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CHAPTER 21 To really understand the last section of Truth Triumphant for Youth
we need to look at the life of Ignatius Loyola. This man lived at the same time as Martin Luther, but rather than helping the Protestant Reformation Ignatius worked to destroy it. Loyola was a devote Roman Catholic like Martin Luther, but his choices led him in a different direction than Protestant's great Reformer. At one point in each of their lives both Loyola and Luther did not like what they saw in their characters. When Luther opened scripture he looked to Jesus as his Savior while Loyola looked to dreams and visions to find help for his troubled conscience.
Ignatius Loyola founded the order called the "Jesuits" or "Society of Jesus" on August 15, 1534. Loyola created a special training process which he called Spiritual Exercises. This tool allowed him to become master of the
imagination of his followers. He would take young men and in a short time claimed their absolute allegiance. These Spiritual Exercises were so effective that at the end of the training period Loyola was the master of the minds of
these followers. The Great Controversy 234 tells us, "Cut off from earthly ties and human interests, dead to the claims of natural affection, reason and conscience wholly silenced, they knew no rule, no tie, but that of
their order, and no duty but to extend its power." "There was no crime too great for them to commit, no deception too base for them to practice, no disguise too difficult for them to assume." Here are some phrases from the
Jesuit Oath: "I do further promise and declare, that I will have no opinion or will of my own, or any mental reservation whatever…but will unhesitatingly obey each and every command that I may receive from my superiors in the
Militia of the Pope and of Jesus Christ. …I furthermore promise and declare that I will, when opportunity presents, make and wage relentless war, secretly or openly, against all heretics, Protestants and Liberals, as I am directed
to do, to extirpate and exterminate them from the face of the whole earth; and that I will spare neither age, sex or condition." The Jesuits used deception with great success. They hid their real identity as Roman Catholics and
joined churches and schools pretending to be Protestants. They became preachers and teachers and used lectures and sermons to change the thinking of those they had come to influence. "As an example of their success by 1582, only
forty-eight years after the order was founded, they controlled two hundred eighty-seven colleges and universities in Europe, some of which were of their own founding." Truth Triumphant 316. The Jesuits would also become
friends with influential people in government, heads of universities and churches and the wealthy and then influence them to make decisions that would be to the advantage of Rome. Sometimes the Jesuits would use a method which
Emperor Nero used in Rome. You may remember that Nero blamed the Christians for causing the fire that he himself had set, then sentenced many of them to death. Jesuits would bring about disasters, then at the same time provide the
help needed for those affected. The Jesuits would blame someone else for the disaster then give themselves the credit for solving the very problem they had created. This practice is still used today. Someone has called this method
"creative destruction." Quickly the Jesuits began to influence the papal agenda. Even today we are told that the "Black Pope" (the Jesuit's leader) is the real power in the Vatican, rather than Pope John Paul II. History
tells us the Jesuits controlled the Council of Trent (1545 – 1563) which was the first council after the Reformation. They passed the following four decrees:
Of course when the Protestant leaders heard these decrees they "protested." They used scripture to defend their position and it became clear that this was a debate about obeying God or following man. This weakened the
papacy's power and many people joined the Protestant Reformation. Rome watched all of this with much concern. How could they regain their lost power? The solution came from the archbishop of Rheggio. He came to
address the Council of Trent and reminded them that the Protestants (who claimed to follow "the Bible and the Bible only") would never be able to defend the sacredness of Sunday worship from the Bible. "It is then evident that the
church has power to change the commandments," argued the archbishop and of course the council agreed. The Roman Church was encouraged as they thought of how they would regain their control over Protestants through Sunday worship.
More recently this same argument has been used. In The Liberty of Christian Doctrines 3,4 we see Rome challenging Protestants: "Why do you then keep holy Sunday instead of Saturday? … You are a Protestant, and you profess to
go by the Bible and the Bible only, and yet in so important a matter as the observance of one day in seven as a holy day you go against the plain letter of the Bible and put another day in the place of the day the Bible has
commanded. … The present generation of Protestants keep Sunday holy instead of Saturday because they received it as part of the Christian religion from the last generation …and so on - backward from one generation to another by a
continual succession until we come to the time of the so-called Reformation when it so happened that those who conducted the change of religion of this country left this particular portion of Catholic faith and practice untouched.
