_Of the number of gods that they doo worship, and of some
tokens and paintings that is found amongst them that do
represent a mysterie of our Christian religion._
In the two prouinces, Paguina an[d] Tolanchia, wheras we haue said, the
king of the countrie is ordinarily resident, for that they do bound vpon
Tartary, with whom they haue continuall warres: and againe the most
principall and politike people be in those places, ouer and aboue all
the other.
[Sidenote: A strange image.]
[Sidenote: A mysterie of the Trinitie.]
[Sidenote: S. Thomas preached in this kingdome.]
[Sidenote: The martyrdom of Saint Thomas.]
Amongst the figures of all their idols that they do haue, the Chinos doo
say that there is one of a strange and maruellous making, vnto whom they
do great reuerence: they doo paint him a bodie with three heads, that
doth continually looke the one on the other: and they say that it dooth
signifie, that all three be of one good will and essence, and that which
pleaseth the one pleaseth the other: and to the contrarie, that which is
grieuous and displeaseth the one, is grieuous and displeaseth the other
two: the which being interpreted Christianly, may be vnderstoode to be
the mysterie of the holy Trinitie, that wee that are Christians doo
worship, and is part of our faith: the which, with other things, seemeth
somwhat to be respondent to our holy, sacred, and Christian religion: so
that of verie truth we may presume that Saint Thomas the Apostle[57] did
preach in this kingdome, who as it is declared in the lesson on his day,
after he had receiued the Holy Ghost and preached the holy Gospel vnto
the Parthes, Medes, Persas, Brachmanes, and other nations, he went into
the Indias, whereas he was martyred in the city of Calamina, for his
faith and holy Gospel that he preached.
It is verified that when this glorious apostle did passe into the
Indies, hee trauelled through this kingdome of China, where as it
appeareth he did preach the holy Gospel and mysterie of the Holy
Trinitie: whose picture in the manner aforesaid doth indure vnto this
day, although those people, by the great and long blindnesse which they
are in with their errors and idolatrie, doo not perfectly knowe what
that figure with three heads doth represent or signifie. The better for
to beleeue that which is said, or at least to vnderstande that it is so,
is that it is found in the writings of the Armenians, that amongst them
are in reputation and of great authoritie: and there it saith, that this
glorious apostle did passe through this kingdome of China, when he went
into the Indies, where he was martyred, and that he did preach there the
holy Gospell, although it did profite verie little, for that the people
were out of order, and occupied in their warres: and therefore this
apostle did passe into the Indies, and left some of the countrie
(although but a few) baptised and instructed, that when it should please
God, they might haue occasion to perseuer in that which was taught them.
They haue also amongst them (as it is said) certaine pictures, after the
fashion and with the ensignes of the twelue apostles, which is a helpe
to the verifying of that aforesaide: although if you doo aske of the
people who they are, they doo answere that they were men, and great
philosophers that did liue vertuouslie, and therfore they are made
angels in heauen. They doo also vse amongst them the picture of a woman
verie faire with a man childe in her armes, whereof they say shee was
deliuered and yet remained a virgine, and was daughter vnto a mightie
king: they do reuerence her verie much, and do make prayer vnto her:
more then this, they cannot say of this mysterie, but that she liued a
holy life and never sinned.
Frier Gaspar de la Cruz, a Portugall of the order of Saint Dominicke,
was in the citie of Canton, where he did write many things of this
kingdome,[58] and with great attention, whom I do follow in many things
in the proces of this hystorie, and he saith, that he being vpon a small
island that was in the middest of a mightie riuer, there was a house in
manner of a monasterie of religious people of that country, and being in
it, he saw certaine curious things of great antiquitie: amongst them he
saw a chappel, like vnto an oratorie or place of prayer, verie well
made, and curiouslie dressed: it had certaine staires to mount into it,
and compassed about with gilt grates, and was made fast: and looking
vpon the altar, the which was couered with a cloth verie rich, hee sawe
in the midedst of the same an image of a woman of a meruailous
perfection, with a childe hauing her armes about hir necke, and there
was burning before her a lampe: he being amased at this sight he did
demande the signification: but there was none that could declare more
thereof then that which is said before. Of this which hath been said, it
is easily to be beleeued how that the Apostle S. Thomas did preach in
this kingdom, for that it is seene these people haue conserued these
traditions many yeares past, and doo conserue the same: which is a signe
and token that they had some notice of the true God, whose shadows they
do represent. There is amongst them many errors, and without any
foundation, and is not of them to be seene nor perceiued til such time
as by faith they shall knowe the right God: as may bee seene in the
chapters, where we shall speake of these matters.