from officialdom, make Nestorian Christianity the state religion, and set up churches throughout the vassal state.

When Johann Adam Schall von Bell and others heard Xu Guangqi's idea, they were naturally very pleased.

By becoming the state religion in Xu Guangqi's vassal state, Nestorianism gained a stable base.

However, the crux of the problem is not just one thing. First, Xu Guangqi is still a Grand Secretary, but only holds the title of Viscount.

His title of Earl was promised by the Emperor, but it could only be fulfilled if he retired without causing any problems.

Given the current state of Nestorianism, they do not want Xu Guangqi, a Grand Secretary, to retire from the imperial court.

And the most crucial point is the issue of the investiture of the Celestial Venerable Dousi.

Only sects that believe in a true god can become the state religion in the inner vassal states.

If they wanted to worship outsider religions, the imperial court would probably not allow it.

After much discussion, the group realized that if this problem wasn't solved, the Jingjiao Church's spread would remain restricted, and they might even be expelled at any time.

They couldn't completely resolve the issue, so Xu Guangqi had to step in and delay it.
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Zhu Youjian would naturally not completely expel Nestorianism; he needed to preserve this channel of communication and contact with various Western circles.

However, he has always been very wary of the problems brought about by the spread of foreign religions.

Nestorianism is far from being domesticated and needs constant refinement.

Faced with Xu Guangqi's plea for mercy, Zhu Youjian said:
Do you know about Wang Zheng?

"He was tormented by the conflict between his faith and filial piety because of his taking a concubine."

How should this be resolved?

Xu Guangqi had heard of this, and Wang Zheng was one of the earliest believers in Shaanxi.

His wife gave birth to many children, but all the sons died of smallpox, leaving only two daughters.

Therefore, in the third year of the Tianqi reign, Wang Zheng, under the urging of his wife and daughters, the weeping of his brothers and nephews, and the strict orders of his father, took Shen as a concubine, hoping to have a son to continue the family line.

However, because taking a concubine was considered a serious crime by Nestorianism, Wang Zheng was constantly troubled by this matter, feeling deeply guilty but unable to absolve himself of his sins.

This is clearly a conflict between precepts and tradition. If no rules are established, more conflicts will arise as Nestorianism spreads.

Xu Guangqi considered the matter carefully and replied to the emperor:
According to Nestorian precepts, one should have one husband and one wife.

"But Mencius said: 'Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no descendants.'"

“Wang Zheng had no children, so it was understandable that he took a concubine in order to have a son.”

"I believe that after his concubines give birth to children, he can be divorced like Yang Tingyun, or his children can be adopted. This way, he can resolve his dilemma."

Zhu Youjian sneered upon hearing this, clearly disagreeing with it.

To divorce a concubine after she has given birth to a child is clearly treating her as a tool.

Adopted children are not one's own bloodline, so how can they compare to one's own son?

He asked Xu Guangqi:

“Buddhist monks and nuns shaving their heads violates the ancient precept that ‘our bodies, hair, and skin are given to us by our parents, and we dare not damage them.’”

“Leaving one’s parents to become a monk or nun, and remaining unmarried, is also considered to be ‘of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no offspring.’”

"Not bowing to one's ruler or relatives, and not showing respect to the emperor, is a violation of the 'ruler-subject' principle." "Do you know how Buddhism resolves conflicts, and how long it took?"

Xu Guangqi remained silent upon hearing this, as he held Buddhism in rather low regard.

I only learned a little about it recently, when there was a possibility of conflict.

However, it's not really that in-depth.

He heard the current emperor say with some trepidation:
"The suppression of Buddhism by the Three Wu and One Zong emperors, though controversial, was in fact a necessary step to resolve the conflict."

"If Buddhism does not amend its precepts, does not limit the number of monks and nuns, and does not respect the imperial court, it will inevitably be suppressed by the imperial court."

"The Buddhism of today is the Buddhism of China, and it needs to further eliminate the elements of foreigners."

