Refuting Heresies Collection (闢邪集) · First Inquiry on Heavenly Studies (天學初徵) · Thus have I heard - Illuminating Buddhist Wisdom with AI

鍾子讀《易》於震澤之濱，有客扣廬而問曰：「吾聞子年十二、三時，便以千古學脈為己任，闢釋老、閑聖道，今三十餘載矣。足不窺戶外，不與名公大人交，亦不思致身以事君，將安補於世道哉？且子不聞近世有天主教乎？其人從大西來，一見我中國之書悉能通達。亦闢佛而尊儒，與子意甚相符也。曷一共討究焉？」鍾子欣而作曰：「有是哉！彼既從大西來，乃不袒釋而袒儒。意者吾聖道晦而復明之機乎？願聞其旨。」客迺出聖像，略說一冊以示之。鍾子讀甫竟，遂詬曰：「嘻！此妖胡耳。陽排佛而陰竊其秕糠；偽尊儒而實亂其道脈。請即以彼說攻之。彼云：『天主即當初生天、生地、生神、生人、生物的一大主宰。』且問彼大主宰，有形質耶？無形質耶？若有形質，復從何生？且未有天地時，住止何處？若無形質，則吾儒所謂太極也。太極本無極，云何有愛惡？云何要人奉事、聽候使令？云何能為福罰？其不通者一也。且太極只是本具陰陽之理，是故動而為陽、靜而為陰。陰陽各有善惡之致，故裁成輔相之任獨歸於人。孔子曰：『人能弘道。』又曰：『為仁由己。』子思曰：『致中和，天地位焉，萬物育焉。』《易》曰：『先天而天弗違。』若如彼說，則造作之權，全歸天主。天主既能造作神、人，何不單造善神、善人？而又兼造惡神、惡人以貽累於萬世乎？其不通者二也。且天主所造，露際弗爾，何故獨賜之以大力量、大才能？若不知其要起驕傲而賜之，是不智也；若知其要起驕傲而賜之，是不仁也。不仁不智，猶稱天主，其不通者三也。又露際弗爾，既罰下地獄矣。天主又容他在此世界陰誘世人。曾不如舜之誅四凶、封傲象也。其不通者四也。且天、地、萬物既皆天主所造，即應擇其有益者而造之，擇其有損者而弗造。或雖造而即除之。何故造此肉身？造此風俗？造此魔鬼？以為三仇，而不能除耶？世間良工，造器必美；或偶不美，必棄之。以至大、至尊、至靈、至聖之真主，曾良工之不如？其不通者五也。孔子曰：『天何言哉。』孟子曰：『天不言，以行與事示之而已矣。』今言古時天主降下十戒。則與漢宋之封禪天書何異？惑世誣民，莫此為甚。其不通者六也。又天主降生為人，傳受大道。未降生前居在何處？若在天堂，則是天主依天堂住。如何可說天主造成天堂？若言既造天堂、依天堂住，如人造屋還即住屋。則未造天堂時，又依何住？若無所依，則同太極；不應太極，依天堂住。福罰人間，亦不應太極降生為人。其不通者七也。又天主既降生後，彼天堂上為有本身？為無本身？若無本身，則天上無主；若有本身，則濫佛氏真、應二身之說。而又不及千百億化身之奇幻。其不通者八也。又謂天主以自身贖天下萬世罪過，尤為不通。夫天主既其至尊無比，慈威無量，何不直赦人罪，而須以身贖罪？未審向誰贖之？其不通者九也。又既能以身贖人罪過，何以不能使勿造罪？其不通者十也。又既云：『贖天下萬世人罪』，而今猶有造罪墮地獄者，仍贖不盡。其不通者十一也。吾儒謂堯舜之聖，不能掩其子之惡；孝子慈孫，不能改幽厲之過。所以自天子至於庶人，壹是皆以修身為本。而今天主既可贖人罪過，則人便可恣意為惡，總待天主慈悲贖之。其不通者十二也。遺下教規，謂只有一造物真主，至大、至尊，要人奉事、拜祭。而盡抹殺天、地、日、月諸星。則與佛氏所稱『唯吾獨尊』何異？陰倣其說，而陽排之。其不通者十三也。佛氏雖曰『唯吾獨尊』，尚謂天、地、日、月、諸星，覆炤世間，有大功德；護世鬼神保祐人間，宜思報效。今乃曰不當拜祭，則專擅名利之惡甚於佛氏。其不通者十四也。既不許輪迴之說，又云人之靈魂嘗在不滅，有始無終。則轉積轉多，安置何所？其不通者十五也。若謂天堂、地獄皆大，可以並容，何異佛氏之說？其不通者十六也。又彼謂佛氏所稱三千大千華藏世界，人所不見，便是荒唐。今彼所稱天堂、地獄又誰見之？其不通者十七也。又謂天堂、地獄，雖然未見，卻是實理。則安知三千華藏非實理乎？而苦破之，其不通者十八也。又謂臨終一刻聽從天主教法，也還翻悔得轉，則與佛氏臨終十念相濫。汝說要真，佛氏亦說要真。汝說要依十戒，佛氏亦說要依十戒。汝說從自己身心上實實做出來，佛氏亦說從自己身心上實實做出來。汝說要真心實意痛悔力除，後來不敢再犯，佛氏亦說要真心實意痛悔力除，後來不敢再犯。全偷佛氏之說而又非之，其不通者十九也。又佛氏專明萬法惟心，故凡事只靠一心。汝既專明萬法惟天主，則凡事只靠一天主足矣。又何用從自己身心做出耶？若仍要從身心做出，則權不獨在天主明矣。而妄立天主，其不通者二十也。汝既要攻釋、道兩家，須搜其病根，彼方心服。若謂要人施捨些錢財，備辦些齋飯，燒化些紙張，便是功果，恐彼二氏亦未必心服。而汝又仍教人奉事、拜禮天主聖像，與彼何異？其不通者二十一也。吾儒謂『物物一太極，天命之謂性』，故人人可以成位於中。至於尊卑、名位則森然不亂。故天子事上帝，諸侯祭山川、社稷，大夫五祀，士祭其先。今既謂天主至大至尊，又令家事而戶奉之，與佛、老二像何異？而妄自表彰，以為不同，其不通者二十二也。吾故曰『陽闢佛而陰竊之，偽尊儒而實壞之』者也。逐其人，燬其書，禁天下不得存其像，庶不為中國之賊耳。聞彼妖徒聰明能辯，必有以解吾徵者。吾將再徵之。」

