ABSTRACT
In his biography of Giulio Aleni, Li Sixuan, a native of Jianning 建寧, describes a number of admirable achievements of “Master Ai” in preaching and intellectual conversation in the Fujian mission.1 Li writes,
The Master’s outward appearance was in every respect impressive; his bearing, “a mild harmony in the face, a rich fullness in the back,” had an enlightening effect on people’s minds. Whenever he talked about the highest way [explaining] its topics and principles in a methodical way, his [modes of speaking] lightly or emphatically, quickly or slowing, and his alternation of speaking and silence, looking and staring, were all naturally in tune [with the subject treated]. When a guest came to the church, [the Master] knew at a glance what was going on in his mind. If someone had a question or an objection, [the Master] knew what he wanted to say even before [the guest] had finished one half of his statement, and he would analyze and elucidate it on behalf of the speaker. [In such cases] they all saw the light, as if the clouds had parted, and in a flash of insight they grasped the meaning. It sometimes happened that people attack him [in debate] in an unreasonable way, so that the bystanders felt uneasy about it, but the Master did not care at all – he would just silently pray to the Lord-on-High to forgive that man for his ignorance.2