… In outward act we do the same as yourself in this matter; we too no longer observe the ancient Sabbath, but Sunday instead. But there is this important difference between us. We do not pretend, as you do, to derive our authority
for doing so from a book, but we derive it from a living teacher and that teacher is the Church. We Catholics then have precisely the same authority for keeping Sunday holy, instead of Saturday, as we have for every other article
of our creed – namely the authority of the Church of the Living God, 'the pillar and ground of truth,' (1 Timothy 3:15) whereas you who are Protestants have really no authority for it in the Bible." One of the great lessons that
I hope you learn from the reading of these chapters is that all through history the seventh-day Sabbath has been under attack. Sometimes the issues seem to be something else but usually the real reason a person or church was
denounced was because of their choice to obey God rather than man. History shows that things always changed when the Jesuits arrived in a country. We are going to learn some of the ways this Catholic order brings about
submission to the Church of Rome. In the country of India the Jesuits arrived in 1560 with the power of the army of Portugal. During this time Portugal, although a small country, began settlements around the world from Africa,
through the Middle East, India, China and islands as far away as the Philippians. Dr. Wilkinson says of the Portuguese, "Religious fanaticism was the inspiring principle. …Their wars were rather crusades than patriotic struggles."
Truth Triumphant 315. Everyone was afraid of these cruel Portuguese men-of-war. One story tells that during a war, the Moslems killed a friend of Vasco da Gama, the commander of Portugal's fleet. In revenge da
Gama went to punish the Arabs. On the way he spotted a ship full of pilgrims on their way home from Mecca. The Arabs had heard of the cruelty of da Gama and offered a large amount of money if they would be allowed to travel in
peace. The commander took the money then ordered his men to burn the ship. Those on board put out the fire but da Gama ordered the fires started again while mothers held up their babies and begged for mercy. The Portuguese began
their attack on India by seizing the strongly fortified city of Goa and making it their new capital. The Jesuits came with the conquerors so they could "convert" the St. Thomas Christians to Catholicism. Today we call the way they
"converted" people the Inquisition. They used various tortures such as drowning, the rack (which slowly pulled the body apart), and the well-known practice of burning people at the stake. Stories are told of the horrible tortures
these loyal Christians went through. Many were thrown in filthy prisons swarming with rodents where they stayed for years. Others were put on ships as galley slaves while others were taken and burned as a warning to other
"heretics." From the research that Dr. Wilkinson has done it seems the biggest reason for the anger of the Jesuits against the St. Thomas Christians was that they were Sabbathkeepers. George M. Rae tells us, "In the remote parts
of the diocese, as well as towards the south as towards the north, the Christians that dwell in the heaths are guilty of working and merchandizing on Sundays and holy days, especially in the evenings." Truth Triumphant 320.
