This article introduces the pioneering significance of Luo Mingjian's Latin literature "Knowledge of Benevolence, Righteousness, Rites, and Faith" in the history of Chinese Christianity, and explores different interpretations of its writing process, including the possibility of Matteo Ricci's translation and the assistance of Fujian scholars in translation. At the same time, it was mentioned that Italian sinologist Delixian recorded this document, as well as the history of Luo Mingjian presenting it to Pope Gregory XIV. The manuscript of this document is currently stored in the National Library of Rome. Zhang Xiping conducted a detailed examination and introduction of it for the first time, emphasizing the foundational position of Luo Mingjian in the history of Catholicism in China and his pioneering contribution to the transmission of Western learning in middle schools. He revealed the inherent correlation between the "Eastern spread of Western learning" and the "Western transmission of middle schools" in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

1、 The Writing Background of the Latin Literature "Knowledge of Benevolence, Righteousness, Rites, and Faith"

Explored the writing background of Luo Mingjian's Latin literature "Knowledge of Benevolence, Righteousness, Rites, and Faith". In 1579, Luo Mingjian arrived in Macau and began writing the "Record of God" in 1580. In 1583, he mentioned the revised Chinese version of the "Catechism" and planned to publish and translate it into Latin. Luo Mingjian received assistance from Father Peter Gomez in Macau to write a dialogue based sacred story, which may be the initial draft of a Latin catechism manual. Delixian believed that the Latin literature was written in 5547 after the creation of the world, and the Chinese version of the "Record of God" was written in 5550, which is three years later than the Latin version. In 1584, Luo Mingjian began writing the "Record of God" and may have also started writing the Latin catechism manual. In 1588, he left China and arrived in Portugal in 1589. In 1590, he presented to the Pope the "Atlas of China" and the Latin translation of the "Record of God," also known as the "Knowledge of Benevolence, Righteousness, Rites, and Faith. After returning to Rome, Luo Mingjian improved and revised the literature. The literature abstract was included in Anthony Posevino's "Selected Bibliographies" and had a huge impact, known as the "Encyclopedia of Catholic Culture after the Reformation". Fentu Li transcribed and published the second part of the literature.

2、 Introduction to the Content of the Latin Literature "Knowledge of Benevolence, Righteousness, Etiquette, and Faith"

Luo Mingjian's "Understanding Faith through Benevolence, Righteousness, Rites, and Knowledge" is titled after the Five Constants of Confucianism and is divided into two parts: an introduction to the Chinese Empire and a Latin Q&A on Chinese doctrine. The Latin version is richer in content and more widely circulated than the Chinese version. The first part of the literature briefly introduces China and its neighboring countries, possibly based on the experiences of Luo Mingjian and Matteo Ricci. The second part discusses Catholic doctrine in the form of catechism, consisting of thirteen chapters. Luo Mingjian's ideological background was influenced by Western religious philosophy, citing the views of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers. He holds a critical attitude towards Buddhism, believing that Buddhist doctrines are hollow and monks are hypocritical. On the other hand, Luo Mingjian holds a positive view of Confucianism, emphasizing its commonality with Western philosophy and attempting to lead "heaven" towards "God". He holds a respectful attitude towards Confucius, believing that there are similarities between Confucianism and Catholicism, but has reservations about rituals such as worshiping Confucius.

3、 The Important Value of the Latin Literature "Knowledge of Benevolence, Righteousness, Etiquette, and Faith"

The Latin document 'Knowledge of Benevolence, Righteousness, Rites, and Faith' has significant value in cultural exchange and religious dissemination between China and the West. This literature corrects the misunderstanding in the Western academic community about the authorship of the literature and confirms that it was written by Luo Mingjian, not Matteo Ricci. It deepens the understanding of the "Annals of the Catholic Church" and is the opening work in the history of Catholicism in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is of great significance for the study of Luo Mingjian and his "Annals of the Catholic Church", Matteo Ricci's "The True Meaning of God", and so on. As an important early text for the overseas dissemination of Chinese culture during the Ming and Qing dynasties, it holds precious value in the history of Western Sinology.