The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-29
An Astonishing Story OF Modern
Japan.

An Astonishing story OF Modern
Japan.
We have received story OF m odern
Japan which was printed there last year
anonymously and for private circula-
ton only Il II OF special interest at
this time because the author Ii declared
to ms to be none other than the Rev. Ar
THUR LLOYD OF Toxic. the president of the
missionary college In that town under the
control Of the American Episcopal Board
OF Missions, who has lately resigned from
that Office at the instance Of the "Ameri-
can Bishop at Toxic
The story was written to illustrate the
confusion which Is brought about in
Japan by the various and conflicting
schools OF Christianity presented to the
people by the English and American mis-
sionaries there and 10 indicate a method
OF getting out Of ii. The story assumes
to be a narrative Of the conversion Of
Japanese family to differing Christian
Churches. the Methodist, the Episcopal
and the Roman Catholic, written by one
Of the members; and unquestionably the
author exhibits much familiarity with
the Japanese domestic life and religious
disposition. The family consisted Of
father and mother, three sons and one
daughter. The father was q Confucian-
list. with strange compound OF the
teaching Of CoNFucIUs and MENcIUs,
blended with the mystic dreams Of the
Zen sect OF Buddhism or Buddhist
after an eclectic fashion, The mother,
naturally a very religious woman, was
strongly attracted by the Vision of>the
Pure Land Of the Iodo. or Paradise.
sect. a sect which believes that al
though some persons cannot expect final
salvation in this life, they may yet
through the mercy Of AMIpA "a great
Buddha) be born in the Pure Land Of tho
Western Paradise, and that those born
in this Paradise cannot fail to obtain sal
vation.' These differences in the re-
ligious views Of the parents are evidently
described to illustrate the existing con-
fusion a. to religion in Japan which had
been increased by the varieties Of Chris
tianity brought in by the missionaries.
The three brothers received, first. a
purely Japanese education. The eldest.
iCmTARo, or TARo. the name by which
the eldest son 10 always distinguished,
went to Toxic to what is now the COL
lego Of Medicine In the Imperial Uni
versity. studied German hard In order to
follow the lectures OF his German pro-
fessors and became in time a well-known
physician The next, SuTEJIRo. in
spite Of his fathers set against trade
and commerce. secretly made up his
mind to become q merchant and make
his house q rich one.' He went to q
Christian mission school in the district
Of Toxic, nicknamed by the Japanese
the Temple street because II abounded,
and still docs to some extent, with mis-
sion churches and chapels Of all shapes
and Sizes His purpose in going there
was simply to learn ~ much English
a. he could, for II was plain even in those
early days that English was the predom-
insting commercial language Of the
world He cared nothing about Chris
tianity. The youngest son, RYuzABURo.
by whom the story 10 assumed to be
written, was destined by his mother to
become a priest, but he obtained her
consent to study Western learning at
Toxic before entering q Buddhist
monastery. His brother, SUTEJIRo.
wanted him TO 60 to the mission school
to learn English, but desiring to avoid
Christianity, he went, instead. to ia
nous school called the Keiogijuka where
English reading was taught by the Hem
sSku' method, then in vogue, or the
method Of teaching English by the eye
only, so that q man could understand
q book In English without being able to
pronounce q word
First, TARo, the eldest, became q
CHRISTIAN, under Methodist teaching,
greatly to the distress Of his parents, who
dlsowned him. In order to satisfy his
curiosity about religion which had had
so great power with his brother, the
youngest son bought an English Bible
and japanese Testament. Eventually
under the influence Of an Anglican mis-
sionary he was a baptized convert
SUTEyIRo turned out a defaulter, but
ultimately became Christian convert.
also.
The youngest, having been destined
for the Buddhist priesthood. was loath
to tell his parents Of his conversion, but
he was overjoyed at length by receiving
q letter from his mother saying that the
news Of her sons having become Chris
tians seems almost too good to be true,
for she, her husband and her daughter,
o MITZU, had been converted likewise,
but by Roman Catholic missionary.
Thus there WEN three variations Of
Christianity In the family, Methodism,
AnglicaAism and Roman Catholicism.
The father. however. had not been bap-
tized. for a. one Of the Zen sect he had
no use for forms and ceremonies; and
when urged by his family to take the
final step he replied Twill be baptized
when you are all agreed about the
Church. Meantime the son converted to
Ang licanism had been troubled because
the teachings Of the Anglican missionary
had convinced him that his Methodist
brother, TARQ, was in q very doubtful,
position The mother feared for both