The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-04-01

OF Augeroo. The Buddhist priests Of
tered a stubborn resistance. but the saint
succeeded eventually during his stay
OF two years and iour months in plant
ing the faith in four or five localities
and in baptizing some thousands OF con-
Nerts. Atcr his departure for China
the Church in Japan continued to make
slow but solid progress Little BY little
the number oi conversions increased
till i'll 1873 we find single missionary
who. i'll two years. had baptized 10000
n,opFytcs. BY 1897 there were 100000
native Christians i'll Japan. Nine years
later. at the breaking out oi the
persecution oi Iaicosama, their number
had grown to 100000. But persecution
lad no power to arrest the spread oi
the faith In 1904 the number of Christ
ians in Japan was in the ncighborhood
OF 10000.
The intrigucs OF Professionalism. the
dolngs OF the Dutch Calvonists. aided
by the commercial rivalry OF Spain and
Portugal and the indiscrcct zeal OF
some Franciscans. who revived the old
question OF "customs." brought about
the ruin OF the ourishing church OF
Japan. The persecution oi 500. which
lasted Tor nearly half century. was
marked by deeds OF blood and violence
uncquallcd i'll any age or country The
refined. malignant and inhuman cruelty
to which the Christians OF Japan were
subjected surpasscs belief, and the lives
OF the early martyrs do not afford in
stance OF more unllinching heroism than
was displayed by the Japanese converts
in the days OF Taisocama
Thanks to the system inauguratcd by
ST. Francis Navicr. Christianity sur
vivcd in Japan despite all the cruelty
and vigilance OF its Prosecutors. For
nearly two hundred years the Empire
was closed against all missionaries. But
the faith taught by Navcr was handed
down from generation to generation
1t will astonish many oi Our readers to
read the testimony OF MIR. Pcmbcrton
llodgSon. sometime British consul in
Japan. In a book published by him
i'll 1901, he says: 81 have reason to be-
licvc that on the island OF Ycddo alone
| there are more than 10000 persons who
| have secretly in fear and in trembling.
maintained and preserved not only the
utensils and books OF their Christian an
cestors but who actually by stealth still
practice their worship. The Japanese
are a thinking race; they admit that they
have no good religion and. were it al
lowed by the government, | have no
hesitation in asserting that from one end
OF Japan to the other the Roman Cath
olic religion would be hailed with de-
light and accepted with unanmity."
In 1865 these secret Christians made
themselves known to the missionaries
who had gone to Japan alter the
changes i'll national policy inauguratcd
by Perry's Expedition had been accom-
plishcd. All the principal clements OF
the old organization still survived
There were cathechists. baptizcrs and
assistants for the dying. They were
well instructed. led a pcnitcntia life,
celebrated in secret the great icasts
OF the Church. kept carefully their old
medals and images and knew their pray
crs, even in villages where books could
not be had. Is there anything to equal
this record OF attachment to the faith
in the whole range of Church history?