A French physician, Dr. M.G. Dellon, was traveling in India when he was arrested by the Inquisition. Although he was not a true believer in God he felt sorry for those who were being tortured in the prison where he was kept. He
wrote about how the bones of four heretics were burned with a man and woman. Their "crime," according to Dr. Dellon, was that they "were said to have Judaized." Again we can see Satan's great hatred for those who "keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:12. The Jesuits also began a rival school in India where they trained students to speak and dress like the Syrian Christians, but these young people were trained in the
doctrines and traditions of the Roman Church. When these graduates went out as leaders to the St. Thomas Christians they were not accepted by the people as preachers and the Portuguese priests were not allowed to enter any of their
churches. This of course made the Jesuits angry and they surrounded the spiritual leaders with spies. The Vatican appointed Alexis de Menezes as the archbishop of Goa and instructed that he get rid of the heresy in India. He
ordered the leader of the Syrian Church, Archdeacon George, to obey the doctrines of Rome but "he refused, saying that the St. Thomas Christians had always been, and always would be, independent of Rome." The people were so
upset with their oppressors that "they looked upon the Portuguese as the relentless enemies of their ancient faith, and as the barbarous persecutors of their beloved bishops and priests. They therefore rose in arms, expelled the
Jesuits from their country, and in two instances, were barely restrained from putting them to death." Truth Triumphant 321, 322. Unfortunately this freedom didn't last long. Menezes travelled to Cochin in January, 1599 to
a huge welcome by the raja of that area. The Portuguese fleet had gotten rid of pirates which had been troubling the raja and in gratitude he threw a huge party. Archdeacon George could see the favor in which the papal leader was
received and when he was summoned to meet with Menezes he decided to compromise. He thought that if he could just keep peace until Menezes left then things could return to normal. Archdeacon George came and kissed the hand of
Menezes, allowed him to preach and to have mass in the Syrian churches. It was during one of these church services that Menezes heard the people in their prayers refer to the catholicos of Bagdad as the universal pastor of their
churches. The Vatican's archbishop was furious. He called all the teachers, students, pastors and leaders together and in a frenzy declared that the pope was the only universal leader and the catholico was a heretic. He wrote a
document saying that anyone who prayed for the patriarch of Bagdad would be excommunicated. Archdeacon George was forced to show his acceptance by signing this order. He knew that there were Portuguese war ships in the harbor and
if he did not cooperate he, along with many others, would be killed. Quickly Menezes worked to change the way St. Thomas Christians worshipped. Pastors and leaders were forced to sign the same document as Archdeacon George and
Menezes began to preach in the Syrian churches. Although he had promised not to talk about Roman Catholic doctrine he immediately began to preach against the beliefs and practices of the St. Thomas Christians. Menezes
ordained young men who would recognize the pope as the head of the church and would teach Roman Catholic beliefs to the ministry. After gaining control of the Syrian church Archbishop Menezes forced Archdeacon George to call a
council for all the churches in India. History tells us that on June 20, 1599 the Syrian Church gave up her independence. There were almost a thousand representatives at this meeting and Menezes controlled the agenda from the
beginning. He opened the meeting then celebrated the Roman Catholic mass. His sermon was on obedience to the pope and to the doctrines of the Roman Church.
Delegates were forced to sign their acceptance to the various decrees that were presented:
When people have known and loved truth they do not easily accept error in its place. This was the case with the St. Thomas Christians. Dr. Wilkinson puts it this way, "They loathed the worship of images, the adoration of relics,
processions, incense, confessional, and all the ceremonies their fathers knew not. They longed for the crystal streams of the Scriptures. They yearned for the literature which the church had fostered since the days of the
apostles." Truth Triumphant 329. Their anger reached a new level when the catholico at Bagdad sent a new leader who was burned at the stake. There was outrage at this murder and the people began to gather at a huge cross
near Cochin to object to this cruel control by the papacy. Thousands gathered to renounce their allegiance to Rome. There were two groups that formed within India's Christians – the Puthencoor became known as the Protestant Syrians
while the Pazhayacoor remained loyal to the pope and are known as the Orthadox Syrians.
