The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-11-17
A MISSIONARY ADDRESS
Bishop Partridge of Kyoto, Japan,
Spoke at Good Shepherd Church.
PATRIOTISM BEFORE RELIGION IN JAPAN
They Attempt to Divorce Religion and Morality
and as Result There is Loss Of
Both. The Missionary
Japan's Hope.

Japan hope.
One of the most instructive missionary
lectures ever heard in the State was de-
livered at the Church of the Good Shep-
herd last night by Rt. Rev. L. c. Part
ridge, Bishop of Kyoto, Japan. Bishop
Partridge's opportunities for knowing the
conditions of the missions in the East are
of the best, as he in early manhood dedi-
Gated himself to this work, and almost at
the beginning of his ministry he resolved
to labor in heather lands. Before he was
=consecrated as bishop he worked at
Shanghai and Wuchang in China
The lecture was splendid throughout.
Swift and at times pathetic in speech, yet
with a directness and force that made his
meaning clear, he was eloquent at all
times and his picture of the distant land
where a huddled population are strug-
Cling in the right of error and superstitu-
tion was realistic. He held the congre-
CATION spell-bo bound until the last SEN
tence.
The Bishop did not preach formal SER
mon, but commenced by saying that he
had come to bring tidings of the battle
that is being fought against the forces
of heathendom in the sunny islands OF the
East.
Il will tell you of what is being done
in those beautiful islands, three thou
sand miles across our continent, and
three thousand miles more across the
broad Pacific"
He said that Japan was the loveliest
- nd pCGpd every
attraction sought by tourist and traveller.
1t is interesting because 1T is superoly
beautiful in appearance, for what its peo-
pie have done in the past, and for what
they may accomplish in the future. He
spoke of it's glorious appearance in spring
when the blossoms of the cherry made II
look like falkland; of its palaces and
treasures.
He spoke of the New Japan with its
schools, army, navy, telegraphs and rail
ways, of the wonderful advances they
have made and the even more striking
changes inaugurated.
eve are their friends but we must not
tell them they are what they are not.
We should tell them that the flatterer is
their deadliest enemy. We should show
them their weaknesses. There is so
much that is absolutely false involved iH
the economy of their government and
their ideas / will show you some of the
problems the missionary has to lace.
They have attempted TO devorce morality
and religion. And anyone who can look
beneath the surface can see they are on
q smoulderng volcano"
He said that the rope of straw hung
from the pagan temples was typical of
these people and their belief We find
lack of religion and no morality.
'.They think they can take all the bene-
fit of religion and not inculcate it's prin-
ciples. They try to substitute patriotism
for religion. In their education they
teach the true and false side by side.
For instance, in teaching geography they
give their pupils a correct geography, out
at the same time teach the old superstl-
ton of the creation of Japan as true.
In history they teach the essential iacts
of history. but insist upon the belef IN
The legend of the crystal bridge Ihey
teach orthodox science, they believe IN
and utilize the telegraph, railway ana
telephone, but also believe in Lord
Thunder and Lady Lightning.
Count Ito. the man who reconstructed
Japan and made it respected by the Wes-
tern nations, says that belief in per-
sonal God is not necessary. The Japan
csc are making new morality They
have gone to Greece and Rome and Egypt
and all the nations of the earth. and
putting together such portions OF cach
as suits and then say to the people, he
good And the people are just as bad
as they ever were.
/ allow do you suppose the cburch met
The situation? We met their materialism
with the dispensary and hospital. we
showed them there was something about
man that the probe and scalpel cannot
touch. and that man is greater ana
grander than clay. We showed them
that Christianity makes them better
citizen. and a better patriot, and that it
fits them for the duties of life. We take
the best there is in their religion and
make it an entering wedge for Christi
anity. In India, where the doctrine of
reincarnation obtains the story of Christ S
incarnation appeals with irresistible
force, in China where every cause is set
tied by arbitration, Christ is shown to be
the Great Mediator. We eliminate what
is bad in their ideas, and we raise UP
and elevate the good. The evil passes