Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-11-13
CHRIST IN JAPAN.
THE CONTEST FOR CHRISTIANITY IN THAT
FAR-OFF KINGDOM.
The Cause of The Gospel Making Rapid Progress
Some Past Trials and
Troubles.

At st. Luke's Church last night Mr..
]. NJ. Gardner, who for thirteen years
has been connected with missionary
work in Japan and is now the Presi-
dent of st. PauPs College at Toxic,
talked entertainingly for over an hour
TO large congregational the progress
of Christian missionary work in Japan.
He traced the history of the work from
the time when, in the sixteenth CEN
fury, Xavier achieved so much success
in Outstanding the japanese, TO the
present, when there are more native
Christians and more missionary work is
being done, than at any previous time
for two and half centuries.
So successful had Xavier been in
bringing over the japanese TO the
Roman Catholic faith and Christianity
was assuming such proportions that the
other religious bodies of the country
combined against il, and by an edict OF
the Emperor Christianity was, in 1646.
entirely prohibited in Japan and made
punishable by the most terrible tor
lures. Those who were Christians
were told that they must renounce their
faith or die and of the million Christians
who were then in Japan the records
show that over 1000 suffered death
rather than renounce their faith.
Their deaths were Of the most cruel
nature. Limbs were sawed off or torn
from the body, burying alive was
not uncommon and no form OF cruelty
that could be devised was too severe a
penalty for those who persisted in hold
ing to the Christian faith. Those who
were not put TO death renounced their
religion and for more than a century
there was not a native Christian in the
country.
The prejudice Of the people against
foreigners has been the greatest obstacle
to the work Of spreading the gospel,
next to the law against it. In 1872 the
first steps were taken toward the repeal
Of this law and some preparations began
to be made for missionary work, but 1t
was not till 1889 that a new constitution
was adopted granting freedom of relig-
ion In so far as it did not conflict with
the welfare of the State or the civil
government, and since that time all the
missionary work in that country has
been done. During some OF the years
when no Japanese was allowed TO be-
come a Christian there were certain
Christian workers who were endeavor-
ing 10 familiariZe themselves with the
language Of the country, but such was
the prejudice against them that they
could secure no assistance whatever
from native teachers. Rev. Mr.. Will
liams, who was afterwards made Bishop
of China and Japan, who had thorough
knowledge of Chinese, which is
In many respects similar TO the Japan
csc, and Rev. DR.. Burbank, Dutch
Reformed minister, studied the Japan
csc language for years, and finally sue
ceeded in translating the Bible and hay
ing il printed in Japanese. During
their life in Japan these men COM
manded the respect Of all by their ex-
emplary conduct, and in this way did
much to remove the prejudice against
foreigners, so that when the opportu-
nifty came for work the people were the
better prepared to receive the gospel.
The first baptism was in 1856 when
Bishop Williams, teacher, become a
convert, and the next was in 1872.
Since then the work has progressed
rapidly and there are now 100000 ma
tive Christians in japan of which the
Church Of England number 5000. or
the 800 members OF the first House OF
Representatives elected under the new
form of government in 1899, eighteen
were Christians including the Speaker
Of the House, which shows the stand
ing Of the Christians among their fell
low men in Japan.
Mr.. Gardner told of the trouble which
had been caused by an agnostic at the
head of the Department OF Education,
who had ordered obeisance made by
every pupil in each Of the -, 900 schools
TO the picture Of the Emperor, and how
the Christian teachers and pupils had
refused TO comply until declaration
was made by the government that the
rite was not q religious one, declara-
ton which Christians had long been
waiting for and which would help won
derfully in making converts. He also
told Of the decay of Buddhism, and said
that OF the 400, Buddhist temples
but 60, 600 now remained, many Of them
having been robbed and burned by the
Buddhist priests. He told OF the great
earthquake OF 1891, when 10000 people
were killed, $4,000 injured and over
400, 900 rendered homeless. The people
appealed to the Buddhists for aid, but
were refused, while Christian Jap