CHAPTER 22 The story of China is a fascinating one. Most of us have seen pictures of the huge Great Wall of China which winds along for 4,163 miles. We also know that they lay claim to having
the longest, continuous history in the world. They are responsible for many "firsts" such as the spinning of silk cloth, the invention of firecrackers, the use of a resin for lacquer and the making of porcelain. There is a woman
doctor, Ethel R. Nelson, who was a missionary to Thailand. As she learned Chinese she became fascinated with the scriptural meanings behind China's radical characters. As she and others studied they became convinced that the
ancient Chinese had been followers of the true God in heaven for quite a while after the Tower of Babel. They have written several books - The Beginning of Chinese Characters, God and the Ancient Chinese and
God's Promise to the Chinese - which can be purchased from: Read Books Publisher; HCR 65 Box 580; Dunlap, TN 37327, USA. I know that you would enjoy reading about the story of creation and the flood that can be found
in China's written characters. Most people have heard of Confucius, but have you every thought that he and other sages like Mencius were prophets teaching the ways of the true God? Learning the wise sayings of the Chinese prophets
such as Mencius and Confucius will bring Bible verses to mind which say similar things. As we learn about the spread of Christianity in China you will see how these wise sayings helped prepare hearts for the truths which the Syrian
missionaries brought to the Middle Kingdom. The story of Adam takes us back to AD 781 and gives us an impressive witness to the strength of the Church of the East. In Europe the Celtic Church was being destroyed by the
Papal power which had combined religion with the power of the state, but during this time the Church of the East was busy spreading the gospel far into the inhabited east. Adam was the head of the church in China and he knew
many of the powerful men of the East. He not only had the good will of the Chinese emperor, but also was respected by Buddhist leaders, Japanese intellects and Arabian emperors. As the Church in the East presented the
scriptures, they could also point to the words of the Chinese sages. For instance, Zeng Zi said, "The doctrine of our Master is to be faithful [to the decree of Heaven] and forgiving to others – this, and nothing more." Christians
could read to them from the Bible the words of Jesus, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses." Matthew 6:14, 15. The missionaries would have taught, "Therefore all things whatever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12 and the Chinese
would immediately remember Confucius saying, "Do not do to others what you would not wish done to yourself." Confucius said, "To subdue one's self and return to propriety [law] is love. If a man can for one day subdue himself
and return to propriety [law], all under heaven will ascribe love to him." The Christian could then point out Matthew 16:24 which says, "If any man will come after Me., let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
Me." The most famous saying of Confucius is said to be: "Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary
to propriety." Several Bible verses would have come to mind such as, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23. And, "He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly; he that
despises the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he shall dwell on high; his place of defense shall be the
munitions of rocks; bread shall be given him; his water shall be sure." Isaiah 33:15, 16. When Adam accepted the position of Metropolitan he had to battle Chinese traditions that were against Christianity. One of these was the
practice of having more than one wife. They also bound the feet of little girls so their feet were deformed and they were unable to walk properly. Ancestor worship and the belief in the spirits of the dead opened the door to
spiritualism. Adam and his fellow pastors had a lot of educating to do while teaching the state of the dead, God's ideal for marriages and how those made in the image of God should treat their bodies. Adam lived at the time most
Chinese scholars agree China was at its most brilliant - during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 – 907). The most civilized city at that time was Changan. It has been said that this city was well known two thousand years before Christ and
was called "the well-watered city." With the emperor's permission, Adam had a huge stone monument erected in Changan. On this monument were engraved 1,900 Chinese characters, 50 Syriac words and 70 names in Syriac. At the top of
the monument written in Chinese characters it said, "A Monument Commemorating the Propagation of the Ta-Chin (Chinese name of Judea) Luminous Religion (the term used for Christianity) in the Middle Kingdom." We find the name and
date of the patriarch of Bagdad. This is some of what was translated from Syria, the language of the Church of the East. "In the day of our Father of Fathers, My Lord Hanan-isho, Catholicos, Patriarch….In the year one thousand and
ninety-two of the Greeks. (1092 – 311=A.D. 781)." Adam is identified as "Pastor, Vice-Metropolitan and metropolitan of China." Truth Triumphant 334. From reading the characters on this stone we know that Christianity had an
effect on not only the emperor and his people, but through China's influence the other "High Asia" countries as well. The church in China was organized and had an evangelistic outreach. In 1908 books belonging to the Church of
