The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-12-28

children in the public school houses.
the best buildings in every village,
show the new Importance attached to
the idea of universal education. And
TO those who seek them out as | did,
in one city and another the sight OF
houses for Christian worship, and con-
gregations of devout worshippers, was
a sign of a new leaven at work, OF
which vitality and potency we know
something in this now Christianized
Hawaiian nation. l saw many such
signs of the leavening of Gospel truth.
| have met many of the Japanese
preachers, and know what a quiet work
they are doing, for the Gospel comes
noiselessly like the falling of the rays
of the morning sun. / have seen the
shelves of Christian literature, that
have already been provided for the en-
lightenment and uplifting of Japanese
thought: and though the press OF Japan
pours forth its myriads of leaves, there
is one book-the Revealed Word of
God-that is finding its way to the
hearts and influencing the lives OF
many as no other book can or does.
/ was especially impressed with the
number Of young men seeking private
instruction from Christian teachers:
and with the number and efficient ser
vice of women, acting as helpers in
various churches. reading the Bible
from house to house. Social reforms
are not neglected by these modern
crusaders. But temperance and purity,
thrift and generosity are inculcated as
the outgrowth of Christian faith.
Money, hardly earned, is freely given
for schools and hospitals. And what
especially interested me was my casual
meeting with Christian believers who
in their differing circumstances were
bearing witness for Christ. A store
keeper, called in to interpret for me,
asked if l was not a clergyman, and
when he found that / was from Homo
lulu. said he had been a Christian for
many years, asked me most intelligent
" about the religious condition and
progress of the Hawaiian people. a
fellow passenger on the steamer that
brought me home, who attended the
religious service l conducted one Sun
day, told me that he had been for 13
years an elder in the japanese Pres
byterian Church of Yokohama. We
all know Mr.. Taro Ando, the first
Japanese Consul-General to these ISL
ands. I found that the story of his
conversion had next to the largest cir
culation of any religious tract publish
ed in Japan.
Christianity has passed the day of
small beginnings, | was impressed
with the size, usefulness and commo-
diousness of the school buildings in the
midst of ample grounds provided by
the various Missionary Societies for
this department of their work. l know
it is a mooted question how much of
the annual expenditure should be de-
voted to the evangelistic department,
how much to the educational and other
departments of Christian work. l have
no doubt that these large buildings
were demanded and warranted by the
developments of the work when they
were built. With advancing ciYiliza-
ton life is growing more and more
complex every year. We are fulfilling
Christ's command to disciple all ma
lions not merely by the proclamation
of His advent and mission to earth,
but by establishing the different in
situations needed for the full develop
ment Of Christian social life.
AS 1 visited the rooms of the famed
Doshisha University, established by
the sainted Neesima for the upbuilding
of Christian character in preparation
for Christian usefulness, and thought
of what it stood for when he was at
the head of 1.-THE great doctrines of
the Christian faith, Redemption for a
rebellious and ruined race through
faith in Christ's righteousness, and
what it professedly stands for now
individualism, nationalism, cosmopo
litanism, l could only wonder why all
this relapse and reversal had been per-
mitted. 1t was a sad sight to me to
see those Christian teachers of more
than ordinary piety and ability who
had made the Doshisha the power for
good that it was through all the En-
pire of Japan, now abandoning that
seat of Christian learning, given over
to the delusive methods of the specious
liberalism. But they are not men to
be disheartened by difficulties and dis
couragements.
Leaving their homes and work, they
brave the discomforts of travel in the
country districts of Japan, and go far
off to the regions the Japanese govern
ment is opening up to new settlers, to
carry to those people the glad tidings
of the GOsDel and bring the light of
the Gospel to cheer and brighten daily
toll with the assurance of Gods own
presence, and the promise of His
grace. Among that people, unhamper
ed by the bonds of conventional usage,
they are meeting with marked success,
and building up churches at one point
and another, centres of light and power
in that community of increasing num-
bers and Importance.
DIR. Gordon, who had been busy in
such work in Hokkaido, Northern
Japan, said that one evening he was
holding a meeting attended by many
students from a Normal School. They
were disposed to argue against the
claims of the Gospel as a Divine Rev
elation of Supreme Authority and to
claim for Confucianism the value of
practical adaptation to the needs of
men. While they were busy talking,
young japanese came in, and after a
while began to take part in the discus