Catholic Magazine and Review/Volume 3/Account of Foreign Missions (2)
FOREIGN MISSIONS.
BY NARRATOR.
(CONTINUED.)
3.—The mission of Su-chuen in China
Of the Asiatic missions connected with the Parisian establishment of Foreign Missions, the first named is Su-chuen in the empire of China. The apostolic zeal and charity displayed by the missionaries, whom if has of late pleased the Almighty to raise up for the manifestation of his mercy to that race of pagans, and the wonderful fervour and constancy of the Christian converts during a long course of persecution, combine to render that portion of the church an object of peculiar interest. Its history presents little else than a renewal of those scenes of earlier days, when the seeds of religion were nourished into growth and maturity by the blood of martyrs. Although somewhat beyond the writer's design, he feels it requisite, for a proper view of more recent events, to open the history of this mission at a date prior to the year 1822. For the facts, however, which this a narrative will unfold, we are chiefly indebted to the periodical publications of the Association for the Propagation of the Faith.
In the annals of China, the year 1814 is remarkable for the most cruel and bloody persecution, which has ever been raised against the missionaries and the Christian faithful of that empire. Among the many glorious martyrs, who have borne testimony to the faith, the venerable Dr. Dufresse, Bishop of Tabraca and V. A. of Su-chen, stands pre-eminent. He had succeeded Dr. Saint-Martin in the apostolic vicariate in the year 1801, and had gone on in the peaceable exercise of his functions until 1814, when he was denounced to the civil authorities, and in May of the succeeding year was placed under arrest and conducted to Tchin-tou, the capital of the province of Su-chuen. He was kindly treated by the Mandarins until the 14th of September, (the festival of the exaltation of the cross) when he was summoned before the trib of the Viceroy, and sentenced to death. Contrary to the laws of China, which forbid the execution of any criminal until the condemnation has been ratified by the Emperor, the sentence was instantly carried into effect. The holy prelate presented his head to the executioner with a presence of mind and serenity of countenance, wich filled the by-standers with admiration. His head was held up to public view, when many of the Christians, encouraged by so heroic an example, exclaimed: "would to God we might die like him," and the pagan spectators bore testimony to the murder of a just and innocent man. Thus did this blessed missionary, after a long life spent in the work of God, receive the glorious crown of which he accounted himself unworthy, but which had ever been the object of bis desires and prayers. He was seventythree years of age, forty-eight of which he had laboured on the Chinese mission.
It has been mentioned, that in the missions of China there are several colleges or seminaries for the education of native priests. One of the largest of these is the seminary of Pulo-Pinang, an island in the Straits of Malacca, inhabited by Malays, but belonging to the English. A letter addressed by the holy martyr, whose death has just been recorded, to the students of this seminary is too interesting an evidence of the spirit, which the Almighty perpetuates from age to age, for the edification and increase of his church, to require an apology for presenting to the reader a few extracts from it.
"My beloved children, (he writes) I thank the divine goodness for having brought you to the place of your destination. Already you have suffered much; but, your vocation being to follow the footsteps of the apostles in the propagation of the kingdom of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ, your lives will necessarily be filled with tribulation. Yet, take courage, for, provided you are faithful to the grace which is offered you, he, who. has conquered the world and hell, will give you the victory over all your enemies. If you are careful not to deviate from the path marked out for you by your divine master, you will ever find him your comfort in labour and tribulation, your resource in adversity, and your strength in infirmity, for God is faithful, and will not suffer you to be tempted above your strength. In the meantime, in order to prepare you the better for future conflicts, and as a token of my solicitude and affection for you, I will give you a few instructions to guide your present conduct. If you be faithful in the observance of them, you will give joy to the church, which looks forward with eagearness to the day when you will come forth to be worthy ministers of the gospel. If, on the contrary, you disregard them, you will remove far from you the blessing of heaven, your vocation and salvation will be placed in imminent danger: nay, nothing else can be expected, but that you will run headlong into vice, and in the end incur the loss, both of body and soul."
"1. Let each of you frequently ask himself, with St. Bernard, 'for what purpose am I come hither?' Is it for the sake of amusement and pastime, or to indulge in my own ease? No: it is in order to devote myself to study, to inure myself to labour, and to acquire that knowledge and those virtues, which will qualify me to maintain and extend our holy faith, and procure the glory of God and my own salvation.