the East were found in northwestern China. Saeki tells of these thirty-five books which were found in a cave: "They had the Apostles' Creed in Chinese. They had a most beautiful baptismal hymn in Chinese. They had a book on the
incarnation of the Messiah. They had a book on the doctrine of the cross. In a word, they had all literature necessary for a living church." At the end of the Tang Dynasty (around 845 AD) great changes took place in China. The
Buddhists and Taoists took control of the government and began to persecute Christians. Because of the persecutions it was at this time the stone monument was buried to protect it from being damaged. A change in rulers was not the
only thing to alter China. We know that Tamerlane, a fanatical Muslim Turk who hated Christians, killed hundreds of thousands of God's people and destroyed their churches and schools. The desert sands also brought destruction,
swirling through populated towns and cities and covered them up. W. H. Johnson has said that 360 cities were buried in twenty-four hours by the shifting sands of eastern Turkestan. Another tremendous change for China came
centuries later when the Jesuits arrived. Jesuits had tried to begin their work in China years earlier but had not had much success. However in 1610 Matteo Ricci gained acceptance in Peking (the capital) because he was skilled in
math, the building of war engines and astronomy. Using the Portuguese military power and Rome's money the Jesuits were quickly accepted by the scholars of Peking and their rulers. Father Ricci caused some scandal at home by the
methods he used in China, but they were really not much different than methods the Catholic Church had used in many other countries. Dr. Wilkinson says that "Father Ricci was adopting heathen customs, baptizing converts who still
held them, and so [showing] that Christ and the Roman Catholic Church were not antagonistic to such practices as ancestral worship and other pagan rites." Truth Triumphant 360. In 1625 the huge Chinese stone monument,
buried almost 800 years before, was uncovered. Immediately the Jesuits and their educated friends took possession of the monument. Because too many people had either seen or heard of this exciting discovery, the Jesuits had
to scheme how to trick the people. Quoting from Jesuit authors, Dr. Wilkinson proves that an exact replica of the stone was made and the various characters were engraved into the new stone. Martin Martini, the Jesuit leader in
China said, "The governor was no sooner appraised of the discovery of the monument than by a curiosity natural to the Chinese, he betook himself to the place and as soon as he examined the tokens of its venerable antiquity, he
first composed a book in honor of the monument and ordered that a stone of the same size be made, on which he had engraved the contents of the other and had inscribed point-by-point the same characters and the same letters which
had been impressed on the original." Truth Triumphant 362. You might be wondering why the Jesuits needed to go to so much trouble and expense to make a new stone. The answer is simple: The Jesuits quickly saw that this
newly discovered monument was proof of the vast territory covered by the Church of the East, the hated enemies of the Church of Rome. Here was their chance to literally wipe away the history of their rivals! Those who have studied
the Chinese language know that their written characters have changed little in thousands of years so the rewriting of the Chinese characters was done to deceive, not promote easier reading. However, the Jesuits had to copy the
Syriac writing exactly as it was written because they did not have the training to know just what the Syriac language said since it had changed over the hundreds of years since the stone had been chiseled. Today, if you could
read the writing on this stone you would find that the section translated from Chinese talks about the "use of images in Christian worship and to prayers for the dead. … There is … praise given to the Chinese emperors and the
endorsement of their practice of hanging the portraits on the walls of the churches." Truth Triumphant 363. We know that the Church of the East never practiced these things so they were obviously made up by the "translators"
of the monument stone. One of the passages reads, "On the Seventh Day we offer sacrifices after having purified our hearts....This religion, so perfect and so excellent, is difficult to name, but it enlightens darkness by its
brilliant precepts." In the Syriac writing we find the year the stone was erected. It gives the correct name of the head over the Church of the East in China (Adam), it gives the name of the catholicos of Bagdad and it "also states
definitely that on this stone was the doctrine of Him who was our Redeemer and the teaching that was preached by their forefathers to the kings of China." Truth Triumphant 364. This story of the Chinese stone
monument shows us why so much of the history of the Church in the Wilderness has been lost. Between manuscripts which were lost in wars through the centuries or the thousands of ancient books which were lost when famous libraries
like the one in Alexandria burned, plus those records which were purposely destroyed by enemies, God's Church has lost much of its history. It is because of this well-organized destruction of truth that we can be most grateful to
Dr. Wilkinson for his careful study which gives us the true history of the seventh-day Sabbath in the book Truth Triumphant. Today the real history of God's true church is hard to find. Let us put these stories
into our hearts so we will not be confused when we read books or articles which are different than these. Satan is still a liar and he knows that if he can change truth into a lie that he will have a good chance to deceive us.
