Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/178

166 166 CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA, ETC. sovereign pontiff declares that he, the unworthy suc- cessor of that vicar, desires to effect the salvation of the king and the Tartar nation ; and that, as he cannot be everywhere himself, he has delegated his powers to the monks, the bearers of the presents, in order that they may make known the doctrines of the Christian religion. In conclusion, Innocent exhorts the Tartars to receive his envoys kindly, or rather to do honour to him in their persons.* The other letter contains this passage : — " Since not only men, but also animals without reason, and even the elements of the universe, are united together by certain laws of affinity, — after the example of the celestial spirits, whose choirs have been established in perpetual harmony by the Creator of all things, — we find our- selves compelled to be greatly astonished that you should have invaded, as you have done, a great number of Christian and other countries, horribly ravaged and desolated them, carrying your devastating arms with in- cessant fury in every direction ; breaking all the ties of natural affinity, sparing neither age nor sex, but putting all indiscriminately to the sword. " Desiring, therefore, after the example of the God of peace, to see all men united in the fear of the Lord, we warn and entreat you to refrain absolutely from perse- cuting the Christians, and, to appease the wrath of the Divine Majesty, justly provoked by so many offences, to submit yourselves to some suitable penance. For if up to this hour the Almighty God has permitted the nations to fall before you, and under the fury of your nates Minorum," vol. 3. p. 116.
 * "Odor. Raynald. Ann. 1245." No. 16. p. 338. Wadding. « An-