第一任法国驻新加坡传教士 Albrand 神父书信录
以下是 Albrand 神父写给Barran 神父及巴黎外方传教会会院主任们的信函。
1833年9月10日
主任及兄弟们：在新加坡，所有神灵和鬼怪都会受到一些人的膜拜。我经常看到人们庄严地捧着偶像到处游行庆祝。这些可怜的人要到什么时候才看到真光呢？这里大约有300名基督徒。由Courvezy主教启建的小教堂已完成。我已为它祝圣并把它奉献给耶稣善牧及圣方济各。…
一些来自印度的基督徒每年都会到新加坡住，而且，我自己也有几名新的基督徒。从复活节到今天，有25人已经接受了洗礼，我有好几位对信仰表现得很热忱的慕道者，其中大概有4到5位会在圣诞节领洗。
感谢天主，这里的华人比其他人（如马来人）更愿意成为基督徒。…他们经常傍晚来，而且人数很多。我的要理教导员会从8点到10点为他们上课，然后大家一起祈祷后才离开。在白天，我和要理教导员会找一些外教人交谈，邀请他们来；有时候，看到他们在傍晚来上课真的很高兴。可惜，我只会一点他们的语言，和一种方言而已，就是其中一位要理教导员所说的那种。我不会福建、厦门和漳州话，这是三分之二新加坡华人所常用的。我希望很快能给他们一位新的要理教导员，如果他像我现在的那位有同样的热忱，就会使很多人皈依的。我的这位要理教导员是一名医生，约8年前离开中国到外地发财。他在巴达维亚住过，赚了很多钱，然后来到新加坡，在这里听说槟城有一种新的宗教在华人中广传。出于好奇心或兴趣或天主的恩宠，他去了槟城并且在那里接受洗礼。受过良好的基督教义，他回到中国家乡，…他为5或6个人授洗之后，回来这里，要深入地学习我们的宗教。在回途中，他到了婆罗洲岛的三发，发现那里居住的全是华人。他了解到如有人去向他们传教，他们会接受我们的信仰。在知晓这些人与他是来自同省后，便要求我陪他去那里。此外，他在婆罗洲有5名慕道生，他们写信嘱咐他不要忘记他们，并且提醒他承诺过要带一位神父去，在他们死前为他们授洗。一年前他回到槟城。从中国到槟城这段旅途中，他凭医术赚了25西班牙银元，且很快就把他的所有捐了出去。好几次我看见他脱下衣服施舍给穷人。因此从六月开始，我招募他和我一起工作。一想到我这位要理教导员的信仰、谦逊和热忱，到处努力地教导别人，为他们祈祷时，我就感到惭愧，自叹不如。他实在是一块瑰宝。他皈化了许多华人，在他们的家中，以华文书写的天主诫命取代了以前偶像或祖先牌位的位置是毫不稀奇的。
新加坡的华人常是私会党的一份子，有如西方的共济会那样，要使他们皈依基督，是相当困难的。这些私会党的首领非常反对基督徒。当首4名会员加入教会后，他们非常愤怒。幸好这4位新基督徒的信仰够坚定。然而，他们每天都要忍受首领的刁难，他们称这些首领为“魔头”。一天，他们威胁这些基督徒，要在中国毁坏他们的名誉，拔断他们的辫子，除去他们的华族衣服。其中一位这样回答他们：“我们选择了与这个信仰结合，我们不怕你。回到中国之后，我们会成为基督徒。如果被杀害，我们会去天堂。至于辫子和衣服，你们要拿就拿，甚至砍我们的头或剥我们的皮。你们的伤害会令我们感到很高兴。”这些新基督徒并没有失去他们的热忱。我为他们行了初领圣体礼，过后他们毫不害怕地去传教。…他们中最年轻的只有25岁。我多么希望能把他们带回法国，让那些没有信仰的人见识一下，激励更多的人去传教。目前，私会党像是未再给这4位新基督徒增添麻烦，但是这些“魔头”阻止了许多其他人加入我们。无论我到那里传教，他都跟着我，把我努力收获的成果毁坏。超过100名新加坡华人相信基督，他们会成功克服信仰的恐惧（成为基督徒）。
1833年12月26日
两位慕道者违抗了私会党的意愿，每天来接受教导。这惹怒了私会党的首领，就骚扰他们的妻子，并恐吓他们要夺取他们的房子。这一切没能改变他们的意愿，终于在圣诞节领了洗礼。
我的要理教导员充满了喜乐，坚信他已经为众多同胞铺平走向天堂的路。…我对他的德能有信心。他是一个圣徒，我祈愿天主将成功赐予他。
我不知道自己是否是对的，但是我相信皈化海外华侨比皈化在中国国内的华人来得容易。在这里，他们不用害怕中国官员或兄长们。在这里，他们生活在政府的保护之下，受到政治的包容。当他们遭受不公时，会来找我，我就帮助和保护他们。我的行为开了他们的眼界，使他们看到了真理之光。如果我有足够通晓他们语言的要理教导员的话，我相信部分来自广东、广州和福建的人，也会变成基督徒的。在这里住了几年后，这些人将会回到他们的家乡，帮助家人、邻居和村落皈依。就是借着这个方式，一个8年前没有一个基督徒，没有神父居住的地方，现在却有了许多基督徒的家庭。在这里，当他们领洗之后，就会写信给父母，鼓励他们也成为基督徒。
1834年11月22日
主任，
我来到新加坡快要两年了。当我来时，Courvezy神父，即现在的主教，正在运用华商、英国誓反派教徒及亚美尼亚分离派教徒的捐款，建造一间教堂。他们都很慷慨地捐出善款。…至今，我们的小团体在屋里举行感恩祭。我说“小团体”是因为从没超过30人来参与弥撒，虽然新加坡有350名基督徒。但可惜的是，他们都很无知，而且不甚履行作为基督徒的责任。我照顾了他们且很高兴看到他们渐渐回来。在大瞻礼时，至少有250人来参与弥撒，其中50人是新领洗的华人及马来人。我第一份任务的对象就是马来人，因为我不懂得怎样说华语，而且当初也没有要理教导员。我很高兴为天主争取到20名马来人（爪哇人或武吉人）。…
