tained at court, while those In the provinces were of no manner of use, and must therefore be sent to Macao. The emperor confirmed this representation, A.D. 1723. Thus, all the missionaries were driven from their stations, three hundred churches were destroyed, or converted to a profane use, and three hundred thousand Christians at once deprived of their pastors.
Some of the priests still contrived to remain in the provinces, or re-entered China by stealth; while a number of native catechists, dispersed through the country, managed to keep the converts together. Ignatius Koegler was appointed president of the astronomical board, and the name and profession of Romanism were still maintained in the empire.
When Këen-lung ascended the throne, in 1736, a new search was made for the proscribed priests; and the emperor, finding that they returned after expatriation, made an example of Peter Sans, by putting him to death. Many others were seized and tortured, while churches were plundered, and property confiscated. New preachers, however, flocked to Canton, and were clandestinely forwarded to the provinces. On one of these occasions, a faithless adherent betrayed his trust, and four Europeans were apprehended in Hoo-kwang, and conveyed to Peking. This involved some of the native converts, who, at the sight of the instruments of torture, apostatized, and discovered the plans of the missionaries. A stricter investigation followed; more European priests were detected and imprisoned; while three of their assistants were put to death. Much interest was made at Peking, by the few missionaries in the service of the emperor, to mitigate the punishment that awaited the remainder; when a decree was issued, on the ninth
R
