Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Giulio Aleni was the successor to Matteo Ricci's missionary strategies and had a very close relationship with Xu Guangqi.

After the Nestorian meeting, he spoke privately with Xu Guangqi:

"Paul... no, Xuanhu, what is your emperor's attitude towards Nestorianism?"

"Will the religion be completely banned in the future, or will Nestorianism be allowed to spread like Buddhism?"

Xu Guangqi remained silent for a moment before telling him his speculation:

"The Emperor will not ban Christianity; he wants to preserve Nestorianism to spread Western learning."

"However, the Emperor had little interest in the doctrines of Nestorianism, believing that the Celestial Venerable was merely the Lord of Heaven, similar to the position of the Buddha, the Lord of the Western Paradise."

"You should be able to understand this concept, right?"

Ariel frowned and said:
"Is it the three thousand worlds mentioned in Buddhism?"

"I've heard of them, but do they really exist?"

He expressed deep skepticism about this.

Xu Guangqi said:

"According to His Majesty, the Three Thousand Worlds is a figurative term; to be precise, it refers to all the heavens and the universe."

"For example, the world we live in, according to the emperor, is the world of stars, or the universe of stars."

"It is one of the human realms, belonging to the realm below the heavens, and the entire world regards the emperor as the supreme god."

This was a new concept proposed by Zhu Youjian after he expelled the Jurchens and understood the current strength of the Ming Dynasty.

He infinitely extended the concept of "all under heaven." From the known land and sea that China could previously explore, he expanded it to the entire Earth, even the solar system and the Milky Way galaxy…

The entire observable universe belongs to the known world, with him, the Son of Heaven, as its supreme ruler.

Whether aliens will oppose this claim in the future, Zhu Youjian doesn't know.

But he knew that the Ming Dynasty now possessed the power to be the most powerful nation in the world.

This emperor will not be limited to the Eastern world, but may become the supreme ruler of the world.

His previous statement about the Celestial Empire ruling the world is achievable, and he is working towards this goal, constructing an order that governs the world.

Xu Guangqi, as a Grand Secretary, learned of this through his conversations with the Emperor and is now revealing it to him in passing.

Giulio Aleni, who was quite knowledgeable in Sinology, understood the meaning behind Xu Guangqi's words. He frowned and said:

"In the human realm, the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty is the supreme ruler, and I cannot refute that."

"But what about the Heavenly Realm? Who is the Supreme Being of the Heavenly Realm? Could it be the Heavenly Venerable Dou Si?"

This was a point that Nestorianism frequently debated with others when it was spreading in the Ming Dynasty.

They did not believe that Heaven was the Heavenly Principle as described by Neo-Confucian scholars, or a conceptual god. Instead, they believed that Deus was Heaven, the Supreme God of Heaven in Confucian classics, the supreme god who ruled the celestial realm.

Therefore, they previously referred to Nestorianism as Catholicism and believed that Deus was the master of heaven.

However, the people of the Ming Dynasty clearly did not acknowledge this, and debates with them frequently ensued.

"There's no need to argue anymore," Xu Guangqi said.
"His Majesty acknowledges that the Heavenly Venerable of the Devas is the Lord of Heaven, but Heaven is only one of the celestial realms. He cannot be called the master of the entire celestial realm, much less be equivalent to the Supreme God of Heaven."

"In the new mythological system, the world can be divided into three realms: Heaven, Earth, and Man."

"Among them, the supreme god is the Heavenly Emperor in the celestial realm, the supreme god is the Earthly Sovereign in the terrestrial realm, and the supreme god is the Son of Heaven in the human realm."

"The Heavenly Emperor and the Earthly Empress are both principles of Heaven and Earth, which, according to the Emperor, are conceptual deities. They are omnipresent yet have no physical form."

"The one who truly has a physical form is the Son of Heaven, who is one with Heaven and man, and one with gods and man. He is not only the emperor on earth, but also the first son of Heaven, the son of Heaven and Earth, who can manage all the gods of Heaven and Earth on behalf of the Emperor and Empress.

"The emperor's status is equal to that of the Heavenly Emperor and the Earthly Queen, and is superior to all other deities."

"Even the Jade Emperor, the incarnation of Heaven, the Houtu Goddess, the Three Pure Ones of Taoism, and the Tathagata of Buddhism, are all of lower rank than the emperor and must be appointed by the emperor."

"The Son of Heaven is the supreme deity of the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Man who actually exist."

This explanation left Giulio Aleni speechless.

He never expected that the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty would be so arrogant, believing himself to be the supreme ruler of the Three Realms.

If it weren't for the fact that the current emperor's numerous prophecies have been verified and that he is indeed considered a possible true god, Giulio Aleni would probably have jumped up and refuted this fallacy.

Even ministers like Xu Guangqi would refute the emperor's remarks on the spot, arguing that one should respect ghosts and gods but keep them at a distance.

However, what sets the current emperor apart from other emperors is that he uses prophecies to prove that he truly possesses divine power.

