Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	day_n	holy_a	lord_n	5,913	5	4.1120	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59154	The history of that great and renowned monarchy of China wherein all the particular provinces are accurately described, as also the dispositions, manners, learning, lawes, militia, government, and religion of the people : together with the traffick and commodities of that countrey / lately written in Italian by F. Alvarez Semedo ... ; now put into English by a person of quality, and illustrated with several mapps and figures ... ; to which is added the history of the late invasion and conquest of that flourishing kingdom by the Tartars ; with an exact account of the other affairs of China till these present times.; Relação da propagação da fe no reyno da China e outros adjacentes. English	Semedo, Alvaro, 1585-1658.; Martini, Martino, 1614-1661. De bello Tartarico historia. English.; Person of quality.	1655 (1655)	Wing S2490; ESTC R22006	355,366	359

and looking one upon another said sure our Caoye for so they call their Mandarine is out of his witts not understanding that indeed he had shewed this more in that particular than in any other After he had served his King many years he thought good to retire himselfe that he might more fervently devoutly serve the King of heaven He went therefore to his house in the City of Hamcheu where he dedicated himselfe with his whole heart to the affairs of his salvation He built a new Church and House for the Fathers which was very requisite in so vast and populous a City although we had then another there at the same time This stood so neer his owne House that it gave him a continual occasion to converse very frequently with the Fathers which was his only delight And that he might wholly employ himself in the Service of that new Christianity he gave himselfe to Translate our Books which is an excellent way to introduce the understanding of our Sciences and with them the knowledge of our holy Faith To this end he requested to have one of the Fathers alwayes with him who might give himselfe wholly to that employment There was assigned him accordingly Father Franciscus Furtado by whose assistance he composed those books de Coelo and Printed them at his own charges with the great applause of all China He undertook afterwards to have set out a Logick which he had finished and reviewed was ready for the presse when the Lord was pleased to give him the recompence of his pious zeal by calling him to a better life after he had received the Sacrament and testified much resentment of the Mercy of God and many hopeful signs of his owne salvation Returning now to the Fathers whom we left at Court there where their Affairs prospered every day more and more the Lord being pleased to comfort them by letting them see the fruit of their labours by advancing the esteem of our Holy Faith every day more than other among the Gentiles many continually turning Christians and the reputation of the Idols growing every day lesse and lesse by reason of the many disputes which the professours of their Sects held with the Fathers wherein they were not only vanquished but even confounded by the Truth CHAP. 5. Of the proceedings and ruine of our House at Xaocheu VVHilest our affaires at Court prospered and the Fathers used their utmost endeavours to settle their abode there in the meane time the Fathers who resided in the houses of the other Provinces omitted no opportunitie to promote the preaching of the holy Gospel and had very good fruit of their labour neither did the enemy of mankind cease to shew how much he resented to have so many soules taken out of his clutches neyther was he slow to invent new disturbances and troubles The House which we had in the Province of Canton in the City of Xaocheu increased every day in the number of new Christians and in the remarkable conversions of many considerable personages among whom were three Mandarines in the manner of their behaviour with examples of vertue far surpassing the carriage of Neophytes or new Converts In fine there was a great Gate opened to the Gospel but in like manner to many adversaries also Father Nicolaus Longobardus was employed in this conversion and when he endeavoured with the greatest fervour and zeale to drive all Idols out of the Houses of the Gentiles behold there cometh one into his House brought upon mens Shoulders in a long procession who with a great deale of noise and stirre demand Almes for the Fabrique of a Temple that was to be built for it Every one seeth the danger of that demand but Christian valour exposing it self to all events did valiantly repulse that charge and although the noise was great the demand importunate and their out-cries reaching even to heaven yet the Lord not permitting them to do any other violence they went their wayes without getting any thing of him In the Villages the Letteratie were stark mad against the Christians In the Citie the report was every where divulged that in their journey to Pekim the Fathers who went toward the Court were apprehended and imprisoned by the Eunuch Mathan out of whose hands if ever they went alive it would be after a very severe chastisement And as the Devill makes his advantage of every thing there was added to this another worse report by reason on the Scene was laid neerer hand which was That our Fathers were banished out of the Citie of Xaokim and that all they who had turned Christians were apprehended and chastised It is not to be beleeved how much this newes