| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 1 | 7 | 14 | 20 | 27 |
|
public, in a half-starved condition, as rare and curious monsters,
to know that a few hundred years ago they welcomed adventurous Jesuit
priests, who struggled to their shores, with great cordiality, and gave
to them the fullest liberty in the dissemination of their doctrines. I
have seen at St. Peter's, in Rome, a picture of certain restive Chinamen
barbecuing some 80 Romish priests. This was an uncalled for stretch of
hospitality--if it be proposed to call it hospitality at all. But the
caging and barbecuing of strangers were disagreeable attentions which
were secured to those strangers by their predecessors. As I have said,
the Chinese were exceedingly hospitable and kind toward the first
foreigners who came among them, 200 or 300 years ago. They listened to
their preachings, they joined their Church. They saw the doctrines of
Christianity spreading far and wide over the land, yet nobody murmured
against these things. The Jesuit priests were elevated to high offices
in the Government. China's confidence in the foreigners was not
betrayed. In time, had the Jesuits been let alone, they would have
completely Christianized China, no doubt; that is, they would have
made of the Chinese, Christians according to their moral, physical, and
intellectual strength, and then given Nature a few generations in which
to shed the Pagan skin, and sap the Pagan blood, and so perfect the
work. For, be it known, one Jesuit missionary is equal to an army of
any other denomination where there is actual work to be done, and solid,
unsentimental wisdom to be exercised. However, to pursue my narrative,
some priests of the Dominican order arrived, and very shortly began
to make trouble. They began to cramp the privileges of converts; they
flouted the system of persuasion of the Jesuits, and adopted that of
7
Page
Quick Jump
|