This is a true miracle. According to the Doctrine of the Mean, "Sincerity can lead to foreknowledge. When a state is about to prosper, there will be auspicious omens; when a state is about to perish, there will be monstrous signs."

The Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty now possesses the ability to foresee the future, and he is using this ability to make the Great Ming Dynasty even more prosperous.

Therefore, even if the people did not agree with what the emperor, as a true god, said about ghosts and spirits, they could not object.

Xu Guangqi continued:
"The current emperor believes that Deus is the master of a great world called Heaven, and can be called the Lord of Heaven, and can be conferred the title of Heavenly Venerable."

"If the Celestial Venerable Dousi accepts the investiture, then he can be incorporated into the system of the true gods of heaven and earth."

"If they do not accept investiture, they are what are called external gods. The Ming Dynasty regards them as Heavenly Venerables, but does not include them in the orthodox god system."

"The status of these foreign gods is equivalent to that of foreign countries that have not submitted to the Ming Dynasty."

"The Ming Dynasty is willing to engage with some foreign countries and also accepts the existence of some alien gods, but it does not allow them to become too powerful, limiting their proportion to less than 10%."

This is the inherent logic behind limiting external gods, viewing them as unsubdued beings.

Within the sphere of influence of the Ming Dynasty, there are forces that are neither subjugated nor hostile. The Ming Dynasty can ignore them, but it will not allow or permit anyone to sleep soundly beside its bed.

That's how the 10% ratio was set. A maximum of 10% was reserved for non-Buddhist religions to prevent them from becoming extreme or completely hostile to the Ming Dynasty. However, they were also not allowed to grow too powerful to avoid jeopardizing stability.

All large-scale heterodox churches are monitored and not allowed to spread freely. For example, the Nestorian Church, with its growing influence in recent years, has attracted targeted crackdowns.

This system was essentially the same as the tributary system. Only those who accepted investiture from the Ming emperor and were willing to pay tribute could be formally integrated into it.

With Xu Guangqi's explanation, Giulio Aleni quickly understood the system of gods and religions that the Ming Dynasty had now established.

He was unwilling to accept this, because in this system, Nestorianism could at most obtain the status of Buddhism, which was far from his vision of acting as a shepherd on behalf of Heaven.

However, in the Ming Dynasty, the power to herd sheep was in the hands of the emperor. The emperor granted this power to his ministers, which constituted the system for governing the country.

The emperor did not need religious figures to crown him; instead, he could bestow titles upon gods of religious faith.

It is virtually impossible for them to achieve the status of Christianity in the West.

This is the biggest problem that Nestorianism faced in its Sinicization.
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Having vaguely grasped this point, Giulio Aleni fell silent, for he had no idea what the solution might be.

It was difficult to get Nestorianism to abandon this idea, because they all wanted to achieve a higher status.

However, it was even more impossible to get the emperor to relinquish his power as regent, as the emperor of the Ming Dynasty even aspired to act as regent for the gods. Without resolving this fundamental issue, the restrictions imposed on Nestorianism could not be lifted.

Thinking about the relationship between theocracy and monarchy in Western countries, Giulio Aleni seemed to understand why the Ming emperors restricted Nestorianism so much, even citing the three Wu emperors and one Zong emperor as examples, and issued threats to exterminate the religion.

"I seem to foresee the calamity of Nestorianism; I wonder when it will arrive?"

After seeing Xu Guangqi off, Giulio Aleni looked out the window and muttered to himself.

He knew that the threat posed by the Ming emperor was not just empty boasting, but that he genuinely possessed the capability to do so.

Compared to the three emperors Wu and one emperor Zong, the current emperor's strength far surpasses theirs.

These emperors could even destroy Buddhism at its peak, let alone Nestorian Christianity, which had very few followers.

If Nestorianism insists that divine authority is superior to royal authority, it will inevitably suffer setbacks in the future.

For a fleeting moment, Giulio Aleni considered threatening the Ming emperor with the sudden deaths of the three Wu emperors and one Zong emperor. However, considering that Nestorianism was far less powerful than Buddhism and could not deeply influence the court to cause the current emperor's sudden death, he had to abandon the idea.

Moreover, considering the movements of Ming Dynasty scholars, he had already realized that the conflict between Nestorianism and Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism was inevitable.

Compared to those who vehemently opposed Nestorianism, the Ming emperor, who merely restricted its spread in the interior, could be considered a moderate.

Changing the emperor would not make things better; in fact, on the advice of some scholars, Nestorianism might be completely banned and destroyed.

Giulio Aleni did not want to see that situation, so he was already thinking about how to further Sinicize Nestorianism and resolve the most fundamental differences.

In his surviving account, he wrote:

In the fourth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the Ming emperor, who was well-versed in Western history, launched the Liaodong Campaign to expel the barbarians, modeled after the Spanish Reconquista.

Furthermore, following the example of Spain's expulsion of infidels, they initiated a distinction between Chinese and barbarians, expelling the barbarians and launching a de-barbarianization movement.

