The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-03
ny rnEpEn1c ). IIAsK1N.

Il
Tokyo.
Christian churches Of all deno Ia.aa.
ship OF 10000. Besides these there
are great many Japanese who are
familiar with the Bible and IN part
incline to the Christan faith hase nre
estimated to number about 100000:
Many OF the most prominent men OF
Japan are Christians, and the ini,u-
snsead Gf 81 ae t hatYs sooS Church
bers there are 10000 Protestants, 6o;-
900 Roman Catholics and 10000 Greek
Orthodox Christians.
Japan occupies s, pecular, , relation .ss TO TO
ception OF Northwestern Africa IT Is
the only part of the world where
Christianity, once firmly established.
was uprooted and destroyed. 1t Is also
ern missions in which native Christians
arc impatient of any connection with
foreign church bodies and desire an
independent ecclesiastical Organization.
to a movement, headed by enemies Of
christianity, for the creation Of mod
ern eclectic religion to be thoroughly
"a Japanese national religion. This
shntosm confueian k naddsism and
Christianity and create an absolutely
new religion on scientific grounds. the
whole thing then to be declared to the
people as q governmental decree. In
superable difficulties have blocked the
progress OF this movement. and 1t is
Extremely unlikely that 1t will ever
bear fruit.
The movement for ecclesiastical in
dependence among the Japanese Pro-
|testants Is already successful. there
being independent Japanese churches
|of the Presbyterian. Congregational,
Episcopal and Methodist denomina-
tons. These churches still sustain
connections with the missions which
founded them. the degree OF indepen-
|dence varying In the case OF each de-
nomination.
The Japanese Congresationallsts. or
'kumi-ai churches, were the first to
parent organization fostering the spir-
1t. The American missionaries remain
in Japan as assistants and advisers.
land financial help from abroad is stu
rian and Reformed Church bodies hav-
ing missions in Japan have united their
Japanese churches into an organization
known as the Nihon .>iristo Kyokwai.
or the Church OF Christ In Japan. This
church also has ecclesiastical indepen-
where foreign financial help Is no
longer necessary. The various Angn-
can or Episcopal churches have united
under the name Nhon Seiko Kwai. The
united. the line OF division being even
fainter than In the United States. The
three principal Methodist churches. that
lis the Northern and Southern branches
| the United States and the Methodist
IChurch OF Canada. caused union of
all their churches in Japan. This was
lconsummated last May, and the Metfo-
ldist Church of Japan Is now an indie
pendent and autonomous body under
the guidance of Bishop Honda, the first
Japanese Methodist bishop.
An these movements toward church
union have had a very encouraging
effect. and many Japanese Christians
look forward to the early union of al!
the leading Protestant bodies under the
name OF the Protestant Church OF
show no more members than does the
Roman Catholic. and but twice as many
as the Greek Catholic. the Protesta mt
Influence is regarded as being predom-
the fact that the American Professionals
were the first missionaries to come into
the country after 1t was opened. and to
the fact that the American missions
christian and semi-Christfan Japanese
people on account Of the great amour:
OF educational and medical work which
has been done without regard to pro-
lfession of the Christian faith by the
recipients of the benefits.
The Roman Catholic propaganda has
been carried on largely BY French mis-
sionaries and has been wonderfully
successful, the real work not being be-
| gun until 1872, or fifteen years after
the opening Of the American Protestant
missions. OF course. the Japanese
Catholics have no notion OF an indepen.
dent church, such as is possessed by
their Protestant brethren. as they mus
recognize the power Of the Vatican.
The RussoGreek Catholic Church
was really the first Christian church tc
come into Japan after the exclusion
Commodore Perry's expedition In 1856;
brought with It a preacher who en-
deavored to reach the Japanese. bu
without success. Two years later the
Russian government established con
:Esulate at Hakodate. In 1850 q young