Blue-grass blade., 1899-12-10


as soon as the knowledge sought Is
acquired, turn their backs on Chris
tianity, and show IL more contempt
than those who never come In direct
contact with 1t. The Japs are not TO
be caught with smiles and soup and
beads and trinkets and prayers.
They all know that Catholics and
Protestants hate each other and
wonder at it. II just one Of these
superstitions had the sole right OF
way, Christianity might make some
progress with the Jap. He Is be.
ing intensely interested in the mech
anical arts, and as Christianity
pushes along protesting and boast
ing that all progress and scientific
advancement are the result OF its
teachings, the Jap, seeing our mod.
ern inventions, naturally would in
cline to regard Christianity as q
superior religion, and gradually &C.
cept II. But there seems to be
something in the Christian religion
insurgent In itself. 1t is incohesive
by nature, and that very incohesion
Is proving its destruction. It must
have throats to cut, and when IL has
no other victims it seeks them with
In its own ranks. Christianity Is o
country never without an insurrec-
tion, or one plotting.
The Catholic missionaries In Japan
proclaim the Protestants to be here
tics, corruptors OF morals, followers
of strange gods, anarchists who will
destroy the government, and people
who are not recognized as Christians
at home. The Protestants tell them
that Catholicism is a low form Of
superstition, that its followers are
image worshippers, idolaters, that
only the ignorant and depraved at
home are connected with it, that civ
ilization has outgrown 1t, aud 1t is
only the relic OF a barbarous age.
This leads the smart Jap to take in
both schools, and study both
branches Of Christianity, and find II
he can which is the liar. Almost
without an exception, he finds out
that both tell the truth about each
other, ard this is further verified by
Japanese students who arrive from
England, Germany, France and
America.
The result is that Christianity is
making no advancement In japan
whatever. 1t has missions and
schools galore, but the Japs attend
them. not for the religion taught,
but for the knowledge they may
acquire. They play Christianity
just like millions Of professed Chris
tians in this country do, for just
what they can get out of it.
A protestant lady missionary who
has taught for years in Japan told
me that while attending the Prot
estant schools, the Japs were seem
ingly, tie most pious, meek and
humble creatures she ever saw, and
often when they we're congratulating
themselves on gaining bright con-
vert who would go out and spread the
gospel he would pick up aud go
over to the Catholic school, and
there be just as humble and as seem
ingly wrapped up in the Catholic
lditl dS uc uou Oocu III tuC tOoC-
slant. Likewise those who come
from the Catholic schools to the
Protestant would take on Protestant
piety. She further said the only
hope OF making Christian of Jap,
was to take him when he was young
and keep him, If possible in one
school, and educate him in one faith,
for il he learned of both, he was
sure to turn out an Inidel.
To read the reports of Missionar
les, Que would believe that churches
are g ling up everywhere, and the
Japanese are tumbling over each
other to get into them. 1t Is true
that a good many churches are
building and great many Japs at
tend, but their profession OF religion,
unless it be with the very ignorant,
is all a pretension. The late impe-
rial decree, prohibiting Christian
ity being taoght in the public
schools is set back which has lifted
the missionary from his leet, and
bumped the hard ground with his
pious posterior.
How can Christiani y expect to
convert a country, whose students,
educated In Christian countries, re-
turn and report that Christianity is
on the decline on it's own ground;
that it is hopelessly divided in its
own ranks; that the great United
States government will not incor-
porate IL into the state; that states
everywhere are lnclining 10 its dis
establishment; that the very head
OF the Catholic church is repudiated
by his own native state and people;
that all nations have come to regard
him as an offensive political meddler;
that the Christian clergy everywhere
fail to get people to come to church;
that In the United States, less than
one third of the people are Chris.
tians; that its great colleges teach
doctrines in opposition TO the Chris
tian system; that science utterly
ignores its origin, its dogmas and
its authority.
Can anything be more childish or
pitiably amusing than the honest
misguided efforts OF Christian mis-
sionaries themselves, who know
that vice, lawlessness and ignorance