These Men Demanded On The Part Of The Khan,
Wherefore I Had Come There?
To this I answered, as I had done before, that
I came to Sartach, who sent me to Baatu,
And he had ordered me to the khan,
to whom I had nothing to say on the part of any man, unless I should speak
the words of God if he would hear them, for the khan should know best what
Baatu had written. Then they demanded what words of God I would speak to
the khan, thinking I meant to prophecy prosperous things as others had
done. To this I answered, "If ye would that I speak the words of God unto
the khan, get me an interpreter." They said they had sent for him, but
urged me to speak by the present one, as they would understand me
perfectly. I therefore said, "This is the word of God, to whom much is
given, much will be required at his hands; and to whom much is forgiven, he
ought the more to love God. To Manga I would say, that God hath given much;
for the power and riches which he enjoys, come not from the idols of the
Tuinians, but from the omnipotent God who hath made heaven and earth, in
whose hands are all kingdoms and dominions, and who transferreth them from
nation to nation for the sins of men; wherefore if he love God, it will go
well with him, but if otherwise, God will require all things at his hands,
even to the utmost farthing." Then they asked if I had been in Heaven, that
I should know the commandments of God? I said no, but that God hath given
them from Heaven to holy men, and had at length descended from Heaven to
earth to teach us, and that we had those things in the Scriptures, and
could judge from their works whether men kept the commandments of God or
disobeyed them. They then asked if I meant to say that Mangu-khan did not
keep the commandments of God? To this I answered, "When I shall have a
proper interpreter and am permitted, I shall then recite the commandments
of God before Mangu, and he shall be his own judge, whether he hath kept or
disobeyed them." Upon this, they went and told Mangu, that I said he was an
idolater and Tuinian, and kept not the commandments of God. Next day Mangu
sent one of his secretaries, saying, "Ye are here Christians, Mahometans,
and Tuinians, wherefore the khan desires that ye will all come together and
make comparison of your opinions, that he may know the truth." To this I
answered, "Blessed be God that hath put this in the heart of the khan; but
our Scriptures command the servants of God not to be contentious, but meek
unto all. Wherefore I am ready, without strife or contention, to render a
true account of the faith and hope of the Christians to every one who may
require to be informed." They wrote down my words and brought them to the
khan.
Next day, another message came from the khan, desiring again to know on
what account I had come to his court; to which I answered, that this might
be known from the letters of Bantu. But they said that these letters were
lost, and the khan had forgotten their contents, and would know of me.
Somewhat emboldened by this, I said, "The duty and office of our religion
is to preach the gospel unto all. Wherefore, having heard of the fame of,
the Mongals, I desired to come to them; and hearing that Sartach had become
a Christian, I directed my journey to him, and my sovereign the king of the
French sent him letters containing good words of friendship, testifying
what men we were, and requesting we might be permitted to remain with the
people of Moal That Sartach had sent us to Baatu, and he had ordered us to
Mangu-khan, whom we had entreated and still do entreat to suffer us to
stay." They wrote all this, and made a report of it to the khan. On the
morrow he sent again that he knew we had no message for him, but came to
pray for him as other priests did, but desired to know if any of our
ambassadors had ever been in their country, or any of theirs in our parts.
Then I declared unto them all I knew respecting David and Friar Andrew, all
of which was put down in writing and laid before Mangu. They came back,
saying, "Our lord the khan thinks you have staid long here, and his
pleasure is that you return into your own country; but he desires to know
whether you would conduct his ambassadors along with you." To this I
answered, that I dared not to carry his ambassadors beyond his own
dominions, as a warlike nation dwelt between their country and ours,
between the sea and the mountains, and being only a poor monk, I could not
take upon me to be their guide. This they likewise set down in writing and
carried to the khan.
The Nestorians were commanded to set down in writing all that they would
speak in favour of the Christian religion; and they wrote out a chronicle
from the creation of the world to the passion of Christ; and passing over
the passion, they spake of the resurrection of the dead, and of the day of
judgment. Finding many things wrong, I pointed them out, and we wrote out
the creed or symbol. Asking them how they meant to proceed in the
conference, they said they meant to begin with the Saracens; but I
dissuaded them from that, because, as they agreed with us in the belief of
one only God, they would assist against the Tuinians. I then pointed out to
them the original of idolatry in the world; and they desired me to explain
these things before Mangu, and then to let them speak, because I should
find it difficult and tedious to speak by an interpreter.
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