在这里住了几个月后，天主送我一位华人要理教导员，我可以向他学习他的一些语言。白天时，我们分别到处向人们传教，邀请外教人傍晚时来见我们。
我们聚集在一个法国人借出的大厅，并为他们准备了烟管和很多茶。我们上了茶之后就开始讲课。华文要理教导员就负责教导华人，而我则负责教导马来人。有许多人来听课，但是只有51人领洗。有些人将在圣诞节领洗，但也有许多人不见了踪影。我发现华人一般上不会批评我们的宗教，也不会拿它与其他宗教相比。多数人经常会说：“要成为基督徒，要有足够的信心，而我的信心还不足。”
而马来人呢，如果是回教徒就会很固执。他们会听你说一个多小时的话，同意你所说的一切，但是拒绝接受洗礼。…我的结论是：大多数人是无知的，即使对他们本身宗教的教义也一样。只有那些非回教徒的马来人，我们才能寄望会有成果。这些人我们只要克服他们的无知就行了。好像那些来自帝汶、尼亚斯岛、巴塔克等等。如果对天主来说有不可能的话，我敢说要让回教徒皈依是不可能的。
在我授洗的慕道者中，有4位曾是誓反派教徒，他们了解自己的错误。圣公会主教只照顾他本身的教友，并不曾向本地人传教。这里也有一位来自美国的牧师，他在苦力中分发他的书本。他的一位朋友告诉我说，从他抵步以来的几个月内，他已经派发了12大箱的书本。他在美国一定有很好的名声，因为他的国人以分发圣经的数量等同于皈依的人数。对我来说，我不相信他们有关皈依的报导，因为我知道人们把那些纸张拿来做什么。每天，我的手中有用誓反派的纸张包裹的东西。在一些本地的屋里，这些纸张被用作贴木板的墙纸。听到在印度的誓反派牧师说这里的华人渴望阅读圣经，甚至在夜间偷书来用的这番话，实在令我啼笑皆非。但是，我不曾看到这些牧师使任何人皈化。有一天，一位誓反派牧师来到我的屋里，当时我的华文要理教导员正在讲课及为慕道者祈祷。当他离开一阵子时，牧师就跑进来分发他的书本。他们很有礼貌及好奇地接受了。然而，当要理教导员回来时，他斥责牧师说：“把你错误的毒素拿去别的地方。”牧师回答说：“错的是你，你崇拜童贞圣母和十字架。”教导员回答说：“不，我们用十字架来思念耶稣，我们记得祈祷和关爱。…当我们在十字苦像前祈祷时，我们想到天主。至于童贞圣母玛利亚，我们求她为我们代祷，我们并没有崇拜她。”牧师非常惊讶于这个回答，马上离开，再也没有回来过。我听说他每个月给每天愿意听他说话的每个人20法郎。但是我知道，当他们停止收到钱的时候，他们也会停止去那里听讲。这种事已经在槟城发生了。就此停笔，请记得为我祈祷。
(作者：Clement Liew / 译者：关德安)
3. Planting the Seeds of the Faith in Singapore:
Accounts from the Letters of Fr Albrand, the First Resident French Missionary
Fr Albrand (Singapore) writes to Fr Barran and Directors (MEP Seminary, Paris)
Clement Liew
All rights reserved: No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means Electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner．
10 September 1833
Sir and dear Brothers,
Singapore is a place where all the devils receive some veneration. I often witness celebrations and processions where idols are carried about with solemnity. When will the day come when these poor people will open their eyes to the light? There are here, almost 300 Christians. The small church started by Bishop Courvezy is finished. I blessed it and dedicated it to the Good Shepherd and to Saint Francis Xavier. But it is very small and poor. There are only four walls and a few planks that serve as an altar. Soon, I will be obliged to enlarge it.
