! 
Chap. m. the Empire 
embrace Chriftianky, and plant that faving DotflrinCj 
which is at this Time very widely fpread in China. 
Kanghi, the prefenc reigning Emperor, in the Year 
1692, granted to the Miffionaries and Jefuics, Freedom 
for all^the World to worlhip God in their Churches, 
which is the fame as to become Chriftians *, and this 
Edift, purfuant to the Emperor’s Pleafure, was ratified 
by the Supreme Court of Juftice of the Empire j and 
empowered thofe, who tnought fie to caufe ihemfelves 
to be baptized, afterwards freely to exercife the Chri- 
itian Religious Worfhip, without the leaft Interruption, 
which before that Time was prohibited ; a Favour 
that had long been earneftly defired, and before 
which the Chriftians had run through many fevere 
Perfecucions i But now by the Divine Goodnels, we 
are delivered from fore Affltftions and Oppofitions, 
for which we continually return our Thanks to Almigh- 
ty God. T- . 
About the Middle of the fixteenth Century, Franas 
’Xauten defi^nin*^ to plant the Golpel here, di^d in 
Sichtof Land, as he L coming from Japan : After 
him feveral IVIifiionaries and Priefis came into this 
Country with the fame Intent, viz. IVLartinus XsT 7 ada, 
GcTonimo XlavinOy Flichacl Rugieviy Piedro Alfavo^ and 
Matthias Ricciy befides feveral others, who a little be- 
fore the Year 1600, laid the firft Foundation of this 
oood Work in the Reign of the Emperor Vanlie. Father 
Idicciy whom we named laft, diftinguilhed himfelf above 
all the reft j he converted feveral of the Nobility, and 
acquired a very great Reputation ; he perfedly under- 
ftood, and fluently fpoke the Language *, and 
being a fedulous and faithful Labourer in the fpiritual 
Vineyard, made the moft fuccefsful Beginning, on 
which Account he hath always been thought the firft 
of the Miflionarics. 
Whilft this Father Ricci was in China, and in the 
Reign of the Emperor Vaile, the Tartars made an Ir- 
rupuon into China, took feveral Cities, and conquer’d 
fewral Countries ; but were ftiortly repulfed by that 
illuftrious Prince ; after which he ruled in perfe6l Peace, 
and in the Year 1620, the eight and fiftieth of his Age, 
and tony eighth of his Reign, he died. Not long be- 
fore, about the Year 1615, arofe a furious Perfecution, 
which threatened the utter Extirpation of the Faith that 
was fo lately planted. Thefe exorbitant Cruelties were 
principally pufhed on by Chinkio, one of the chief Ma- 
giftrates of Nanking ; and by a malicious Cunning the 
Shepherds were the moft vigoroufly attacked, in order 
the more fuccefsfully to deftroy the Flock •, but after 
they had fuffered great Affliftions for the Space of fix 
Years their Perfecutor was puniflied by Death, and the 
Church recovering her former Liberty, began to increafe 
daily, efpecially after the Arrival of Father John Adam, 
Schaal or Scaliger, whofe Learning, Mathematical Know- 
ledge, and prudent Condufl, acquired for him one of 
the*chief Places in the Emperor’s Favour, and the good 
Opinion of the whole Court ; which furnifhed him with 
an Opportunity of farther propagating and confirming 
Chriftianity. And though in the Interim the great Re- 
volution happened, which transferred the Crown to the 
Tartarian from the Chinefe Family, by the Death of 
Zunchi, the laft of the Race of Taiminga, which had 
fwayed the Imperial Sceptre for the Spee of two hun- 
dred and eighty Years, and produced in that Time fix- 
teen Emperors ; yet the fagacious Father Adam Schaal 
render’d himfelf fo agreeable to the new Tartarian 
Court, that he became Prefident of the Tribunal of 
Mathematicians, and continued, though not without 
Envy, the Emperor’s Favourite j and after having en- 
joyed that Poftfor feveral Years, died in 1665. 
2. Tamquamften, the wicked Inftrument of the moft 
cruel Perfecution that ever was in China, fucceeded Fa- 
ther Adam Schaal in his Prefident s Charge : But his 
Reign did not continue long, being oppofed by Father 
Ferdinand Verbiefi, who clearly demonftrated his Abih- 
lities for that Poft to be far fuperior to thofe of his Per- 
fecutor *, wherefore he was promoted in his Place, and 
Fatncjuamjien fell into fuch a Difgrace, that he narrowly 
efcaped a Sentence of Death, as the Reward of his Perfe- 
of China. 977 
cution againft Father Adam % a S:op being put to that 
Perfecution by the efpecial Mercy of the Emperor. 