disturbed the people and troubled the Fathers and so much the more by reason this prattle had some foundation of truth But as truth doth still prevaile in the end so this tribulation lasted not very long but seemed rather to give place to new troubles which were prepared against us There happened to be a great drought that year and the Gentiles had many times offered Prayers and Sacrifices unto their Pagods but all was to no effect and not knowing what to do more they consulted with an old woman who was a Pythonisse asking her the reason why it did not raine and why the Pagods did not give an ear to their just prayers in that common necessitie She answered because there are many who burn the Ribs of Con Him which is the name of a Female Idoll meaning thereby that they who turned Christians did burn the Idols which formerly they worshipped in their Houses with this answer of the old woman as if she had been an oracle it is not to be beleeved into what fury and madnesse the Gentiles fell so that if they did not set fire on the Christians Houses it was only for feare of the Mandarines but they swore to kill the Father if ever he came againe In the Citie the Bonzi not being able any longer to endure nor dissemble the rage which they had conceived against the Fathers nor to see the smoke of the Idols which were burnt every day by those who were converted conspiring with many more of the people resolved to put an end once for all to this businesse they framed a divellish Petition wherein they touched such poynts that were able to put fear into any Magistrate whatsoever and so much the more because some of those things which they said there were true at least in part and could not be denied as that they were strangers that they perswaded people to live after their way and to observe their law that they assembled congregations which is a dangerous thing in China for feare of Insurrections To these they added many other things in confirmation of their opinion The Memoriall was presented to the Officers neither was it received with an ill will But the Lord who alway assisteth his servants and with his divine Providence helpeth them out of their

and being arrived I took no thought for any thing else I saw it and read it and went often to read behold and consider it at leisure and above all I did much admire that being so ancient it should be so entire and have the letters so plainly and neatly graven On the thicknes of the sides thereof it hath many Chinesse letters which containe many names of the Priests and Bishops of that time There are also many other letters which were not then knowne for they are neither Hebrew nor Greek and for as much as I now understand they containe the same names that if peradventure some strangers might not understand the letters of the Countrie they might perhaps be better acquainted with those of a forraigne extraction Passing by Cocchine I came to Cranganor where is the Residence of the Archbishop of Costa to consult about these letters with father Antoni Fernandes one of our societie who is very skilfull in the books and writings of those ancient Christians converted by S. Thomas He told me the letters were Syriack and the very same which are used there at this day But let us come now to the inscription of our Marble which no●doubt ere this hath raised an appetite in the reader to know it Those three lines which are at the foot of the Crosse each consisting of three letters as we have said being faithfully translated as also all the rest as neere as possibly I could say thus A Relation in the Praise and eternall memorie of the law of the light of truth brought from Iudea and preached in China THe writing is graved on the plaine side of this stone in its proper letters placed in lines running from top to bottom after the Chinesse fashion The first line which is the shortest saith thus I A Prologue Made by the Priest of the Kingdom of Iudea named Kim Lim. The rest of the inscription in a magnificent Orientall stile containeth that which followeth II Oh how true and profound is the eternall and the incomprehensible most spirituall speaking of time past he is without beginning and of time to come he is without end and alwaies in the same perfection He tooke nothing and with it he made all He is a principall consisting of Trinitie and Unitie yet without any reall principle The Lord Olooyu He made the foure parts of the world in figure of a Crosse. He moved the Chaos and made the two principles There was an alteration made in the Abysse and heaven and earth appeared Nature at the beginning was pure and exempt from disordinate passions and the heart was cleane without the unrulinesse of the appetites III Man came afterward to fall into the deceits of Satan who covering with words the mischiefe he had plotted perverted the innocence of the first man From this principle sprang 365 Sects which by reason they were so many did one drive away the other and of all of them was made a net wherein the world was caught Some chose the creatures and appropriated Divinity to them others were plunged in that errour of thinking that all is nothing and ends in nothing Others make sacrifices to invite good fortun● with Others 〈…〉 deceive the world The understanding corrupted with e●rours and the will with passions are altogether obscured Men walked forwards without 〈…〉 at the end they aimed at The world was all in a miserable 〈◊〉 Man still multiplied the darknesse and loosing his way wandred long time in it without finding the truth IV. Then the Messias