The Works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 16

by John Dryden

Thus the Bonza passed on to another question in his own despite; and asked Father Xavier, "Why he allowed not of those bills of exchange which they gave in favour of the dead, since the rich found their account in them, and that they had their return of their money, with usury, in heaven?" The Father answered, "That the right we had to a better world was founded not on those deceitful letters, but on the good works which are practised with the faith and doctrine which he preached: That he who inspired it into our souls was Jesus Christ, the true and only Son of God, who was crucified for the salvation of sinners; and that they who preserved that living faith till death should certainly obtain eternal happiness: That for what remained, this holy law was free from worldly interest, and that it excluded not from heaven either the poor or women; that even poverty, which is patiently endured, was a means of gaining the kingdom of heaven; and that the weaker sex had greater advantages than ours, by reason of that modesty and piety which is almost inherent in their nature." The applause which followed this discourse was general; only Fucarandono and his companions, who had not wherewith to reply, and yet were too obstinate to recant, kept a discontented silence. It was judged that Xavier's opinion was the more reasonable, and the dispute adjourned to the day following.

These ill successes would have driven the Bonza to despair, if his presumption had not kept up his spirits. He returned at the time appointed; but, as if he distrusted his own strength, as presuming as he was, he brought with him six other Bonzas, the most learned amongst them, and chosen out of all their sects, not to be bare spectators of the combat, but to relieve each other, and to charge every one in his turn. At the first they propounded very subtile questions concerning the mysteries of our faith. Father Xavier was surprised at the hearing of them; and as those questions, which are not reported by the Portuguese particularly, were in all likelihood above the knowledge of the Pagans, he was almost induced to think the devil had suggested them; at the least he acknowledged, that to solve them he needed an extraordinary assistance from above, and desired the Portuguese to second him with their prayers during the disputation. Whether he received that supernatural assistance, or that those difficulties did not so much surpass his knowledge as he had thought, he answered to the satisfaction of the whole assembly. When judgment was passed that those questions were fully decided, one of the Bonzas, whose heart was wholly set on riches, and who believed that there was nothing more charming in the world than gold and silver, undertook to prove, that God was an enemy to the poor: "For," said the Bonza, "since he denies them those blessings which he bountifully gives the rich, and, in causing them to be born in a mean condition, exposes them to all the miseries and ignominy of life, is it not a sign, that he has neither kindness nor value for them?"

Xavier denied the consequence of that proposition; and argued both from the principles of morality, which look on riches as false goods, and out of the grounds of Christianity, which, in respect of salvation, count them true evils. He reasoned thereupon so justly, and withal so clearly, that his adversaries were forced to give up the cause, according to the relation of the Portuguese, who were witness of it. After this they advanced such extravagant and mad propositions, that they cost the Father no trouble to confute, for they destroyed themselves. But the most pleasant part of this day's work was, that the seven Bonzas not being able to agree on some points of doctrine, fell foul on each other, and wrangled with so much heat and violence, that at last they came to downright railing, and had proceeded to blows, if the king had not interposed his authority, which frightened them into quiet. This was the end of that day's disputation; and nothing more confirmed the minds of the auditors on the side of Xavier, than to see his adversaries at civil wars amongst themselves.

The king going out of his palace the next morning, with a great attendance, to walk in the town, according to his custom, and passing by the house where the Portuguese lodged, sent a message to the holy man, desiring him to come to his gardens, where he would show him sport, provided he came well armed, for he was to kill, with one blow, two kites or puttocks, at the least, out of those seven which yesterday endeavoured to have pulled out his eyes Xavier, who easily understood his meaning, came out to pay him his respects, and to acknowledge the honour which was done him. The king took him by the hand, and led him to the palace amidst the acclamations of the people. The seven Bonzas, represented by the seven kites, were already in the hall, with a confirmed impudence, and so much the more haughty, as they had the less reason so to be; according to the usual character of vain and self-opinioned men.

The first step they made in order to a new dispute, was to enter a protestation, in writing, against the judgment and proceedings of the former day; wherein they declared void the sentence of the umpires, appealed from them, and set forth new objections and difficulties upon the questions formerly debated. The king answered himself, that those points which had been decided had no need of any farther explanation, and that they were already tied up by the conditions of the conference, which both parties had accepted. He added, that Father Xavier was ready to go on ship-board, and that it was not reasonable to lose time by fruitless repetitions, but if they had any new questions to propose, let them begin, and they should be heard; if not, they had free licence to depart.