Some Christians from India come every year to stay in Singapore, and furthermore, myself, I have always new Christians. Since Easter, 25 have received baptism, and I have a good number of catechumens who are very fervent. Four or Five (of these) will be baptized on Christmas day.
Blessed and thanks to be the Lord that the Chinese are well disposed to become Christians more than any other people (Malays) in this country. A part of my house has been used as a school. They come regularly each evening in great numbers. There, my catechist will instruct them from eight to ten o’clock, then they sing their prayer together before departing. During the day, my catechist and I go around to speak to the pagans to ask them to come, and sometimes, we have the happiness of seeing them come in the evening for instruction. But sadly, I can only speak a few words of their language, and of one language (dialect) only, the one of my catechist’s. I know neither of the Fo-Kien (Hokkien, Amoy) nor the Tchang-Tcheou (Hokkien, from parts of Zhang Zhou in Fujian, spoken in Penang) which is spoken by 2/3 of the Chinese people in Singapore. I hope to give them soon, another catechist, who will convert many if he has the same zeal as the one I have now. I must say something about him (the catechist). This catechist is a doctor who left China about eight years ago in search of fortune. After staying in Batavia, where he made a lot of money, he came to Singapore where he heard of another religion which was preached to the Chinese in Penang. Driven by curiosity or interest, or by Grace, he went to Penang and was baptized there. After being instructed well in Christian doctrine, he returned to his country (county) where there was not one Christian to teach his parents and friends of the new religion. He baptized five or six and then returned to learn more of our religion. On his journey back, he landed at Sambas, on the isles of Borneo, and found the place occupied most exclusively by Chinese. He saw that they were willing to receive the truth of our faith if someone was ready to preach to them. So he asked me to go there with him after seeing all these Chinese being from the same province as him. Therefore, in Borneo, he had five catechumens, and they wrote a letter to him, asking him not to forget them, and to send them, as he had promised, a spiritual Father to baptize them before they die. Then he returned to Penang a year ago. During his travel from China to Penang, he earned 25 piastres (Spanish dollars) in exercising his profession as a doctor. He did not keep them for long, he gives everything he has. I saw him several times, taking off his own clothes for the poor. So I have him with me from the month of June. I am very must humiliated when I consider the faith, the humility and the zeal of my catechist when he goes around instructing the people, saying the prayers. He is a treasure. It is he who converts the Chinese, and it is not rare to see the commandments of God, written in Chinese characters, taking the place of idols or ancestor tablets in their homes.
The Chinese in Singapore usually belong to the secret society, like the Freemasonry, which makes their conversion to Christianity more difficult. The heads of the secret societies are very much against Christians. They were very angry when the first four of their members became Christians. Luckily, these four Christians are strong in their faith. But every day, they have to struggle against the heads of the secret societies to which they had belonged, whom they called, “head of the devil”. One day, they threatened them (the Christians), to spoil their names in China, to tear away their pig-tails and to take away their Chinese clothing. One of them gave this reply. “We chose the solidarity of this faith, we do not fear you. When we return to China, we will be Christians. And if we are killed, we will go to heaven. As for the pig-tail, and our Chinese clothes, you can take them off and you can cut our heads and tear our skin. By harming us, you make us very happy”. And these new Christians have not lost their fervor. I have given them First Communion, and they in turn go catechizing without any fear. When I speak to them about God, they cannot hold back their tears. The youngest is 25 years old. I wish I could bring them back to France to show them to the people who have got no faith, and to inspire more to become missionaries. These four new Christians do not seem to have any trouble presently (with the secret society), but the “head of the devil” has prevented many from joining us. He follows me wherever I preached, to destroy the fruits of my small efforts. More than 100 Chinese in Singapore believed in Christ and they will succeed in overcoming the fear of believing (of being Christians).
26 December 1833
Two catechumens, against the wishes of the secret society, came every day for instruction. This provoked the anger of the chief of the society who then harassed the wives of the two Christians, threatening to take their house. All these did not make them change their minds. They were baptized on Christmas day.
My catechist is full of joy, believing that he has paved the way to heaven for a great number of his countrymen. He assured me that in one year’s time, we would have more than 300 Christians. It is difficult to believe him as three months ago, he told me that we would have more than 100 Christians at Christmas mass, and only 30 were present. But I have faith in his virtues. He is a saint, and I pray to God to give him full success.