one of the three persons covered his true ● Ma●esty and making himself a man appeared unto the world An Angell came to manifest the Mystery and a Virgin brought forth the Holy one A Starre appeared which gave notice of his birth to those of the Kingdome of 〈◊〉 They 〈◊〉 to offer him Tribute and all was done according to what had been foretol● by the foure and twenty Saints He published to the world the most pure law He purified their customes and rectified the faith He cleansed the world He perfected vertue and therein founded the three vertues He opened the way to life and shut up that of death He manifested the bright day and banished obscure darkenesse He conquered the obscure seate at what time the devill remained wholly subdued and succoured with his mercy the sinking world that m●n might ascend to the habitations of light After he had perfected his works ●e ascended into the heavens at Midday There remained 27 books of holy Scripture There was opened the gate to Co●version by means of that water which cle●●seth and purifieth His Ministers made use of the Holy Crosse they made their abode no more in one place than in another that they might illuminate the whole world The world being thus reduced unto Union men did walke after their example and thus did they open the way of life and glory V. They suffered their beard to grow and did shew by this means that they were like other men in their externall part They out their haire even to the roots upon the top of their head and by this they shewed that they had no internall wordly affections They kept no servants the Noble and the common men were with them the same thing They tooke no riches from men They gave to the poore that which they had They fasted and watched to bring the flesh into subjection to the spirit Seaven times a day they offered sacrifices of praise by which they helped the living and the dead Every seaventh day they did offer They purified their hearts to receive the holy innocence The true law hath no name that doth well suite with it and that is able to explaine the excellency thereof therefore because it wanteth another name we will call it The law of Brightnesse The law if it be not holy cannot be called great and if holinesse be not answerable to that which the law teacheth it may not have that name But in this law the holinesse correspondeth to the law and the law to the holinesse VI. If there be not Kingly Persons to favour it the law cannot well be propagated if they receive not the law they cannot grow truly great When they and the law do agree presently the world is enlightened By this means at the time when a King named Tai Zum Ve● Hoam did governe with famous prudence and sanctitie there came from Iudea a man of high vertue by name Olopuen who being guided by the clouds brought the true doctrine And in the year Chin Quom Kieufu he arrived at the Court The King commanded the Colao Fam Kizulin that he should go and meet him as farre as the West and that he should treate him as his guest with all manner of kindnesse He caused this doctrine to be translated in his palace and seeing the law to be true he powerfully commanded it should be divulged through the Kingdome and presently after he sent forth a royall patent which contained

Province is like a Turbulent sea for there stormes are never wanting one still succeeding another untill they had utterly ruined our House at Xaocheu It was the year of our Lord 1613 when the people of this City after many contrasts whether it were that their sinnes did render them unworthy of those mercies the Lord would have conferred on them or that the Lord was pleased by this means to provide the Fathers a more quiet and secure abode conspired in that violent manner against the Fathers that the Mandarines not being able to resist the fury of the Litterati the Bonzi and the common people who with one accord cryed our against the strangers did banish them by a publick sentence pronounced against them which notwithstanding had thus much of good in it to them that the banishment was not out of the Kingdom as they did very much feare it would be but seemed rather a confinement to detain them in the Kingdome They pillaged our house and committed other such insolences as are usuall upon the like sentences and with such persons They placed over the doore in signe of their victory a stone with a long inscription on it against the Fathers and our holy faith But when things began to close the Christians procured one night to have it peckt over with an iron toole and so defaced it that it was never after to be read The Fathers departed from that City with great contentment of the Gentiles and a greater resentment of the Christians who wept all downe right and going up the river towards the North they arrived in a few daies at Mount Muilin where the Source and Head of that river riseth At the foot thereof lyeth the City of Namhium which terminateth that Province Here the Lord was pleased that their Barque should rest like that of Noah on the Mountaines of Armenia And without asking any leave or desiring the favour of any Mandarines only putting their trust in the Lord they hired a house in that City where it was not hard for them to find one for their turne without the molestation or prohibition of any one whatsoever for when the Lord will have a thing come to passe all is easie even without pains and industry There they lived with that little which they had saved out of their shipwrack at Xaocheu and drest up a Chappell in their house and as the report of