This positive answer constrained them to supersede their writing, and to pitch on other matters. Fucarandono affecting an air of devotion and modesty, asked, Why the Christians gave obscene names to the saints in Paradise, whensoever they invoked them in their public prayers; giving him to understand, that sancte, in the Japonian language, signified something too dishonest to be spoken. The Father declared, that the word in Latin had only a pure and pious meaning. Nevertheless, that it might not give scandal, nor pollute the imagination of the Japonians by an equivocal sound, he ordered the new Christians, from thenceforward, to use the word beate instead of it; and to say, Beate Petre, Beate Pauls, in the room of Sancte Petre, Sancte Paule. Concerning the name of God, the Bonzas would also have fastened a quarrel on the Father; because dajus, in their tongue, signifies a lie. He laughed at this ridiculous exception, which was in effect a mere jingle; and the judges and audience concluded it to be no more.

Three other points, on which the Bonzas more insisted, were thought to be more solid, and of greater consequence. The first was proposed in this manner: "Either God foresaw that Lucifer and his accomplices would revolt, and be damned eternally, or he foresaw it not. If he had no foresight of it, his prescience did not extend so far as you would have us to believe; but if he foresaw it, the consequence is worse, that he did not hinder this revolt, which had prevented their damnation. Your God being, as you say, the fountain of all goodness, must now be acknowledged by you for the original cause of so much evil. Thus you are forced," said the Bonza, "to confess, either ignorance or malice in your God."

Xavier was so much amazed to hear a Bonza reasoning like a schoolman, that turning to Edward de Gama, who was by him, "See," says he softly in Portuguese, that he might not be understood by the Japonians, "see how the devil has sharpened the wit of these his advocates." In the mean time, one of the Bonzas coming up to the charge, said, according to the same principle, "That if God had foreknown that Adam would sin, and cast down, together with himself, his whole progeny into an abyss of miseries, why did he create him? At least, when our first father was ready to eat of the forbidden fruit, why did not that omnipotent hand, which gave him being, annihilate him at the same moment?"

A third Bonza, taking the word, urged him with another argument: "If our evil be as ancient as the world," said he, subtilely, "why did God let so many ages pass away without giving it a remedy? Why did he not descend from heaven, and make himself man, to redeem human kind, by his death and sufferings, as soon as ever man was guilty? To what degree did those first men sin, to become unworthy of such a favour? And what has been the merit of their descendants, that they should be more favourably treated than their predecessors?"

These difficulties did not appear new to Xavier, who was very learned, and who had read whatsoever the fathers and school divines had said concerning them. He answered, without doubt, according to their doctrine; but the Portuguese, who relates the objections, durst not undertake to write the solutions of them, if we will believe himself, because they surpassed the understanding of a merchant. The Bonzas made many replies, to all which the Father gave the proper solutions in few words, and according to the rules of the schools. Whether it were that they comprehended not the solutions, or were it out of their hot-headedness, or that they seemed not to understand them to avoid the shame of being baffled, they yielded not, but cried out louder than before. As they disputed more for victory than truth, they denied all things, even to those principles which are self-evident; pretending thereby to encumber their opponent. Xavier knew what use to make of his advantages; he turned the confusion upon them, by reducing them to manifest contradictions, from whence they could never disengage themselves; so that, instead of answering, they gnashed their teeth, foamed at mouth, and stamped and stared about like madmen. The king, whose indignation was raised by seeing the obstinacy of the Bonzas, said to them, in a kind of passion, "As for myself, as far as I am capable of judging, I find that Father Xavier speaks good sense, and that you know not what you say. You should either understand better, or be less violent than you appear, to judge of these truths without prejudice. But, if the divine law be wanting to you, make use of your reason, which, of itself, will let you see, that you are not to deny things which are evident, nor to bark like dogs." After these words he rose from his seat, and, taking Xavier by the hand, brought him back to his own lodging. The people, who followed in great multitudes, made loud acclamations, and the streets rung with the praises of the holy man: While the Bonzas, mad with rage and envy, cried out aloud, "May the fire of heaven fall down upon a prince, who suffers himself to be so easily seduced by this foreign magician!"