After the Death of Father Ferdinand VerbiesJ, in the 
Year 1688, which was lamented by the Emperor hinl- 
felf in a Funeral Elegy, he was fucceeded in the before- 
mentioned Charge of Prefident of the Mathematical 
Tribunal by Father Phihp Grimaldis, v.?ho filled that Poft 
as honourably as his PredecelTor, and advanced himfelf to 
fuch a high Place in the Imperial Favour, that in the 
Year 1689, he was fent AmbaflTador from the Emperor 
into Europe, to adjuft fome important Affairs in Muf~ 
covy with the Czar •, his Prefideni^s Poft in the Tribunal 
being worthily fupplied till his Return by the Fathers 
Thomas Pereira and Anthony Thomas. 
“ This is the fame Father Pereira, who, in Con-* 
“junction with Father Gerbillon, was twice fent, they 
“ being dignified with the Title of Mandaryns of the 
third Rank, as Interpreters in the great Embafly and 
“ Treaty of Peace at Nepchou, by the Mufeovites called 
“ Nerzinjkoy, and of whom it is reported, to their great 
‘‘ Honour, that they fuggefted the Meafures which ren- 
“ der’d the Treaty of Peace betwixt the Mufeovites and 
“ Chinefe fuccefsful. To which Purpofe, Gerbillon went 
“ feveral Times alone to the Mufeovite Camp, and fo 
“ far convinced that Nation of their true Intereft, that 
“ the Treaty of Peace betwixt the two Empire was 
ratified and fworn on the 3d of September, 1689.’* 
The Number of Chriftians daily increafed, from the 
Refpeft paid to the Jefults by tke Court, and the Em- 
peror’s zealous Inclination for xht European Arts and 
Sciences, infomuch that the leaft Number of Chriftians 
computed to be in Peking v/sls fixteen thoufand ; in Nan- 
king an hundred thoufand. In the abovefaid large tra- 
ding Village or Town Xanghui, there were but ten thou- 
fand ; in the Province of Chekiang are reckoned feven 
or eight thoufand *, in Koangft they amount to about 
ten thoufand ; in Buquang there are fix or feven thou- 
fand ; in Canton about ten thoufand ; in Fokien about 
five thoufand ; and in Xienji about three thoufand. The 
whole Number of Chriftians throughout the whole Em- 
pire being computed to amount to two hundred thou- 
fand. But tfie Number of Shepherds which carefully 
watch this Flock, and feduloufty endeavour the Conver- 
fion of others, is not above fixty. 
3. The prodigious Wall which covers this Empire, 
is called by the Chinefe in their own Language, Vault 
Tcham Tchim, and was built fome Centuries before 
Chrift’s time by the Chinefe Emperor, Chien Chu Voang, 
in order to prevent the Incurfions of the Weftern Tar- 
tars : For which End it is extended from the Leaotun- 
gian, or oriental Sea, far beyond the Middle of Xienft, 
and includes the Provinces of Peking, Xanft, and almoft: 
all the Country of Xienft: Its Length is computed di- 
redlly as a right Line at above 650 French Aliles, but 
reckoned as a Curve Line amounts to one thoufand : 
Whence its Chinefe Name was derived, which imports a 
thoufand Miles : It is full eight Ells thick, and fix high. 
It is not a little furprizing to fee this bulky Wall in a 
Manner skip over the moft terrible and fteep Hills, and 
to obferve three or four lofty Towers or Forts within 
the Compafs of every Mile, as well as its having run 
through fo many Ages, and its being in fuch, good 
Cafe at prefenr, which is owing to conftant Surveys, 
and timely Repairs. The two principal Rivers in this 
Empire are, the Yellow River, in Chinefe Called Ho- 
angfo, and Tangzu Kiang, that is the Son of the Sea, fo 
called on Account of its vaft Depth and great Breadth, 
it being full two Miles wide : It is alfo called the Nan- 
kingfian River, becaufe it runs through the Province, 
and clofe by the City of that Name. This laft River is 
navigable throughout the whole Empire ; feveral final! 
Lakes as well as feveral Rivulets fall into it, which rife 
in the Provinces Kiangfi, Huqimng, Ffuangd, ^.oantung, 
Chekiang, Suchuen and Honan % and there are befides, 
PaflTages cut and rendred navigable from this to the 
other principal River. The Courfe of the Yellow Ri- 
ver is extended to a very great Length, and runs through 
feveral Countries, it is alfo very deep, broad in fome 
Places and narrow in others : It r^fes out of the Lake 
in 