"2. Consecrate, therefore, yourselves without reserve to the service of Jesus Christ and of his spouse, the church. Be ever ready cheerfully to follow the impulse of providence. Keep yourselves, as much as possible, in the divine presence and never allow your imaginations to dwell on vain and sinful thoughts. Be attentive and devout at your prayers, your meditations and your other spiritual exercises: but especially assist with the most lively sentiments of faith, piety and devotion, at the tremendous sacrifice of the Mass. Approach often and with great fervour to those abundant sources of remedies for all spiritual wounds, of our progress in virtue and of interior peace, the sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist. Dread nothing so much as profaning them by approaching to them unworthily. The perpetration of so horrid a sacrilege would plunge you, as it did Judas, into an abyss of evils, and would imprint on your souls the sure character of eternal reprobation. Unfold, without the least disguise, the secrets of your hearts to your director. Be assiduous in reading spiritual books, and listening to the exhortations and instructions, which are given you by your superiors. Every day enter seriously into yourselves, and examine before God the state of your conscience. Have special devotion to the Blessed Virgin, by continually reciting prayers in honour of her, begging her intercession, and imitating her virtues, particularly her humility, obedience, purity, patience, and ardent love for Him, who was the fruit of her womb."
"3. Obey those who have rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch, as being to render an account of your souls. Religiously observe all the rules of the college. Endeavour to make great progress in the Latin language, and the other sciences. Fly sloth and idleness, and pay great attention to all the lessons of your masters. If reprehended or punished, murmur not; but submit with humility, and strive to amend your faults. In the discharge of your various duties, do not act, like slaves under the eyes of their task-masters, but do all through the simple yet perfect motive of pleasing him, who searches the reins and heart. Your fidelity in this will make you pleasing in the sight, both of God and men. Thus will you draw down upon yourselves the continual blessings of heaven, and will go on daily increasing in virtue and knowledge, till you arrive happily at the close of your probation.
"4. Regardless of the distinctions arising from the diversities of nation or country, let charity and perfect concord reign among you; for, in a college, all are brethren one of another. Far from you be all contention and vain-glory, each one making it a rule with himself to behave towards every brother with the humility of an inferior. Never presume to censure the conduct of others: but be indugent rather towards their imperfections, and severe only in the amendment of your own. Avoid even the shadow of evil where there would be danger of scandalizing a brother. Study rather to edify and encourage one another to virtue by good example. Endeavour to live together like brethren, yet without ever forming particular or private attachments; for these, alas! are invariably the source of numberless evils in a college. Hence arise a coolness in the love of God and in charity to your other brethren, dissipation of mind, sloth in the performance of spiritual duties, contempt of superiors, insubordination, murmurs and disobedience, not to say even the entire ruin of virtue and a total corruption of heart. Do not even confine your friendship to a select few, but let all, without distinction, share equally in your friendship and good will.
"5. The dignity, to which you are aspiring, of becoming priests and missionaries is so sublime, so awful and so holy, that admission to it is closed against all who do not give proofs of their vocation by the innocence and regularity of their behaviour, and by sweetness and docility of disposition. It is not you (says Jesus Christ to his apostles) who have chosen me; but I have taken you, to make you the princes of people. It would, be rash and sacrilegious to assume the honour of priesthood, without being called to it as Aaron was. For this reason I feel it my duty to warn you seriously to study to know the will of heaven, to pray fervently for divine direction, and to consult your spiritual guide respecting it. Look therefore, into the recesses of your consciences; examine whether you have preserved undefiled the robe of baptismal innocence, or, if not, whether you have, at least, appeased the wrath of God by worthy fruits of penance; whether you be disposed to die a thousand deaths rather than commit another mortal sin, and to shed the last drop of your blood in the cause of God and his church. See, moreover, whether you have sincerely renounced the world, yourselves and your own wills; whether you are studying in earnest to acquire the virtues and the knowledge neecessary for so sublime a state, and whether the unbiassed choice and judgment of your directors call you to the functions of the sanctuary. For it is only by these signs that a solid judgment can be formed of your vocation."