I do not know if I am right, but I believe it is easier to convert Chinese outside their country. Here, they have no fear of the Mandarin (Officials) or their brothers. They live here in the protection of a government, tolerant by politics. When they encounter injustices, they come to me and I help and protect them like the government. My conduct opened their eyes to see the light of truth. If there were enough catechists who know their language, I believe that the two provinces of Canton (Kwangtung) and Fo-Kien would be in part, Christian. After a few years here, these people will return to their country, and would convert their families, neighbours and villages. It is by this means that a country where eight years ago, there was not a single Christian, no priest residing, there are now many Christian families. Here also, as soon as they are baptized, they write to their parents to encourage them to be Christians.
22 November 1834
Sir,
It has been nearly two years that I have been in Singapore. When I arrived, Father Courvezy, today Bishop, was building a church with subscription from Chinese merchants, English Protestants, Armenian schismatics. All of whom contributed generously. I managed to complete it. So far, we celebrated masses shades (houses) where we gathered our small community. I said “small” because we had never had more than 30 persons [coming for mass] though we have 350 Christians in Singapore. Sadly, they are ignorant, and are far from practicing their Christian duties. I took care of them. And I had the joy of seeing them come back slowly. On big feast days, I have at least 250 people at mass, of whom 50 are newly baptized Chinese and Malays. My first works were with the Malays as I did not know how to speak Chinese, and I had no catechist [initially]. I have the happiness of winning over for God, twenty Malays (Javanese or Bugis). It is true, it is not good for my health to walk two or three miles every day in this burning climate. The English merchants always go about in their carriages, but the poor missionary has neither horse nor carriage, but only the courage to serve God.
After a few months here, God sent me a Chinese catechist, and I was able to learn from him some of his language. During the day, we went around, each in our own way, to speak to the people, inviting pagans to come and see us in the evening.
We prepared for them tobacco pipes and lots of tea. We gathered the people in the hall of a French resident who left it to us. We gave them tea, then instruction. My Chinese catechist was in charge of the Chinese, and I took charge of the Malays. There were many who came to listen but in spite of this, only 51 received baptism. Some will be baptized on Christmas, but many have disappeared. I have noticed that the Chinese have never criticized our religion nor do they compare it with their religion. Most of them would often say, “to be a Christian, one must have the right heart. Mine is not right yet.”
As for the Malays, those who are Muslims, show great stubbornness. They will listen to you speak for an hour and agree with everything but refused to be baptized. One day, after a lengthy instruction, a man said to me that my face is not like his. This is my conclusion. Most of them are ignorant, even of the doctrines of their own religion. It is among those non-Muslim Malays that we can hope to have some fruits. In those, we have only to overcome their ignorance. Such are those from Timor, the Nias, Batta, etc. I dare to say that the conversion of Muslims is impossible, if there was anything impossible for God. God has promised to answer our prayers. The members of the “Propagation of the Faith” (Society started in France to help missionaries in the missions who living in poverty) can help us greatly for that.
A little word on the Protestants. Among the catechumens I have baptized, there were four Protestants who have recognized their mistakes. The Episcopalian minister worked only with his own people and never attempted conversion (of the locals). There is also an American minister who distributed books among the coolies. One of his friends tells me that he has already given twelve big crates of books since his arrival a few months ago. What a good name he has in America as his fellow countrymen counted the number of conversions by the number of bibles distributed. But me, I do not believe their reports of conversion, knowing what the people did with the paper. Every day, I have in my hands, things bundled (wrapped) in Protestant papers. In some houses in Singapore, the pages are used as wall papers on the wooden planks. It is funny to hear the Protestant minister in India saying that the Chinese are thirsty for the Holy Scripture books and that they have even stolen the books at night for useful purposes. But I do not see anyone converted by the Protestant ministers. A Protestant minister came one day into my house, where my Chinese catechist was instructing and praying with his catechumens. While the catechist was away for a while, the minister came in and distributed his books. They accepted in politeness and curiosity. But when he returned, the catechist was present and rebuked him saying, “go somewhere else to bring the poison of error.” The minister replied, “It is you who have erred. You adore the Holy Virgin and the Cross.” “No”, the catechist answered. “We use the Cross to think of Jesus, and we remember to pray and to love. When we pray in front of a wall, we think of the wall. When we pray in front of a door, we think of a door. And when we pray in front of a crucifix, we think of God. As for the Virgin Mary, we ask her to intercede for us, we do not adore her.” The minister astonished by such answers, went away and did not return. I heard that he gives twenty francs a month to those who would listen to him every day. But I know, when they stop receiving the money, they will stop going. This has already occurred in Penang. I have no more to say today, so pray for me.
