The Portland daily press., 1897-12-20
WORTH AND WORK OF uNIvERsALIsM
DIR. Perrin and Rev. DR.. Yoshimura on Uni
versa list japanese Missions.

The worth and work of the Universalist
Japanese Mission was the subject of adj
dresses yesterday morning at the service
in Congress Square church at which Rev
Dr. Perrin of tho Every Day church of
Boston, officiated.
In his opening address DIR. Perrin .aid
that the Universalist mission was never
so real and tangible thing as it is at the
present time; that since 1880 he had been
actively engaged in this m missionary work
and he was glad to say that there would
stand today before the large congregation
living representative of the mission, its
first fruits, in the person of Rev. Mr..
Yoshimura of Japan, its first regularly
ordained minister, most faithful repre-.
sentative, who would tell the story Of his
hopes and aims and thus serve to mark
a new era in the history of the mission
and cause all to be moro in love with ii
than ever before.
Rev. Mr.. Yoshimuras, who has pleas
ing personality and was dressed in
Oriental costume, with surprisingly
good command Of English, then addressed
the congregation. saying in part; that he
was the first interpreter Mt the founding
of the school, and mission which now en-
braosd eight distinct stations and ex-
pressed thanks to the American people
for the money which they had most liber-
ally contributed; that Japan was indebted
in no small measure to America for its
advance in material civilization and to
the same source she now looks for spirit
ual advancement.
He dwelt upon the fact that in Japan
the old order OF things was changing
that Shintoism, Buddhism and Con-
fucisnism, Oriental forms of worship,
must give way to a new religion and that
religion must be Christianity.
He gave n graphic account of his trip
from San Francisco across the country,
and in his quaint imagery comparing
human life to a journey, thought that
Christianity WAS the best car to ride in,
and that the most comfortable can OF all
was typitied in the religious world by
'universalism.
Rev DR.. Perrin, who by the way is g
very effective and persuasive speaker,
made concluding address in which he
dwelt upon the progress Japan had made
along material lines since 1854, when
Commodore Perry opened up the country.
There are now railroads and cross-rail-
roads, postal service with twelve de-
llveries each day even up to eleven O'CLOCK
at night; q telegraph system with rates
much cheaper than our own; q telpehone
exchange where service CAD be had for
Sl7, the like of which would cost in the
city of Boston $l54.
Contrasting Japan's progress in
material matters with its spiritual
growth, the speaker asked: "ShalI we
give the husk without the kerneI?''
Japan needs our religion to STAN its
spiritual characters, and if Christianity is
good for a Portland man, why is it not
good for resident of the far away East:
They are all our brothers and belong to
the circle of humanity which takes in all
men.
''No mission on the face of the earth u
said DIR. Perrin, h has accomplished SC
much in the same time with the same
means at hand as has the Universalist
Japanese Mission" and he closed with an
earnest appeal for continued support.
His appeal met with generous re-
Spouse as nearly two hundred dollars
were contributed on the spot.
A notable feature of the occasion waf
the prayer offered in his native langua &c
by Rev. Mr.. Yosimaura, while Miss
Crafts solo Hear ye Israel, = was beauti
fully rendered and will be long remem
bered.
In the evening DR.. Perrin and Rev. NJ
Yosimaura addressed O large congregation
at the Church Of the Messiah.