Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Nestorianism was ultimately just a small church, and after the emperor made the decision, not many people paid much attention to it.

Moreover, in order to prevent his ministers from paying excessive attention to Nestorianism and strongly demanding its banning, Zhu Youjian proactively changed the subject, saying:
“Repeated crimes indicate an incorrigible nature and a depraved mind, which is a subjective act of depravity.”

“Repeated offenses should be classified as depraved crimes, subject to additional punishments, and the offenders should be exiled by drawing lots.”

This is his consistent approach: relocating all those who voluntarily fall into corruption overseas.

This would reduce the population burden and alleviate the pressure on governance.

The ministers had differing opinions on this, because some of them had committed crimes, and more than once.

They felt it was a huge loss to be exiled because of their repeated crimes.

Wang Yongguang, Minister of Justice, said:

“Repeated crimes may indeed be considered a deliberate degeneration, but they should also be given a chance to reform.”

“Especially those who were framed and have not been exonerated, they should not be exiled.”

Yang Jingchen, Guo Yunhou, and other remnants of the eunuch faction echoed this sentiment, as they were already implicated in the treason case and carried criminal records.

The same was true for the Donglin Party members, as many of them were imprisoned during the Tianqi era.

Most people were exonerated, but some were not completely exonerated. Especially those convicted of corruption, officials in the Ming Dynasty could almost always find problems if they wanted to investigate.

Furthermore, the imperial court was short of funds and had no intention of returning the recovered funds. Therefore, once these individuals were found guilty of embezzlement, they would have criminal records.

Faced with the unanimous opposition of these people, Zhu Youjian had no choice but to relax the restrictions, addressing his ministers as follows:
As the saying goes, things shouldn't happen more than three times.

“Starting from the third offense, those who commit multiple offenses will be included in the additional punishment for depraved crimes.”

"As the number of crimes increases, the probability of being exiled by drawing lots should also increase."

"If it exceeds nine times, then there's no need to draw lots; just exile them directly."

“Overseas garrisons need military households, and criminals can be exiled to the most difficult places.”

This was his imitation of the Western colonial strategy of exiling criminals to develop land.

In an unfamiliar place, the mortality rate can be very high initially due to factors such as acclimatization problems, poisonous insects, and miasma.

Zhu Youjian would naturally refuse to employ only respectable men; it would be better to exile criminals there.

In particular, many people in the Ming Dynasty do not want to become military households, so criminals are exiled there to serve in the army.

Under Zhu Youjian's guidance, the court officials quickly shifted their focus to discussing the issue of repeated offenses. The proposal to impose heavier punishments for repeated offenses gained the agreement of many officials.

Liu Zongzhou, who was in charge of formulating the rites and laws, even proposed to formulate corresponding articles for the concurrent punishment of multiple crimes committed in succession.

Liu Qiao, the Minister of the Imperial Guard, believed that habitual offenders should be severely punished. He suggested that those who committed heinous crimes should be arrested regardless of their life or death, so that police officers would have fewer reservations.

Zhu Youjian was quite cautious about this; he dared not loosen the legal right to kill, lest law enforcement agencies become increasingly violent in their enforcement.

However, because he is quite lenient on the right to bear arms, if serious criminals or depraved criminals resist with weapons, the police officers of the Imperial Guard will indeed encounter many difficulties when enforcing the law.

Ultimately, he decided that if police officers encounter armed resistance during law enforcement, they can use force to fight back, regardless of life or death. However, this is mainly aimed at serious offenders and delinquent criminals; those who have committed minor crimes and are unarmed should not be killed easily.

The provisions on concealed weapons have also been refined, imposing many restrictions on concealed weapons. Individuals without the right to conceal weapons must openly carry any weapons they possess and store them in a designated area when entering public areas where weapons are restricted.

After discussing many details, the morning assembly finally came to an end.
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After the court assembly, Xu Guangqi requested to speak alone with the ministers regarding the Nestorian Church.

Zhu Youjian had anticipated this, and summoned Xu Guangqi to the Wenhua Hall, saying to him:

"Does Minister Xu want to talk about Nestorian Christianity?"

"This matter has already been settled in the court, and it is not advisable to cause any further trouble."

"If this continues, I cannot guarantee that I will completely ban religion."

“Sun Yuanhua and the Vatican have not reached any agreement.”

He ordered someone to inform Xu Guangqi of the information gathered by the Nanyang Imperial Guards. Only then did Xu Guangqi realize that his disciple Sun Yuanhua had gained nothing in Rome and had not reached any agreement.

He immediately understood why the emperor had tightened restrictions on Nestorianism. Before resolving the question of who believers should pledge their allegiance to first, the emperor wanted to limit the spread of Nestorianism.

This matter will remain unresolved as long as the Vatican does not respond. It will only be resolved if the Church of Christ completely breaks away from the Vatican and severs all ties.

