ABSTRACT
Portuguese, e.g., cristiio £fIJWT&', padre fgf!llJJ (now IJE.XJ,jilho .~ (now IJE.y), Spiritu Santo WTfBlflJ::§7 -=.::§7 (now IJE.Jij$). On folio 64 the word alma is translated as :s:2ml,llj (the Latin anima) with a note calling it 1I;t (as nowadays), the only time this term was used throughout the book. The word gra{:a is translated as ~¥JIU~:s:2 (sometimes also translated IJE.ft, a term we use today). In the section on the four precepts of the church (folio 33v et seq.) we read:
The Pope orders us to put [these precepts] into practice gradually, that they may lead us to holiness and to the practice of virtue. As the Gospel is not widely spread and as the neophytes are still not solid in their faith, it is not necessary to oblige them [to observe these precepts] with severity. And so, if they find them difficult to keep, they are not held to have committed sins. If they are able to keep them, they will obtain great merit, but if they cannot keep them, they are not to be blamed. However, they are probably to know that such are the precepts. (folio 47)
This explanation is not found in the Cartilha of Marco Jorge, but da Rocha incorporated it within his translation after considering the situation in China. This book is now very rare. It was not reprinted, perhaps because the terms are too difficult to pronounce and not easy to memorize. Yet since this is the first catechism in Chinese in the form of a dialogue, it is valuable for those who want to study the history of Catechisms.