the arrivall of these strangers began to raise their curiosity so the concourse of the people and their visits to them did open a doore to the preaching of the Gospell So that Father Gasper Ferrera who had been with them in the late troubles presently began to baptize some of them And the year following as I passed by that place to go to Nankim there was although not a numerous yet a good and well instructed Christianitie who enjoyed all peace and quietnesse untill the year 1616 when the persecution at Nankim began CHAP. 6. Of the progress of the Christian religion at the two residencies of Nancham and Nankim and of the death of Father Mattheus Riccius THe Fathers Emmanuel Dias and Ioannes Soerius laboured with very good fruit in the residence of Nancham which is the principall City of the Province of Kiamsi and although the greatest part of the Christians were but of the common people yet there were some also of the Nobilitie and of the Kings kindred who were baptized and carried themselves very exemplarily to the edification of all the rest I have since known some of them who did very much benefit that Christianitie by the good pattern and example of their lives and when I departed from China Don Pedro was then living who is so often mentioned in the yearly letters for having carried himselfe like a good Christian upon all occasions and even in the torments which he sustained with great constancy his house many times affording a Sanctuary to the Fathers and a Church to the Christians who went commonly thether during their troubles and persecutions which were not wanting there neither did they faile to produce that fruit which they are wont to do in new Christianities There dwell in this City many of the Kings kindred who for the most part are very insolent partly by reason of the authority of their blood and partly by reason of the idle and easie life they lead These did often give the fathers much trouble and one time were resolved to surprize the house where they lived and to turne them out of the City and had proceeded so farre in it that there is no doubt but that they had put their purpose in execution had not the Governour of the City been changed who having ended his time resigned his place to another who although he was new in that Office yet was not new in the acquaintance of the Fathers The Litterati who when they have only taken their first degree of Bachelour are another sort of troublesome people had undertaken to oppose the Christian religion and to persecute the Preachers thereof as accordingly they did many times but once in particular many of them conspiring together to pluck up this evill weede as they called it by the roots framed a Memoriall wherein they named some of the Fathers by their names and affirmed that they were Traytours to the King and that upon this designe they had dispersed themselves into five severall Provinces that they kept a constant correspondence one with another that they went up and down the Rivers to rob and assassinate the people that they taught men not to reverence the Images of their ancestors and not to worship the Pagods but brake and burned them that they seduced the ignorant people and taught them to worship a Moor for so in that Province they call the Europaeans saying that he was the true God that they made assemblies and meetings and hindred people from following their businesse that they had almost perverted the whole Citie and though at the beginning there were but a few of their Sect yet now they were multiplyed to 20000. In fine they said many other things which sounded so ill that there was none who doubted but that they would be sufficient wholly to extirpate the Fathers beside their adversaries were many united in one Body and Litterati too who knew very well how to use their pen and are commonly the better heard for that reason They presented their Memoriall to the Magistrates who received it and cited the Fathers to their Tribunal where they were examined about their life and manners and concerning the doctrine which they preached They gave an account of themselves and were also very well heard They brought along with them the Catechism which they taught printed in the Chinesse Language and presented it to the Mandarines in stead of a Memoriall This was so well looked upon that they not only admired therein the foundation and principle of all vertues but also greatly praised the precepts of the Ten

into his Ship but knowing he could not avoid death by another mans hand he chose rather to be his own executioner and so hanged himself Yet for all this the supreme Governour in the Emperours name granted to this Mans Son the same Dignity and Province which had been conferred upon the Father and thus the three Royolets joyning again having passed Nanking and Kiangsi came at length into the Province of Quamtung to carry on the War against the Emperour Iungley and at their first entrance they took many Cities which durst not oppose the strength of their Armies onely the City of Quangcheu resolved to try its fortune and strength This City of Quangcheu is a most rich and beautiful place environed with large waters only the Northern Gate joines to the Continent on all other sides it is entrable only by boate In this Town was the Son of the Captive Iquon whom I mentioned before besides there was a strong Garrison to defend it and amongst others many fugitives from Macao who were content to serve the Emperour Iungly for great stipends and by reason the Tartars had neither Ships nor skill to govern