But that's impossible, because the Jing Church is still led by missionaries sent by the Vatican.

Xu Guangqi pondered the matter but could not find a solution, because he knew that he could not change the will of the emperor or the pope.

But he still tried his best to argue:
"Your Majesty, Nestorian Christians are also citizens of the Ming Dynasty, and they should not be treated as criminals."

"How can they maintain their loyalty when they face such discrimination?"

Zhu Youjian, upon hearing this, said with great interest:

"So, the Nestorian Christians are willing to pledge allegiance to me first?"

"If that's the case, I can consider lifting the restrictions on Nestorianism."

"But now some people are stubbornly following the Roman Catholic Church, and I cannot allow them to cultivate their power."

Xu Guangqi was unable to answer this question.

Because he was just a believer, he could not influence the will of the missionaries.

Some missionaries in the Ming Dynasty were willing to stay and serve the emperor, while others were only sent by the Roman Catholic Church and still wanted to return to the Church.

It is virtually impossible for them to pledge allegiance to the emperor first, and this is the core point of contention between the two sides.

In the end, Xu Guangqi could only guarantee that he and other Ming Dynasty believers would first and foremost be loyal to the emperor.

Zhu Youjian was pleased with this, because he still needed to appoint Xu Guangqi and others. After considering it, he said:

"That's it for now!"

“Nestorianism was restricted in mainland China, and every church had to be approved by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. However, in places like free trade zones where foreign businesses congregate, there were no restrictions, and anyone with money could rent land and build one.”

“All Christian churches should belong to the Nestorian Church. Christians who want to worship must go to Nestorian churches.”

"Tell those missionaries to stop causing trouble and think carefully about how to unite the various religions."

This gave Nestorianism some leeway to deal with other Christian denominations.

If the Roman Catholic Church, or countries like Spain and Portugal, were to send missionaries to the Ming Dynasty, the first people they would encounter would be the Jingxie Church.

Over time, conflicts will inevitably arise among them, and the Jingjiao Church will become increasingly integrated into the Ming Dynasty.

Xu Guangqi was finally a little relieved to have this gain.

The emperor's attitude indicates that Nestorianism will not be banned and will remain a legal church.

He then requested the emperor to allow him to actively promote the Jingxie (Nestorian Church) within his own territory. Zhu Youjian (Emperor Yongle) was more cautious about this, saying:
"The religious policy of the vassal states should be consistent with that of the Ming Dynasty."

"There can be some flexibility, but the basic principles must be established."

"Let the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and the Court of Colonial Affairs handle this matter together; I will give them instructions."
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After seeing Xu Guangqi off, Zhu Youjian summoned Huang Lijie, Qian Qianyi, and others to discuss the matter.

The attitude of the Court of Colonial Affairs was naturally that the religious policies of the vassal states and the Ming Dynasty were unified and without any distinction.

However, this was very difficult because religions in the Ming Dynasty were rarely spread outside the region.

Zhu Youjian asked Qian Qianyi:
"What religious sects spread outwards during the Ming Dynasty, and how much influence did they have?"

Qian Qianyi hadn't paid attention to this point yet, and could only say something based on his own understanding:
"Buddhism spread to Korea and Japan, and was also quite common in Southeast Asia, but it is very different from Buddhism in China."

"The main religion practiced in Tibet and the grasslands is Lamaism, which is also a form of Buddhism and is said to belong to the Tantric school."

"I haven't heard of other religions spreading outwards, but countries like Korea and Annam revere Confucianism."

This was the current state of religion in the Ming Dynasty; it could be said to be quite ineffective.

If Zhu Youjian hadn't ordered the army to build temples wherever they went, it's unlikely the word would have spread.

If you don't occupy the ideological front, another religion will.

After thinking it over, Zhu Youjian gave the order:

"Send eminent Buddhist monks to Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia to strengthen our influence in these places."

"The new Buddhist teachings should be aligned with the teachings of these places to a certain extent in order to facilitate their dissemination."

"In the future, the Buddhist Association of the Great Ming Dynasty will also include Buddhists from vassal states to strengthen ties between countries through religion."

"The Court of Imperial Sacrifices and the Court of Colonial Affairs jointly established an institution specifically responsible for religious issues in vassal states."

Huang Lijie and Qian Qianyi happily accepted the order, and then heard the emperor say:
Buddhism originated in India and spread to Central China, Tibet, Southeast Asia and other places.

"From the root, Han Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Theravada Buddhism all belong to Buddhism, and can be said to be branches."

"However, Tibetan Buddhism has absorbed many Bon doctrines, and it is very different from Han Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism."

“This branch separated and became the Lamaist religion, and was regarded as a heretical sect.”

"The doctrines of Han Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism should be unified as much as possible to facilitate the use of religion to stabilize these regions."