These words seemed to endorse the persecution of Buddhism by the Three Wu and One Zong emperors, and threatened the Nestorian Church that if they did not obey, they might suffer the same fate.

Xu Guangqi said tremblingly:
"Your Majesty, we Nestorian Christians all respect the imperial court."

"It would never have escalated to this point!"

Zhu Youjian laughed upon hearing this, took out a newspaper, and tossed it to Xu Guangqi, saying:

"This is an article published in the Datong Daily, discussing the matter of Wang Zheng."

"Inside is a letter Wang Zheng wrote to his family after passing the imperial examination, telling them not to take a concubine for him."

The letter states, "Today's success is all a gift from God. How dare I, with what God has given me, sin against God?"

"What is Xu Qing's opinion on this?"

Xu Guangqi read the article and finally understood why the emperor kept bringing up Wang Zheng.

It turned out that this remark had offended the emperor and violated his taboo.

As students of the emperor, whether a scholar could become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) depended on the emperor's decree.

However, Wang Zheng believed that passing the imperial examination was a gift from God. Doesn't this mean that the emperor made him a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in accordance with God's will?
This is a blatant disrespect to the emperor, because in the eyes of the current emperor, the Devas, as the lord of heaven, need to be conferred a title by him in order to become a true god.

If Nestorian Christians all believe that God is above the emperor, the current emperor would certainly not tolerate it.

Xu Guangqi, having grasped the crux of the matter, broke out in a cold sweat. He knew that once these words were uttered, the distinction between the emperor and the sovereign would be definitively established.

There was no way for Johann Adam Schall von Bell and others to delay, because the statement had already been published in the newspapers and everyone needed to reach a conclusion.

Xu Guangqi especially thought that he had also attributed his failure in the imperial examination to God's interference, otherwise he would not have come into contact with missionaries.

This is clearly disrespectful to the emperor, suggesting that God can influence the emperor.

The Nestorian Church had committed countless similar taboos, which filled him with a sense of despair and feared that a church incident might occur.

Fortunately, the emperor did not press the issue excessively and seemed quite patient in this matter.

Xu Guangqi was able to leave the palace and discuss the issue with the missionaries again.
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After hearing the accounts of the persecution of Buddhism by the three Wu emperors and one Zong emperor recounted by Xu Guangqi and other Chinese believers, the missionaries, including Johann Adam Schall von Bell, were greatly shocked.

They never imagined that China, which seems to be extremely tolerant of religious beliefs, would have experienced such a violent incident.

No wonder the Buddhists offered no resistance this time, revising the scriptures entirely according to the court's wishes—

These people were so terrified of the imperial court that they had no courage to resist.

If the Nestorian Church continues to resist the emperor like this, the next religious incident is likely not far off.

Thinking of the supreme authority of the Ming emperor, Johann Adam Schall von Bell said helplessly:

"Now how to do?"

"Are we to accept the investiture and revise the classics and precepts according to the decree of the Great Ming Emperor?"

This is indeed the best choice, and many Chinese believers agree with this.

However, most of the missionaries who came to China to spread Christianity were steadfast in their faith. They might be willing to compromise for the sake of spreading their faith, but they were extremely opposed to the idea of ​​God being officially recognized by the Son of Heaven.

Not to mention that they were required to revise the classics and change the precepts according to the emperor's requirements, which they considered to be contrary to their beliefs, so they naturally could not agree to it.

The two groups argued fiercely, and some believers, sensing the potential danger, chose to leave Nestorian Christianity.

Those who were drawn to Western learning, in particular, turned to Zhang Pu and chose to study science.

This is especially true for officials, who do not want to be treated differently because they believe in other gods.

Nestorian Christianity experienced a massive wave of defections, with the number of believers decreasing from nearly 10,000 to less than 3,000.

Many people published statements in the newspaper declaring that they would leave the Nestorian Church.

This made some missionaries pessimistic about the future, and they chose to leave the Ming Dynasty.

Seeing that Nestorianism was about to disintegrate, some missionaries who wanted to stay in the Ming Dynasty began to change their views.