"Lastly, my dear children, since you are preparing yourselves to carry the light of the gospel to infidel nations, labour assiduously during your abode in the college to enrich your souls with all the treasures of virtue and wisdom, that it may never be said of any of you on account of your ignorance; this man hath begun to build, and hath not wherewith to complete his work. Apply yourselves particularly to the study. of favourite virtues of Jesus Christ and his apostles, whose successors you are to be in dispensing the mysteries of God. These virtues are, humility, obedience, chastity, patient zeal for the salvation of souls, charity to the poor, mortification and self-denial. In a word, animate yourselves to diligence in your studies by the recollection that ignorance in ministers of the gospel is the mother of all the errors at almost all the disorders with which the faithful become infected. If the blind (says our Saviour) lead the blind, both fall into the pit."
The dispositions and deportment of these aspirants to the double honour of the priesthood and of martyrdom are such as might be looked for in youths docile to the instructions of such a master as this holy Bishop, and have been beautifully described by a priest who was for some time resident among them, M. Magdinier, writing to a friend of his at Lyons, says: "I am quite delighted with being at this dear Seminary. All the students seem to burn with the love of God,and will doubtless hereafter become good and zealous missionaries, as well as confessors and martyrs. Although naturally timid, they have no dread of martyrdom. The relations of several of them have confessed and died for the faith. The father of one is now carrying the canga[1] and the son, I assure you, is a little saint worthy of such a father."
"One day, that I was taking a walk with my dear Seminarists, I began to question them concerning the persecutions, when I learnt that a youth, whose angelic appearance had often attracted my particular notice, had lately had ten near relations suffering for the faith. Two of these have since died in prison six have been banished into Tartary, and his father and another are actually wearing the canga. These particulars he related in the presence of his companions with inconceivable simplicity, and he has since told me in private, that he was quite overjoyed when the above intelligence was sent to him."—What a conviction of the divine origin of that religion, which is capable of making man so far superior to the weaknesses of flesh and blood, must such facts as these convey to every unbiassed and reflecting mind! And how will every sincere believer feel himself called upon to bless Providence, which is raising up such men to be the instruments of his abundant graces to the countries destined to become the theatres of their future labours!
But, to proceed wtih the narration, the martyrdom of the venerable prelate, Dr. Dufresse, was the prelude to the sacrifice of innumerable other victims in Su-chuen. Several of his clergy, after having been subjected to a variety of other torments, were strangled; and many others were first tortured and then condemned to perpetual exile. A vast number of the laity had the happiness of bearing testimony to the faith. In the month of August, 1818, one was enclosed in a narrow iron cage and exposed for three days to the rays of the burning sun, when exhausted With hunger, thirst and heat he gave up his Soul to God. Ingenuity often seemed at a loss to contrive fresh kinds of torments. Two catechists, having been first whipped with thongs and beaten with sticks, were compelled to kneel three whole days on iron chains without being suffered to move, two men, one on each side, being appointed to pull them by the ears whenever they attempted to procure a little ease by a change of position. Then they were suspended by the thumbs and again flogged. They were next placed in wooden stocks and left all night without the power of moving; and in the morning, four men were set to crush their legs with large wooden rollers. The female sex even were not spared. Many women were arrested, some of whom died in prison and others were banished. The mother of a Chinese priest, for refusing to declare where her son was concealed, was flogged to death.
From their, exile in Tartary the Christians have occasionally found means of getting letters conveyed to their friends at home, the tenor of which is in the highest degree consolatory and edifying. They express themselves as being content with their fate, or, if they have any source of unhappiness, is the fear of bring deprived at the hour of death of the ministry of a priest. Those in particular who have been condeed to wear the canga for life, are noticed as being subjects of great edification both to the faithful and the pagans, in as much as they wear it with humility and patience and fearlessly go through all the exercises of religion, as far as they are able, and say their accustomed prayers in the presence of their keepers. Thus does their constancy under insults and injuries become one uninterrupted profession of their faith and a continual triumph to Christianity.
- ↑ The canga may be described as a sort of portable pillory, being a square table varying in size and thickness to the weight of from one to two hundred pounds. In the centre is a hole of barely sufficient diameter to fit a person's neck. For the purpose of putting it on, it is divided into two parts through the centre. When thus put on, the parts are put together, and the whole weight of the canga rests upon the patient's shoulders, who, moreover, from the size of the table, is unable to apply his hand to his mouth, but requires to be fed by another person. Being left in this condition day and night, the only mode whereby a little relief and rest can be obtained is, either by getting the canga suspended by cords from the ceiling of the prison, which enables him to sleep in a sitting posture, or, by resting one edge of the canga against the ground and the opposite one against a wall, whereby he may sleep kneeling.