Buddhism has a great influence in Southeast Asia, with countries like Myanmar and Siam being devout Buddhists.

If Han Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism reach a consensus, or even if they are incorporated, the Ming Dynasty's strategy to conquer Southeast Asia will gain the assistance of many monks.

In later generations, the World Buddhist Sangha Council formulated the "Basic Consensus on Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism," achieving unification in some aspects.

Zhu Youjian hoped that the Buddhist Association would send eminent monks to reach relevant agreements with the monks in Southeast Asia. The monastic class, like the powerful figures in Southeast Asia, would become targets for the Ming Dynasty to win over, and they would be incorporated into the Ming Dynasty's order of rule over Southeast Asia.

Qian Qianyi excitedly accepted the order, knowing that this was another opportunity for him to make a contribution.

His decision to reform Buddhism and bring it under his control was indeed the right one; among the three religions, Buddhism was the most likely to help him achieve merit.

Qian Qianyi naturally vehemently denigrated Nestorianism, which was now highly hostile to Buddhism, and did not want the emperor to change his previous decree because of Xu Guangqi's recent debate.

Zhu Youjian smiled and said to him:

"The spread of Nestorianism in mainland China must be restricted."

"But for other places where Christianity exists, we should let the Nestorian Christians go."

"Compared to those other sects, the Nestorian Church, which has begun to be Sinicized, is relatively more reassuring."

"This religion will still be useful in the future, so it shouldn't be completely banned."

Qian Qianyi said:

"Nestorianism should not be completely banned, but its spread should not be allowed to continue."

"I believe that all non-orthodox religious sects outside of the three religions should be restricted."

Zhu Youjian nodded in agreement and said:
"It should indeed be restricted."

"Thus, the previous policy of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices did not allow preaching outside of religious venues."

"Let's relax a bit now and loosen the restrictions on religious deities slightly. Allow religious activities in public places, provided they are approved."

"However, non-orthodox religious sects must be strictly prohibited."

This restriction has been slightly relaxed to allow for more effective implementation.

In the Ming Dynasty, many activities involved the presence of deities, making a complete ban impossible.

Now Zhu Youjian plans to separate the orthodox and non-orthodox sects, allowing the orthodox sects to keep an eye on and crack down on the non-orthodox sects.

If Nestorianism were to hold religious activities again, it would be scrutinized by Buddhism from all aspects, and any violations would be reported to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Its spread would naturally be limited in that way, and it could not compare to the orthodox church, which can legally spread in public places.

Qian Qianyi accepted this with delight, feeling that he could give an explanation to Buddhism.

He figured that he could use public debates on doctrine as a missionary activity, so that without government permission, no religion could debate doctrines in public places.

In that case, the current doctrinal deficiencies of Buddhism would not be a problem, as there would be ample time to improve them.

The religious policy towards vassal states was thus established. Each vassal state was prohibited from prohibiting the propagation of orthodox churches, maintaining consistency with the Ming Dynasty on this point.

If a vassal state wanted to officially recognize a deity or establish a state religion, it had to obtain approval from the Court of Colonial Affairs and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Otherwise, it had to abide by the regulations of the imperial court and was not allowed to favor one religion or suppress other sects.

The primary task of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was to ensure the influence of the righteous gods worshipped by the Ming Dynasty. It was crucial that, despite this favorable policy, the Ming Dynasty could not afford to be unable to defeat other religious sects.

In order to train enough religious personnel, Qian Qianyi proposed to establish religious schools and religious newspapers.

This was actually proposed by Master Zhixu. After recognizing the power of academic papers, Master Zhixu, who was actively reforming Buddhist doctrines, suggested to Qian Qianyi the establishment of schools and academic journals.

Buddhism naturally wanted to establish its own Buddhist academy, but Qian Qianyi felt that the emperor would most likely not allow it. Therefore, he proposed to establish a religious academy that would include Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and other religions.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices will serve as the main government office for religious education, and the task of training City God priests will be assigned to this office.

Zhu Youjian naturally agreed to establish religious schools. Upon learning that it was proposed by the Buddhist master Zhixu, he couldn't help but marvel at the rapid pace of Buddhism's evolution, as it was adapting to the rules he had established.

Of the three religions—Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism—Buddhism is still the most likely to actively spread abroad. Confucianism and Taoism, on the other hand, need to rely on the power of the government to spread.

Considering Buddhism's potential to help expand into Southeast Asia, Zhu Youjian agreed:
"Religious schools can be established under the auspices of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and include departments such as the National Sacrificial Theology Academy, the Taoist Academy, the Buddhist Academy, and the Foreign Theology Academy."

"Furthermore, relying on the school, corresponding newspapers and academic journals will be established to specifically discuss religious issues." (End of Chapter)