The condition of the Christian Church lately established by our
religious in Great China
[Though the religious of our order who had recently entered Great
China had not enjoyed entire freedom from disturbance, they had met
with no such opposition as they had expected. They baptized many
who became devout Christians. The Christians converted in China are
better Christians than those converted in these islands, being of
higher rank and greater intelligence. They live a life of devotion,
and do much penance. They often ask acute questions, which cause the
minister difficulty in answering; and they are very constant in times
of persecution. Up to this year 1634 our province has had in China
only two priests; while the Order of St. Francis has sent two others,
who have at our request labored in company with the members of our
order. Our religious have gone to cities which do not belong to any
other order, in order to avoid collisions. The Chinese women are kept
in such seclusion that their conversion has been very difficult,
though their husbands sometimes bring them; and the Lord has in
some remarkable cases shown special favor to the preaching of his
gospel by the members of our order. The Lord also works miracles
by the hands of His preachers, showing that He is the true God,
and that the idols are vanity. In especial, He has cast out devils
by His ministers. At times the Chinese heathen have risen against
the Christians, and have spread false tales about them. Three such
uprisings are described, the church being torn down in one of them,
some Christians being maltreated, and a few being slain. The judge
punished the rioters, but directed the religious to leave the city. The
women are devoted Christians. Father Fray Juan Baptista de Morales [65]
and father Fray Francisco Diaz [66] were both exposed to the danger
of death at the hands of the Chinese rioters, and a number of weak
Christians fell away; but even under these circumstances the presence
of the missionaries achieved much. The Chinese are great idolaters,
especially the women, for they believe that after death they shall
come to life again in new form, even men taking the form of brute
animals, and good women becoming men--which is something which they
regard highly, because of the subjection and inferiority of women in
China. The Chinese in the region where the fathers were at work were
given to horrible vices and to excessive and superfluous courtesy. The
converted Chinese departed from their vices, and did much penance.]