The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-23

lrsi greet, .,s,n,~o. Who without some
etrselsn wecii meet he'J 49,
\ a. A Iona. a,A IN "a anese their present, pAs'
"A ,,,,,,. hasav,sa tbosis OF ,he evening, however.
ana p.ea for te ,u,e5rl Of the present wen ORGANIZED
MISSION boing oue Il tho accessory topics o. the aus
coarsc the hon, oleraby wei ailee The audience
being compel largely u gentlemen rho were Ninmg
to listen paenly and subscribe for satisfactory reasons
Ia. s acre present the muddlel state OF tbs side
val not permitting; aud The few who we're present
ree obviously workers every good and not the
srsamers 10 whom benegolsnce u rather matter Of
theory than or practice Tue usual services Or the even
Iag, wlica consisted OF tho simple forms OK fsalng
ami prayer conducted BY the pastor Who the ss
having been completed with an appropriate hymn,
Introduced the speaker Oi the evening with the usual
brevity Of comrnOndaon Of me enterprise % which the
reverend gentleman had beea one OF the prneipai
movers. Hs way OF opening, ihs speaker recred sue
cinoy he history Of tue Jesuit mission in Japan Us
suppression couple 3f centuries ago, end the after
shutting OF tbs gates or Japan against all foreigners,
with The exception OF the Ho!laDders with whom lrsde
was permitted the limitations The Jesuit
mission lad already made groa, progress In Japan, hav-
ing beaa Instrumental IN the conversion OF some three
hundsed thousand persons from the rites OF Badonrnl,
when suspicion arose the part OF the throne
that tho jesuit fathers had been aud we're engaged IN
political intrigue against tie peace Of the Kingdom
The reinas king could not comprehend tho idea that
any number OF hIs subjects should owe paramount,
allegiance tho Pope ia his view simply forei po-
teniate, without fostering designs intended 10 dsHpaco
him IRON his righia aushort' aud erect another in his
stead Renee went forth the odct OF ostracism ana
banlsumen; all Catholic priests lfO me country
any who should persist in remaining beng Liable 20 tho
penalty OF death. This edict IN regard 20 the priest
hood accompanied with one equally severe IN re-
spect 10 tho people u was decreed ana ordered that
the Workings and phrasngs 81 tho liturgy should
toe Suppressed among tho people Every convert WAS
compelled to retrscl recan and adopt the prevailing
ligon and any failure TO comply With the edct was
mndo punishable with death. Every suspected
person was compelled TO procure . certificate
OF retracoD, and any failure 10 produce tho
certificate, when called upon, subjected the
suspected person the death penalty This edci con-
In and cAn
who fnay be suspected ID liable 10 execution Consider
able aiyi conmoon was created ny tho edict, aud a
Catholic,ts ana ts professors lated from
The land 0nt the power Of the throne was 'nails
Triumphant and tue Catholic movement was suppressed
For acoupls OF centuries tais state OF Affairs aaa co-
nued a1d the almost oyclusivsDess had prevailed IN
l within ie" years when me providence OF 1ou n"d
opened japan IL the Efforts OF missionaries The lee
spoke OF the present condition OF tho ia
pansse There vera, be continued. two prevailing re-
gioas In the country, tho obviously cosaogony
OF original Japansso invention, and tho other japanese
modification OF Buddhism which was introduced from the
adjacent empire about The fourth or niin century IN
the oreinsi cosmosony 1t held that iheTe were
primarily three gods, who we're the head OF all things
This idsG was geometTcally represented by
circle with three dots, lines connecting which
formed snuaferai triangle Tnis undOubt-
edy Tue origin OF the Japanese system OF prayer Az
pa.rly as could be- computed there about eight
hundred thousand idols IN the country The people had
not generally Any isiIh 10 Buddhism. did not achnow
edge future world at all, and very retcent about
putting forth any opinions IN contradiction OF The esiab
shed ethics OF the country. considerable degree Of
naturally OF exceedingly acute and nqustive turn
OF mind They fond OF asking questions about the
OF the outer world, and often surpris
inKy their remarks and observations thereupon
In fact, Far culture concerned, they
amply abie comprehend the details Of any religious
system which might DO propoundod. The mission which
the Rev. Dr Brown represents founded some three
years by oisnoot OF tie mission,
headed by the speaker OF the evening Not knowing
they might be- received, the left their
families behind, With tho determination 10 expose only
their persons in the apparently perious undertake
ing Of gaining foothod. They were, however, re-
ccised With unexpected courtesy by tho auhori-
Ties and upou making known their profession aud in
lenions the priests OF several Buddhist temples
ordered yacstc aud the missionaries installed
ia their pacas-3 iact which the speaker could but
LOOK upOn and interpret symbol Of the departure or
Buddhism and it's dos before The advancing steps OF true
religion. The ,nson bad thus already obtained foot
hold For years they had other places OF wor-
ship than the temples which had been vacated for
fhem, though withia the last year tho mission had
been enabled 10 houses of worship for ITSELF or
the future OF Japan tho speaker spoke with great hope
iulness A great part OF ihe pFejud CO With which
Japanese had hitherto regarded foreigners had been
dssipsied by contact with outer world and he could
reason why, with prudence on The part Of its
propaeators tho trGe civilization should not finally
triumph In Japan NJ was Its destiny 10 triumph
throughout the whole earth. The lecture concluded
with practical appeal behalf Of the mission, after
which the congregation was dismissed with the bene-
dIctien.