98 CHINA. 



religion. Among the miracles of the times, an eunuch converted 

 fiity ladies; and Helena Tamin:^, emprefs oi China ^ held epillo- 

 lary correfpondence with pope Alexander Vllth. 



Unfortunately for the Jcfuits, in 1C3T, an inundation of 

 Dominicans. Other miflionaries poured into the empire. The Dominicans 

 and the Francifcans were zealous to partake of the honor, and 

 lliare in the good work ; hut again, unluckily for both, the 

 Jefuits were men of this world, their rivals of the other. The laft 

 foon difcovered the arts by which the Jefuits had eftabliflied 

 their power in China. They would not condefcend to preach 

 any but the pure do6lrine of Chriftianity ; an inveterate quarrel 

 enfued among thefe holy men. The Dominicans and Francif- 

 cans carried their complaints to Rome ; the grounds of which 

 were difcufiTed in the higheft ecclefiaflical courts, and with va- 

 rious fuccefs. The monks had the molT: fubtile orders to coun- 

 tera6t them. The controverfy lafted a hundred years ; bulls had 

 been fent to Peking, to difannul all the temporizing compliances 

 of the Jefuits with the religious rites of the Chinefe ; fome they 

 evaded, and at other times, by their power at court, excited perfe- 

 cutions againll their chriftian brethren. They even procured 

 the imprifonment of -Tb^/n/o/^, a legate from the Pope himfelf. 

 His holinefs honored the fufferer with the cardinal's hat ; he re- 

 ceived it in confinement, and foon after died, the ridicule of the 

 political Jefuits. The reader will find a very candid and enter- 

 taining account of the Chriftian church by Mofjeim, in the Chi- 

 nefe Mifcellanies, publiQied in 1762, in two fmall volumes. My 

 plan forbids me from entering further into the hiflory ; let it 



fuflice 