Maybe that is why the Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
CHAPTER 23 In a previous chapter we learned about the positive reception of Christianity by Genghis
Khan and his son, Ogotai. We mentioned that we would tell you more of the story of three nephews of Ogotai – Mangu, Kublai and Hulagu. After Mangu died, Kublai took over as ruler and moved the Mongolian capitol from Siberia to
Peking (now Beijing). Kablai appointed his brother Hulagu as his viceroy over the Asian areas nearest to Europe. His headquarters and palace were located in Persia. Although these men treated Moslems and Buddhists with kindness
they especially were eager to help the spread of Christianity. They were strong supporters of the catholicos of Bagdad because the business abilities and medical learning of the Christians gave strength to their kingdom. They found
the Christians good government ambassadors because they spoke the Chinese, Mongolian and Persian languages well. Those who came from China knew the customs of their country and they also were acquainted with the people and customs
of Persia through their interaction with their church headquarters in Bagdad. It was during this time that we find the story of two young men, Marcos and Sauma. "Sauma was the son of a well-to-do Assyrian Christian who held an
important office in the church at Peking. The boy was carefully educated and well instructed in the history of his church. When he was of age, he was betrothed to a maiden; and his father secured for him the position of keeper of
the central church building in Peking. At the age of twenty, however, he refused to marry because he desired to give himself to religious studies. … [He was ordained] to the ministry by Mar George, metropolitan of Peking. His fame
soon spread abroad, and people came from afar to listen to his sermons. "About this time there was another young man who lived many days' journey away. He was also an Assyrian Christian, whose father held the office
of archdeacon in his home city. The name of this young man was Marcos. Renouncing the world and consecrating himself to the advancement of the gospel in those rough and troublesome times, Marcos joined himself to Sauma whose fame
had previously reached him. Sauma endeavored to persuade him to return to his parents' but failing in this, he had Marcos ordained to the ministry by … the metropolitan of Peking." Truth Triumphant 349, 350.
These two young men decided to visit Jerusalem and even though their parents didn't want them to leave they joined a caravan and set out for the West. They had letters of introduction from their church leaders which insured them
warm welcomes in sister churches along the way. After visiting many large cities along the trade route, the two travelers arrived in Persia where they were privileged to meet Mar Denha, the supreme leader of their church. Because
of their ability to speak the Mongolian language and their understanding of the customs of the orient the catholicos asked Sauma and Marcos to ask the viceroy of Persia to declare him as the legally elected catholicos for the
Church of the East. After receiving consent from the great-grandson of Genghis Khan, the two young men returned with the good news for the catholicos. However Mar Denha met Marcos and Sauma with news that ended their plans
to go to Jerusalem. The provincial director of the church in Peking had just died and the catholicos decided to appoint Marcos as head of the work in China and give Sauma the position of visitor-general of the churches in the west.
Shortly after these appointments Mar Denha died. The Church of the East needed a strong and well-prepared leader so Marcos was asked to be the new catholicos. He was a good choice because he was familiar with the languages and
customs of his people, he had the support of the pastors and was respected by the supreme emperor, Kublai Khan. The emperor presented Marcos with many gifts and approved him as catholicos. He also helped build more training centers
and churches for the Church of the East. Again we see God arranging events so that truth could go "into all the world."
CHAPTER 24 It may be a surprise for some to find out that the Church of the East had an impact even in Japan. The main religion
in Japan is Shintoism. This religion believes that there is a god in everything – from the towering mountains or trees to the dish on your kitchen counter. Japanese tradition dates back to around six hundred years before Christ.