They began to think that the Ming emperor's demands were not unacceptable, and that their Nestorian religion could further become an independent sect.

However, the debate was intense, and no solution could be found immediately.
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Qian Qianyi directed Buddhism to launch a massive attack in the newspapers.

They suggested that Nestorianism should make the same distinction based on the Buddhist precepts for monks, nuns, and laypeople.

In particular, he proposed that "the law of rites is greater than the law of religion, and the law of religion cannot violate the law of the state." He believed that the Nestorian Church used precepts to restrict believers' marriage choices, which violated citizens' right to choose and was promoting extreme doctrines.

This left Zhang Pu both amused and exasperated, as he never expected that Qian Qianyi would use his own work, "On Choice," to attack the doctrines of Nestorianism.

He understood that Qian Qianyi's attack on Nestorianism was a counterattack against his own publication, *Science*.

Now that things have come to this point, he has come to a deep realization that he is still far behind these luminaries of the academic world.

Chen Zilong asked him:
"Mr. Xu is being criticized because of his involvement with Nestorianism. Shouldn't we stand up for him?"

"He is our teacher, and science also needs to learn from the West."

Zhang Pu had consulted the emperor on this matter and confidently replied:

"Western learning is Western learning, and Nestorianism is Nestorianism."

"Although most of the Western learning in the Ming Dynasty came from missionaries, it does not mean that it was the learning of Nestorian Christianity."

"According to Your Majesty, the struggle between the Papacy and academia in the West is fierce, and many scholars are even being persecuted."

"One of the purposes of the imperial delegation sent to the West was to invite the persecuted people to come here."

“We cannot be like those people who tie Western learning to Nestorianism.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Zilong immediately understood and realized why the emperor had allowed Qian Qianyi to attack Nestorianism.

Besides the fact that the doctrines of Nestorianism did indeed need to be revised, the emperor also needed to separate Western learning from Nestorianism and no longer bind them together.

Those who adhere to the scientific school of thought should not participate in this debate at all. They should even echo Qian Qianyi's call to eliminate religious elements from science.

However, it wouldn't be good to remain completely uninvolved; as a disciple, one should always share the burdens of one's teacher. Moreover, this controversy arose because he used "Science" to launch a surprise attack on "Hanlin."

Zhang Pu, trying to decipher the emperor's meaning, wrote an article based on the succession system the emperor had previously mentioned, explaining why the West practiced monogamy while the Ming Dynasty practiced monogamy with multiple concubines.

The article argues that Western countries practice monogamy because their titles and property can be inherited by relatives. They rarely face the crisis of extinction due to the lack of sons.

However, in the Ming Dynasty, while relatives might be allowed to inherit property, inheriting a noble title was absolutely forbidden. Even adopted sons were usually not eligible to inherit a noble title.

To ensure the continuation of the imperial line, taking concubines became inevitable. In the absence of a legitimate son, the title would be inherited by a son born to a concubine.

In general, monogamy was paired with the Western system of inheritance, while the system of one husband with multiple concubines was paired with the primogeniture system of the Ming Dynasty.

When Nestorian Christianity came to the Ming Dynasty, it required adherence to the system of one husband with multiple concubines. Believers had to be allowed to take concubines so that those who received titles could pass on their family businesses.

Otherwise, fewer and fewer people would believe in Nestorianism, and nobles would abandon it as if it were worthless in order to pass on their titles.

The article seems to attack the precepts of Nestorianism, yet it also attempts to extricate Nestorianism from the controversy surrounding concubinage.

Qian Qianyi praised this highly, believing that Zhang Pu was responding to him.

Xu Guangqi, who was confirmed to be granted the title of Earl and whose title would be passed down through generations, was also somewhat worried that if his descendants continued to believe in Nestorian Christianity, they might face the risk of extinction.

He discussed with missionaries such as Johann Adam Schall von Bell whether they should go along with Zhang Pu's view and allow believers to take concubines. (End of Chapter)