All people outside of China, whom they referred to as such, including their ethnicity, customs, thoughts, culture, and clothing, were scrutinized by the Ming Dynasty to see if they conformed to the distinction between Chinese and barbarians.

Our church, because it comes from the West, is also subject to scrutiny.

They were examining everything that might be considered barbarian from a Chinese perspective.

The differences between our doctrines and those of Buddhism and Confucianism were noticed by many people in the Ming Dynasty.

We are no longer Western monks and Western scholars, but are regarded by them as heretics and cultists.

How this problem is solved will determine the future of Nestorianism.

……

The messy handwriting and scattered ideas reveal Giulio Aleni's inner conflict.

Having been sent by the Vatican, he had no idea what to do next.

Other missionaries, even those whose understanding was not as profound, also noticed that Nestorianism was facing unprecedented difficulties in the Ming Dynasty.

Even inside churches, their religious activities are subject to scrutiny.

Officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and religious officials from the Religious Affairs Commission who were of Buddhist or Taoist origin would supervise them to change certain words and prohibit the propagation of certain doctrines.

Their Confucian robes were also ordered to be changed to a cross-collar, right-fastening garment developed from Roman everyday attire. Furthermore, the Nestorian cross symbol was embroidered on them, similar to the Tai Chi diagrams of Taoism and the City God Temple.

Furthermore, the imperial court issued a ban on secret gatherings, prohibiting all gatherings that were not open to the public.

Religious gatherings, in particular, were given the most attention. Gatherings of more than two hundred people had to be reported to the government.

The spread of Nestorianism encountered unprecedented difficulties. Some priests left, while others were forced by the imperial court to temporarily refrain from propagating or even revising certain doctrines.

If they don't do this, their church will be lost. The Court of Imperial Sacrifices will shut down temples that have repeatedly committed crimes and send priests to rebuild them.

Some Nestorian churches were therefore shut down and seized by Buddhism and Taoism.

Johann Adam Schall von Bell, who was appointed Archbishop of Nestorianism by the emperor, was therefore filled with unease.

Especially after the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, in accordance with the "Foreigners Subdivision Act," subdivided all foreign missionaries and classified him as a German, Johann Adam Schall von Bell knew that this situation could not continue.

"I demand to see the Emperor!"

“I am a nobleman of the Ming Dynasty, and a subject of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.”

"We have found Xu Guangqi, the Nestorian Christian Church's patron in the imperial court," Johann Adam Schall von Bell exclaimed.

He claimed to be a nobleman of the Ming Dynasty and requested to be naturalized as a Chinese.

Xu Guangqi was greatly surprised when he heard this request.

Because he never expected that a missionary, especially the nominal leader of the Nestorian Church, would surrender so quickly.

He said to Johann Adam Schall von Bell:

"Have you thought this through? Once you take this step, there's no turning back."

"If the Vatican finds out, you could be considered a traitor."

Johann Adam Schall von Bell said very decisively:
“I want to stay in the Ming Dynasty. The laws and etiquette of the Ming Dynasty are above the laws of the Church. The Roman Catholic Church has no right to deal with me.”

"Xuanhu, the Ming Dynasty will help me, don't you agree?"

Xu Guangqi nodded silently, not believing that the so-called Roman Catholic Church could force the Ming Dynasty to hand over those who had violated religious laws.

Once Johann Adam Schall von Bell became Chinese, the Vatican had no right to punish him. To do so secretly would be a provocation against the Ming Dynasty.

Xu Guangqi certainly didn't believe that the Pope in Rome could deal with them. He thought that Johann Adam Schall von Bell had made the right move, grasping the crux of the problem—

With a naturalized Chinese archbishop presiding over the mission, the Sinicization of Nestorianism will certainly go further.

In the future, there may even be archbishops of Han Chinese descent, just as most Buddhist monks today are of Han Chinese origin.

These people are naturally even less afraid of the Roman Catholic Church. Under their leadership, the Jingdezhen Church will become more independent in the future and become a truly independent church.

The emperor made the right choice in selecting him as archbishop; this archbishop, who had previously focused on science and technology, is now showing great promise in religious matters.

Xu Guangqi, who greatly admired Johann Adam Schall von Bell, naturally granted Schall von Bell's request to meet the emperor.

Upon learning that Johann Adam Schall von Bell wanted to naturalize, Zhu Youjian was extremely pleased and not too surprised.

The archbishop he chose was a man with considerable self-interest. Not only had he seized an official position through opportunism during the Ming-Qing transition, but he also had a formally adopted grandson who received imperial favor.

There were even rumors that he was bisexual, attracted to both women and men, which would be considered a violation of the precepts of the Jesuits, who advocate asceticism.

A person with so many desires would not give up his official position and title for the sake of so-called doctrines.

This is why Zhu Youjian appointed him as archbishop and conferred upon him a noble title.

The results are now evident; Johann Adam Schall von Bell, as the Archbishop of the Nestorian Church, is now taking the lead in naturalizing as a Chinese. (End of Chapter)