The people of Japan believe that their emperor is a true descendant of the sun-goddess, Amaterasu, so he is the most important figure in their culture. Emperor-worship and Shintoism make up the basis of their culture. One of the
earliest Japanese records is the Kojiki, which gives the old traditions of "the origin of deities and the establishment of men." Truth Triumphant 366. This book was written in old Japanese and Chinese. For most of
its existence Japan looked to China for its culture. Architecture, holidays, recreation, music and even religion were brought into Japanese culture from their neighbors to the West. However it was through religion that Christianity
was to have an influence on Japan. To see how this happened we must learn a little about Buddhism and how it merged with Shintoism to become the major religion in Japan. Buddhism came into China in AD 60. We are told that the
Chinese "Emperor Ming Ti had a dream which produced in his soul a consternation as profound as that which alarmed Nebuchadnezzar. The Chinese ruler, so the legend goes, beheld a great golden image flying from the heights to pause
over the palace in which he slept. At that spot it halted long enough to sway backward and forward. The sun and the moon falling in radiant splendor upon the heavenly visitant made it glow with a light supernal. The emperor called
for one of his able ministers, who promptly interpreted the event as a visit from the Indian deity Buddha. Whereupon the monarch commissioned a deputation of eighteen men to travel west for information about this Buddha. "The
commission returned, accompanied by white horses laden with writings and relics, to Loyang, capital of China at that time. Thereupon the emperor built to the new faith a temple, and called it the White Horse, on account of the
animals which carried back from India the relics and writings of Buddhism. "Karl Reichelt adds, 'Thus began the invading stream of Buddhist monks from India to China, which continued for over seven hundred years, and which
became of such great significance to the Middle Kingdom.'" Truth Triumphant 368. Many Chinese found Buddhism a cold and uninteresting religion, but that changed when Buddhism came under the influence of the Church of the
East. Christianity, with its loving God and Redeemer, had great appeal to the people so Chinese Buddhism began to change its beliefs. They made up a doctrine of a trinity of gods and they taught that eternal life came through the
substitute savior, Amitabha. They also taught that the redeemer would return to earth from his place in heaven. As we have already said, the Chinese influenced the Japanese in many areas of culture and religion. It was through a
man named Kobo Daishi that Christianity had an influence on Japanese thought. Kobo Daishi is one of the best-loved figures in Japan's history. He is thought of, even today, as Japan's greatest thinker. Because of his brilliant mind
he was sent by the emperor in 804 AD to visit Changan in China to try to find a way to harmonize China's Buddhism and Japan's Shintoism. When Kobo Daishi went to China he was introduced to the Church of the East. While in
Changan he lived at a Buddhist convent which was only one street away from the training school which the Chinese emperor had built for the Church of the East. It would be reasonable to assume that Kobo Daishi observed and learned
from these Christians who were such close neighbors. It was not long before this time that the famous stone monument was built in Changan. Since this monument was erected with the favor of the emperor it is easy to imagine many
of the citizens of that city watching with curiosity as the Syrian and Chinese characters were chiseled into that massive stone. There can be little doubt that Kobo Daishi would have spoken with people who had been among the crowds
who watched this massive monument being prepared. He would have been able to visit the stone and read the Biblical truths that were causing such wonderful changes in China. Translators say that on the memorial stone were the words,
"This religion so perfect, so excellent is difficult to name, but it enlightens darkness by its brilliant precepts." Kobo Daishi would have learned about the Sabbath, about Christ's substitutionary death on the cross, and other
doctrines which the Church of the East taught. Kobo Daishi had been sent to China with a requirement to fulfil. As he learned from the Buddhist priests he was impressed with the teaching of Amitabha and through this
"Christianized" Buddhism he was able to reconcile Shintoism with Buddhism. This can be seen even today as we see similarities between many of the Buddhist temples and the Shinto shrines. When Kobo Daishi returned to Japan he
"introduced a new body of doctrine which he called Shingon, or 'true word.' In the course of time this Shingon sect was destined to become the largest sect in Japan. Baptism became an important rite in the mysteries of Shingon."
Truth Triumphant 372. Christianity shows itself in several of the beliefs which Kobo Daishi took back to Japan. He taught the idea of a holy trinity, the belief in a messiah and in the second coming. In writing of Kobo Daishi's
death a historian tells us, "When he [Kobo Daishi] passed out of this life on Koya he did not die, for he lies uncorrupted in his sepulcher, awaiting the coming of Maitreya, the Buddhist Messiah." Truth Triumphant 374.