them and that the Town had both the one and the other it is no wonder if they endured almost a whole years Siege having the Sea open for their relief the Tartars made many assaults in which they lost many men and were ever beaten back and vigorously repelled This courage of theirs made the Tartars fall upon a resolution of beating down the Town Walls with their great Cannon which had such effect as in fine they took it the 24. of November MDCL and because it was remarked that they gave to one of the Prefects of the Town the same Office he had before it was suspected it was delivered by Treason The next day after they began to Plunder the City and the sackage endured from the 24. of November till the 5. of December in which they neither spared Man Woman or Child but all whosoever came in their way were cruelly put to the Sword nor was there heard any other Speech But Kill kill these barbarous Rebels yet they spared some Artificers to conserve the necessary Arts as also some strong and lusty men such as they saw able to carry away the Pillage of the City but finally the 6 day of December came out an Edict which forbad all further vexation after they had killed a hundred thousand men besides all those that perished severall wayes during the Siege After this bloody Tragedy all the Neighbouring Provinces sent voluntarily their Legates to submit demanding mercy which they obtained by the many rich presents which were offered After this the Royalet marched with his Army against the City Chaoking where the Emperour Iungley held his Court but he knowing himself far inferiour in Forces and unable to resist fled away with his whole Army and Family leaving the City to the Tartars mercy But whither this Emperour fled is yet wholly unknown to me for at this time I took Shipping in Fokien to the Philippines and from thence I was commanded to go for Europe by those whom I must not disobey But I make no doubt but the Emperour retired into the adjoyning Province called Quangsi Now to give the Reader a little touch how the Tartars stand affected to Christianity in the Metropolitan City of Quangcheu which as I now related was utterly destroyed we had a stately Church and there was a venerable person who had the care and superintendency of all the Christians whose name was Alvarus Semedo a Jesuit this Man they took tyed hand foot for many dayes and threatned to kil him every houre unlesse he would deliver the Christians Treasures but the poor man had no Treasure to produce so as he suffered much till at length the King heating of his case took pitty of his venerable gray Heirs and comely Person and gave him not onely his life and liberty but a Bible and a Breviary together with a good summe of Money for an Almes and finally a House to build a Church for Christians and this is lesse to be wondred at from him because heretofore he had been a Souldier under that famous Sun Ignatius whom I mentioned before where he knew what belonged to Christianity and also had seen the Jesuits in his Camp from whence he fled to the Tartars Nor is it onely this Tartar that favours us Christians but in a manner all the rest do love honour and esteem those Fathers and many have imbraced our Religion nor do we doubt but many more would follow their example if we could enter Tartary as now it is projecting where doubtlesse many great things may be performed for the reducing of that Nation to the Faith of Christ and perchance God has opened a way to the Tartars to enter China to give Christianity a passage into Tartary which hitherto to us hath been unknown and inaccessible About this time also they made War against the Kingdome of corea who of late years became also Tributary to the Tartars upon condition that they should still conserve their Hair and Habits but now the Tartars would needs constrain them to conform themselves to the Tartarian fashion and therefore all that Kingdome revolted from the Tartars but my departure hindred me from knowing since what has passed But all these glorious victories were much eclipsed by the sorrowfull death of Amavangus which happened in the beginining of the year MDCLI He was a Man to whom the Tartars owe their Empire in China and such an one as whom both Tartars and Chineses loved and feared for his prudence Justice humanity and skill in Martial affairs The death of this Potentate did much trouble the Court for the Brother to this Man called Quingtus would needs pretend to the Government of the Empire and of the young Emperour Xunchius but both the Tartars the Chineses resisted his claime alledging that being of sixteen year old he was able to govern the Kingdom himself in conformity to this opinion all the Presidents deposed the Ensignes of their Offices refusing ever to receive them from any but from the young installed Emperour Xunchius To which Constancy the King Kuintus Uncle to the Emperour prudently yeelded lest he should exasperate the minds of many and raise greater troubles in the Empire But I cannot doubt but the death of Amavangus must needs endanger the Tartarian Empire and bring all their affairs into great disturbance for they will hardly find a Man so beloved feared and expert in all Military Discipline and Government as he in effect shewed himself to be but time wil teach us what will become of all for since his death we have no certainty of any relation Now let us turne the threed of our discourse as I promised here above and consider the fortune and success of the other Great Brigand caled Changhienchungus to let the Reader understand how the