Zhongzi was studying the *Book of Changes* by the shores of Zhenze when a visitor knocked at his cottage and asked: "I've heard that when you were twelve or thirteen, you already took it upon yourself to uphold the thousand-year lineage of learning, refuting Buddhism and Daoism while defending the Way of the Sages. Now more than thirty years have passed. You never step outside your door, never associate with famous officials or nobles, and never seek to serve the ruler—how will you ever benefit the way of the world? Moreover, have you not heard of the recent 'Heavenly Lord Teaching'? Its followers come from the Great West. As soon as they see Chinese books, they understand them all. They too refute Buddhism and honor Confucianism, which seems to align perfectly with your views. Why not study and debate with them?"

Zhongzi smiled and replied, "Is that so? Since they come from the Great West and side with Confucianism instead of Buddhism, perhaps this is a sign that our Sage's Way, long obscured, is about to shine again? I'd like to hear their teachings." The visitor then produced a booklet titled *Brief Explanation of the Holy Images*.

As soon as Zhongzi finished reading, he cursed: "Bah! This is nothing but the madness of barbarians. They outwardly reject Buddhism but secretly steal its dregs; they pretend to honor Confucianism but actually corrupt its true lineage. Let me refute their claims with their own words."

(Translation rationale: This opening sets up a philosophical debate between a Confucian scholar and an early Catholic missionary. The translation preserves the energetic, scholarly tone while avoiding archaic English. Terms like "Heavenly Lord Teaching" for Catholicism and "Great West" for Europe are kept as historical markers. The direct, rhetorical questions maintain the original's combative style while staying accessible to modern readers.)