Kobo Daishi had another important influence on Japanese culture. When he returned to Japan he simplified the Japanese style of writing which made it easier to translate the best literature from other cultures. This allowed Japan to
became more knowledgeable about the countries and cultures around them. It is said that Kobo Daishi brought a lot of new information and methods back to Japan. He is credited with teaching the people how to use coal and he
organized construction of dams, bridges and roads. The arts also benefited from the genius of Kobo Daishi - he introduced new methods of painting and sculpture to advance Japanese society. One of his other achievements was to build
a Buddhist monastery on Mt. Koya where students studied how to promote peace and security for the islands of Japan. The next 700 years showed Japan becoming an independent power in government, architecture, religion and
literature. As their own culture grew stronger, Japan became further separated from China and developed their own national identity. Great changes for Japan began in the middle of the 1500's. This was when the Jesuits arrived in
Japan. They followed many of the same methods they were using in India. A historian, William E. Griffis, wrote, "Whole districts were ordered to become Christians. The bonzes [Buddhist priests] were exiled or killed, and fire and
sword as well as preaching were employed as a means of conversion." Truth Triumphant 377. For a hundred years the patient Japanese people put up with the destruction caused by the Jesuits. Finally they unified to get rid of
the foreigners in their country. Signs were made which said, "Christians to the sea." To make sure outsiders wouldn't disturb them, the Japanese banned all foreigners from entering their country. For the next two hundred
years Japan was cut off from the outside world. In 1911 a replica of the China monument was erected on Mt. Koya, the holy mountain of Japan. Some question why a Christian monument would be placed in a Buddhist monastery. Dr.
Wilkinson offers the following reason: "The duplicate was set up to call to the mind of Japan, and particularly to the Buddhist church, the source of how the Church of the East penetrated the thought and life of modern Japan."
Truth Triumphant 374. Just a small observation is made in Dr. Wilkinson's book speaking of Christianity in the Philippines. There is little information left for us to trace the Church of the East in these islands but "there
is evidence that before the Spaniards brought the Philippine Islands under their dominion, education was, comparatively speaking on a high level. As the Philippines had had no contact with the civilization of the West except
through Christianity, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that the splendid state of education at the time of the Spanish conquest (1569), was due to the Church of the East." Truth Triumphant 378.
CONCLUSION We have finished our story of God's true church. Dr. Wilkinson tells us, "This book has
sought to make it clear that the Church in the Wilderness, of the 1260-year period, is the connecting link between the apostolic church and our time. To her, we are indebted for the learning and the treasures of truth preserved
throughout the Dark Ages. As to the transmission of the pure text of the Holy Bible, credit should not be given to the papacy, which has placed tradition above the Bible, but to the faithful churches who adhered through years of
darkness and superstition to the original apostolic writings and their uncorrupted translation. This volume, in some small measure, pays tribute to these unsung heroes of the past of the true Christian church." Truth Triumphant
380. My hope is that you have a big picture of God's truth and His people. The Protestants of the Reformation were only following in the steps of those who upheld truth for the thousand years before their time - men
like Patrick, Columba, Columbanus, and Vigilantius. The faithful Waldensians and their brothers perserved the uncorrupted scriptures and spoke out against the growing apostasy they saw in the Church of Rome. To all these brave
soldiers of the Cross we owe our Bibles, our religious freedom and our pure doctrines. Truth has truly been triumphant. However, the real questions is, "Will truth be triumphant in my mind and in my actions? Will I allow the
Holy Spirit to fill me with wisdom and power to make me obedient to truth. Will I obey the words found in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word
of truth." Jesus is coming soon to take His faithful people to heaven. My prayer for each who read these pages is that we will be ready for Jesus Second Coming. We are given a glimpse into what that awesome day will be like in
the Great Controversy 644, "Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then raising
His hands to heaven He cries, 'Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!' Throughout the length and breadth of the earth, the dead shall hear that voice; and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth shall
ring with the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. From the prison house of death they come, clothed with immortal glory, crying, 'O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory?' And the living righteous and the risen saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory." Let's prepare now to stand among the heroes who were willing to die if necessary for the truths of the Bible and
defend God's reputation throughout the universe.
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