Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-08-30
JAPANs TENDENCIES.

The Public Men OF the Empire Dis
GUESSING the Adoption OF The Chris
tian Religion.
Tee III mes OF Saturday published from the
Japan Weekly Nal remarkable story from
Japan, says the London Spectator. II Is stat
cd that the publiclsts OF that country are dis
cussiDg the propriety OF an official adoption
OF the Christian religion, and ara In larg Q
measure in favor Of the step. They do not
they say, believe In Christianity and are even
repelled by it's dogmas, holding that educated
men should always be guided by pure reason,
but they think the adoption OF the civilized
creed essential TO the perfection OF their own
civilization and to the malntainance of NOR.
al standard among their people. The Jap an-
csc, they say, have lost their old faiths, and
Il is Indispensable for the safety OF society
and its development that they should have a
new one. Without 1t they will never obtain
that strong conference aud eliAnce on each
other which is essential to a powerful state.
Some OF the reasons pleaded are OF less I'M
portance than this last, which Is not in the
Times narrative, one OF those actually pub
lished being that only when Japan Is Chris.
tian will Its music ever improve; and we dare
say most OF the readers Of the account set it
down as q mere digest OF purely academ ic
dissertations be half formed or over-spacu-
lstlve men. That however. is not the case.
We have strong reasons, wholly Independent
Of the account IL The VaA, for believing that
The persons who really govern japan are dis
cusslng this proposal az earnestly as the pub
lcists, and that, although there Is a strong
resisting party, II 10 still by NO means imposi-
that Christianity may he declared by imperial
decree the official religion OF Japan. Some OF
the most influential councillors OF tho empire
are Of the CD MON that such step Is essen
tial to further progress 10 c!SHlz alton. (which
cannot be based upon q weak morale. 'and all
implicitly admit that II would be possible, that
the indigenous orssds are dying or dead, aud
that the body of the japanese would receive
the new faith with aoqulesonce. as something
quite within the educating province OF their
rulsrs.
or the accuracy Of this view We can not Mt
this distance pretend TO judge, but we know
It to be held BY powerful men, and the
japanese have accepted so many, such extern
live, and one would think such annoTing
Innovations that the vIsw IL probably correct
aud though we doubt whether ths struggle
can end In a victory for ChrIstianity. which
would Involve a reputation Of the mlkado's
ilaim TO be, as descendant Of the gods, him
self semi divine, the chancs Is stil serious
enough To deserve y moments discussion.
The first feeling Of EaglIsbmen on hearing of
such project is one Of instiRctive repulsion.
The last few generations have been 50 trained
In the idea that religion "a q matter for the
Individual cOyscIeRce alone, aud that any
thing, even satoring OF persecution, is NOR
ally wrong, that the PRONUNCIATION OF creed
by q despotic government as an official mca-
sure Of education strikes them with q sort OF
horror. There can, they think, DO no good
result from q step so opposed to the Inner
spirit OF Christianity. Eobody's faith can be
affected by such = proclamation, and for
whole people TO profess . creed In which they
do not believe must be sither Hypocrisy, or
at the best 4 bit OF hisRi0nics Of an objec-
tonable, not TO say q rather blasphemous
sort. No mans spiritual state eau be the
better for any official sanoun cement that n
creed Is true, unattended With an internal
change ia the minds OF those who promufgate
nr obey Il; aud 9 great religious revolution
which benefits no mans religious condition
must be useless to any osustyv, and be most
Injurious, as interfering With tho natural,
and, therefore, beneficial, diffusion OF truly
religious hess Conversion, In short, may
be stopped instead Of stimulated by the ap-
parent acquescence OF an uabeileving peo-
pie
aud. indeed, " the japanese believed either
strongly Or sincerely N any creei-evcn sg-
BOsticism-they would he fnal; but this is
alleged not TO be the case. The assertion is
that the bulk Of the people Of Japan, and
more especially OF the directing classes, have
ceased 10 believe strongly In any creed what
sver, and are precisely In that condition Of
mind when they will accept orc at the hands
Of rulers who they IN nix know more about
what Is true or at all svssts what Is wise,
Than they do the nseives. The Japanese have
learned from the faiture OF their own syst
70 doubt everything, even themselves