INTRODUCTORY DECLARATION. xii

There were many discussions among Europeans, not only concerning the people of China, but also regarding their sciences and disciplines. However, these discussions were not so productive that many of the Chinese did not still look down on our achievements in comparison to their own; they used to say that we had not so much approached the praise of their own wisdom, but had merely moved a little further away from the laziness and crudeness of other barbarians. Thus, some amusingly remarked—following an old proverb of that nation—that only the Chinese original: Sinas were gifted with both eyes, while the rest of mortals were clearly blind; nevertheless, they granted the men of Europe at least one eye. It pleased the Members of the Society The Jesuits, or Society of Jesus., therefore, to explore every secret of the nation. Just as they had already penetrated the lands themselves, which were fortified by so many barriers and guards, they also sought to make an entrance for themselves into the innermost sanctuaries of that prideful and high-minded Philosophy. They did so with this specific plan: that once all their opinions, institutions, and especially their ancient monuments were thoroughly known and understood, they might—imitating the Apostle Saint Paul, who used the "Unknown God" of the Greeks to preach the Gospel.—seek from those sources whatever light or strength could be used to announce and confirm the truth of Christian Philosophy to them. Thus, these proud men might finally recognize, even against their will (unless an excessive self-love should happen to blind them completely), that it was they rather than we who lacked "the other eye," since they were utterly ignorant of our sciences, to which we had now joined their own Philosophy.

Therefore, after the matter was diligently examined, the Members realized that almost the whole of Chinese Philosophy—at least the flower and marrow of the entire system—is contained in four principal books. There is not one among the literate class who does not already hold these in his memory from youth. From these books, the more one has drawn knowledge of moral politics, the more quickly he is promoted to literary degrees, to honors, and to magistracies. From these, finally, the principal oracles of the nation and the virtually eternal truths of the Chinese are sought. Consequently, they approached the task with great courage, making it their first priority to understand those books. It cannot be expressed how much labor and sweat was expended on this; but since they found nothing in them that opposed reason or the law of Nature, and indeed much that wonderfully supported it, they decided to learn them thoroughly and turn them to their own use. Furthermore, a great harvest answered this great labor. For the Chinese now received Christian truths—deduced from what they considered their own principles, stabilized and illustrated by the authority and testimony of their ancient Kings and sages, and finally presented and adorned with their own words and maxims—not as something foreign and barbaric with a certain fear or contempt, but as their own, with receptive ears and indeed with reverence. Nor were there few who, upon whom the divine light shone more kindly, followed with ready minds; and soon they became encouragers and leaders to their relatives and friends to give their names to the same Philosophy. Others, however, who were entangled in the chains of greed and lusts, or who were more alienated from us by their devotion to superstitions, nevertheless looked up to the talent, memory, and wisdom of the Europeans.