THE LETTERS OF THE EARLY JESUIT MISSIONARIES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 179, 1 September 1876, Page 8

THE LETTERS OF THE EARLY JESUIT MISSIONARIES.

The 'Southern Churchman' (Low Church Episcopalian) lately contained an interesting notice of a new work entitled. " Historical Scenes from the Old Jesuit Missions," by Bishop Kip, of the Episcopal Church in California. It is, in a great degree, highly laudatory of the apostolic labor of the early Jesuit Missionaries in the preaching of the Gospel of Christ in all parts of the globe ; and it is singular that an Episcopal dignitary should take such an interest in vindicating the memories of literally, noble missionaries of the Cross. The ' Southern Churchman,' in its notices of the historical work, says : — "In his brief preface to this singular and interesting volume, Dr. Kip says that he purchased some time ago, when in England, at the sale of the library of the Bishop of Durham, a French work in 74 volumes, containing the letters of Jesuit missionaries from 1650 to 1750. The present book is made up of translations from this vast repository of the accounts of the early labors of these enthusiastic men, as given in their letters to friends and to the head of the Order at Rome. They are taken from opposite sides of the world, ' giving the contrast of the worn out civilisation of the Eastern empires, and the savage life of the wilderness. They are not, if we except those on the mission in Paraguay, and in Lower California, narratives which relate so much to the direct labois of the Jesuits, or illustrate their heroic self denial, as those which furnish scenes with which the Fathers were brought into contact.' "The first chapter gives an account of 'The Synagogue in China,' as it was discovered in the interior by the Je3uit missionaries in 1613. This discovery excited much interest at first, in Europe, as these Jews claimed to have a copy of the Pentateuch, 3,000 years old. It was after many fruitless endeavors that the learned Fathers at length obtained a sight of the Holy Books. There was no appearance of the antiquity they claimed, and they were somewhat mutilated; but, in comparison with the Hebrew Scriptures, there was found to be no material variation. The account given of these Jews is very interesting. Thir chronology agreed exactly with that of European Jews ; and, according to it, their ancestors came into China in the reign of a certain Emperor who occupied the throne about A.D., 70, making the period of their settlement correspond with the dispersion of their nation after the destruction of Jerusalem. " To Americans, the narrative of the early missions on the Pacific Coast has much that is entertaining. The adventures of some of the Fathers in the Lebanon district, the efforts at settlement in Pekin, and the journeys among the Coptic monasteries in search of old manuscripts for the Vatican library, are the best portions of the book. It is very curious to be told by the missionaries, that in Pekin, almost 200 years ago, the Emperor of China had his winter palace heated with a hot furnace — something we are disposed to consider very modem — and to find him using the very kind of chafing dishes which we are accustomed to consider .tftidvn luxuries. In their travels among the Coptics, the missid&ames were much scandalised to find so much superstition prevailing among the ' schismatics,' as they called them, and expressed their astonishment that they gave heed to belief in trivial miracles wrought by some of the relics of saints ; and yet they seem to quote approvingly the legend of the tigers digging the grave of St. Paul, the ancient Hermit of the Desert. The book has quite a peculiar interest, especially on historic grounds."